Kyle King
I 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 end of each month. Although this year, I ensured she met specific targets before getting anything from me. As usual, she had her mom defend her, but I was insistent. She is my wife, but she had to work hard too if she wanted to enjoy the king’s wealth.
I tried her number again, and this time it went to voicemail. I changed tactics and called her father. He picked me up immediately and killed my hope. He hadn’t seen or heard from her for a while. He demanded to know what was wrong, but I quickly dismissed his fear by informing him. I was just checking up on him.
The meeting lasted for three hours and an extra thirty minutes due to the questions from the Arabian representatives. They wanted to be certain about the services they would expect from us. Mom helped tremendously in dispelling their fears and offering mouth-watering answers to their questions. I could feel the impression she made on them.
‘What about your wife? She didn’t see it as important to attend the meeting and luncheon?’ One of the Arabian representatives asked.
I smiled, taking in her homely face and delicate lips. ‘I apologise on behalf of my wife. She had the flu a few days ago and suddenly had a relapse this morning.’
The young lady sighed, ‘That’s bad. I was looking forward to seeing the woman who took Tessa’s place. Anyway, we will see each other again. Please send my regards to her, and yes, I wish her a safe recovery.’
‘Thank you. I would definitely let her know. Please enjoy your time here. We ensured every dish on the menu was something you and your colleague could eat.’
She laughed, ‘Of course, Kyle King. We aren’t picky eaters, though. Thank you for the hospitality and this luncheon. ‘
I bowed a bit, shook her hands, and led her to the table reserved for her colleague and her.
I strolled outside after greeting a couple of employees and executives. The air was chilly, so I buttoned my suit properly and settled on one of the chairs. I regretted my actions immediately because thoughts about Tessa flooded my mind. I had been using work activities to distract myself from thinking about her or what my mother said about the kids being mine. I brought out my phone, checked the photo again, and finally noticed the similarity. They looked almost like me, especially Hope, but not Nicholas. Could they truly be mine? If they were mine, why would Tessa hide it from me?
Mother thinks it’s because of the way I treated her, but that was a lie. Tessa was a mature woman. She wouldn’t have used her maltreatment to tell the truth. She knew how wrong that act was.
She knew.
My phone buzzed. It was Xavier. He had skipped the meeting due to an emergency that came up at his family home.
‘Hello, friend. Where are you?’ he asked. I could hear background voices and music. Loud, electrifying instrumentals. Was he at a club?
‘Are you in a club, Xavier? I thought you were in Manhattan resolving your family drama?’
He laughed, ‘Manhattan? No. I just used that to get away from the meeting. Your mom and I have never been close buddies, and knowing how disapproving she can be, I had to stay away. I don’t want her troubles, man.’
I sighed. ‘Right. I had totally forgotten about your history with her. I am still at the company, but I will be leaving soon. I need to check up on Ava. She failed to show up for the event.‘
‘That’s why I called you. Ava is here with a group of friends and a particular guy who is holding her like his trophy woman. You should get here, bro. She hasn’t seen me, so come through the back door so that you can surprise her.’
Ava with a man? Probably her client. She had in the past met up with men in clubs, depending on the type of business deals they had. But that didn’t explain why she ditched the company’s meeting for a business deal; she could always reschedule. I had to check things out for myself.
‘I will be right there. She knew how important this meeting was, and she chose clubbing instead. She isn’t supposed to even be there because of our fertility programme.’
Xavier scoffed, ‘You guys are still trying? I thought the doctor confirmed that Ava wouldn’t be able to bear a child except through surrogacy. Besides, you have Tessa and the twins. Why are you still bothering yourself?’
I bit my lips. I had thought about this since we got the final confirmation from the doctor. The twins could be mine, and all these procedures would be a waste. On the other hand, they mightn’t be mine, and I would have just myself to blame. I didn’t want that, nor did the idea of putting all my eggs in one basket work.
I replied, ‘I just don’t want to lose the opportunity of having a child with Avaline. What if Tessa’s kids turn out not to be mine?’
He sighed. ‘You can never tell, Kyle. I will see you soon. Get here fast!’
The line went dead immediately, and my mind went blank. I wasn’t sure of what I wanted anymore.
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
Geneveive Tessa Robert‘You really gave him a showdown, girl. What are you planning on doing?’I was in a cafe sharing a plate of chocolate cake with Vera while telling her everything that happened with Kyle, including the threats and his promise to show up with evidence.’‘I am going to make things harder for him at D.K. Company. I own half of the company, and at the moment, the board of executives is on my side, while Kyle has just a few people on his side. I just need to make him lose some major deals, and maybe that will humble him. What do you think?’Vera dropped her fork, looking up and saying, ‘I am with you. It’s obvious you gave him a lot of sleepless nights after California, and I am certain he’s still not
Kyle King‘Go ahead and get all your evidence, but trust me, you will lose the battle.’ Tessa’s words repeated themselves in my head as I walked into Rpbert’s hotel. Throughout the week, I couldn’t stop thinking about our conversation and, most especially, how she spoke to me. I also noticed that she was avoided throughout the meetings with her dad and her mom. Even when I addressed her, she barely answered me. I guess I was still the unforgiven ex-husband.I strolled into the working space and joined my team. Xavier was supervising some of the team members, and I could read his cold expression. My team members were giving him a hard time. I contemplated joining him, but no, it would be better to let him be. This wasn’t his first t