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Ariadne closed her eyes, frustrated. It was Crystal who called her. The other representatives looked at her with curiosity. She smiled awkwardly at them before turning around to see Crystal and Xander standing near the meeting room. She didn't want to face Xander or Crystal, but she had no choice. Mr. Hugh and Mr. Wright also emerged from the meeting room at that time. "We should leave as well." Mr. Wright informed Xander. "Ok. We will meet tomorrow." Xander said, looking at Ariadne, who was approaching them slowly. "Ok, sure." Mr. Wright and Mr. Hugh walked towards the exit. Mr. Wright smiled at Ariadne as they passed through the corridor, and she returned the smile politely. With only three people remaining, The corridor fell silent. Crystal and Xander also began walking towards Ariadne. Ariadne didn't miss how Crystal held Xander's arm. 'Nothing has changed. It's the same as in the past.' Ariadne sighed. 'You can do this.' Before Ariadne could say anything,
At Grace Children's Hospital "Everything's fine, Miss Ariadne. We will run a few more tests to be sure. But I don't think there will be any issues. He is a very cooperative child. We can perform the surgery in two weeks." The doctor informed Ariadne. "Oh, that's good. Thank you, Doctor." "You are welcome." Ariadne exited the doctor's office. She had come to the hospital to stay the night with Alex. Jennifer dropped her off at the hospital after they had dinner in the suite. As Tiara had gone out of town for some important business, leaving only Mary and Ariadne with the children. Mary would stay with Adrian and Autumn in the suite tonight, while Ariadne would stay in the hospital. She went to the doctor first to get an update on Alex's surgery. She entered the room and saw Alex reading a comic book. He looked up and saw her. "Mommy." He exclaimed excitedly, grinning. "Alex." Ariadne approached the bed and hugged him. "Will you stay with me tonight, Mommy." He asked wit
"Wow, beautiful." Someone exclaimed, jolting Xander out of his daze. There stood a man in a black suit, and beside him was a gorgeous woman dressed in a white gown. Crystal's attention also shifted to the newcomers. "Isn't it Zidane Watson?" A woman exclaimed. "Yes, it's him. He is so handsome in person as well." Another woman replied. Zidane Watson was a well-known personality, and everyone had seen him on the news or television, if not in person. "By the way, who's the woman beside him?" Crystal looked at the woman but chose not to say anything. "Mr. Watson is unmarried. She might be his girlfriend. She's gorgeous." The other woman guessed. Xander clenched his jaw as he heard what they said. His gaze was focused on Ariadne. He could not help but admire how beautiful she was. Ariadne and Zidane walked down the hall, talking to each other. They paid no attention to the gazes directed at them. Anyone can tell they have a close bond. "Oh, here they are. Excuse me."
Ariadne kept her distance from Xander and Crystal throughout the party. Even when they sat down for dinner, she continued to converse with the other guests. As expected, Xander sat with Crystal, while Ariadne sat beside Zidane. After dinner, everyone left. Ariadne left with Zidane which didn't escape Xander's eyes. "Mr. Watson and Aria seemed very close. They may have denied it in public, but I doubt they are together." Crystal stated, glancing at Xander. They were on their way to Miller Residence. "She always has good taste. She was after you in the past, and now it's Zidane Watson. After you, he is the wealthiest and most eligible bachelor around." Crystal added as there was no response from Xander. "It's their personal matter." Xander replied, refusing to discuss the subject. "Of course, I am just curious. Aria has changed a lot. I am very happy for her." Crystal smirked, noticing Xander's foul mood at the mention of Ariadne. After dropping Crystal off at the Miller Resi
Xander raised an eyebrow at Ariadne. "How dare you call my kids bastards?" Ariadne pointed a finger at Xander's face. "You are good at producing bastards, not me. I will not tolerate any bad words about them. So, mind your language. My children and I are none of your business. If you have nothing to say about business, you can leave. I don't have time to waste on you." Ariadne shouted. Xander clenched his jaw as Ariadne referred to Crystal's pregnancy five years ago. "Don't worry. I am not interested in you or your kids. You are right.... It's none of my business. And I know how busy you are. That's why I need to come here myself." he said, mockingly. "What's your problem?" Ariadne was furious. "Let's talk about business, which is why I came here." Ariadne narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her hands. No matter how much she wanted to kick him out of her office, she had to remain professional. She was surprised that Xander didn't react after she lashed out at him. "I
"I heard the news this morning. You two are finally getting engaged. It's a very good news." Mr. Wright said. "Thank you. It has been long overdue." Xander approached them. He rounded the table in the center of the tent and stood opposite Ariadne. However, Ariadne didn't lift her gaze from the table. She felt nervous. Her heartbeat quickened and she felt restless. She had no idea that this news would affect her, even after five years. She tried to remain composed. "When is the engagement?" "Next month." "Great." Mr. Wright smiled. "Oh, I forgot. Miss Miller, you’re Crystal's sister. You two will soon become family members." Mr. Wright looked at Ariadne, causing her to lift her gaze from the table. 'Family members? We were supposed to be soulmates as we were a married couple. But fate had other plans' she thought in her mind. "Yes, this's a good news." she smiled at Mr. Wright and looked into Xander's eyes, which were already fixed on her. "Congratulations, Mr. Blak
