Kyle King
The King’s Company executives meeting lasted longer than I expected. After arriving home a few days ago, I had a lot of pending projects and bills to settle. Thankfully, I had been smart enough to deny my mother a place as a second signatory to the family account to avoid stories.
So, I instructed the accounting department to settle the bills while I made sense of the demands of the executives. We had two major projects to execute, and one was with an Arabian engineering company. They were new in Nashville and were referred by a previous client who worked with Tessa.
Tessa.
I hadn’t thought about her since I arrived in Nashville, but Ava noticed my moodiness and pushed for answers until I told her part of the truth. She wasn't particularly pleased about Tessa having kids before her and remarried. It was hilarious to see her so jealous. She had always posed herself as a better woman and wife than Tessa, but now she was unsure.
During breakfast, she had asked questions concerning Tessa’s company and made snide comments about her wealth. I was quick to defend Tessa by informing Ava that even though Tessa came from a wealthy dynasty, she still worked hard to make something for herself. She was angry, and that brought a dramatic end to breakfast.
The door pushed slowly, and Christine’s head popped. ‘Sir, your mother is here. Should I let her in?’
I grunted my teeth. ‘Christine, I specifically told you that if she shows up, you should inform her that I am in a meeting! What’s wrong with you today?’
She stepped in, avoiding my gaze. ‘I am sorry, sir. It slipped my mind.’
‘Just let her in, but next time, stick to my instructions, or you will be receiving a long list of queries. I don’t know why you are so absent-minded these days. Get your head in the game or else!’
‘I am so sorry, sir. I promise you that this won’t repeat itself.’
I raised my right palm and said, ‘This is your last warning. If anyone comes after her except Xavier, please let them in, okay?’
She shook her head. ‘No, I won’t. I understand what I must do now.’
I nodded, returning to my laptop to complete the Excel sheet I was working on. I knew once mom came in, I wouldn’t be able to do anything because she would be shooting questions and offering opinions about Ava and my fertility issues. I wasn’t ready for that discussion yet.
‘Hello, son. I heard your voice. What did Christine do?’ Mom asked, setting her Gucci bag on the table carefully.
I replied. ‘Nothing specifically. I thought we were supposed to meet at the house and not here?
She chuckled. ‘This is my company as much as it is yours. Don’t you think I have the right to come in here anytime I want?’
‘I didn’t mean it that way. Anyway, the Arab engineering company will be sending two representatives tomorrow for their onboarding meeting. Would you like to attend? I could use your experience in the engineering field to catch them.’
‘Of course, I would like to come along. Their money is gold, and I would be pissed if those teenagers you call executives destroyed the partnership.’
I laughed, wondering how she could call grown men teenagers. Like how?
‘Mum, these ‘teenagers’ kept the company in shape while I was in California. You should give them some credit instead of throwing jabs at them.’
She smiled tightly. ‘You would support them, wouldn’t you? That’s your problem anyway. I will be at the meeting. By the way, Ava told me some interesting news. You met your barren ex-wife in California, didn’t you?’
Of course, there was no other reason that would make her leave her company but Tessa’s.
‘Why are you calling her barren, though? Didn’t Ava inform you that she has kids now and is remarried?’
She scoffed, ‘I don’t believe that part. I am suspecting she adopted those kids. That young lady never even had a miscarrage or scared us a bit with a pregnancy rumor while she was here. How could she have gotten pregnant just like that? I don’t think miracles still happen just like that, son.’
I laughed, ‘You should have seen the kids. They look exactly like her. I think I have a picture of the twins. Xavier sent it to me yesterday. He got it from a connection.’
I scrolled through my phone, saw the picture, and handed my phone to her. ‘Do you still think that they aren’t her children?’
She studied the picture, an odd expression forming on her face. ‘When did she have these kids? I mean, how old are the kids?’
I shrugged. ‘They are four or five years old. Why are you asking?’
‘Don’t you notice something similar about the kids? Especially the girl? She looks almost like you when you were a toddler!’ Mom gasped, dropping my phone. ‘Are you sure they aren’t your kids?’
I shook my head. ‘Xavier said something like this, but I saw the kid's father. One Kanebi. They aren’t mine, and I don’t even see any resemblance. Even if they were mine, Tessa wouldn’t have kept it a secret. She’s not so cruel, Mom.’
Mom laughed, ‘I used to think I gave birth to a smart son, but now I doubt it. Have you forgotten how we treated her in this family? We made her feel like trash and unworthy of our love or care. Do you think that she will suddenly forgive you and let you know that she was pregnant for you? Think, son.’
I bit my lips, holding on to the words that were begging to sprout out. Maybe she made some sense, but still, if those were my kids, Tessa would have told me in California. She wouldn’t just hide vital information because of the past, which I tried my best to rectify.
She wasn’t that ruthless, or was she?
