“You reduced my workload a lot and I think I was able to focus on the other things. Like, being home and eating dinner with my parents for one. I kind of got used to seeing your smile and I missed it when I couldn’t see you. You gave me my space yet took care of me in your own way. You made sure I ate something in between all the work,” he said with a warm smile.
“I kind of started to look forward to seeing you every day, just to hear your sound, see that smile. I started noticing the way you dressed every day, it was always formal, simple yet elegant. I wondered how you never tried to go out-of-the-way to impress me. How you always took my compliments with a shy smile.”
“It was my parents who helped me to really see you as a woman for me. They knew that I liked you and was comfortable around you, unlike the other women. They encouraged me to go for it. I agree that I was skeptical at first, but now I don’t think I can be any happier than I already am,” he grinned and a warm feeling spread through her body at his words.
“Thank you,” she whispered and hugged him.
“You know, Sam, I was so worried about facing my past. After you, I don’t feel the same anymore. I feel stronger, more confident.”
“I am glad I mean something to you,” she whispered.
“You mean everything to me now, Samantha. I haven’t seen my parents this happy in years, all because of you.”
“It’s nothing,” she shook her head and buried her face further into his chest as she adjusted her body between his legs. “Did you see Alicia’s face when her mom was caught?” She chimed excitedly. “I loved each moment of it.”
“To be honest, I didn’t see her at all,” Axel admitted.
“What?”
“I was busy admiring my girl, who looked like a Goddess. I was wondering if her skin was made of gold or it was just the light playing tricks with my sight. I was thinking where she was all these years,” he whispered in a husky voice make her shiver.
“Axel…”
“Shh… It’s true, Sam. At this moment, I really don’t care about Alicia or anyone else. I just want to spend the rest of my life with you and your beautiful family.”
“I love you, Axel,” she whispered and snuggled close to his chest as happiness overwhelmed her.
“I love you too, Sam.”
Axel combed her hair with his fingers and gently massaged her scalp as he glanced at the stars scattered across the sky. He felt his eyes droop as her breathing evened. Axel adjusted her in his arms and embraced the sleep that was ready to claim him.
Chapter – 36
Alicia paced the floor of her bedroom, her mind raged like those angry ocean waves.
Her mom could have picked someone else for her little games. Alana wasn’t decent, but always kept her activities under the wraps. What if Seemus divorce her mom? What will happen to her? If that happened, he will disown her as well. Considering that she was not his and seeming never adopted her, she wouldn't be able to inherit anything.
"Fuck!" She hissed and threw a bottle of perfume which hit the bedroom wall, splashing its contents on the wall and the floor.
Her anger didn't diminish. If possible, it only increased as she thought about Samantha's warning. What the fuck did she get herself into?
She needed to have a backup plan before the Sinclair heiress did something irreparable. Apart from that, she needs to find something that she could use against Axel and Samantha. How did Samantha know about her fake engagement?
Then, she remembered something Mrs. Norman said, her father was in jail. What did he do now? She knew that he started gambling off late, a result of her mom's actions. Alana never respected him or treated him like a husband.
Her mother only managed the company assets because Seemus let her do it. None of the contracts or checks was valid without his signature. At this moment, she could only hope that her mom was clever enough to have some savings for herself over the years.
There was nothing she could do to stop the media from publishing the events. She was sure Samantha had her hands behind the scheme.
What will Alexander do when he learns about her mom's actions? Xander didn't know about Alicia’s real father. Hell, even Alana didn't know who her father was.
She was the result of several one night stands. Not that she cared.
Alicia discarded the dress she wore and walked to the mini bar in the living room and poured a generous amount of raw whiskey. This night would be the best if it was not for her mother. She regretted even inviting her mother for the occasion.
She should've known very well about her mother dearest than anyone else. Alicia downed the whiskey in one gulp, enjoying the burn it brought with. She hated being unprepared and waiting for the unknown to occur. What if Xander asked her to leave the mansion?
In her life, she had control over everything she did. She decided whom to date and when to break up. She held the mantle when it came to the relationships she was in. No one had a say in what she did.
She has to be the first one to strike not Samantha and definitely not Axel.
She remembered one of the men she was in a relationship with. Francis Kaufman, he was cleverer and somehow found about her cheating shortly after their engagement.
It was not her mistake that she cheated. He had the smallest dick she had ever seen and could never satisfy in the bed.
When she told this on his face, he not only threatened to kick her out of his mansion, but also warned that he would expose her to the world.
She was quick to retaliate. She conveniently framed him for having drugs in his possession and not only ruined his reputation, but also his business empire. Kaufman holdings were no more than a memory. The company's assets were liquidated and she had his own employees turn their back against him.
When he couldn't take it anymore, Francis Kaufman killed himself, choosing an easy way out. His parent's whereabouts are unknown and she didn't give a flying shit about the old goats.
A sly smirk found its way to Alicia's face as an idea started formulating in her brain. If she brought Kaufman Holdings, who was the third competitor to Sinclair International at that time to its knees, then she could do it again.
