CHAPTER 77

Geneveive Tessa Robert

 

The mayor’s mansion design project was going slow, and it disgusted me. I couldn’t wait to complete it and leave California. I had given up finding a pretend husband in case Kyle showed up unexpectedly again, even though Vera thought I shouldn't. She advised me to call Kanebi and plead with him to pretend to be my husband and get back at Kyle for everything. I disagreed; I didn't want to look like a child. I already planted the idea that I would remarry and have children. That alone was enough to make him jealous and hurt. I had a feeling he would regret everything that he had done to me. Good for him.  

‘Why are you smiling at yourself?’ James asked, sitting on the couch opposite me.

I was in the parlour resting after helping Estella put the kids to bed after a long, hectic day. I couldn’t rest, of course, because of Kyle.

‘Kyle. I am worried he will start investigating my claim about a husband. What if he shows up and starts asking questions from the kids? I don’t know what to do.’

‘You should tell him then, since you don’t know what to do.’ he replied, focusing on his phone.

I glared at him and said, ‘I can’t make it easy for him, James. He has to suffer a bit before I reconcile with him.’

James looked up. ‘Okay, so you want to make him jealous, right?’

I nodded, ‘Yes, Vera said he came looking for me at the hotel yesterday. He is desperate, so I have to use that desperation against him. Something is drawing him to me.’ 

James' eyes shone like stars. ‘You think he is still in love with you, right?’

‘Yes, it’s obvious, dear brother. I am certain he’s confused at the moment. You know he’s still with Ava. He must be debating with himself and wondering what is going on within him.’

James clapped, ‘I didn’t know you were a brilliant psychologist, sis. Well done. So, let’s say you are right, do you have a husband in mind?’

Kanebi’s name screamed in my head. I hadn’t spoken to him in years and from mum’s latest news, he just got engaged to some politician’s daughter. Everything told me, my plan wouldn’t work but I had to try. It’s the least I could do to make Kyle feel the hurt that I felt then. 

‘I think Kanebi can help out. I just need to set up a meeting with him and explain the situation.‘

‘Do you think he will just agree? Kanebi is engaged and in the United Kingdom. You don’t expect someone you haven’t seen for years, Tessa, to hop on a plane because of a revenge plan? I don’t agree with this plan. We can hire someone else.’

 

I laughed, ‘Dear brother, the plan is on. Kanebi is currently in the United States. He is in New York and I already sent him a message for a meeting. He will be here in two days' time.’

James whistled, ‘That’s fast. Alright, if this is what you need to do, I am with you. Just be careful. I don’t like Kyle one bit. ‘

‘I will be careful, brother.’ I smiled. ‘ By the way, dad called earlier. He has gotten someone to set up the table tablets for the hotel’s  cafe. You will be meeting up with him tomorrow.’

‘No, I can’t. I have a meeting with some Italian clients and there’s a presentation the Nashville team created that I need to check up.’

‘But the meeting is here, not in Nashville. You can have the business, then, travel to Nashville once you are done. ‘ I replied. I know he was making excuses to push the meeting to me. I couldn’t anyway. I had Mayor Kim’s project to supervise and take the kids out.

James stood up and said, "I can't do it, Tessa. That will be a lot of stress, and my flight is leaving by tomorrow morning.’

‘I can’t do the meeting too. I have Mayor Kim’s project to supervise and the twins' outing to take care of. Vera and Estella need to rest. They have been looking after the kids for close to three weeks.’

‘You can squeeze time for it. You are Robert's first child, so it's your job to take care of emergencies like this.’ he winked, walking off. 

I sighed. I knew there was no way I could convince James to attend the meeting. I thought of calling Dad, but knowing him, I decided not to. He would repeat the same words James just said and would suggest I take charge. I picked up my phone and read through the mail Dad had sent. It had details of the meeting with the D.K. tech company. 

 

Thankfully, it wasn’t clashing with the kids' picnic outing. I also had to be extra sure that the location of the meeting wasn’t the same vicinity Kyle’s workshop was situated. I didn’t want to see him until Kanebi was here. I had one week left to pull the perfect revenge plan.

          

The next day flew faster than I expected. The team had created a new way to install the designs for the massive parlour of Mayor Kim. The space was large and empty and we needed to fill it with wallpapers, decorations and attractive furniture. It was a hectic job which couldn’t be done in one day. So, I told the team to return the next day as early as possible. We were way behind schedule and Mayor Kim was beginning to complain. 

I boarded a taxi and arrived twenty minutes earlier for the meeting with D.K tech company. The representative hadn’t come. I ordered a plate of potato  fries and sauce while I checked in with Estella about the kids. After that, I sent a fresh reminder to Kanebi concerning our meeting. We spoke yesterday night after the conversation with James but I wasn't able to remind him because Hope distracted me and I had to cut the conversation short.

He replied almost immediately. He promised to be there by noon and was grateful we were finally meeting after so many years. I replied with an emoji. I didn’t want to complicate matters with my words.