I wore a slouchy cashmere mela white sweater, we were in the four last months of the year, winter was coming and it seems it would show up sooner than expected. I stepped out of the room and headed for the lounge, I couldn't sleep last night as my thoughts were clouded by Alex's lame proposal. Our marriage has always been by contract, even if we fell in love along the line.
Getting into another contract with him was the most stupid thing I've ever heard or will do, I should be far from him, I shouldn't get close to him cause I don't know what my heart would do this time. I got down the stairs to the first floor only to see the kids already dressed and covered in thick clothes. Elena does know how to handle her job accurately.
They were laughing uncontrollably at something on the couch. One thing I missed was the invincible man in their midst that had them laughing out loud.
"Mummy, daddy's a burger." Kyle shot aim the moment he noticed my presence, they all turned to meet my gaze, especially Leah who looked like she's seen an angel. She smiled putting her index fingers in their mouth as she sat on her father's legs. "Good morning mummy." Junior greeted running towards me and I picked him up from the floor. "Good morning my love."
Time really does run fast with them, and sometimes I don't want them to grow at all. Just three years ago they were babies, they couldn't talk, walk, eat on their own, and never let me or their father sleep. They cried all day and night, luckily, I had Carie to take care of them, but now...
I loved them more than anything in the world and would do anything to make them happy. I sat on the couch next to the fireplace which was finally turned on, for the first time in months.
"Good morning." Alex greeted. "Good morning," I responded as the lounge suddenly turned tensed and somehow felt awkward. I didn't feel this way while we were married, but now we're divorced I somehow felt nervous around him. Alex's eyes just do something to me, I hate that I turn anxious at his stare all the time.
To make matters worst, he doesn't bulge to stop staring, but rather chuckles deep in his throat. I could already feel my cheeks turning warm from his action, I bit my cheeks to get the stupid thought off my head.
"Have you had breakfast?" He asked, "No, I just got up." "Let's eat then, the kids can finally go for their swimming practice." Elena took them away before I could say a thing. They usually do that with the pool every weekend but stopped since their father got Ill. I think Alex wants them to start again now he's fine.
We both arrived in the dining room, I went ahead to seat at the very end of the table opposite his sit. I felt more comfortable sitted far from him or his reach. Holding his four-legged crouches, Alex sat on his seat.
"I'm sure you've given a thought about our previous conversation?" He asked. "Thought I already gave my answer, I'm not doing that."
"This is not one of those times we get to joke over a certain thing Hazel, I'm being very serious right now." He asserted coldly as the maids dished out his food. "I never said I was joking either, I will not be part of your idiocy, tricking my kids for three years for what's not real, what difference would that make after three years? If this is one of your tricks to get us married again, it's not working Alex."
"Then I'm sorry, for taking full custody of the kids." "You can't do that Alex, they're too young to live without a mother."
"I'm sure it's clear now how they need me as much too. Don't tempt me, woman, I can do whatever I want" He said nonchalantly. There's no way I'll win against Alex if we were to go to court, and there's no way I'll be more powerful to take the kids away from him. I blamed myself for accepting this heartless man back into my life. I blamed myself for falling in love with him. Threatening to take the kids away was the height of it.
"Heartless monster, I hate you so much, more than I've done to anyone before." To think I cried those months, praying for his recovery.
"It's simple Hazel, don't make this any harder for anyone, three years should be enough to get them to believe we're no longer together." He let out coldly. I had no option, I couldn't stay without the kids, I can't let them be without me. How can this man be this cruel?
"Three years wouldn't be that long to take full custody of the kids along with my freedom," I started to see him smile mischievously. "The contract would be sent to your room for signing later, read it carefully this time Hazel and correct whatever needs to be corrected before signing. Everything would be finalized when you sign that" He continued with his food without another word to me.
I still wondered how we got to this, how everything changed so fast, how life got me mixed up with this Devil. He's practically everything I thought he wasn't.
.
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Alex on the other hand couldn't contain his joy, threatening her with his kids was another option for her to willingly give herself to him. He knew how stubborn Hazel was, she was not one to get bullied easily. She was a woman of her own words and thoughts, not one that listened to others. Or was afraid of people's opinion of her.
This was not the time to let her and his kids out of his reach, especially with Phillips moving around plotting revenge that would not happen. His accident would be the last thing, he jas to be extra fierce, especially not he has a lot to lose.
He might have lied to his wife about who shot his father, but that didn't mean Phillips's grandfather wasn't involved, they forced him to kill his father just so he'd live in guilt for the rest of his life.
He chose to turn a blind eye to everything, to turn void of every emotion, which resulted in his coldness and self-restriction from his family and the world. He didn't want the same thing for his kids, he wanted them to have a normal life like every other child in the world that's why he has to live for them.
Alex left the dining room after breakfast to the gym for his workout routine, he wanted to recover quickly not gradually. There were lots of things he had to do before they get out of hand.
.
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It didn't take long for Chan to arrive at Alex's mansion after her daily pastimes, she wanted to see him and stay with him now he needs help. It's always safe to be on his good side, especially after everything her father has done to him.
Even if she acted like she wasn't aware, she was very much aware of everything that has happened. They lived together to know what he does every day, she pays attention to his calls and conversations which were very disturbing. She's not the type to invade her father's businesses, that's one of the reasons she minds her business.
"Alex." Chan called from the yard the moment she stepped out of her car, "Welcome Madam." Gaius stepped out of the mansion to welcome her in. "Gaius, where's Alex? Is he asleep?" She asked so excited to be here. "No madam."
"Great, pack the bags from the car, and set up the dining room for dinner, I'll fetch Alex myself." She smiled and was about to step in when... "Master is at the backyard with..." "That's even much better." She cut Gaius's words and headed for the back of the mansion to see Alex.
Maybe he decided to receive fresh air which was helpful for his recovery.
.
I smiled staring at the fruit I peeled myself, I was so proud of myself. I sliced them into normal pieces so the kids could eat them without complaint, it was Alex's idea we all have a date out in the garden this evening. It would have been a peaceful evening without the kids, but they had to show they existed.
"Look what we made Hazel, your stubbornness is written all over them." Not Alex with the excuses again, Leah practically inherited his wickedness but we're not ready to have that conversation. We watched them fight and quarrel and still have each other's backs.
"Ahh, mummy my pickles." Leah cried to me holding her thumb as she showed me where she hurt herself. She usually calls her thumbs pickles as her other fingers have their special names too. I had no choice but to kiss it, "It's okay baby, don't cry." "Daddy." She cried to her father, Alex picked her up placing her on his legs. It was funny how the others in the mansion stop fighting cause of their sister's cries, they had to kiss her hands multiple times to make her stop crying.
They've sworn to protect and make her happy, seeing her cry made them sad. Finally, everyone was sad, "Hazel, I didn't expect to see you here." I heard a familiar voice, the last voice I wanted to hear.