Alicia picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number, smiling when an all too familiar sound came online.
"Hello Valtini, when can we meet?" Her seductive voice purred as the male chuckled on the other end.
∞ ∞ ∞
Axel was the first to wake up in the morning. He squinted his eyes as the bright rays of sun assaulted his vision.
Samantha was still asleep in his arms and he noticed that someone had covered them with a blanket sometime during the night. He took his time admiring her beauty as she continued to sleep.
His fingers traced the thick lashes that rested against her chubby cheeks, her skin smooth like butter. Her disheveled hair cascaded around her face and fanned across the pillow like a veil. Her body felt warm and flush against his, her hands holding his torso in a tight embrace.
Axel felt well rested and rejuvenated in the morning. He placed a small kiss on her slightly parted lips, waking her up in the process. He liked waking up beside her and grinned when she mumbled a good morning, her voice hoarse yet musical to his love-struck ears.
"Morning, beautiful." He smiled, placing another kiss on her lips, making her giggle.
"Gosh, did we fall asleep here?"
"You did and I followed," he answered.
"Who brought the blanket?" She asked and he shrugged, helping her to untangle their intertwined legs.
"It was there when I woke up."
"Good Morning, lovebirds. Someone had a sleepover last night. I see," Andrea's cheerful voice brought a grin to their faces.
"Good Morning, Andy. Did you bring the blanket last night?" Samantha asked.
"No. Your mom did. I was drunk last night and Seb had to carry me to our room," Andrea replied, placing the tray she was carrying on the table.
"Mom?" Samantha frowned. "How come you are up
this early?"
"Fortunately, I drank only the wine. And, it's not early. It's eleven a.m. Dani," Andrea deadpanned, making Samantha's eyes go wide.
"Oh, my! The news?"
"Here," Andrea smirked pushing the paper towards her.
Samantha opened the paper, browsing through it for the one news that marked her bonus victory against the devil. She stopped when she spotted it. There it was on the first page of the business section.
The news of their engagement last night and Alana's infidelity occupied the page, both news were given equal importance.
"This news is going viral in the social media. Xander has switched off his phone as per your advice. Alicia never left the mansion. The media are everywhere and if that's not enough, the news channels are playing the footage repeatedly," Andrea stated.
Samantha nodded and she looked at Axel, who had a pleased expression. "This is dirty. I swear, I would've never thought something like this," he admitted.
"It's just started," Samantha mused.
"What do you want to do next?" Andrea asked, intrigued by her friend's thoughtful look.
"We shouldn't let this rest. Alicia is more cunning and evil than anyone could think. Kaufman did that mistake and it cost him, his life and everything else."
"Then, we attack first. What do you have next?" Andrea perked up.
"You'll see," Samantha smirked. "First, let's get some food. Then we meet Santiago to plan our next step. We need to use this chance to clear Xander’s name. Get Naina on the line."
"You have something in your mind, don't you?" Axel asked knowingly.
"I do and I just need to figure out in which order I need to execute this plan. Meanwhile, I have men stationed around her mansion and Santiago has made the required arrangements to tap her outgoing calls," Samantha informed.
"Come on, the coffee can wait," Samantha urged Andrea and Axel, who followed her down.
∞ ∞ ∞
“What is the meaning of this, Alicia?” Xander’s voice boomed across the entire mansion and Alicia gasped on hearing the hatred in his voice.
What did she do now?
“What did I do?” She asked, trying to act innocent.
“What did you do? You are asking me what you did!” He emphasized each word and a vein ticked in his jaw.
“Xander, I really don’t understand what this is all about. If you are asking about my mom’s incident, I really don’t have anything to do with it,” she defended herself.
“Oh, really? Then, when were you going to tell me that Seemus isn’t really your father? You had me believe that he was sick and made me pose as your fiancée and now this,” he switched on the TV, which replayed the events of last night.
Alexander had never left New York in the first place. He was staying at his parent’s home for the past couple of weeks and when Axel contacted Naina with their new idea to relieve him from the scandal Alicia would possibly create, he quickly obeyed.
We cannot forget what conspired a day before with Alicia’s mother Alana McKenna. The infamous businesswoman and the heiress of McKenna Enterprises, most commonly called a cougar in the business world was caught in action.
Alana’s attempts to seduce Mr. Norman went futile when he pushed her off him and called her, a W-H-O-R-E. If that was not enough, Mrs. Norman stepped into action and verbally assaulted the promiscuous McKenna heiress. Later, she was escorted out of the ball with a warning.
The video in the background changed, showing Alana being dragged out of the ball by the securities. And then, Alicia exited the party in a revealing outfit as she tried to hide her face from the reporters.
Xander turned to see her with a disgusted look on his face.
“You have five minutes to pack your things and get out of this place,” Xander hissed.
“Xander, I–“
“Shut up! I didn’t ask you to move in, but I let you say when you threw a sick father card on my face. Thank God, I didn’t go any further with you.”
Alicia shut up and scrambled back unable to withstand his fury.
Alexander felt relieved as their charade came to an end sooner than he thought.
