Chapter 26 A Thief
"She deliberately invited us to insult you in front of everyone." Tiara said, sipping her drink while sitting on the couch next to Ariadne.
"Yeah, I realized it the moment she came to invite me." Ariadne sipped from her cup of coffee.
"They still harbor resentment towards you. They are beyond imagination." Mary shook her head.
Ariadne and Tiara returned home a while ago. Mary was awake, and their mood was not good, so the three ladies sat in the living room for chat. The kids had fallen asleep. Alex had a nurse with him today because neither of them could go to the hospital.
"Did your father say anything?" Mary asked.
"If you are asking about defending me... no. He didn't say anything to defend me. But he didn't rebuke me either. It was Emma and the relatives." Ariadne replied.
"I saw regret in his eyes. He may have discovered their true faces, but they now have the upper hand, leaving him helpless. It was quite obvious. But he is a coward for not standing up for his own daughter." Tiara frowned.
She was a fearless young lady who would not take crap from anyone. She became enraged when the Miller family tried to insult Ariadne at the dinner table. She regarded Ariadne, Mary, and the children as her own family. She wouldn't tolerate anything against them.
"I don't want anything from him. Let him be with them."
Ariadne had long stopped expecting from her father. So it didn't bother her as much anymore.
"And Xander?" Mary asked, looking at Ariadne.
"He did not miss a chance to protect his fiancée. No surprise." Ariadne felt bitter while saying this.
Mary gave her a sympathetic look and placed her hand on Ariadne's knee. They knew she was still affected by that man. Five years ago, she escaped her misery and rebuilt herself in a new way. However, at that time, she didn't have to deal with those people. Mary believed that now that Ariadne was facing these people, she would be able to overcome her past completely.
"I am fine." Ariadne assured her.
"But I am confused."
Their attention was drawn to Tiara as she spoke.
"He looked at you strangely during the dinner. He was more focused on you than Crystal." She added, frowning.
Tiara had never met Xander personally before the dinner.
"To keep an eye on me so that I couldn't do anything to his fiancée." Ariadne sarcastically stated, rolling her eyes.
She, too, noticed his intense gaze on her, but she had been hurt enough by that man to believe otherwise. She remembered how, five years ago, he warned her to stay away from Crystal to keep her safe.
"It's strange that he didn't marry Crystal all these years and then announced their engagement right after you returned. Specifically, after learning about the kids. It's suspicious."
"What's there to suspect?"
"It seems like he is doing this to make you jealous. If he truly loves Crystal, would not they have married and started a family by now?" Tiara said, causing Ariadne to sigh.
"Stop being a detective for a while, Madam." Ariadne teased her.
"What? It's a fact." She waved her hands.
Tiara was a well-known and successful lawyer in Purple City. She had a habit of delving deeper into every matter.
"I know you are an intelligent woman. But, he is a selfish businessman. The most important thing to him is his career. Relationship comes second for him. That's why he didnt even hesitate to marry me instead of Crystal to inherit his position. Marriage means nothing to him. They were always together, even after he married me." Ariadne stated, remembering her past.
Xander was always serious about his career and work. He married her only to secure his position as the president of Blake Corporation. She hated him, but it still hurt her to think that she had no value in his eyes. In the past, she would wait for him in their mansion, while he was busy pampering Crystal by accompanying her everywhere.
"Yeah, he is indeed an arrogant jerk. He likes to dominate others. I noticed how Crystal acted completely obedient in front of him. That bitch certainly knows how to please that jerk." Tiara scrunched her nose in disgust at Crystal.
"Yeah." Ariadne felt uneasy at the thought.
Crystal indeed had always acted submissive in front of Xander. Ariadne, On the other hand, was regarded as a rebellious girl from her childhood who never behaved obediently. She recalled how Xander used to speak with Crystal more than her in the past. She even had many arguments with him as well because of her revellious nature. As she reflected on the past, she realised that Xander was a strict man who enjoyed dominating others, which was why they never got along. She let out a sigh and stopped thinking about him. The room became silent.
"Umm.. I think we have talked enough about them."
After a while, Mary cleared her throat, breaking the silence. She noticed Ariadne's sour mood.
"The gala is next week. How is the preparation going?" she changed the subject.
"It's nearing the end. Lily informed me." Ariadne said.
"I will need to travel to Purple City. I may spend a few days there. Can you guys handle everything here?" she added.
"Don't worry. Take your time. We will take care of everything here." Mary assured her. "When will you leave?"
"After a few days." Ariadne replied and Mary nodded.
"So we are going to reveal our identity as the owners of Autumn Collection." Tiara said excitedly, looking at Ariadne.
"Yeah, I think it's time as we are about to launch our brand in Zavion City soon."
"Yeah. There's a lot of work to do." Mary sighed.
"Everything will go smoothly. Don't worry." Tiara assured.
