Chapter 38 Do you have a death wish?
Those who were speaking to Roger paused, afraid that Tonia might be someone important to him. After all, she was stunning.
However, Roger ignored the second call. It was reminiscent of how Tonia used to treat him when he tried to get her attention.
She preferred conversing with the rich spoiled brats, but in Roger’s case, he would rather spend time with his family and business partners.
Tonia was feeling embarrassed, and at times, she feared that Karen might have survived the thugs she sent, but there had been no sign or mention of her.
Since Karen had been disowned, there was no need to inform their parents about her death, so everything was going according to Tonia’s plan.
“I think the lady is trying to get your attention,” one of the business associates said as he leaned slightly and saw Tonia behind the elegant man.
Roger did not turn around and continued with business. “As I was saying, we can deliver whatever number of gym equipment you need, regardless of the timeline.”
Tonia was grinding her teeth, and to get his attention, she deliberately held his waist from behind, causing Roger’s expression to stiffen.
“Roger, happy birthday,” she moved to his side, that infectious smile plastered on her face. Roger took a step back, and her hand around his waist dropped.
“Don’t ever touch me again.” The iciness in his tone could freeze all the drinks on display. “And you are?”
Tonia’s face fell. Roger was pretending not to know her, and she was not prepared to handle that. Despite being groomed in such a wealthy family, he had built his empire from scratch.
Tonia would become the wealthiest and most respected woman if she married Roger, and now was her chance.
Ignoring his pretense, she flashed that enchanting smile again, making sure he got a full view of her dress, purchased from the Dawsons to send a message.
“I got you a gift,” she said nervously, this time capturing Roger’s attention.
“You got me a gift?” He sounded interested, knowing how Tonia only loved to receive but was never a giver. Anxiety swept across her face. If Roger were still her bodyguard, he would see her gift as expensive and worthwhile.
But for a man who had everything, how would he appreciate what she got for him? Besides, it was something rather intimate, meant to seduce him.
“Yes, I got you a gift,” she said, flashing one of those magical smiles that used to mesmerize Roger. This time, however, it fell flat.
Looking around, he was surprised not to see Brad with her, but not too surprised. For Tonia to be doing this meant that she had dumped Brad.
“I’d like to see what you got for me,” he demanded, his voice deep with a touch of finality.
No gifts had been opened yet, and some would be announced later. But Roger's demand to see hers meant he didn’t believe her.
Tonia found herself in an awkward situation, drawing attention because she was the only woman outside his family the richest man in the world had spent up to a minute with nonstop.
Smiling to hide her embarrassment, she pursed her lips. “Why don’t we go somewhere private, and I’ll show you.”
Roger’s gaze darkened, and before Tonia knew it, she became the laughing stock. “Everyone, this lady here claims to have gotten me a gift, and yet she won’t let me see it.”
There was a roar of laughter, causing Tonia’s face to pale. She never expected Roger to shame her so openly.
“Then she doesn’t have a gift and just wants attention,” Hendrix commented, and Tonia's face fell.
Though she had heard about Hector and Hendrix, she had never met them in person and had only seen their professional picture in a newspaper.
Well, Hendrix looked even more dashing in person than he did in the newspaper, as that news was a long time ago, and no one had heard about them since then.
For someone who was desperate to marry Hector, she realized too late that she had a big catch by her side all along but never saw it, instead pushing him into the arms of another woman, her sister.
She could still remember the day she undressed Roger and Karen to make it seem like they had slept together. Roger had opened his eyes drowsily before going back to sleep. Through it all, she was imprinted on his mind, and he even mentioned her name.
Only if Tonia knew who he was, she would not have done the things she did. She also remembered that back in college, she had caused Karen a similar embarrassment in front of Roger. Was he getting back at her for Karen? The bitch was dead, or was she not?
Was it real when she heard Roger mention Karen on the phone at the mall? Having heard nothing, she thought he meant another Karen, and there was no sign of her.
Tonia’s parents carried her shame as Katherine sauntered to her side. “Roger…”
“It's Mr. Dawson," Roger remarked, temporarily cutting her off. In that process, the door swung open, and Octavia arrived with Josh. The family received them well, followed by Joe and Oriana.
The last time Roger saw them was about twelve years ago, and now they had changed a lot. "You two have grown," he commented. Oriana giggled and embraced him, while Tonia was jealous.
Just as Oriana pulled away, Roger bumped his fist with Joe. "You are a grown man now."
"Yeah, and congratulations, Roger. We brought you gifts and hope you will like them," Roger smiled. He hadn't been in touch with his biological mother and only saw her and his half-siblings once during a business meeting.
He held nothing against her but was grateful for the peaceful family he had. Octavia embraced him too. "Happy Birthday, Roger, you look handsome."
Roger smiled. "Thank you." He then greeted his former professor, Josh, as Oriana made a request. "Roger, I want to work at your clothing factory."
Roger was about to respond when his father's voice interrupted, "Where is Karen?" He sounded worried, gaining Roger's attention as he addressed Octavia.
However, Roger got the clear message. Karen had been living with Octavia after leaving his mother’s small house.
"She was picking up a gift with her friend," Octavia replied. Giovanni was upset. "I told you to never leave them alone." He feared for anything to happen to her.
Roger's expression changed, but just as the father and son made a move to go look for Karen, the doors swung open, revealing a mesmerizing beauty.
Tonia lost her grip on her drinking glass, sending it shattering to the floor as waiters made way to clean up the mess.
Tonia was certain she was dead, though she never heard from the thugs, but that woman looked so much like Karen, though she seemed like a massively upgraded version.
Roger's eyes were wide, and he feared that even a blink might cause him to lose sight of her. That woman was stunning, unrecognizable, but he knew it was her.
He could not feel his heartbeat anymore. "Kitten," he murmured, but Karen was not alone. There was a familiar blonde walking hand in hand with her.
The sight of them caused Roger’s expression to harden as he walked towards them, his glare fixed on their joined fingers. “Do you have a death wish? Do you know she’s married?”
His question drew everyone’s attention, but before Wade could make sense of what was happening, his body was carelessly smashed against the wall. The atmosphere shifted from excitement to panic.