“Wait, don’t go in. You disgust me,” Xander hissed before going into her room. He pulled out a suitcase and started filling it up with her stuff.
He rolled his eyes when he noticed her lacy lingerie. She had so many things and he will have to call a mover to pack all her things. Xander dropped her clothes and went to her cosmetics. He glanced around once, making sure she didn’t follow him.
A wicked smirk raised the corner of his lips and he went into her bathroom. He pulled out the small container from his pocket. Locking the door, he proceeded to mix the contents of the container to her leave-in hair mask.
Axel had told him that the smell of the hair mask would mask the smell of the hair remover. He mixed it well and set it as if it was never touched in the first place.
She won’t find until it’s too late, Xander’s smirk widened.
He continued to pull another bottle which had a white transparent liquid. It was a chemical, specially purchased from a local vendor. It would create rashes and blemishes on the user’s skin.
Xander wanted to laugh like the villain in the movies. He injected the contents into her body lotion, facial cream, and cologne.
When he decided to help, he only wanted to repay his debt. Later on, when he started to see Alicia for what she was, his determination increased. He never felt the guilt once as this would be a huge help to all the male population out there.
He admired Samantha’s brilliant ideas. Axel’s plan backfired when Alicia forced him to pose as her fiancée before her father and leaked the news to the press. When Axel informed Xander about his conversation with Samantha, he cursed internally and palmed his face, wanting to hit his head somewhere for being careless.
Samantha’s new plan was better than the plan they had and it would also clear Xander’s name when he married Naina.
He also didn’t feel bad because the effects these products will have on Alicia was only temporary. Her hair will grow back and the blemishes will stop when she stopped using the products. It will teach her that beauty was not everything.
“You’ve ruined so many lives, Alicia. You deserve this,” he whispered as he finished his work.
Xander carefully packed her toiletries and placed it inside the suitcase before going out. Alicia was still on the spot he left her. Her eyes glued to the television as the news channel kept replaying the videos.
“Here, you may leave now. I will have one of the movers to pack the rest of your things and have it send to you,” he said, not meeting her gaze.
Alicia got up and mutely took the suitcase from him.
“Wait for a second!” Xander stopped her as he remembered something.
“Take a taxi to wherever you go and message me the address so that I can deliver your things. You are not allowed in any of my properties.” His voice sounded calmer, but she could feel the underlying disgust and anger in his tone.
Alicia fumed internally, but kept a straight face as she exited his mansion. Two cops were at the door and her insides screamed in terror. What is going on? Reporters flooded the gates and cameras started clicking as soon as she appeared at the doorway.
She gingerly got in the taxi, the cops arranged for her and fumed as the driver drove away. She would never forget this humiliation and she vowed to get even with Alexander for kicking her out.
Chapter – 37
Samantha watched the TV with a bright smile. Xander had arranged a press conference and he released a detailed statement about Alicia. He’d also introduced Naina as his fiancée. The media went into frenzy after his interview and Alicia’s past only seemed to cement Alexander’s claim.
“That went better than I expected,” Axel commented with a bright grin.
“Yeah. The police escorted Alicia out of the mansion and Alexander’s statement added enough fuel to the already burning flame,” Saman
tha agreed. “Alicia wouldn’t be able to find a comeback soon. She’d moved back into her old apartment and Daniel’s team has already rigged it with secret cameras.”
“Isn’t this over? I mean the world now, know about Alicia and Xander is no longer a subject of scandal,” Axel asked as a deep frown marred his features.
“It is far from over, Axel. Daniel found something illegal when they analyzed her finances. She had wired money to the accounts of some Italian drug mafia and the cops are now suspecting that she had a hand in Kaufman’s case.”
“What?”
“Yes. I am not sure how many skeletons they would be digging out from her closet,” Samantha murmured.
“Sam, I need to go home to change. I will see you later,” Axel announced when Sara and Henry appeared in the living hall, ready to go home after a long night.
“Sure.” Samantha jumped up to her feet and pecked his lips before walking them to their car. She watched as Axel drove off with his parents and wondered what Daniel was going to find about Alicia.
∞ ∞ ∞
"You know, it's not safe for us to meet like this," Valtini murmured as he sipped the cocktail.
"I know, but this has to be done," Alicia scowled as she sucked at the olives in her drink.
They were sitting in a secluded booth at one of the clubs outside the city. There were so many reporters outside her apartment and she somehow managed to give them a slip. She exited through the fire escape, that was concealed from the public view and she was able to get out without any hindrance.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Valtini asked.
"The same thing we did for Francis Kaufman."
"Are you sure?"
"I never wanted to destroy someone so bad," Alicia confirmed.
"Then, we shall start with Axel. The Sinclair International security system is not easy to breach. Destroying Axel would bring the same result anyway," Valtini murmured.
Alicia nodded with a victorious grin. "Axel and Alexander. I want them both to suffer."
She touched the rim of her glass as she smiled seductively at Valtini. A small gasp left her mouth when his hand reached out, squeezing her inner thigh.
Perfect Revenge (Revenge Series Book 1) Page 25
