TWENTY NINE

"I don't care, I need you to provide at least 6 names of investors that I can talk to before I get to work. The board meeting is on Friday and things are not looking good for us." Xander instructs his secretary as he hurriedly puts his laptop into his briefcase.

"Yes sir," Josie says.

"Good," Xander says before hanging up. He places his phone in his pocket before shutting his briefcase.

"It's hot when you order people around." Cara comments coming out of the bathroom in her towel. She walks over to him.

"Good morning," Xander mutters on her lips before kissing her.

"Morning," Cara says with a smile. "Is everything okay?"

Xander has been on edge for a few days now, late nights in the office, leaving home early in the morning, Cara can't help but worry.

"Yeah, it's just work," Xander assures her as he picks up his briefcase.

"Not going to eat breakfast?"

"I will get breakfast on my way," Xander says heading for the door.

"Don't forget, we have an appointment at 2 with Gabi. We are finding out the gender of the twins today."

Gabriella is Cara's obstetrician, Gwen was fired for the stunt she pulled and Cara couldn't be happier about it.  Cara did the honors of firing her.

"I won't," Xander says before walking out the door.

~~~~

"I called the office and they said you aren't in. I am already at the hospital and you are late, so call me or get your ass here." Cara leaves the 11th voice mail in frustration.

Gabi walks into the check-up room were Cara is seated, "Is Alexander not going to be joining us?"

"I don't think so, sorry for the delay."

"No worries, how about we do the check-up and I write the gender and put it in an envelope and when you get home, you guys can open it."

"That could work."

~~~

Xander walks into the house as noiseless as possible, it's really late and he doesn't want to wake Jonathan. He is about to head to the stairs when he notices the lights of the sitting room is still on. He walks over to the sitting room where Cara is waiting up for him.

Soon as she hears footsteps she turns to see a stressed-out Xander who's walking into the sitting room.

"Hey," He whispers, dropping this briefcase on a couch beside him.

Cara is finding it hard to stay mad at him when he is looking this stressed, "I am awaiting the apology." Cara frowns.

Xander pauses for a while trying to think of why he should be apologizing which only pisses Cara off more.

"You have to be kidding me, our meeting with Gabi." Cara folds her arms dramatically.

"I thought that was tomorrow." Xander puts his left palm on his face in frustration.

"You would have known if you listened to any of my voicemails."

"I am so sorry, I have been jumping from one meeting to another, haven't checked my phone."  Xander takes a seat across from her.

"What's going on?"  Cara asks in all seriousness. "I may not have a degree in business as you do, I barely even made it out of high school but I listen. As an ex-bar tender being a good listener is part of the job."

Xander lets out a low laugh.

"So what's going on?"

"A big investor in the company just pulled out and I am trying to get more investors that can fill the void."

"How's the search going?"

"Not good, and also the big investor that pulled out want to have a meeting."

"That's a good thing, right? Maybe he wants to invest again."

Xander pauses before shaking his head, "The investor is Charlie Woods, Liza's dad."

And to think they almost went two weeks without speaking of Liza, just when Cara thought that Liza is out of her life and Xander's, like a boomerang she comes back. She is fucking tired of Liza and all she represents.

"Of course he is," Cara sighs in annoyance.

"If he was going to pull out, I thought it will be during the break-out scandal but why now?"

"I bet this is all Liza's doing, she probably just remembered that her dad is an investor in your company and wants to fuck with you."

"She wouldn't do that." Xander shakes his head.

"Oh, I'm sorry, after everything you seem to know what she can and cannot do." Cara glares at him.

"You are right."

The room falls silent for a while before Cara calmly speaks, "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know but do you know what I want now? I want a good night's sleep with my beautiful girlfriend beside me."

"The beautiful girlfriend wants that too."

~~~

The study hasn't changed a bit, the antelope head placed on the wall in the middle of the room, the only family picture Charlie could take of his two wives and their children in a big picture frame on the wall above his leather chair and the shelves of old agriculture books. Xander can still remember the first time he was in Charlie's study, they had the "If you break my daughter's heart, I'll break your neck" talk. Although he is here for different reasons, he has a strong feeling of deja-vu.

Xander takes Charlie as a role model, as his success story is one to be heard. He started off as a worker at a vineyard to owning his own vineyards. So when Charlie called the meeting, he had to oblige.

"Son," Charlie announces his presence as he walks into the room dragging an oxygen tank behind him. Xander turns and the first thing he notices is the oxygen and Charlie can see. Charlie lets out a low laugh, "Don't worry about it, I still have plenty live in me."  He walks over the seat across to Xander.

Charlie is 84 years old, he had Liza at his old age with his second wife who was 25 while he was 56. He always says "If his wife's issues haven't killed him, nothing can."

"I brought," Xander takes out his briefcase to take some documents, "these to show you the numbers, this year has been smoothly for the company, its consistency..."

"Always business as usual with you," Charlie gives a proud grin. "But you don't actually think I invested in your company because I believed in your work, to be honest, I don't even know what your company is all about."

Xander pauses before he starts putting the document back into the case. He already knows where the conversation is leading to.

"When your company was sinking after your parents died, I invested a large sum in the company because my baby girl asked me to. I saw a future with the both of you in it, I was investing her future too."

"Mr. Woods..."

Xander gets interrupted again, "Mr. Woods," Charlie laughs at the name he is being called, "I remembered telling 7 years ago to call me dad and you did but now I am back to Mr. Woods."

"I am not one to believe rumors but since my daughter won't confirm them and I am seeing pictures of your heavily pregnant girlfriend, I just thought it had to be true."

The door of the study opens and it reveals Liza. Xander shifts uncomfortably in his seat, with knowledge this isn't going to end well.

"What are doing you here?" Liza says in surprise, awkwardly taking a seat on the leather chair beside Xander's.

"I am parent trapping you guys." Charlie jokes.

"What's this dad?" Liza glares.

"I was just talking to you..." Charlie pauses for a while trying to think of what to call them, "Ex-fiancée about how things ended with you guys."

"Do you know I haven't spoken to my daughter in months? But the only thing that got her attention was when she found out I pulled out my investment in your company, now look she's here." Charlie shakes his head at Liza.

"Look, dad..."

"I told you I was going to break your neck if you hurt my daughter, you must think I was joking..."

"I cheated," Liza yells as the two men stare at her, "I broke us up because I cheated," Liza says as tears roll down her cheeks.

"You can stop with the intimidating bullshit, he did right by me." She says cleaning her cheeks. "I fucked up."

For months since he found out about the affair, Xander had not recognized Liza, but now, the woman he loved is here. At least he can say he wasn't always blind sighted.

"I think I should go," Xander stands up, "I am sorry how things ended, Mr. Woods."  Xander takes his leave.

Once the door closes, Charlie looks at his daughter, "I will continue my investment with his..."

Liza shakes her head, "He won't accept it now that he knows that it's because of me, he's a proud man."

"You still love him?" Charlie looks at his daughter who doesn't shed tears that easily.

Liza nods, "I want him back."

"Then get him back." Charlie says as he stands up and hands her a box of tissue." Other dads will tell you that "You deserve better" or "forget him", I say if you want something, get it."

"I will," Liza says cleaning her cheeks.

"You are a lot like your mother," Charlie laughs, leaning on his desk "Who by the way is trying to rip me off with this divorce."

Liza laughs, "Yeah, mum says you are putting up quite a fight in court."

"I will win," Charlie says.

"You might want to calm down old man." Liza gestures to the oxygen.

"I am fine." Charlie dismisses her. "What about the pregnant girl?"

Liza smirks, "What about her?"

~~~

What do you think about this chapter?

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