Few days had passed since the announcement of Xander's engagement. Ariadne didn't have to see him again as he never returned to the construction site after that day. The next day, she would visit the construction site to discuss the park's new design with Mr. Wright. She placed the printed design in a file before heading to the kitchen for dinner. Mary, Adrian and Autumn sat in their seats. Tiara was at the hospital with Alex. Tiara was the one who spent most of the night with Alex. Ariadne took a seat. There were delicious dishes in front of them. They hadn't started eating yet as they waited for her. They began eating together. After a while, Autumn lifted her head from her plate and looked at Ariadne. "Mommy, there's a function at our school tomorrow. Remember we mentioned it before?" she asked, eating her chicken wing. "Yes, I do remember." Ariadne replied. "We are both participating." Autumn smiled excitedly, while Adrian was silently eating his meal. "Yes, I know de
"How evil! He did it intentionally. That jerk!" Ariadne couldn't stop cursing Xander, sitting in the backseat on the way to the kids' school. She gave the design to Mr. Potter and left Blake Corporation without wasting any time. Mary had earlier informed her that she had gone to the hospital, leaving the kids alone at the program. "My kids must be disappointed." She murmured as she looked at her wristwatch. "Don't worry, Madam. We can get there before the program ends." her driver assured her. ... Autumn and Adrian looked through the audience several times but couldn't find their mother. Autumn was disappointed that her mother was not present during her performance. Adrian's final match was next, so he prepared. "And now it's time for the chess championship. We have two finalists here: Henry Wade and Adrian Miller. Let's welcome our two little champions, who defeated everyone to reach today's final." Two boys entered the stage. "It's Miss Ariadne's son." Jose whispe
Xander appeared calm, but anyone could see the termoil behind his composed demeanor. Crystal lowered her face and looked at her nails."I was playing with Autumn. Everything was fine." she began to explain in a low voice."She has exams tomorrow, and you were playing with her!" Xander frowned.She immediately lifted her head to face him. "No... We played for a while, then I told her to go study, but she didn't listen." her voice was louder than before.She sighed and looked away before proceeding. "She wanted to see the file that contained the project documents. I denied because she could tear them." she lowered her voice again. "But she tried to snatch the file from my hands. We were on the steps. She accidentally pushed me during the process, and I lost my balance and fell down the stairs." she paused and looked at him. Xander listened to her quietly, staring at the far wall. "It was an accident. She didn't do it on purpose, I guess. Then she began to cry out of fear. The guard
"Where have you been these days?" Ariadne asked."I was out of town." Mark replied. They were sitting on the couch in Alex's hospital room. Alex sat between them, examining the toy car Mark had brought for him. "You're looking depressed. Is everything alright?" Ariadne looked at him with concern."Everything is fine. It's just the workload.""Oh... I can understand." she nodded, her lips pressed together.Mark took over as CEO of the Steele Groups recently. It was difficult for him to deal with everything. She felt sorry for him."So, with whom are you attending Jennifer's engagement party?" he asked, changing the subject."Oh.. I forgot you have your whole family." he added, shaking his head and smiling."I'm going alone.""What? Why?""Autumn and Adrian can't go because they have exams. Tiara and Mama Mary will stay with the kids. So it's only me." she explained."Then let's go together." "Um.. that's a good idea." Ariadne's eyes widened."Which party? I'll also go." Alex exclaim
The maids finished serving, and everyone started eating. There was an awkward silence. Autumn and Adrian ate their food, lowering their heads, not interested in conversing with anyone. Xander watched them silently while eating his meal. "How are you, Margaret? It has been a long time." Mary asked, breaking the silence. "I'm fine, Mary. I've heard you're now the president of Autumn Collection." Margaret replied, looking at her. "Yes. You have heard it correctly." Everyone looked at them as they talked. "Do you know each other?" Crystal asked, surprised. Xander, too, appeared curious. "We were classmates in school." Mary replied. "Wow. I didn't know that." Crystal replied. "You don't know a lot of things." Mary shot her a sharp look. "Do you remember me?" Margaret asked as she looked at the kids, interrupting the conversation. Her expression suggested that she disliked the fact that she knew Mary and she didn't want the subject to continue. The kids looked at eac
"Go on. I'm listening." Tiara said lazily. Crystal shifted in her seat and looked at her nails. "I don't know what your relationship is with Aria. You aren't her friend. How did you become a member of her family? I'm curious." She raised a brow at Tiara. "I think that story is useless to you." Tiara replied in a boring tone. Crystal nodded. "Anyway... I like how you always protect her and her kids." she paused for a moment while Tiara stared at her intently. "I'm sure you're with her for your own benefit... after all she owns the Autumn Collection." "What do you want to say?" Tiara said, irritated. She wanted her to get to the main point. "I'm saying you're a lawyer and you will always see a profit. So why don't you switch to someone who can provide you with more benefits than Aria?" Crystal said, leaning into the desk. "Are you referring to yourself?" Tiara asked. "Of course." Crystal leaned back in her seat again. "I'm the CEO of Miller Group. I'm now engaged to Xander.
