Chapter 74 74
"Oh." Adele said, "You are the rising star of New York Fashion."
"Velvet Vixen topped the charts of best companies, would you say we are still rising?" She asked. Adele kept the card in her bag as she glanced at Alexa cockingly.
"Well, your company is fluctuating a bit. Not many female CEOs go to prison, have a divorce story and still looses their company to a sly man." Adele said. Alexa ran her tongue over her teeth as she let out a scoff.
"You really did your search well, didn't you?" She asked.
"I deal with information on a norm. And back to Liam's attention, if he was seeking for your attention, why would he divorce you?"
Alexa's hand tightened on the coffee cup when Liam walked in.
"Liam is here." Antonia said immediately trying to break the tightening awkwardness in the silence.
"Well..." Alexandra stood up calmly, "I only came to see you, mother. I'll be on my way now." She said, getting up.
"She's your divorced husband's mother. Shouldn't you call her Mrs Jordans by now?" Adele's voice and Antonia frowned this time. She was enjoying the show of jealousy but not this.
"Alexandra is more than a daughter to me and my husband. She can call me mother if she wants to." She snapped quickly in anger and Alexa smiled, glancing at Adele before Antonia.
"Goodbye....mum." The last word was notably high for Adele to have no problem hearing it clearly. Alexa turned, her eyes running down Liam as she walked past him. Her held her hand,
"Can't you have dinner with us?" He asked. Her eyes fell to her hand which he held and she looked up at him.
"I'm busy. Let me go." She waited for him to let go of her hand and when he did, she hit his shoulder roughly, walking away.
"Ale...xa-" She closed the door, cutting his words shot and he sighed slowly, scratching his hair. She's totally angry. He knew. He couldn't follow her right now because he had something important to discuss with Adele and his mom.
....
Alexa gulped as she hit her leg slowly, waiting in front of the restaurant for a moment. She checked her time, it was already a minute and he was not out. If he really wanted to come after her, he would have by now. She rolled her eyes, checking her phone. Doreen had already sent the address.
With a sigh, she hailed down a cab and got in.
"You are here." Doreen said.
"Yeah." Alexa said, "Is this where they live?" She asked looking at the flat in a poorly built environment. Grace's and Blue's house were in one of these flats.
"Turns out Blue's father left a lot of debt before he passed and Grace and Blue work so hard to pay them off. They are both very talented but it seems hard. They want to pay their debts off first before trying anything new. So when Stella sacked her and Blue went to Paris, she felt-"
"She can't feel bad. I gave her a job. She told me thank you with a big smile. If she had a problem with me sending Blue to learn more abroad, she should have come directly to me. Blue is one of my workers and I love my employees. I can't see talents like them and let them rot. She could have explained things to me and I would have helped. Taking him down? Would I send him to Paris if I wanted that?" She scoffed loudly as anger overtook her for a long ride. She placed her hand I her hair, scattering it.
"I don't even think we have anything to do here. If she could not be convinced with my actions before, then she wouldn't be convinced now." Alexa turned to leave and she had already opened the car door when she heard footsteps,
"Miss Chapman." It was Grace. She looked at the woman and she sighed.
"Can I have a word with you?" She asked. Alexandra took a deep breath.
"I guess. I came to have a word with you too."
When the door to Grace's house opened after climbing four series of steps as she lived at the fourth floor, Alexandra was already tired. Doreen was breathing heavily behind her while Grace felt everything was normal. She had been climbing these everyday for the last four years.
Getting in, Alexandra looked around. It was quite clean but was shabby. No human should live in a condition like this, no matter what. She knew she couldn't help everyone but at least, she could make impact in one or two lives. She had chosen Blue.
"Take your seat, please." Grace gestured towards the half spoilt cushion. The chair creaked loudly when Alexandra and Doreen sat on it but they didn't give any different expression. On this seat, Blue and his mother had been with each other, on the cold night's where the windows were not closed tightly, during the heat where there wasn't a fan in the room, during the rain when droplets would fly in through the windows.
Their situation was a minus from perfect,
"I'm sorry." Grace shook her head, "I couldn't bear to see you, that's why I couldn't come to the company. I didn't know it would put you in trouble. They were just clothing materials, good and quality for that matter. She just asked me to put it in there for a large sum of money that could clear my debt. That was all I did."
"Stella right?" Alexa didn't have the energy to be angry after seeing the condition they lived in. She just... couldn't.
"Yes."
"How much did she give you for you...to...to do this? Huh?"
"A million dollars. It could clear all of my debt and even get us food for more than a month. If we kept on working, our lives would be stable in no time."
Alexandra looked at Doreen, the one million removed from her account had been given to Grace. It was going to be hard to trace if Ryder was into bribery now, unless he did it before.
"What changed? Is your life better now? Have you paid the debt?" Alexandra asked and a tear slipped out of Grace's eyes which she cleaned immediately.
"I returned the money to Miss Hills account. I couldn't....just use it. All I wanted is for I and my son to just have a good life. That's everything I want." She cried and Alexa stood up from the chair, going to give Grace a hug. She was just like her mother. Everything Louisa wanted is for Alexandra to have a perfect life.
"I'll help you. I'll help you pay it off." Alexa muttered to her and Grace pulled away from the hug in shock.
"What?" She asked. Alexandra smiled, cleaning the tears from Grace's eyes.
"I'll also get you guys an apartment close to Velvet Vixen so it wouldn't be hard for you guys. Life isn't all that bad if you make a friend, is it?" Alexandra squeezed her hand tightly, "So rest assured now, that you and your son would have the best life from now on."