Chapter 18 Venting Anger
Xander raised an eyebrow at Ariadne.
"How dare you call my kids bastards?" Ariadne pointed a finger at Xander's face.
"You are good at producing bastards, not me. I will not tolerate any bad words about them. So, mind your language. My children and I are none of your business. If you have nothing to say about business, you can leave. I don't have time to waste on you." Ariadne shouted.
Xander clenched his jaw as Ariadne referred to Crystal's pregnancy five years ago.
"Don't worry. I am not interested in you or your kids. You are right.... It's none of my business. And I know how busy you are. That's why I need to come here myself." he said, mockingly.
"What's your problem?" Ariadne was furious.
"Let's talk about business, which is why I came here."
Ariadne narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her hands. No matter how much she wanted to kick him out of her office, she had to remain professional. She was surprised that Xander didn't react after she lashed out at him.
"I am here for a new project, which I believe my assistant has been talking about for the past week." Xander raised his brows at her, suggestively.
"What's it?"
"Please sit down, Miss Miller."
Ariadne was surprised to see how he could act as if nothing had happened just now. She composed herself and sat back in her chair.
"It's for a new mansion. I was looking for the best architect for this project. And I believe you will be the right choice." he said, playing with his sunglasses lazily.
"After my marriage, I will move into the mansion with my wife." he added with a fake smile.
Ariadne was taken aback by his words.
"Oh, a new mansion!"
"Yes. I want you to do the entire design by yourself. It must be the finest in the country. I will pay you any amount you want."
"At the moment, I am very busy with the hospital project. You know it." Ariadne raised her brow.
"I am in no hurry. There's time for the wedding. You can take your time." Xander shrugged.
"Okay, I will do it for you." she replied after giving it some thought.
"Then we have a deal."
"Deal."
"I will send you the details later."
"Ok."
"Have a good day. By the way, your children are adorable!" Xander stood up, smirking.
"Thank you." Ariadne faked a smile.
Xander then left the building with Jose.
Ariadne's mood turned sour after her encounter with Xander. She needed to clear her mind, so she called Jennifer.
"Hello, Aria. How are you?" Jennifer inquired as she received the call.
"Are you free tonight? I am thinking about hanging out with you." she said.
"Yes, I am free today. But your mood seems off. What happened?" Jennifer asked.
"Xander Blake happened." Ariadne gritted her teeth.
.....
"How dare he call my kids bastards! They are his as well. He called his own children 'bastards'.That cheating scumbag. I will kill him." Ariadne sat on the couch in a bar's private room, drinking her third vodka and venting her anger at Xander.
Jennifer brought her to Night Star, Zavion City's most famous and expensive bar, to brighten Ariadne's mood.
"He is a total jerk. Even though he didn't know the children's identities, he had no right to call them bastards. He himself had a bastard with Crystal." Jennifer clenched her teeth.
They were alone in the room, with music playing in the background.
"For a moment I considered telling him about them. My babies should know about their father as well. But when I saw the disgust in his eyes for me and my kids, I made up my mind. Not once, Jennie, not even once he doubted that the kids could be his. I know he was completely drunk, and I left in the morning without confronting him. But I hoped that once he regained his senses, he would remember that it was me, not Crystal. But I was wrong. I will never tell him about my babies. He will never be a good father for them. Rather, he and his mistress will bully my kids. They are better off without a father in their lives than to have him as one."
"Yeah, I think you are right." Jennifer expressed her support.
"What is more, he wants me to design his new mansion. He said that he will move into the new mansion with his wife."
"What?"
"Yeah. I know he said this on purpose to hurt me, because he never moved into the mansion with me after we married. He was mocking me." Ariadne paused, taking a sip from her drink.
"How evil!"
"But I am not the old Ariadne he could hurt whenever he wanted. I agreed to design the mansion. I will show him that I no longer care about him. He can marry or do whatever he wants. It will not bother me anymore." Ariadne declared with determination in her eyes.
"Yeah, you are a strong woman. Don't think about that scumbag. Let's enjoy the night." Jennifer raised her glass.
...
In another private room, a meeting was taking place.
Two foreigners just finished giving Xander information about a property. Jose was standing behind the couch.
"I would like to finalize the deal at our next meeting." Xander stated as he examined the documents.
"Yes, of course, Mr. Blake," one of the men replied.
Xander intended to buy a property in Purple City. In recent years, he had expanded his business into several foreign cities. After reviewing the documents, he placed the file on the table in front of him.
"Excuse me for a moment. Jose will accompany you untill I return." Xander excused himself and left the room.
He went to the corridor's far corner, where there was a balcony. This place was quieter. He called Francis, his third-in-command.
"Find out about the details that Mr. Luke provided about the property." He gave instructions and ended the call.
He took a deep breath of fresh air before lighting a cigarette. It was the VIP section, so it was empty because everyone stayed in their VIP rooms, leaving the corridor completely empty. Only two guards were stationed at the entrance. After finishing his cigarette, he pressed it's head against the wall before discarding it in the dustbin. He adjusted his business suit before heading to his room.
