Chapter 100 Nostalgia

Chapter 100 Nostalgia
Zidane placed his phone on the desk. There was a knock on the door before his manager entered his office.

"We’ve secured the project, Sir. Mr. Grey has officially agreed to partner with us." he announced with a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

A satisfied smile spread across Zidane’s face. "That’s excellent news."

Ever since Xander had been shot and forced into a long recovery, Zidane had cunningly seized the opportunity. Through subtle manipulation and strategic influence, he managed to snatch some of Blake Corporation's clients for himself. He made them lose several high-stakes projects as well. It was a war, and he would make the most of it in Xander's absence. 

..... 

At the Miller Residence...

"They are adorable." Milla said, looking at the kids who were playing in the garden.

Ariadne gave her a smile, but deep down she knew she was only saying this because they were Xander's kids. She remembered their last encounter, when they called her kids bastards and accused her of ruining the family's name. They were hypocritical people. She had never liked them, but she wouldn't say it to them because, despite their selfishness, they at least treated Aaron nicely, and he needed that now. After Emma and Crystal had left, the mansion had become hollow. So, Ariadne's aunt, Milla and her family had been living in the Miller Residence since her son became the CEO of the Miller Group, ensuring Aaron wouldn't feel alone in the huge mansion. 

Following Xander's discharge, Ariadne moved in with Aaron, as living in the same house as Xander would be awkward. The kids and Mary stayed at the old mansion, but they often visited her and stayed for a day or two. She also visited the old mansion regularly to see everyone, including Xander. 

"We're sorry for the misunderstanding. We never treated you nicely in the past. Forgive us for our rude behaviors." Milla added. 

"It’s okay. I don't hold any grudges against any of you." Ariadne replied. 

"It's so nice of you." Milla stated with a smile. "You know Sean's been assisting your father with managing the company. But you can join whenever you want. It's your birthright."

Ariadne shook her head. "I can't... I've a lot on my plate." 

Milla nodded in understanding. "So, how's Mr. Blake?"

"He's good."

"Are you two together now that Crystal is no longer in your lives?"

"No." 

"But why not? He's the father of your kids. Everything's fine now between you two."

"Aunt Milla, I don't want to talk about it." Ariadne cut her off.

"Oh, sure. I can understand," Milla said with an awkward smile. 

"Mommy." Their attention was drawn to the kids when Autumn called her. 

"Coming..." Ariadne stood up and walked towards them.

She no longer wanted to stay with Milla. Her conversation revolved around Xander. 

Their relationship was confusing. She had seen the affection in his eyes whenever he looked at her. She knew what he wanted. But she was afraid. Afraid that the past would repeat itself, and she wanted to avoid it. But with each passing day, it was becoming harder to avoid Xander. She told herself that everything was perfect, but deep down, she knew it wasn't. There was something missing, and she wanted to fill it up, but was afraid to do so at the same time. 

.......... 

Another week passed smoothly.

The morning sun filtered gently through the trees as laughter echoed across the forest. They had set up a little picnic in the forest behind the old mansion. A checkered blanket was laid out on the grass with baskets of fruits, juice boxes, and homemade treats on it. They had tied a net between two trees, and a makeshift volleyball game was already in full swing. 

There were guards at a little distance, and some servants were cooking food on the side. Mary and Ariadne were checking the food while Xander sat on the blanket. In the volleyball court, two teams were ready to start an interesting match. On one side, there were Toby, Sofia, Rachelle and Alex, while the other team consisted of Jose, Tiara, Adrian and Autumn. William sat on a chair near the net. He was the referee and would note the score as well. A guard stood behind him to ensure his safety from the ball. 

All of them were very excited. Xander looked at them with the enthusiasm of a kid. 

"Daddy, come play with us!" Alex shouted. 

Xander smiled from his spot on the blanket.

Before he could answer, Ariadne's voice rang through the place. "No, he can't play. Your daddy's injured. He will join you next time." 

Xander looked at her, who was approaching him with two mugs. She handed him one mug before sitting beside him on the blanket.

"I can use my good hand." he said. 

She shot him a sharp look. "No." she said firmly. "You aren't going to do any physical activity." 

"It has been almost a month." he laughed lightly. 

"Exactly... It's only been a month. Your wounds haven't completely healed yet." she stated, sipping the coffee from her mug. 

He gave her a mock pout. "I’m good now." 

Ariadne didn't reply, she only glared at him. 

