Chapter 21

'Alastora?' The name slips out of his mouth with such easy familiarity that it makes a foul taste gather in my mouth. The name is a harsh reminder of who I was in my early life and I am very grateful to my mother who changed my name for me when she adopted me after seeing how badly my original name affected me.

And despite all the trouble I've gone through to erase and forget that part of my life...I suddenly have two men who have in the last two days called me by that alias.

"Excuse me?" I whisper, gazing at the man in front of us in caution.

Sighing heavily, Alexander gently plucks me off of my chair to stand beside him, responding tiredly, "Anton, I'd appreciate it if you didn't stare at my fiance like that. It makes her uncomfortable."

Anton Heaven blinks a few times as if he's clearing his head before a gracious smile spreads across his face, his hand outstretched towards me in an offer for a handshake, "My apologies, you look very similar to someone I used to know as a child. Also, I didn't mean to insult you just now."

Swallowing the lump that has formed in my throat, I reach my hand out to take his but Alexander intervenes by slapping Anton's hand away, leaving a fierce red mark on the back of his hand in the process.

"It's alright," I murmur dazedly as I look up at Alexander's emotionless face. "Um...did you come here for something?"

Other than to torment me with my old name?

Placing a tighter grip on my side, Alexander mumbles something under his breath as he quickly kisses the side of my head before grabbing his suit jacket on the bar stool in front of us. With Anton Heaven grasped tightly by his shirt collar, Alexander orders Mr Ford to get the car ready while pulling the waving man towards the elevator.

Amidst all this, I manage to get my feet moving by holding Danny by my side as I wave 'goodbye' to the two men, Danny copies me as he tentatively waves his chubby hand from side to side though he isn't even looking at the disappearing men I don't think he even notices that his father is leaving since his eyes are more trained on me than anyone or anything else.

"Well," I mumble, carrying Danny to the living room, and sitting him on my lap. "Looks like Daddy's going to be busy today. What about we watch some Bear In The Big Blue House today?"

Clapping delightedly at my suggestion, I instantly want to smack myself in the head when I remember that those CDs are in Olivia's apartment. Then and there my mental reminder from last night comes up and I decide that maybe I don't have to call her.

I can just go visit her right now!

With the idea locked into my mind, I grab a few things from my room to bring with me. In Danny's diaper bag, I pack in three diapers, a packet of wet wipes, some milk powder, a hot water flask filled with hot water, Danny's favourite aeroplane milk bottle, my wallet and my cell phone. Grabbing some manuscripts along with his car seat as a last-minute decision to drop by the office afterwards, I call out to Mrs Denise that I'll be back after a few hours.

"Don't be too long dearie!" She yells back. "Lunch will be gnocchi in cream sauce!"

Grabbing a random car key from the key hook by the wall of the kitchen, I press in the keypad combination that will take me to the garage. Casually, typing a quick text to Olivia with my free hand that isn't holding the bag or Danny.

Informing her that I was on my way to our apartment and that if she was at home she should open the door for me. As the heavy elevator doors slide open, I randomly point the car key in front of me to see which car's headlights blink in response to me unlocking it.

A silver Saab 9-3 2.0T winks in response and I find myself muttering under my breath that I should have just walked. I placed Danny in the car seat which I rested on the passenger seat. My knuckles are chalk-white as I start the engine and cautiously reverse out of the parking space.

"Do you think Daddy will kill me if I put a scratch on his car?" I ask Danny out of nervousness and the baby giggles at the sound of my shaky voice. "He will won't he?"

You are talking to a three-month-old baby who doesn't have teeth, my subconscious rolls her eyes at me with her arms akimbo. With that piece of information aside, can we please find out how Alexander's business partner even knows you? Not only that but remember Edward West? We need to figure out who he is too!

Let's also try to think about what he said last night, my inner succubus purrs just from bringing up the memory of the kiss in the car. That is important too.

Ignoring her, I grit my teeth at my subconscious's statement, I know what she says is right. I need to find out who they are, how they know me and if they are any danger to Danny or Alexander. My past isn't something to mess with and I do not want to involve Danny in my mess.

I don't think I have to worry about Alexander anyway...he looks like he can hold his own in a fight...

Blinking the sudden image of Alexander's muscular back and his low-slung sweatpants from this morning, I realise that the ten-minute drive from Alexander's residence to Olivia is over. Focusing my wayward thoughts on pulling up safely on the sidewalk outside the apartment complex, I take Danny and his diaper bag out of the car, locking it as I go up the stairs to the second level where our apartment resides.

Knocking doubtfully on the door, I don't expect anyone to answer since she gave no reply to my text but when a man with shaggy blonde hair and sky blue eyes opens the door half naked with only boxers on, I am beyond shocked.