Geneveive Tessa RobertThe cafe was filled! After walking with the waiters to find a place to sit with the kids, I finally gave up and decided to check somewhere else. I cursed inwardly as I thought about Estella’s advice. She had suggested I take a basket of sandwiches for the kids lunch, but I didn’t listen because I wanted to spoil them with pancakes from my favourite Bristol cafe. Mopping the sweat off my face, I knew I had made a mistake. I should have listened to her. m The next cafe was Nice’s Confectionaries. They were filled up too. It was now obvious that life was teaching me a good lesson. If not, why would the cafes be filled up by one o’clock? It wasn’t even rush hour or a lunch break!‘Mummy, my legs hurt and my stomach is hungry!’ Nicholas cried, his British accent making me giggle a bit.I patted his curly brown hair. ‘We are going home now. Let's call the chauffeur to pick us up, okay?’He nodded. ‘Can we get chocolate cupcakes, please?’‘No, you can’t. You ate a lo
Kyle KingI dialled Ava’s number again and got the same response. I looked over my shoulders and noticed the experiments were already complete. Mom was already seated and had already gotten acquainted with the Arabian representatives. I quickly sent Ava a text message to show up before the contract signing was over and the luncheon began. She knew how important her presence was in today’s meeting, and she had promised earlier to show up before noon. It was past two o’clock now, and where was she?I should have revoked her CFO’s position for a long time, but mom wouldn’t have approved. It’s not as if Ava took her position seriously; she barely came to the office except when there was an event or project that would make her trend. She preferred to stay in the background, monitor my earnings, and demand her share at the en
Kyle King‘I am sorry about last night. My friends wanted to celebrate our accomplishments as a couple, and I didn’t want to decline their request. It’s been a long time since I had fun with everything that has been happening, baby.’ Ava said, kneeling down.I shook my head. ‘Ava, that meeting was very important, and you were supposed to be by my side, but no, you were throwing yourself on a man old enough to be your father! What was wrong with you? Why can’t you just be like...’She looked up and said, ‘Like Tessa? Right. You just had to compare me with your ex-wife? So, you think she’s better than me because she has kids for some low life? Keep it up, Kyle, but know this: You left me for her because you loved me and trusted me; if you try to meet up with her after the California incident, you will regret it!’I pushed her hands off me. ‘Don’t you dare threaten me, Ava! God knows what else you have been doing while I have been away. Henceforth, you’re going everywhere with me, and no
Geneveive Tessa RobertI sighed for the eleventh time. Mom ignored me, focusing on her iced cup of tea. I was beginning to hate the idea of being away from my kids at this odd hour of the day. If not for mom’s insistence and how important she made the dinner feel, I wouldn’t be here.She stopped the waiter and ordered more pancakes while smiling to herself. Either she had become a foodie or she wanted to pump more fat into my body.‘Mum… Are you going to finish what you are ordering?’ I asked, watching her closely.She chuckled, ‘They aren’t for me but you. I took you out of that house because Estella complained that you hadn’t been eating properly. I mightn’t be staying with you anymore, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t look out for you. I'm still your mother.’I sighed. ‘You don’t have to worry yourself, mom. I am just stressed from work and other activities. Don’t forget, the twins have been giving me a hard time. You know, they have been playing cat and mouse with flu and malaria
Kyle King‘I don’t understand why he would just sell his shares and not bother to let me know until the deal was finalized! I feel betrayed, Xavier.’Xavier shrugged. ‘Your uncle loves trying new things, and D.K. Company was just one of those things. Have you met the new shareholder? Someone you know?’I shook my head. ‘No, I don’t know them, but the board members do. They have a popular name and business in New Jersey and here. They were looking for a way to get some extra cash, and Uncle David was the answer to their prayers.’‘That’s crazy, man, but I think you should be happy. Uncle David wanted the company to himself right from day one. We know how he tried so hard to control your decisions and make you feel inadequate. Man, you should be happy! Besides, you shouldn’t worry about this; you get to see Tessa tomorrow. That’s something, right?’I nodded. ‘You’re right, Xavi. I am glad he’s gone—well, not totally gone until we complete the Roberts project and I send his share. About
Kyle King I tossed and rolled on the bed all night. I was a bit shaken by what Ava had done. The fact that she had been seeing Greg before we got married made me feel like the biggest fool of all time. She even had the audacity to report me to my mother, which made me feel like a monster. Thank heavens, she had taken the message and fled to my mother’s home. I had instructed the guard and housekeeper not to let her in while I was in the United Kingdom. If she tried forcing her way in, they were expected to call the cops immediately. Whatever drew me to her was dead. It was time to walk away, and this time, make things right with the one who had always been right for me.The morning came quicker than I expected. I quickly ate breakfast, growled at the chauffeur due to his sluggishness, and repeated my instructions to the guards and Romina. As the car drove away, I couldn’t help but think about the time when I had wanted to sell the King’s mansion. An impressive structure that had s
Geneveive Tessa RobertI scanned the room to see if I knew any of the long list of people Mom had invited to celebrate the grand opening of the hotel. I knew a few, but I wasn’t ready to say hello to them yet. I stopped one of the waiters and took a glass of champagne. I needed something to busy myself with until Jmaes came to introduce me to some of his friends. I scanned the room again and saw the man I had been hoping we wouldn’t see until the tech project was over. I steadied myself as our eyes met, and giving my hair a quick swish, I focused on my glass. I sniffed his perfume before he announced his presence. He was still using the brand I gifted him on our first anniversary. The sweet scent of Wave’s popular perfume collection.‘Good evening, Tessa. I didn’t know you were going to be here.’ Kyle said, smiling.I scoffed. He started with the wrong way to start a conversation. ‘It’s my family’s grand opening. Where do you expect me to be if I'm not here?’He replied, ‘I am sorry.
Kyle KingEverything that has a beginning will definitely have an end. I read the quote on a picture hanging on the wall of Tessa’s office. The walls were occupied with different quotes and pictures of her kids. The interior designs and furniture were amazing too. She had outdone herself in projecting her visions in her large office space. I was impressed by everything that she had done. I ran my fingers through the photos and recalled the video Xavier had sent the previous night. Kanebi’s church’s wedding, and the bride? A popular actress that I knew from college. In other words, Tessa had lied to me about her marriage. Also, after a long night of research, I found an interesting fact. Kanebi had been engaged to the actress for six years, and there were few pictures of them attending popular events. This confirmed my suspicions and also the fact that she had been lying to me about her marriage to Kanebi. Knowing Tessa, she was going to defend herself, but I had evidence. There was