Love Me One More Time (Nick and Alaia) novel Chapter 14

Alaia

We walked to the car. Ash stayed silent beside me until she received a message and got distracted. She got in first, and I followed. As the car started moving, I saw Nick and his cousin heading to their cars. The only thing I knew for sure was that I have no interest whatsoever in making sure Nick and his family benefit from this contract.

We entered the company building, and I asked Ignacio to meet with me. We’ll do a video call with my father and the board. We sat on the chairs in my office’s conference room while we gathered everyone together.

“I just received Lander’s proposal. They’re informing us that we have to work with another company,” Darius was the first to speak.

“That’s right.” I nodded as I listened to them discuss the proposal. Only two of them wanted to keep the project solely in our hands, while my father, Darius, and the others agreed to share it and they had no problem with that.

“What do you think, daughter?” my father asked, and everyone fell silent.

“I want the project to be ours, Dad. We still have an alternative. They could back out, and it would be ours entirely,” I said and the others nodded in agreement.

“That would be perfect. Do it. For now, we’ll accept the current terms. We’ll send the signed contract via express mail. Sign it when you receive it and do what’s necessary,” Darius said, and the others showed their support.

“I will,” I replied. Everyone ended the call except for my father, whom I already miss.

“How are you, sweetheart? I called home and saw the kids.” He smiled warmly. I nodded, returning his smile.

“I’m good, Dad.”

“Ashley, is that you?” he asked curiously when he saw her passing behind me.

“Tito!” she exclaimed cheerfully, coming back into the camera’s view.

“Why do you look like Tino?” My father leaned closer to the screen, his brows knitting together.

I found his reactions amusing.

“Uncle, I look gorgeous, don’t I? But you have to keep it a secret. You know what my father is up to.”

“I’d say you look quite handsome,” Dad said. We laughed at that. Daddy sighed. “Yes, dear, I know about your father, and I don’t agree with it.” My father frowned. “Whatever you’re doing, I support it. You can tell me all about it when I come to visit.”

“That’s why I love you, Tito!” she said sweetly. My father just laughed.

“I love you both. We’ll talk later. Go have lunch. I’m sure you haven’t eaten yet.”

“We will. I love you too, Dad. Rest well,” I said ay as we ended the call. I turned back to Ash.

Ignacio bade goodbye to us and left the office.

Ash settled on one of the couches, crossing her legs while silently watching me. I moved around the office; we’ll go home for lunch. Time with my kids is very precious to me. I turned to look at her, and I found her still watching me. I was sure something was going on.

“Well?” I said, crossing my arms. She shifted more comfortably on the couch.

“I’ve been thinking, thinking, and thinking.” She waved her hand repeatedly. “And say what you want, but that hottie who was at the meeting, that Garnett guy with the bad–boy look?” I bit my lip. She took a deep breath. “Well, my little darlings look a lot like him. Damn right, they do. Did you see how he frowned?” She stood and started pacing back and forth. “But then, I started thinking…” Oh, she has been thinking the whole day. “… what are the chances that he’s the sperm donor? No, no, no, life couldn’t be that cruel; he couldn’t just show up the day after you and the kids get to this city. Fate would be a real bastard,” she asserted, still pacing.

She was completely right, though; it was. I sighed. Wanting to clear up all her doubts, I grabbed her arms to make her stop. I made her look at me. She looked at me confusingly. I bit my lip and stared right into her eyes.

“It’s him, Ash. He’s the donor,” I said, finally confessing to her. I saw how her mouth dropped when I broke the news.

“That’s insane!” she reacted a few seconds later. I grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling onto the couch. I helped her sit down. “But what the hell, Ali? How are you going to work with that guy? He’ll want to see the kids and…”

“No, he won’t want to see them. He thinks I aborted them. He and his grandfather asked me to do it, and I made them believe I did, I clarified. Ash’s eyes widened.

And that was it. I gave up and told my cousin everything that happened to me before I moved to the UK. The whole time, she was just in awe and angry at the same time. “What a bastard!” Ash looked for a bottle of water when I finished my story.

“He is. He’s a bastard,” I affirmed.

“And you’re going to work with him,” my cousin stated angrily. I shook my head.

“No, dear, that’s just what I’ll make them believe. However, I’ll do everything in my power to push them out of the way. I’ll keep the project and the millions it represents,” I said confidently.

Ash looked at me with a smirk. “I’m with you, then.”

“It is,” I responded after taking the water and signaling my secretary to leave.

“I’ll give you some space. Call me if you need anything,” my cousin said, picking up his phone and leaving my office.

I picked up the folders again to read the information, then tossed them aside once more, unable to believe what was happening.

“Nick.”

Perfect, just what I needed.

“What do you want?” I asked, pressing the bridge of my nose.

“The board and I received the email from Lander. We’ve concluded that we won’t share the project. You need to get rid of that company.” My grandfather entered and walked towards me.

“Why would you want to do that? Did you see the contract? It has enough zeros for all of us to be satisfied,” I said firmly.

“We know, but we want double that figure.”

“T–World is a company that has the same power as ours. They won’t be pushed aside so easily.”

“We’ll do whatever it takes. We can’t allow newcomers to take over the project we’ve been working on all this time. You’ve done it before; it won’t be a problem for you,” he asserted, leaving my office once again.

Feeling like it has been a shitty day, I gazed at the city, one hand in my pants pocket, the other holding a glass with a drink from my best bottle. I know I shouldn’t drink alcohol after taking any medication, but that’s the least of my worries right now.

“Mr. Garnett, someone is here to see you,” I heard Kathe spoke. I stayed in my position, waiting for the person who had come to speak.

“Mr. Garnett, good afternoon,” I heard Flynn’s voice. I immediately turned to face him.

“Flynn, I imagine you have the purchase contract.”

“Actually…”