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Dominance Commander Son-in-law 98
Kevin raised his head as Alessia came inside with Vivian.“I hope the journey here wasn't too tedious. I didn't mean to stress you."Alessia waved her manicured hand in the air. "Come on, it's nothing,” she said as she dropped into the seat beside Amy, her gaze fully on Kevin. Then she shrugged and added smugly, "Besides, I won't deny the fact that I kind of enjoyed the popularity show. Sometimes all you need for a confidence boost is a thousand admiring eyes on you. I could come here twice a day if you want me to.”Kevin threw his head back and laughed. “Oh Alessia.” He shook his head fondly at her. “People adore you all the time."She shook her head. “No. This place is different.”The moment she climbed down from her car and stepped into Print Odd company, she had immediately heard the whispers and felt the adoring stares; the people she had to communicate with before she met the secretary spoke to her with so much adoration in their eyes.Whereas back in her companies, as she was al
Dominance Commander Son-in-law 99
“That was one fun drive,” Alessia laughed as she climbed down from the car.Kevin smiled. “I agree.”During the drive, they had talked about random things, and it just made Alessia feel closer to Kevin.They both made their way into the hospital's building. They were treated with utmost respect because of Alessia.“Good afternoon, ma'am, sir. Do you wish to see the doctor?" One of the nurses on duty at the receptionist recited with glee.“No. We are not here to see the doctor.” Alessia stepped forward. "Lisa Howard is admitted here. We've come to see her.”The nurse nodded. She whipped up Lisa Howard's details from the system before her and gave them her ward number. Afterward, she gave them a brief direction to the wing where the ward would be located so they wouldn't have a hard time finding the ward.“Daddy,” Lisa paused and took another bite of the apple her father had gotten her. “Do you—"Lisa's words broke off as soon as the door slowly creaked open. All of their gazes riveted
Dominance Commander Son-in-law 100
Howard watched as Lisa's chest slightly rose and fell, her eyes closed. He was relieved that she was now better than when she first came here. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, unlike when she was first admitted and her face was always contorted in pain in her sleep. He still vividly remembered the groans of pain as she winced that kept him awake through several nights.He reached forward and gently removed the strands of hair that her soft breath had blown to her face.Just then, the door was gently pushed open and Irene stepped inside. She had gone out to get some apples for Lisa. She had been craving them, and the hospital had run out of them. “She's asleep,” Irene commented as she stepped into the room and carefully closed the door behind her.Howard smiled as he looked at his wife. “We were just talking. I didn't get her response, so I turned to face her. That was when I saw that she had dozed off.” His gaze fell on the apples in the polythene bag that was in her hand. “We'l
Dominance Commander Son-in-law 101
“I'm glad we were able to make this trip," Alessia said as they stepped out of the hospital premises into the open air.“Yeah, now that is out of my schedule. I'm actually very glad that I was able to make it here. I'm happy that Lisa is better now, and Irene seemed to be over the trauma of all that happened.”“Yes,” Alessia answered, a smile on her face as she remembered the vibrant conversation she had with Irene. "She smiled a lot and even laughed while we talked. I know that seeing her daughter and husband doing well made it all easier for her.“Yes.” Kevin voiced.Alessia, who was initially trailing behind Kevin, caught up to him and stopped by his side.“Thank you," she said out of the blue. "Thank you for all that you do," she said sincerely. "Thank you for listening to Irene when she came crying to you. Thank you for being reactive. Thank you so much for putting smiles on the faces of all these people.”Kevin looked at Alessia, a small smile on his face. Alessia occasionally s
Dominance Commander Son-in-law 102
Kevin shook his head as he watched Alessia laugh, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Alessia's laugh was a contagious one. She was such a bubbly person whenever she wasn't in her work mode. “You laugh at every little thing."Alessia giggled again. “You're funny, don't you know that?" Kevin shook his head. He didn't get what was so funny about all the things he said that made her laugh, but he didn't say anything about it.Gradually, Alessia's smile died down, and a comfortable silence descended once again, and they focused on their meals for a while.“I might be going to Landary province next week,” Kevin finally broke the silence when it crossed his mind.“Really?” Alessia glanced up. It was another opportunity to start up another conversation.“Yes,” Kevin nodded, then he took a bite of his meal. "I've seen the place that Lionel recommended. It looks like the perfect spot, but you know it's behind a screen.”Alessia nodded. “Yeah. It can be deceiving sometimes.”“Exactly,
Dominance Commander Son-in-law 103
As Morris chewed on his food, his gaze set outside, he wondered how the video he had taken could be of use.Mia would not want to listen to him, he was sure. But couldn't he make her? He tilted his head to the side, his brows furrowed. “Yes, that's it,” he said to himself. "She does not want to listen to me. What is she? Some god? Nonsense. I will make her listen to me whether she wants to or not.”He chewed on the boulangère potatoes he ordered and nodded his head, impressed by the decision he had come to. “That is it. This video is simply gold. I can't let it waste away. I need to get into action immediately.”He rushed his meal. And hollered out to one of the servers who he'd pay to.He had been so hungry that he did not check the price that was tagged to the meal he ordered.“This amount for just a plate and a bottle of orange juice?” He blurted out."Yes, sir,” the server said politely.Morris grumbled as he brought out his card and begrudgingly handed it to the server.He was s
