X&J EMPIRE, NEW YORK.Nina glanced tiredly at the building. Her hands shook hard as she held on tightly to the steering wheel. The last two weeks have been nothing short of hellish. Dawn stuck to her decision to cut their budget short, and Nina had to work twice as hard, especially with the marketing team.Her heart raced in anxiety as she stepped out of the car and made her way to the building. The weekend would be all about paperwork and work and nothing more. Her meals were only on time due to Carla’s presence. She is the one thing from Xander. Nina can’t cut off knowing how good she is at what she does.Stepping into the elevator, she mumbled a good morning to the three ladies, but they appeared to be busy whispering in each other’s ears. Nina stood with her back to them, and even at that, she could tell their whispers might have something to do with her. It prompted her to check her back in case there might be any embarrassing stain. Sure that she wasn’t looking out of place. She
Chapter 56 Topic Of GossipX&J EMPIRE, NEW YORK.Nina flipped through the documents helplessly. Since she arrived at work, everything has been in disarray. Nina can’t seem to get a grip on herself, making her very frustrated. The rumors she had thought might die out in two days appear to have gotten more robust, and she is met with judgmental glares everywhere she goes. With her pregnancy out in the open, it makes her feel very exposed.She couldn’t help but blame Dani for the rumor because she was the one who had seen Xander kissing her on the forehead. And at the thought of Xander being the sole cause of everything happening, her anger heightened. She ruffled her hair restlessly.The product promotion was due by the end of the week, and her initial proposal had to be tweaked to make it work with the new budget. It had given her sleepless nights to bring everything together. Unfortunately, her hard work wasn’t enough. They need another idea, and none is coming forth at the moment. To
Chapter 57 Gossip MillNINA’S HOME, NEW YORK.Carla observed Nina’s every move. She was surprised when Nina returned home and headed straight to her room again, which she had been doing for some days. Every time she takes dinner to Nina, she hears quiet sobs from inside. It had put Carla on the edge for a while, worried that something terrible might happen.Morning came, and Nina was awake at the usual time. However, Carla didn’t fail to notice the stressed lines on her face. She exhaled slowly and walked towards the dining with the food bowl in her hand.“Good morning, Miss Nina. How are you doing today?” She asked, holding up her motherly smile.Nina’s voice sounded coarse as she spoke. “Fine, thank you.”Carla didn’t believe a word she said. The woman sat opposite her with a concerned look on her face. “I know you were crying last night. I didn’t mean to evade your privacy, but I had brought you food when I heard you sobbing, and from the look of things, you didn’t eat last night.
Chapter 58 Pestering BeingBON RESTAURANT, NEW YORK.“I thought you would stop by the house,” Carla said as she sat down opposite Jace with a huff.Jace shook his head. “I wasn’t sure of Nina’s movement. I didn’t want her to come home and find me with you. It might raise suspicions.”She nodded in agreement. “It would truly. So what did you find?”His face fell. “It's quite serious, Carla. I do not know who started the cruel discussion. But I feel so sorry for Nina. There have been rumors spreading around about her. They said she is sleeping with Xander to maintain her place in the company.”“What? Why would anyone say something like that?”He sighed and tapped on his phone to show her the screenshot of the messages he found on the group page, just in case someone intended to delete it. “Check this out.”Carla blinked in disbelief as she read through the content. She clasped a hand over her mouth. “None of this is true. Don’t they have jobs to do?”“I wonder myself so that I will send
Chapter 59 Two SistersDAWN’S HOME, NEW YORK.Dawn gritted her teeth angrily as she stared at her laptop screen. She can’t seem to understand what is going on. Dawn would like to believe someone manipulated the charts. When the marketing department sent the report to her, she didn’t think about it until she called a board member to affirm it.X&J Foods has broken its record, making massive sales in less than forty-eight hours of product promotion. She shut her eyes tightly and screamed at the top of her voice. The more she tries to ruin Nina, the stronger she gets. Not even the scandal has deterred her.Standing up, Dawn paced the room back and forth, thinking about what to do. She snapped her finger at the thought that crossed her mind. She would need to put in more pressure. Also, the first plot is still very much intact. That alone should be enough to serve as a compensation.Minny pushed her room door to enter while carrying a bowl of popcorn. “Did you scream a minute ago?”Dawn
Chapter 60 Dismissal, Fired!REMINGTON HOSPITAL, NEW YORK.“Is there anyone here for the pregnant lady?” A nurse walked towards the reception to ask.Xander hurried forward to respond. “Yes, please. I am her friend. How is she doing?.”“I can’t tell you it would be best if her husband, boyfriend, or mother is here.” The nurse said.“She is an orphan and a divorcee. Where do you expect her to get all of those listed attributes?” He raised his voice at her.Carla rubbed at his back. “Calm down, Xander. The young lady is only doing her job.”“Then she should do it bloody right.” He growled.The older woman turned to the nurse, who looked pale. “I am sorry, my dear. Just as he said, she does not have a direct family. Xander here is the closest family she has. Let him see the doctor.”“Yes, ma’am.” The nurse replied meekly and urged Xander to come with her.“Hello, doctor,” Xander said in a calmer voice when he entered the office. “I am Xander Jackson, Nina Ruiz’s guardian.” He said.“Welc
Chapter 61 Out she goesREMINGTON HOSPITAL, NEW YORK.Carla furrowed her brows a bit after getting off the phone call she was on. Her eyes lingered on Nina, who seemed engrossed by her phone. Without warning, she snatched it off her hand.“My phone!” Nina protested.“No, young lady. What did the doctor tell you? You must rest. Why are you so adamant? Work can wait.”“It can’t. There is a lot I should be doing.” She groaned inwardly at a slight discomfort in her back.“Do you think the work wouldn’t remain if your condition becomes critical? At least for the sake of your child. Don’t you want them alive?”Nina bowed her head slightly, feeling embarrassed. “As much as I need my child to stay alive. I need this job for our future. It is the only thing we have to help us through this world of chaos.”“Well, you are in luck. Your boss is someone who would find every means to protect you, and from what I know, you work very hard.”She sneered at the mention of Xander. The sight of him yeste
Chapter 62 Who did itXANDER’S HOME, NEW YORK“Will you stop tormenting that phone already,” Jace said with a groan. “You were the same person who gave her a break. Yet you keep calling like she is in some trouble.”Xander rolled his eyes and dropped the phone. “She just got discharged. I am just trying to know how she is doing.”“Let her be for just a day, bro. I promise it won’t kill you. Stop making yourself appear so desperate.”“Why don’t you just say to my face that I am desperate.”“Well, you said it yourself.”Xander picked up the throw pillow next to him and tossed it at him. Jace dodged it, smirking. “Best bet I will have your neck broken.”Jace cackled, rubbing at his nose. “I must say, how you acted recently had me wondering where my actual brother is. I have never seen you so livid.”Xander shook his head. “I was expecting you to be like that. How can you be comfortable with the company going into flames like that? Do you know letting it hold on for too long could have pu