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
Chapter 76 Good MemoriesNINA’S HOME, NEW YORK.Nina turned to the side, letting out a soft yawn. It's been so long since she slept so soundly. Repositioning herself, she felt a protective arm around her. It took her a second for the positioning to register in her heart. She looked up to see Xander’s handsome, sleeping face.A small smile played on her lips. She had been having difficulty sleeping due to excess peeing last night. Her refusal to remain at home and resume office had prompted a bit of discomfort in her body. Even after taking her pills, she couldn’t stop moving around. Xander wouldn’t have known of the ordeal she was enduring if she hadn’t gone to the kitchen to get water to drink and found him in the living room, drinking by himself.He looked distraught when she explained her condition. She assured him it was nothing serious; they stayed quiet for some time and started talking and reminiscing about their time together when they were dating in college. It was always a s
Chapter 77 Dolled UpTHE MALL, NEW YORK.“Why are we shopping again?” As they walked into a clothing store, Nina asked Tania for the umpteenth time.Tania groaned, “Can you just trust me, please? I am trying to get you a nice dress and take you to dinner.”“Dinner? Why is that all of a sudden?”“Just because I want to spoil you! I want to treat my friend nicely. Especially since I want to be your child’s godmother.”Nina laughed. “Like anyone else would ever be the godmother. You know it will be you. Like there is anyone else.”Tania grinned eagerly. “Now that we have agreed on that. How about you try this on?” She pulled out a lovely white dress on the cloth rack, handing it to Nina.“This looks nice.”“Try it out then.”Nina walked into the dressing room a bit reluctant. She wasn’t a fan of changing, but Tania wasn’t a person she could refuse. She wore the dress, and a pleasant gasp escaped her lips. The dress clung to her nicely and didn’t make her uncomfortable. She already loved
Chapter 78 The Nursery NINA’S HOME, NEW YORK. “Do you like it?” Xander asked. Nina blinked rapidly, taking the room all in. It feels like too much surprise in a day. The room had an entire makeover from a plain room to a nursery. It had a pink wall, a cot, and everything else that was a touch of pink and white. “You already knew it was a girl?” She inquired. “Just me, not the others.” He said. She walked further into the room and marveled at it. There was a small wardrobe that made her giggle. She opened the door to find it filled with baby clothes. “Xander.” She drawled tearfully. “Isn’t this too much?” “What matters is, do you like it?” “I feel so shameless saying this. But I love every bit of it. And this teddy bear.” Nina muttered, reaching for the pink fluffy teddy bear with a white heart placed in its hands. “I have always desired this even though I could have gotten it alone. I thought it would be better if I were gifted.” “I could get you an entire room filled with i
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