Dominance Commander Son-in-law 104
“Now wait, will you?" Mia said before Morris could turn the corner and go into his room or, worse, his grandmother’s room. He was an arsehole like that.Morris stopped, his smirk still in place, and it only further infuriated Mia.She really wanted to see the videos that Morris had. What was there? What was Kevin up to with Alessia? Since the intervention by Alessia, Kevin has become less and less present at home. Finally, he had stopped coming home. It's been days now since she last saw him. She had wondered once in a while where he could be what he was up to, but she was not really bothered. She did not care what he did as long as he remained courteous and did not soil the name of the company.And an image like that... worse, a video...If people saw it, what would they think? That I gave my husband to Alessia in return for a partnership? She ran her fingers through her hair. That would be a scandal. A big one.“Oh, Mia. You're usually quick in making the right decisions; why are yo
Dominance Commander Son-in-law 105
Kevin had his hands stuffed in his pocket as he waited for the elevator door to open. When it opened, the other workers in there stood aside for him to enter inside, acting as though he had leprosy or some easily contagious disease.Shortly after he stepped, they began to whisper. Uninterested, Kevin walked out, ignoring them.The elevator doors were about to shut when someone called out, “Please, wait, hold it."Kevin was quick to propel himself forward and put his foot in between the doors. The moron that was closer to the door had only muttered to the others. “It's the new guy; he always comes in at the last minute.”"Thank you,” his breathing was heavy as he rushed in and thanked Kevin.“Good morning, guys,” he said to everyone as he stood by Kevin's left side.“Morning, newbie," they answered sweetly, and Kevin could not help but roll his eyes.The newbie let out a long exhale as the elevator doors closed. “I really need to get an apartment close by,” he muttered to himself.“By
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By the time Kevin reached home, he had already calmed himself down. The silence during the drive back to his apartment has made him think everything through.There was no reason to be upset over people who had disappointed him over and over again. It was just that he thought he and Mia had gone past that stage. He didn't have a problem standing up for himself, but when Mia had done so the first time, he had been pleased, until she switched to her grandmother's side just because he decided to speak up for himself.It was the fact that he had allowed himself to be pleased by that singular act that angered him even more. He should have known. After all, birds of the same feathers flock together and they are her family. It would be hard to be different even if she wanted to. So he couldn't entirely blame her.But even with all the conclusions he came to, he still stood his ground. They didn't need to know who he was, but he needed to show them that no one should be underrated, looked down
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Mia felt her heart tightened in her chest as she watched Kevin walk away. She could tell that he was upset. He hadn't even looked back at her with a nod like he always did. She remembered how it had felt like her heart was wrenched out of her chest when he snatched his hand away from her hold.But she had been helpless. He should understand. How was she supposed to support him when she had no idea if he was telling the truth. Heck, he wouldn't even open up to him about who he really was. Yet, she couldn't direct her anger at him.Her hands closed into fists. All of these began with one person.She turned to Morris, who was consoling Grandmother R, who still looked affected by Kevin's words.“You followed me, didn't you?"Morris cast her an irritated glance. “Who is that question for?"When she was leaving the Euphoric Bio building, she felt eyes on her, but she thought it was the other workers on the floors she passed through. She should have known. Most of all, she should have bee
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Mrs Perry couldn't resist the urge to bark out with laughter. She laughed so hard that some of the oldies in the restaurant chuckled along with her.Morris shook his head and chuckled lightly too. “How pathetic you are, Kevin."Mia, who had been staring at the back of Kevin's face as his words, stepped out from behind Kevin and glared at Morris.”Morris!"Morris rolled his eyes. "Why don't you tell him to stop lying so much and so stupidly.”Mia couldn't say anything as she felt embarrassed. She wanted to ask Kevin why he was lying but she didn't want to do so before her grandmother and Morris. So she just subtly shook her head at him.“I’m not lying,” he said cooly, disappointed that even Mia didn't believe him. Hadn't he proved himself enough?The laughter died in Mrs Perry's throat. Morris also stopped lying. They all regarded Kevin. There was no atom of humor on his face or in his words. “Are you serious?" Mia blurted.“What stupid question is that?" Mrs Perry said, her gaze still
