X&J EMPIRE, NEW YORK.“You had your things brought to work?” Jace asked Xander as he walked towards the car to drop him off at the airport.He had insisted on coming to work that morning when he could have just stayed home and gotten ready for his trip.Xander grunted in response, dialing Nina. “Why is she not picking?”“Because she has something to do. She is probably in a meeting or something. Didn’t you say your goodbyes early this morning?”“I just want to let her know I am leaving.”“You can always call her when you get to your destination. Stop dropping calls like you might be joining your forefathers soon. And please call your driver to drop you off at the airport. Whenever you travel, it’s stressful for me, and I have to do the drop-off.”“Are you admitting that you will miss me?”“Oh, please don’t get ahead of yourself.” Jace snorted, pulling his face away as he hurried to the car.Xander chuckled. “Hey, you don’t have to walk me to the car.” He said, turning to Dawn, who had
Chapter 50 The MessageNINA’S HOME, NEW YORK.Nina groaned as she felt a dull ache below her belly. She has been on her toes all morning in the lab and hasn’t had much time for herself. She remembered she should have called Xander to ask how his trip went. Only to take her phone from the bag and realize the battery was down. She plugged in the phone and got rid of her clothes quickly.Hunger got the best of her, and Carla's pasta and grilled chicken had her nose twitching. She hurried out in excitement.“I was just about to come get you,” Carla said, stretching her phone to Nina. “Xander just called. He says he has been trying to reach you, but your line is off.”Nina smacked her lips. “I didn’t know it was off; I am charging it now. Thanks.” She mumbled, taking the phone from her and redialing the contact. “Hey.”“Nina!” Xander sounded very relieved when the line connected. “It's so nice to hear from you. I was about to lose my mind. How are you?”“I am fine. Sorry, I just got home t
Chapter 51 Her FateX&J EMPIRE, NEW YORK.“Have you all seen this?” Carlos rushed into the office.Everyone raised their heads to look at him.“Seen what?” Joshua asked.“Check your mail.” He repliedEveryone tapped on their computers quickly, and their eyes rounded like saucers at the message.Dani cursed out loud, not minding that she was on the work premises. “What the fuck? Why would they do this?”Carlos managed to find somewhere to sit. “I was just as shocked as you.” “Did you know they were going to do this, Nina?” Matilda asked.Nina blinked back into the present. Her eyes couldn’t leave the screen. The company split its department budget in half, which is very severe because they are on the verge of making more products, as prompted by market demands.“I—I have no idea. The Finance Team told us we would never have to worry about funds.” She stuttered in response.“They lied.” Dani hissed.Joshua shook his head. “This is probably a mistake. I think it is best if we ask the h
Chapter 52 Who is the problem?JACE’S PENTHOUSE, NEW YORK.Jace groaned as his phone rang loudly. He blinked rapidly to adjust his eyes to the beaming sun. He let out a wince at the sharp ache in his head. He had a Migraine from his excess drinking last night. He managed to sit up and glanced around quickly for his damned phone that wouldn’t stop ringing.“What?” He bellowed at his brother on the other end.Xander sucked his teeth and switched to video call. Jace mumbled some incoherent words under his breath. Before he finally allowed the switch.“Are you drunk?” He asked.Jace sniffed and staggered towards the kitchen to get water. “The right question is, do I have a hangover? And yes, I do.”“Why is that?”He winced, rubbing at his head. “Please, Xander. You are not around, so do not make me worry about what you think of me. Do I not have the right to drink on the weekend after working my ass off all week and getting bossed around by that witch you call a friend?”Xander exhaled an
Chapter 53 A Lone TimeNINA’S HOME, NEW YORK.Even though Nina was quite aware of Jace’s presence, she chose to lock herself in the room and didn’t step out until she was sure he had left. She promised herself to steer clear of anyone about Xander, too. She hasn’t left the house because she believes it is part of her remuneration as a staff member at X&J Empire.She came out of the room to make something to eat since Carla had taken the rest of the day off. Nina was shocked to see Tania curled up on the couch and watching a reality show.“Tania? When did you arrive?” She asked.“I came with Jace to surprise you. But a certain someone chooses to remain indoors.” Tania replied, flaring her nose.“Why didn’t you knock on my door?”“Why? Carla already clarified that you must have intentionally chosen to stay deaf. Which means you don’t want to see anyone. I couldn’t leave you. And now my ride back to school is gone.”“I am so sorry. I will drive you back, please. I didn’t realize you were
Chapter 54 Angry BirdDAWN’S HOME, NEW YORK.Minny hissed as she tossed her phone onto the couch. She has been trying to reach Jace, but he seems to be having fun ignoring her.“What's with the face?” Dawn asked, sitting opposite her with a bowl of ice cream.“It’s Jace; that dude gets on my nerves like no other.”“Are you that into him? Because it appears that you call him more than your supposed boyfriend.”Minny gave her a side glare but didn’t say anything in response.Dawn sniffed, “You already have a man who dotes on you. That should be enough. Let Jace be. It is unheard of that two sisters are after the same brothers. I wanted Xander first, so let me have him.”“No one is stopping you.” Minny retorted with an eye roll.“You know what I am talking about, Minny. What you like is the thrill that comes with sneaking around with Jace. I don’t think you want him that much.”“I do want him. There is nothing wrong with having a second option. What if Reece starts acting up? I need some
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