Chapter 36 Location
Verena
I didn't mean to snoop around. Does this even count as snooping around? I didn't care. Anyways, I managed to stumble on Daxton’s high school website, and God—I didn't know that I had this stalking ability in me because why did I check for his pictures that dated far back?
I scrolled through every picture and the fact that it made my heart race proved that I was crazy. And wait? Was he once on a hockey team? He only told me football.
There was a picture of him skating on the rink, both middle fingers flicked up as he stuck his tongue out. Another picture of him showing his abs. Then the next one, he sat on the rink with his legs sprawled out—tired eyes—but damn he looked hot!
The next picture was of a girl blowing a kiss at him and the jealousy that burned in my chest right away. I was crazy. Why would I feel this way over a picture from years back?
A picture of him carrying a kid on his shoulder followed. The boy who should be no more than five or four flexed his muscles just like Daxton and I was about to croon at the picture until recognition flashed through my eyes.
That was Kian. The hell!
I had met with Mikaelson the moment I returned from Monaco. While Kian had agreed to split his assets evenly, Mikaelson was determined to push for an 80-20 division. The larger share was going to me of course—
But, I didn't want that. All I needed was for us to get the divorce over with and move on with my life. However, the hint of fire in Mikaelson’s life showed that it was more of his personal vendetta towards Kian.
The divorce process had already gotten messy enough. I didn't have the mental capacity to fight dirty anymore.
I was just glad that this would be over soon.
A knock sounded on the door and I quickly switched to something else on the monitor. Daxton had told me to reschedule some meetings and this is what I was doing.
“Come in”
A curly-haired woman came in with the brightest smile that could illuminate even the darkest corners spreading on her face. She was holding a large bouquet of mixed flowers. It was a combination of blush roses, white tulips, and yellow orchids. “Delivery for Miss Verena”
My lips parted and I rose to my feet. “Yes, that’s me”
She handed the flowers to me and the scent! It was to die for. I inhaled deeply to see if it could fill my whole system. “Thank you, but who sent this—” My eyes met hers.
She chuckled, already halfway through the door. “Anonymous,” she said.
Anonymous?
I knew it was Daxton!
My cheeks flushed red and I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, removing the note attached to it. “Verena, I’m sorry that I couldn't spend your birthday with you. So I sent roses because you are so delicate, the tulips—to ask for your forgiveness. The yellow orchids are to cheer you for a new beginning. Have a nice day, lovely.”
Aww.
Daxton was so sweet and at the same time, funny. He’d apologized almost a thousand times for missing my birthday and had taken me on dates just to make it up to me.
I reached for my phone and texted him. “I loved the flowers and the cute little note”
Minutes passed and my phone beeped with a text. “What flowers?”
I was confused. Taken aback. Maybe he was teasing me. “The one that just got delivered to me”
He left me on ‘read’.
Just before I could get engrossed in my work, my door opened and—
Daxton.
I stared at him appalled because he was supposed to be in a meeting. “What were you talking about?…” He closed the door behind him, eyes slowly landing on the bouquet that was still on my desk. “Who sent this?
“You should be in a meeting, right?”
He looked vaguely disoriented. “Yes, but you said I sent you flowers. I never did”
I blinked at him. Then blinked again. So he left the meeting because of this.
Was he joking about not sending the flowers? No, because with the way something dark crawled in his eyes, I doubted that he was.
“If you didn't send it, then who did?”
“I don't know” He read the note, eyes turning dark as small scoffs left his mouth. “I think I know who sent this”
“Who?”
He raised his head, his eyes softening. “You don't need to know”
Now that I thought about it, who could have sent me flowers? Could it be Kian? He wouldn't dare. Why would he even send flowers to me when he had never sent one to me in years?
He shoved the note into his pocket and grabbed the bouquet with anger slowly blazing in his eyes. “Well, these flowers are bad for you…”
“That is mine!”
He turned to the door. “Not yours and it only belongs to one place…” Before I could process things, he shoved it into the trash can. “Here!”
I stared at him completely appalled. “You know my friends could have sent it, right?”
“You don't have any friends”
“My brother” I countered.
“You haven't seen him in years”
I fumed and he crossed over to me, cupping my face in his hands and the anger was now long gone, replaced by panic as I kept peeking at the glass wall. People would see us and—
“You can't do this in the open like—” He shut me up with a kiss that sent this betrayer of a body leaning into him.
I only snapped back to my senses when I heard someone’s voice close by. Thankfully—he drew back and wiped my lipstick from his mouth.
“Flowers that aren't from me are very dangerous,”
I laughed. “How”
“It isn't like a bomb was hidden there”
“Can't say” He responded, glanced at his wristwatch, and sauntered to the door. “I would see you later, Miss Kitty ears”
“Don't call me that at work!”I kept my voice low.
He chuckled, not wasting a second to taunt me with the name through the glass walls until he disappeared from my view. I blushed hard. Really hard as I sank into the chair.
I wanted to grab coffee, almost walking past until she called my name. “Verena, a moment, please,” Her eyes brightened and the moment I stood before her, she squeaked in excitement.
“You won't believe what happened to me while you were away”
I leaned forward with a smile and complete eagerness. “Tell me,”
“So, I used the vouchers you had given to me just before you went on a business trip to Monaco”
“You ended up going to the convenience store in my neighborhood?”
“Yes, the vouchers will expire soon, remember?”
“Sure sure”
She blushed. “Guess who I met there?”
“Your favorite artist?”
She shook her head. “Better than that. I met Kian Cooper”
The eagerness inside of me vanished into thin air and my smile faded. Kian in my neighborhood?
My heart thumped hard but wait, it could be a coincidence. No, why would Kian be there?
I forced a smile onto my face. “Really?”
“Yeah, and the craziest thing is he asked about you?”
My pulse quickened. “Why would he ask about me? Does he know me?”
“No. And you won't believe that the reason he followed me on Instagram was because of you”
My heart rate spiked. “Okay, why?”
“He told me his fiancée loved the earrings that you had on. He tried to search for it for the exact kind but couldn't find it anywhere. You had to see the joy on his face when he saw me”
The knot in my stomach tightened and I absolutely hated where this was leading. “Wow”
“He is such a good man, Verena. He came all the way from his villa to your neighborhood just to get Doritos for Miss Zita”
It made no sense but I smiled as if everything was completely fine.
“And he paid for all my things and offered me a ride. This is still like a dream”
“Lucky you” I swallowed.
“Anyways, he asked to know your location so you could help in finding the earrings”
My heart skittered to a stop, mortification slipping through my face. “And you told him?”
She nodded. “Mmm”
“I told him you were in Monaco with his Uncle.”