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After the shock, the first thing that came to Mia was relief. Relief that she had decided to choose a restaurant that was never crowded. Right now, she could count the number of people in the restaurant in one of her hands and there'd still be a remainder. Another bonus was that they were all old people. So there was no flashing camera in their faces yet. It was a relief that soothed the shock.But the shock still remained. The worry for the things her grandmother would say to Kevin. And the fear of her own anger.How did they find her? Why were they even there? Why did they even find her in the first place?She had already rushed to her feet when she saw them. Now, she stood before her grandmother. “What are you doing here?" She looked between her grandmother and cousin.She was certain that neither of them would have come to the restaurant to eat. Apart from the fact that it was quite a trip from the company, it was too local for them. They preferred the fancy and flashy restaurants
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As Mia walked out of the company's premises, she tucked her car keys in her bag, deciding not to go with her car.“Good morning, ma'am," the security greeted her as they opened the gate for her."How're we all doing?” She returned their smiles."Very well, boss.”Outside the gate, Mia walked down the road a few miles before she saw a taxi driving down the road.She flagged down the taxi and got in.“Where are you headed, ma'am?" The driver asked Mia. Mia told him the me. Of the restaurant where she had decided that she and Kevin would meet. Then afterward, she sent the name of the restaurant and the address to Kevin.Morris dragged his gaze away from the plate number of the taxi as his phone rang out.He briefly glanced at it before he picked it up and answered the call.“Hello.”He returned his eyes to the road.“Were you able to make it out in time?”“Yes, grandmother. I'm on her tail now. I was able to make it outside before she got a taxi.”“A taxi?” There was surprise in Mrs Per
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The signing process was swift. Mrs Perry had a smile on all through as she signed her part and watched the rest of them sign where they had to sign.“Okay, so we're done," Mrs Perry said as she flipped through the papers. She nodded. She handed Kevin a copy. “You can go with your copy. All the rules are clear, are they not?”Anthony nodded. "They are.”Mrs Perry pinned him with a half glare. "No one should go against those conditions, Anthony. Ensure you ram it into the ears of your family members. Mia and I would do the same. If we really want to live in peace, then we should live without any air of hostility.”Anthony smiled. "Yes, Mrs Perry. I'll talk to them. Thank you for agreeing to this.”She shook her head. “It's nothing. I just want peace." She stretched her hands out to Anthony.Anthony took Mrs Perry's hands and shook them. “I look forward to many collaborations and meetings with the Perrys.""Same here,” Mrs Perry smiled, gripping his hands firmly."Mia?” Anthony called.
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Mia regarded Anthony for a while, irritated by the smirk on his face. “You sound so sure,” she scowled at him.Anthony chuckled. He reclined in the seat and put his right leg over his left knee. Then he rested his hand on the back of the chair. "That's because I'm sure."Mia felt the insane urge to hurl him from the couch, but she needed to remain civil, especially now that grandmother had agreed to reconcile with his family. She crossed her arms over her chest. “So how did you know?"Anthony shook his head, a smile on his lips. “People really need to stop asking me that. I have my way of finding out stuff that I am determined to get answers to, and that's just it. Mia raised her brows. “I see. You have your ways and one of those ways is to kidnap people and intensely ask them questions like a maniac, right?”Anthony rolled his eyes. “That was just a test.”“A test!" Mia squeaked incredibly."Yes. You heard right.”“Right. That’s also why you still haven't been able to find out anyth
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Anthony shook his head. “We let trivial things get in between us.” He sighed regretfully. “We're better than that, Mrs Perry. We should be building empires together and not keeping malice like kids. We should be making a plan to succeed. A plant “How can we still work together after what happened, Anthony?" That was Mrs Perry's first words. "How can we build these empires together if we don't trust one another? The seed of distrust has been sown, it's been watered and given enough time to thrive and grow. It's not just going to wilt and vanish.”"We make it wilt then. Trust, once broken, can be gotten back, believe me. We once trusted one another because of our actions. These same actions were what brought the mistrust and knocked us apart. To regain the trust we lost, all we need to do is act… we just need to act right and sincerely. And we'll be fine.”Mrs Perry regarded Anthony, processing his words. Apart from the fact that he was making sense, she was going to accept it anyway.
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Anthony did the last button on his shirt and picked up his phone. He scrolled through his call logs as he walked to his shoe rack. Once he saw the phone number he needed, he dialed it. He placed the phone on speaker, chose the shoes he wanted from the shoe rack, and walked to his bed. By the time he lowered himself into his bed, the call ended without an answer, so he tried again.He once again put it on speaker and placed it on the bed beside him. As he waited for his call to be answered, he grabbed his shoes and began to put them on.“Hello?" Her smooth voice boomed through his phone's speaker and filled his room, loud and clear.“Good morning, Mia, I trust you slept well?" "I did. Why did you call so early?”"I'm on the way to your office now.”"Alright, then. I'll inform the security and receptionist so that they'll let you in without any hassle.”“Okay. See you in a few."Anthony chuckled slightly when Mia ended the call without a response.He picked up his phone and rose to hi