"Do you know her? " Randy asked, her eyes on the three ladies who were about her age in front of them. This ladies dressed extravagantly from the jacket to their shoes.
Helena stood in the middle of her two friends, she wore a pink jacket over a gray tight gown. She looked taller than when Xander saw her around his wife house with the aid of a pink boot heels. Randy's statement got her attention as she was yet to notice her. "Oh, new girl, that fast. I didn't think you get over my sister so quick" Helena said with a giggle that didn't sound normal. Her words slurred slightly and she looked at them with a sloppy smile. Helena held unto one of her friend to steady herself as she took one step closer to Xander. "Ex girlfriend? " Randy asked, her voice coming out at bit anxious as she watched Helena twirl a strand of her brown wavy hair around her finger. "No, ignore her she is high" Xander replied, he didn't want to stay in that uncomfortable situation so he took Randy's hand to leave this section. "Running away? Keep running that's what you are best at" Helena taunted and her friends laughed. She seemed like the one high among her friends and it was easy to know that her friends were here to leech from her. "Is he the one you told us about " one of Helena friends asked. She had a blonde hair that ran down her back stopping at her waist. "The one that begged and cried " the other with a black Bob hair and pale white skin joined in and they laughed. Xander clenched his jaw in anger and kept walking but he heard Randy hiss and stopped. "You enjoy taunting people about their worst moment, right? What about yours? I assume that you spend more time in police custody than you actually do in your house" Randy said and smirk when she saw Helena eyes widened and her friends gasped dramatically. "You bitch! " Helena screamed causing other customers to notice them. These customers watched them subtle and few had phone video on subtle recording everything. Few attendants tried to curb the situation by stopping customers from making a video. "Helena you are causing a scene which is one thing I hate" Xander said calmly with dread in his voice. Helena glared at him which he returned with a calm stare of his own before she looked away. Xander wanted to walk pass since she was standing at the exist of the section but Helena place her hand on his chest to stop him. "I haven't asked you to leave" Helena said, her hands still not leaving his chest. She felt the contours of his chest through the thin fabric. A blush spread through her cheek as she moistured her lips. Xander leaned down to the level of her face before speaking. "It's wrong to lust after your sister's husband" Xander said lowly and smirk when her face reddened. He couldn't discern whether her flush was from embrassment or lust. All he felt was success as he was able to derive an emotion from her. "You aren't her husband anymore" she slurred and Xander rose a eyebrow at her. "What are you implying?" Xander asked and Randy stared intently at Helena, in a way that could have burned two holes on her. "Don't talk like you don't understand" Helena said softly fisting the herm of his shirt in her hand. As they stood outside Sole Mates, a shoe store, Helena's giggles echoed through the quiet corridor, drawing attention from nearby shoppers. The scent of fresh leather wafted out, mingling with the faint aroma of perfume from Glittering Jewels, a jewelry store. Xander's eyes narrowed, his voice low and even. "I'm not interested, Helena." The soft beep of the jewelry store's security system punctuated the tension between them. It felt like her last sanity thread cut lose and she grab on his collar. "What's the difference between Hermia and me? Is it because she runs the company and has a good reputation?" Hermia asked her dull blues eyes staring into Xander green ones. Randy had gotten enough of her tantrums and pulled off Helena hands from Xander's shirt, he took this time to straight his shirt. "You are supporting him, do you know who he is? " the blonde asked. "I don't need to" Randy sharply reply. "What a sanit, fake to be innocent when you are actually his money. Newsflash, he is broke that's why his wife dump him" the black haired said and some attendants gasped before turning away when Xander looked at him. At this moment, time went slow, eyes dwelled on him, most of them judging him for his condition. His heart beat faster as he waited for Randy to turn against him. He was surprised when she held his hand and spoke up for him. "Gather all your information before you start spreading rumors" Randy said bravely and turned to leave. She send Xander a smile and he returned it. A part of his heart delight as someone stood up for him for the first time in forever. "I know everything about him! " Helena said in irritation and jealousy before they got far. "He is married to my family and cried