Chapter 68 Time for a check-upX&J EMPIRE, NEW YORK.“Ah! Doesn’t it feel so nice that everything is back to normal?” Jace commented as he settled himself into a chair, twirling in it. Xander made a face and got up to pick up his suit. “Where are you going?”“Thanks to you and uncle, I no longer have a private moment because you all keep meddling.” He replied with a frown.“We wouldn’t be doing that if it wasn’t for your good. Why do you enjoy making us out to be the villains?”“Maybe because you all are. I told you I am fine.”Jace huffed in exhaustion. He hates how they always go back and forth on the discussion. “Xander, you will regret it soon if you don’t take things seriously.”“I am taking the medications regularly. What else do you want from me?” Xander sounded frustrated.“It is beyond that, Xander. And you know it. You chug down alcohol at will. Your lifestyle is not helping.”“Probably, if you spend a day or two in my shoes, you will get to know if alcohol is a worthy compa
Chapter 69 The AppearanceBURGER HOUSE, NEW YORK.Nina laughed lightly into her phone as she mumbled a thank you to the waitress who helped pull out a chair. Tania was on the other end, cracking her up with her field trip memories.“I am glad you are having fun.” She mused, checking through the menu.Tania hummed in response. “How have you been?”“Good, I am getting closer to my delivery date. And I must admit, Xander has been of so much help within his short time here. I hardly do anything.”“That’s nice of him. I was about to think of him as some villain.”She giggled. “That makes the two of us.”“So what are you up to?”“I was craving a burger for lunch, so I came out to have some.”“Does Xander know you are out by yourself?” Tania inquired.Nina snickered. “Oh, please. I am not a child, you know. But he is aware of where I am. He had a meeting to round up and would join me soon. Like a mother hawk, he keeps a close eye on me. Can be annoying sometimes.” She admitted that she enjoy
Chapter 70 New PlansTAYLOR’S HOME, NEW YORK.Asher let out a string of curses as he paced the room back and forth. He was shocked by the man who had come between him and Nina a while ago. That was supposed to be his chance to get her back and have Andrea return to whatever hellhole she came from. The man looked young, and he seemed protective of Nina. To cap it all, he had to call her baby. Could it be that they are married? Asher asked himself, even though he didn’t see a ring on her finger. He thought no man would be in sight when he found her. Nina has always been on track, making him doubt she would ever get over him, especially since it's not even been a year since they have been apart. He pulled at his hair, feeling genuinely frustrated. The company sank before him, and he couldn’t find a way out. Many staff have been laid off, and the shareholders are grumbling. Everyone appears ready to bolt if given the chance. Andrea walked into the room, humming to herself, just in time
Chapter 71 Side TalksX&J EMPIRE, NEW YORK.Xander parked the car and glanced at Nina. She has been extremely distant from him for a couple of days. He was sure the incident from the other night still angered her. They haven’t discussed it yet, and he is beginning to feel exhausted from the silence. “Nina, why are you doing this? I thought we were adults and more mature than all these complexities?” He queried. Nina stared down at her hands. She hasn’t been able to look at him because of her dark thoughts. The doctors said the desire to be touched isn’t strange. However, Nina knows deep within her that the urge is beyond just wanting to have sex. She wants Xander. The thought of him disrupts her nights, and it’s frustrating that she cannot masturbate with her fingers as she always does because of her big belly. Being close to him makes her heart race beyond average, and the hesitation to follow through with the burning need to jump at him and kiss him even now is due to her thin re
Chapter 72 OH MY VENUSNINA’S HOME, NEW YORK.“Mum, is there a need to do this?” Jace questioned his mother as they parked the car in front of the house.Venus glared hard at him. “And who are you to tell me what to do?”“That question also applies to you, mum. Xander is not a child; whatever he decides to do with himself is none of your business.”“He is my son, and I will determine what becomes of him. I am not going to have my son roaming around homeless.”Jace cackled. “You make me laugh. Why are you talking like he is a jobless man? He is full grown, mum. Learn to mind your business.” Without warning, Venus smacked him from behind his head. Jace whined in pain. “I really should call the cops on you, mum. What you just did is assault. You are being a threat to my life.”“I would like to see you try. I know this is your way of stalling for time. Someone has been calling you since we drove down here. From how you keep glancing back at it, it’s important. So you had better press that
Chapter 73 Nina’s Real FearsNINA’S HOME, NEW YORK.Nina suddenly shifted away from Xander; gathering herself together took her a brief second. Xander leaned into the couch, staring at her in amusement.“Are you about to give another hormone excuse?” There was a trail of teasing in his words.She shut her eyes tightly, letting out a soft chuckle. “Can we not capitalize on it, please.”Xander raised both hands in surrender. “Alright, mama. Whatever you want. So what did you discuss with Carla?”She leaned further into the couch, stretching her legs out. “Nothing. I mainly asked her why I should go to dinner with your mum.”He laughed lightly. “You are so blunt. So what have you decided?”“Well, to not be rude, I will go to the dinner, and you will have to come with me to get a dress.”“I will gladly do that. Do you want to go now?”“Yes, please. And I would like something nice to eat. My baby wants some.” Nina mused, rubbing gently at her belly.“Okay then. Let me change quickly.”They
Chapter 74 Dinning with the Jackson FamilyJACKSON’S HOME, NEW YORK.Johnson stared at his wife with evident exhaustion in his eyes. Venus can be too extreme when she puts her mind on something. He is still surprised by her announcement. Xander having a woman whose birthing date is near doesn’t sound much like his son. Even if they aren’t so close, he knows the boy like the back of his palm.At the same time, Xander can be unpredictable. He had started a company in the corner of his room without informing anyone until he got his first investor. The turnout had hurt Johnson as he had always hoped his sons would take over the company. To make things worse, Jace joined his brother's wagon, leaving their father to handle everything himself.“You might be disappointed at this point. Don’t you think you are doing too much?” He queried from the chair he was seated on, interrupting Venus's humming session.She cut him a glare. “You are why Xander must have kept something like that away from u
Chapter 75 Market ValueX&J EMPIRE, NEW YORK.“How is the market value that I asked you to check?” Xander asked Lisa while keeping his eyes on the tablet in his hand.Lisa made a sound before responding. “I just sent it to you now. Many are backing out due to the debts the company is owing. The market value is at its lowest, but the clause pays the other money without remaining a dime.”He hummed, nodding his head slowly. “Jace, what do you have on the probability of sales in the next six months?”Waiting for his turn, Jace sat up and passed a document to his brother and Lisa. “So, depending on what we have gathered, the merger would boost the sales tenfold. However, we chipped in the possibility of unforeseen circumstances. Which would bring us to five times the profit.”“Does that mean Nina’s proposal is top-notch?” Xander asked.“Yes, sir. We did market research and had the team conduct a proper analysis and survey. What we got enabled us to have a sketch of the incoming sales.” Ja