Ariadne didn't look at Xander as she entered the car that was waiting at the entrance. She felt ashamed of herself for thinking that ring was cheap. The ring held historical significance. As a jewelry designer, she was able to easily identify the quality of a piece. She was curious if he still had the ring. However, she chose not to talk about it as it was pointless at this time. Thinking about past mistakes would only bring pain. She brushed the subject off her mind. They both sat silently as the car drove away. "Where are we going?" she asked when she saw the car taking a different route. "To the hotel." Xander replied casually, looking outside. "Hotel? Why? Shouldn't we return to your jet?" Ariadne frowned. "We will visit their factory tomorrow. You will complete your first contract." "But.." "When you find a good partner, don't wait to finalize the deal. They will trust you if you demonstrate a willingness to collaborate with them." he said, cutting her off as he looked at h
"Mr. Hart can you handle things here for a few days?" Ariadne asked, as Mr. Hart entered her office. "I'm going out of town for a few days." she added. "O.. yes... don't worry.. I'll handle everything here." he said, placing a file in front of her. "Thank you." she smiled. "Let me know if you need anything." "Sure." Ariadne signed the documents and handed them back to Mr. Hart. "See you in a few days." she said. Mr. Hart nodded before leaving the office. Ariadne grabbed her belongings and left as well. ..... "How far is it?" Ariadne asked, irritated. "It will take another hour." Xander replied from his seat in the distance, where he was reading some documents. Ariadne signed and gazed out the window. They had been sitting in Xander's private jet for the past five hours. It was a six-hour journey. What irritated her the most was having to sit with him. Even though she sat away from him, she was still uncomfortable. Xander suggested her to take a nap in the jet's private room.
Xander was in a good mood after Alex addressed him as 'Daddy'. He put on a mask and followed them inside the restaurant. As they passed through, Autumn kept looking back at him. When Xander raised his brow at her, she looked away. They entered a private cabin. Xander looked around. It wasn't as cozy as the five-star restaurants, but it was still nice. Everyone took their seats. Tiara sat between the two kids, with Mary next to Adrian and Jose beside Autumn. Xander sat next to Jose. Autumn tugged on Jose's hand, causing him to look at her. "Why is he wearing a mask?" she asked. It was loud enough for everyone to hear. Jose looked back at his boss before smiling at her. "So that no one can recognize him." he replied. "Why? Are the police looking for him?" Tiara burst out laughing while Jose pressed his lips together to hold it in. Xander stiffened, embarrassed. His daughter thought he was a criminal. He removed his mask, without saying anything. "No. Your dad is the most fam
"You fool! What do you think you're doing?" William yelled from the other end as soon as Xander answered the call. He sighed and rubbed his brows with his fingertips. His head was throbbing. "Do you want your kids to grow up as orphans?" He frowned at his words. "You took them away from their mother and kept them in that mansion while you're still at your penthouse. What's the meaning of this? They have grown up without a father. You have now also separated them from their mother. If you can't stay with them, then why did you take them?" William continued to scold him, without giving him a chance to speak. "Grandpa I.." "This's the last time I've helped you." he cut him off. Xander paused upon hearing this. "You asked her to bring them back." he said. It was a statement rather than a question. "Yes." "Thank you." "But if you make another mistake... I'll never ask her to reconsider anything. Don't disappoint me." "It's only a few days, Grandpa. I'm still proces
"How dare you slap her?" Emma got up in a rage. Ariadne raised her hand, telling her to remain silent. Cathy put her hand over her mouth, shocked. She couldnt believe her eyes that Ariadne slapped Crystal in front of everyone. Crystal's nostrils flared up with rage and she covered her cheek with her hand. However, she composed her expression and changed it to one of submission. Her eyes welled up, as well. Xander sat, silently. "Who gave you the right to slap my daughter?" Ariadne yelled. Crystal looked at Xander helplessly. Xander's gaze was fixed on Ariadne. "Why are you not saying anything, Mr Blake? She slapped your fiancee." Emma looked at Xander. He was silently watching the drama, saying nothing. "Didn't you two come here on your own? Crystal even slapped Autumn to discipline her as an aunt. So, why should I interfere? Ariadne is her mother and has every right to be angry about it. Now, deal with it." Xander said, irritated. He didn't like that they disobeyed his