"Okay, okay." he surrendered with a smile, raising his hands.

The game began, and the ball soared up. In Toby's team, all the players were good. On the other team, Jose and Adrian were the only ones who were doing well. Tiara and Autumn were clueless. Soon, Toby's team took the lead, but Jose's team wasn't far behind. 

"We used to come here for picnics in our childhood. Do you remember?" Ariadne asked after a while.

Xander nodded. "Yes, we used to play hide and seek more, as you were a horrible volleyball player." he chuckled as he said. 

Ariadne glared at him. "But I was good at golf." she pouted.

"Yes, you were." he nodded. "I remember... you always played barefoot, saying shoes slowed you down." 

Ariadne laughed. "And you used to whine every time you lost a game, which was rare, though.... Someone didn't like to get defeated." she teased him.

He raised an eyebrow and they both laughed. As they watched their kids play, they reminisced about their own childhood adventures.

"We carved our initials on that tree." she added, pointing at a giant tree in the distance. "At that time, we were ten, maybe?" 

"Eleven." Xander corrected. "I still have the wooden keyring you gave me that summer."

Her eyes widened. "You kept that?"

"Of course I did." he said. "Your name was carved on that wood." 

His gaze was fixed on the kids. Ariadne stared at his side face for a moment, stunned. She realized that they didn't know many things about each other. 

She averted her gaze.

"They’ll remember this day. Just like we remember ours." she stated softly, looking affectionately at her kids.

"Those were the best days!" she exclaimed with a sigh.

Cheer erupted as Toby's team scored another point, and the game was paused for a moment. Alex ran up to them, breathless and flushed. He grabbed the juice bottle and took a sip.

"We're leading." he announced with excitement.

"Give your best, and you can win the game." Xander encouraged him.

"Best of luck." Ariadne wished.

"Thank you, Mommy. Thank you, Daddy. Okay, bye. I need to go." Alex said before darting back into the game.

Ariadne laughed as she watched him go. He was looking very serious, which was a rare thing. They sat in silence for a moment, watching their children.

"Funny how time passes so quickly." she whispered. "Same forest, same tree. But we're no longer the same."

"We've become parents now." Xander said, looking at her.

Ariadne turned, and their gazes met. Time seemed to freeze as they stared at each other with unspoken emotions. 

A sudden cheer broke them out of their trance. Ariadne averted her eyes. However, Xander kept his gaze fixed on her with a look of affection.

"Mommy, Daddy, we won!" Alex dashed towards them, declaring.

Only then did Xander avert his eyes from Ariadne and look at the boy. He jumped into Xander's arms. 

The kids didn't stop after the volleyball match. They played several other games and had a lot of fun before finally sitting down to eat. 

... 

"Where are we going?" Ariadne asked. 

After the picnic, they were heading back to the old mansion. However, Xander and Ariadne took a different car, while the others went back in other cars. Ariadne realized they weren't heading back to the old mansion, but somewhere else. 

"You will see." Xander replied.

He made a call to someone and talked about some business. Ariadne sat silently beside him in the backseat. After a while, they arrived at one of the Blakes' hotels. She frowned in confusion. 

They got out of the car, and after a few minutes, they stood in front of a door. Xander looked at her with a serious expression. Ariadne's heart quickened with an unknown fear. 

"What is it?" she asked, worry covering her face.

"I need to show you something... or you can say someone." he said before pushing the door open. 

They entered the room to the sound of TV. Ariadne looked around, and her gaze fell on the couch, or more precisely, the person sitting on it. She gasped in shock.

"Oindrila!"

The girl, who was watching cartoons with no worry in the world, turned toward her. Her eyes widened as she recognized Ariadne. 

"Aunt, Aria!" she stood up and dashed towards her, hugging her.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking at Xander.

"I'll tell you everything." Xander said.

Ariadne nodded before she crouched down to Oindrila's level.

"Hey, dear, how are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Aunt Aria. Grandma is here with me, too." she pointed behind her. 

Ariadne turned and saw the old lady. "Mrs. Shaw!" 

Ariadne was surprised to see Gloria's mother as well. 

"Hello, Aria." the old lady smiled at her.

But there was sadness behind her smile. Ariadne noticed it and looked at Xander, standing up. 

"Watch your cartoons. We'll be back after a while." he said to Oindrila, who happily obeyed and went back to the couch and sat down on it.

Xander grabbed Ariadne's hand and led her out of the room.