"The kids want to go shopping to select dresses for the gala. I promised to take them." Mary informed Ariadne.
"Hey, I need to go shopping as well." Tiara pouted.
"Don't worry, I will bring your dress from Purple City, along with mine." Ariadne smiled at her.
..........
At Blake Corporation
"The kids are four years older. That means she might have been pregnant before our divorce." Xander clenched his jaw, looking at the papers in his hand.
"Yeah, but not certain." Jose replied.
"If she was pregnant before the divorce, should not they be your children?" Toby asked while smoking his cigarette.
They were at Xander's office with the information about Ariadne's kids. Xander instructed Jose to gather information on the kids after returning from the dinner, as he pondered Crystal's remark that Ariadne might have cheated on him.
"No. I have never touched her. She must have cheated on me." he looked angry.
"What? You never consummated your wedding in two years! Are you really a man?" Toby was utterly shocked.
"Mind your language." Xander gave him a death glare.
"What man! She is a stunning lady that any man would wish to have. And she was your wife, but you never touched her. Do you want me to believe it?"
Toby was Xander's age, and they studied together as close friends. So he behaved much more casually with Xander than Jose.
"I hated her." Xander turned his face and looked away.
"Yeah, because she had the courage to force Xander Blake do something against his will." Toby chuckled. "She is a tough girl, I must say."
"She cheated on me." Turning his eyes to Toby, Xander slammed his hand on the desk, angrily.
"Calm down. It's not proven yet. And even if she did, so what? It's equal now. Have you not done the same?"
"Shut up."
Jose was terrified while standing beside them. He looked at Toby and shook his head, but the latter ignored his warning.
"This is useless, man. You two are divorced. She has moved on and now has her own family. You and Crystal are about to get engaged. What's the point of digging this right now?" Toby said, raising his hand in the air.
"I was labelled a cheater. If she had cheated on me, she, too, should be labelled as well. Why should just I bear the blame?" Xander shot him a sharp look, clenching his teeth.
"Oh, so it's all about your ego." Toby grinned, infuriating Xander even more.
"Get out before I break your jaw!" he shouted, enraged.
"Okay, okay." Toby raised his hands in defeat and stood up before leaving the room.
However, Jose remained there. Xander ran his hands through his hair, calming himself down. He closed his eyes and laid back on his seat. The room went silent.
"Why are you still standing here?" he asked after a while, without opening his eyes.
"I have another information."
"Speak."
"Boss, Miss Miller is looking for a property in the market place."
Xander opened his eyes, hearing the news.
"What will she do with a property on the market place?" he frowned.
"She said nothing about it."
"Hmm."
Xander hummed before closing his eyes again. Jose left the room.
..........
"Granny, look. This mall is so big. Let's go there." Autumn yelled from the back seat of their car.
Mary glanced around the shopping center and noticed the name. She hesitated for a moment. However, Autumn grabbed her hand.
"What happened? Let's go."
"Ok." Mary nodded before exiting the car with the kids.
Marry brought them for shopping for the gala. As they were new to the city, they didn't know about the shopping malls. So they decided to shop in any mall.
"Blake World."
Adrian pronounced the name as he looked around the mall. They entered the mall and searched for the children's section.
...
In the other section of the mall, two middle-aged women were looking through some jewelry.
"Is that Mary?" Margaret pointed towards a woman in the distance.
"Who?" Emma was confused at first as she couldn't remember the person.
"Mary Cook. Emily's friend, and Ariadne's nanny." Margaret explained to help Emma remember.
Margaret, Emily and Mary studied at the same college. So Margaret knew Mary as well.
Emma looked back in the distance and noticed Mary.
"Yes, she is indeed Mary." she said after recognizing her.
"Wait, there are two children with her. Crystal said that Mary moved with Ariadne. They must be Ariadne's bastard children." Emma added, looking at Margaret.
"Oh, really? Look where they have come to shop. Let's have some fun." Margaret smirked, while Emma nodded in understanding.
Both ladies walked towards Mary and the children.
"Didn't she get fired from your house for stealing?" Margaret asked, looking at Emma suggestively.
Emma nodded with a smirk.
.
"Granny, I like both of these dresses. Can I have both?" Autumn pouted, lifting two dresses.
"Yes, of course, dear." Mary looked at the dresses before agreeing. Autumn smiled with delight.
"Finally!" Adrian exclaimed, rolling his eyes.
He had selected his dress long ago. However, Autumn took a long time, and Adrian became irritated.
"Excuse me. Please pack these two dresses." Mary handed the dresses to the attendant girl.
"Please come this way, Madam." The girl asked Mary to follow her to the counter.
As they began to walk towards the counter, a loud voice came from behind.
"What's a thief doing in our mall?"
After hearing the voice, all of the customers who were present turned around, including Mary and the children.