Suddenly, the door to a private room opened, and a drunken figure stumbled out, bumping into him. The impact threw the woman off balance, and she held onto Xander to keep from falling. However, Xander made no attempt to hold the woman. He did not like being touched.
"Sorry."
As the woman looked up, their eyes widened in surprise.
"You!" Ariadne hurriedly removed her hands from his body.
Xander scrunched his nose as she smelled of alcohol. Jennifer also emerged from the room, witnessing the scene.
"Are you alright?" She quickly came to her aid.
"You came here, too, following me. Don't you have anything to do?" Ariadne pointed her finger at Xander's face, causing him to raise his brow.
She was not in her right mind after getting drunk.
"You can dream. You are drinking in a bar at this hour." Xander looked at his watch.
"Why? Is there any rule that only you can be in a bar at this hour?" Ariadne challenged him.
"I am a man, and I am not drunk to my wits end."
"Keep your 'being a man' to yourself. What I do is none of your business." Ariadne answered back.
Xander frowned as he looked at her dress.
"Yeah, sure. By the way, what kind of mother are you? You have two kids at home, and you are drinking at a bar this late at night. They will be very proud of you." Xander mocked her.
"Shut up. Don't say my babies' names with that foul mouth of yours. As I said before, my family and I are none of your business. Take care of your own. Oh sorry... I forgot... you don't have a family of your own to begin with. You are a self-centered, arrogant man. How can you have a family?" Ariadne vented her rage, causing Xander to clench his jaw.
However, he didn't reply.
Jennifer tensed as the situation became heated.
"Aria, let's go. You are drunk." Jennifer held her, as she was in a better condition than Ariadne.
Ariadne was not in her right mind, and she can create a scene. However, Jennifer knew it was not a good idea to mess with the arrogant Xander Blake.
"You should not drink this much. Take care of your friend. Also, you shouldn't drive in this state." Xander addressed Jennifer, keeping his gaze fixed on Ariadne, who was glaring daggers at him.
"I have got my driver with me. Let's go, Aria." Jennifer said before dragging Ariadne along with her.
Xander stared at their retreating figures until they were out of sight. He shook his head and went to his room.
.....
The next day, Ariadne received a call from her personal assistant, while she was in her office.
"Madam, someone's here to meet with you."
Ariadne's thoughts shifted to Xander.
"Who is it?" She asked.
"It's, Aaron Miller, Madam."
Ariadne was surprised to hear the name. She didn't meet with her father after she returned. She could not bring herself to do it. She hadn't forgotten how her father had never supported her and had allowed everyone to humiliate her in the past. Despite being her father, he appeared to be a stranger to Ariadne. She had lost her father the same day he married Emma.
"Madam, are you there?" Linda asked after receiving no response, jolting Ariadne back from her thoughts.
"Umm. Send him to my office." Ariadne couldn't bring herself to send him back.
After a while, the door to her room was knocked and her father, Aaron Miller, entered. She stood up, emotional from seeing her father after so many years.
"Aria, how are you?" Aaron said as he approached her.
There was longing in his eyes.
"I am good... dad. How are you? Please take a seat." Ariadne composed herself.
"I am.... good." he said as he sat in the chair.
Ariadne noticed that he had aged significantly since she last saw him five years ago.
"You have returned. I am very happy that you have returned...... But you didn't visit the mansion." He added.
"Umm. I was busy." she felt awkward.
"Yeah, I know. You are the CEO of Watson Group."
There was silence.
"I wanted to see you, so I came. I hope you don't mind."
"It's fine, dad."
"Your office is stunning." Aaron looked around her office.
"Thank you." Ariadne smiled.
"You didn't inform me before leaving the country. How was your stay in Purple City?"
"I had Mama Mary with me, dad. I did not have any difficulties."
"Mary? Emily's friend?" he was surprised.
"Yes, dad. She took care of me."
"Good to know you had someone with you."
Aaron did not stay long and left Ariadne's office after a few words. Their eyes were filled with emotion, but they kept it to themselves. Ariadne had learned to keep her walls high as she didn't want to get hurt by her loved ones again.
..........
Work had begun on the construction site. Ariadne frequently visited the site to monitor the progress. She had not seen Xander since their confrontation in the bar, and she was thankful for that. Mr. Wright was in charge of the project, so Xander only arrived if necessary. It was a huge relief for Ariadne as she wouldn't have to face him very often.
They had some tents at the construction site where they could rest and discuss. Ariadne and Mr. Wright were talking when someone walked into the tent. Ariadne couldn't see as she had her back to the entrance.
"Oh, Xander. Come. We were discussing about the park." Mr. Wright's words made her pause.
She was unaware that Xander would arrive today.
"By the way, advanced congratulations on your engagement to Crystal."
Ariadne stiffened as she heard the words.