when my sister divorced him or have you forgotten your daughter? She still cries for her daddy everyday" Helena said and smirked at her success of grabbing Xander attention, she had hit a nerve. Xander squeeze Randy's hand to calm himself before he walked towards her. Helena eyes watched all his movement, scared that he might hit her or do something to hurt her. She felt her friends presence and their audience before she bravely kept her stand as he walked towards her. He stopped directly in her view and wrapped his hand around her neck lightly and said, "I and your sister could have never worked out because of her attitude I hope you are different" Xander said and smiled sweetly. "Young Master, it's time to leave" Max called as he returned from paying for everything they bought. He was surprised to see crowd gathering and went to check it out. Surprisingly, his boss's son was the center of the drama. "Max come over here for a moment" Xander called and let go of Helen's neck and rubbed her shoulder gently. Max thrud towards them and stood quietly behind Xander while cussing the young master and his master in his mind. "Max the card" Max raised a brow before obeying him. "I'm guessing you are done shopping, I would pay for it" Max said to Helena as he let go of her shoulder. "You can't" Helena said through her teeth "Watch me" he said and smirk. Helena and her friends watched as he gave the closest attendent his card. They waited to be told that the card was invalid. Instead the attendant came back with the card and receipt. "Impossible" Helena said under her breath, still trying to recover from the shock. "Hold unto this until next time" Xander said calmly and tucked the receipt into her hand and mouthed a thank you to Randy before leaving the mall. Helena opened the receipt in her hands and her total cost was six hundred thousand dollars.Helena stared at the receipt then Randy's back as she followed the men out and again at the receipt. A lump came in her throat as her eyes welled up and blurred her sight. She was high and too disoriented to say why she was reacting like that. Her friends didn't notice until a tear dropped on the receipt, staining it."Hel, are you crying?" the blonde, Lizzy asked."No, I'm not, I think I'm too high" Helena responded and furiously wiped her eyes, drying every trace of tear."Why are you crying, I thought this is a happy news and he is single again" the black haired, Kati said and whispered the last part."Hands off him, he is mine" Lizzy shunned and glared at her friend"Were you girls blind he got a new girlfriend!" Helena said and lump reappeared in her throat again. "Gosh, something is wrong with me" she choked. She looked at the celling and blinked continously to clear the tears."Hold on for a minute, I thought you said he was poor that's why sister divorced him" Lizzy said, her
Xander stood in an empty familiar space, his in laws house. Everything looked well arranged and not a speck of dust can be noticed. The couch and sofa were cleared of any spot, including the spot Helena had stained with red wine. The sky blue tiles sparkled under the chandeliers and lights but the familiar pine scent was absent.He stood and looked around at the place he called home for three years. He remembered the burning feeling the first time he entered the house as a son in law. It lacked safety but it was okay as long as he had a roof over his head.A strange sound brought him out of his thoughts, when he listened more it was a muffled cry."Emily?" He called, searching for the direction the sobs came from. He walker into the kitchen and check the cupboards and cabinets in case she was hiding there.With no fruitful effort he left the kitchen back to the living room. The muffled cry got clearer when he reached the staircase that led up stairs to-"Why did I not think of this fi
"How was the meeting" Cameron asked his son. His voice came out more steadier than he thought."They are not the most accepting crowd but it was good" Xander replied and waited for his father to say something to ease the awkwardness."That's good" Cameron said and mentally facepalm himself. He didn't know what he was doing, he only did what Max told him to do."They can't do anything about your position but if they think otherwise you can strip them of their position." Max added and Xander returned with a smile.The new chairman watched the two older men converse with their eyes so he used this period to admire his father's office, now his, and mentally noted things he needed to change. Maybe change the black couch to red, it's more suitable for his aura."Hm-hm" Cameron cleared his throat to get Alexander's attention. He leaned forward and dropped something on the table. Xander stared at the key placed on the table then gave his father and Max a pointed look."Uhm, I suspected that