"Well, hello," He yawns, rubbing his hand down his face in exhaustion. "Are you selling something?"

Pasting a smile on my face, I reply darkly, forgetting myself, "I'm here to sell caskets for Olivia's funeral and maybe I'll even provide one for you."

Purposefully knocking shoulders with him, I get into the apartment to see that the entire place is a mess with clothes strewn everywhere, from bras to panties to shirts and jeans, you name it it's on the floor. Amongst the mess is Olivia who has the decency to look ashamed as I approach her barely dressed form on the living room couch.

"Jane!" She squeals half in excitement and half in apprehension as I glare at her. "I didn't know you were coming back today! Uh...hmm...I have a very good explanation for the mess."

Closing my eyes, I let out a heavy breath of air through my nose. Olivia and I's friendship goes back to our freshman year in University. With me having a silent, shy type of personality, I didn't expect to make many friends during the opening ceremony but Olivia came right up to me and started blabbering away about how great University life is going to be and long story short, that's how I came to be her roommate/best friend.

Oh, and I'm the one that basically keeps our apartment in a 'less messy but still liveable' condition as demonstrated the night Alexander and I first met.

"Well, you better get talking, Ollie," I grumble, plopping myself next to her on the somehow still clothes-free couch. "Otherwise, I'm not going to hesitate to leave this apartment right now."

Immediately, she moves to grab my arm in an attempt to prevent me from leaving but I shock even myself when I give her my back, clutching Danny tightly to my chest to avoid her hands. Motherly instincts if you will.

"Oh my god," She gasps covering her mouth as I glare at her. "Since when did you have a baby? She looks so much like you!"

"He is wearing blue you know," I grumble, straightening my body. "Also, how does he even look like me? If I had to say he takes after his father more."

Grey eyes, and his dark hair...are two of the most defining traits that he possesses to prove that he truly is Alexander's son.

Oliva's shocked expression is gold with her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, I take the chance to look at the now-clothed man who opened the door just now. He gives off a sort of rugged rich boy vibe but not in a bad way just an unsettling way.

"Who's he?" I mumble softly, darting my eyes away from him when his blue eyes meet mine,

"That's Evan Holt," Olivia replies dreamily, gesturing for him to come over to us. "You know Alexander Holt, the big shot, the twenty-seven-year-old billionaire of Heaven and Holts Enterprises Incorporated? He's his younger brother!"

Oh boy...do I know Alexander Holt? Sure, I know Alexander Holt...if you can count on that I'm marrying the man in a few months...well in a ceremonial way that is... Gulping nervously in the presence of who seems to be my brother-in-law, I worry that I'll say the wrong thing and Alexander's words won't match up with mine later on.

"So, you must be the most talked-about Janette Summers," He comments as he sits on the armrest of the softa, allowing Olivia to lean into his side. "Mother spoke very fondly of you when she met you two days ago. I see you are everything she's made you up to be, future Mrs Alexander Holt."

Crabiolies. He just went right out and said it. Looking over sheepishly to Olivia, I bite my lower lip nervously as she morphs into what I can only describe as an angry mamma bear who's eaten poison ivy.

"FUTURE MRS ALEXANDER HOLT?!" She screeches so loudly, that Danny begins to wail from the suddenness of her yelling. "ARE YOU FU-"

Placing my unoccupied hand over her mouth to stop her from yelling out the bad word, I give her a warning look and she gets the message as she lowers her eyes in the humiliation of what she has and almost done.

"Yes, he's not kidding you," I sigh heavily, showing her my ring while patting an on-the-verge-of-crying Danny with the hand that was on her mouth a few seconds ago. "I'm engaged to Alexander Holt."

Giving her the same story that Alexander told his mother, I stayed in the apartment for another four hours both to clean the place and to find my Bear In The Big Blue House CDs. So at four in the afternoon, with everything in hand and Danny sound asleep in a nap, I leave my home of five years.

The streets are not so full but not very empty as I place my hand on the handle of the driver's door after placing Danny and his things inside, I feel drained from keeping up the pretences with Olivia and Alexander's brother, Evan.

At this point in the day, all I want to do now is just to sleep the rest of my day away but I still have to drop by Bloomsburg Publishing to give Mr King the manuscripts. and probably collect more while I'm there.

I groan aloud at the thought of going to the office right now when I so clearly smell like sweat and baby stuff. Maybe I should push that to another day? Yes, then I can give him and the junior editors a heads-up that I'm coming...

"Alastora Ootori," The voice from the open dining area of the Palisade chuckles behind me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand in alarm. "Who would have thought I'd run into you here?"

Edward West...