"Mr. Rinwon, you have a visitor" Mike secretary told him through the office line."Does this visitor have an appointment?" he asked, already irritated."No, sir, he said he is from XL headquarters" Mike's demeanor changed as he ordered her to send him in.He stood from his seat and straightened his clothes before he met someone of high authority. He also wondered the reason for the sudden visit since he was yet to send a prohect proposition to the new chairman. Worries away, he hoped it was a fortunate visit.His train of thought stopped when his office door opened and Hunter stepped in. He would have yelled if someone entered his office without knocking but XL was a different category. They could render his company useless in a twinkle of an eyes so he had to play right."Welcome, have a seat" Mike greeted and led him to the brown leather couch. His office could only take two couch or there won't be any walking area."Are you Mike Rinwon" Hunter asked"Yes, the only one" Mike said an
Xander always thought he was just unfortunate that only bad things happens to him. That's also what he thought about the incident Max rescued from. He had a tugging suspicion that Hermia was involved with the incident but couldn't get himself to admit that someone he loved would almost kill him because he didn't sign a divorce paper.Max also thought the same and brought it up once. He had shunned him for thinking that way because he knew Hermia wasn't brutal. To clear all suspicion he asked Max to find out. "I found what you asked for" Max announced immediately he entered the office. He abandoned the pending documents he was attending to, to meet Max halfway."How did you find this?" Xander asked as he collected the brown envelope from Max."I told you the Cage Family if powerful enough to control the court" Max replied vaguely as Xander unsealed the envelope to see what's inside.Max noticed Xander expression changed and peered into the paper Xander was staring at. He saw it, the r
The hospital ward was dimly lit as the only source of light was the lamp beside the bed. The ward was like any other hospital ward just extravagant.Xander lay on the bed unconscious and he had bandage wrapped around his left arm and right leg. He was in this position since his minor surgery an hour ago. The night breeze from the open window gently brushed past his skin and he slowly felt his arms and legs, including the pain that follows.He groaned and squeezed fingers into a weak fist as he tried to feel his body. The muscles on his arm ached so he released the fist and tried moving his legs. His legs felt more heavier than usual so he gave up and tried opening his eyes. It felt like a task to keeping his eyelids from closing but was glad that room was dimly lit as he slowly adjusted to it.This was strange to him as he had never been in a place like this. The beeping of the heart monitor caught his attention and was confused for a minute as he realized it was connected to him.He
Xander stood by the window, resting his weight on his good leg out of habit. He has been limping for two months and was used to it. The bandage on his other leg have been removed by the door this morning but it still felt weird to be use his two legs.A light wind blew his mop of black hair, ruffling. His hair had long need an hair cut but he never bother of it as all his month went into his savings of buying his wife a present for their anniversary."What a waste" he muttered and looked out the window at other patients enjoying the weather with their visitors or family.He saw an old man on wheelchair laughing and talking with his son. A grandmother surrounded by her grandkids and children who wanted to fill her in on their lives that she missed. He saw the way the man held his wife which was pregnant as she watched her kids talk to their grandmother.He wanted that.That love of a family, he also wanted it. The lovely look that he would cherish for the rest of his life. His not so p
Xander eyes widened in shock as he looked an older copy of himself. He felt like he was looking into a future mirror. The only difference was their eyes, his was green and his father was brown.Now he noticed that the camera never caught a clear photo of his face. It was always a side view or a far sight.A smile creeped into his face as he felt happy feeling of hope burn in him. He felt like there was someone in this world that cared about him because their resemblance was uncanny but why didn't he show up to see him. "You didn't visit me in the hospital" Xander stated, his voice came out more calmer than he expected. Max faceplamed himself as he knew the answer that was coming."The yearly shareholders meeting took place so I didn't have time to pay you a visit, it wasn't need as I was going to meet you later" Cameron answered, surprising Max who thought he was going to give a short reply. Xander nodded as what his father said meant more sense but it made him feel like he was hung