The deal from London

Anna was shocked at how efficiently she had illustrated the image of the twins, and she couldn’t say a word even after listening to her son’s query. Her heart swelled with love and heartache as she gradually raised her trembling hands to caress the painting while tears pricked her eyes.

“Look at them, Marcelo.” She spoke, her voice drenched with overwhelming ache. “These two men, they are your fathers.” and my masters. The tears that she was holding back started falling off her cheeks.

Marcelo’s face changed into a disturbed one and he stood up when he saw her crying.

“Mommy, don’t cry. I've seen them. Stop crying.” He used his thumbs to clear off his mother’s tears as he consoled her

He started blaming himself for insisting that his mother show him his father. If he knew that she would end up crying, he wouldn’t have asked at all.

Even though he was surprised that he has two fathers unlike other kids, he didn’t dare ask his mother any more questions as he gently patted her back in comfort.

After a while, Anna put Marcelo to bed and then reached for her phone to check the inbox she had received earlier in the day. Upon opening her email, she saw that it was a client, and they had requested her services. Apparently, they had reached out to her from the auction house, and they want a painting that will be exclusively made for them.

Frowning her face as she read, Anna wanted to reply that she refused the deal until she saw the price they were offering. 5 million pounds!

Gasping in shock, she went back to read the mail from the beginning because she couldn’t believe that someone could offer millions of pounds for just any painting of hers. They had even highlighted that they were not interested in the ones in the art gallery, or from the auction house, but in any art, she could paint as soon as possible.

Staring at the name, which reads Rebecca Cameron, Anna suddenly felt relieved because, for a moment, she thought it was Jacob or Jackson.

She was about to reply to the mail when she saw that the client was in London, and had specified that they wanted it to be physically delivered to them.

It took a while before Anna accepted the deal, thinking she would ask her sister to deliver it, then pretend to be her since no one knows her identity, and the client wouldn't be able to recognize her.

Immediately after she sent the mail that she had accepted the deal, Rebecca jumped up in triumph in her room.

“Yes! Now, all I have to do is go to Jackson’s office tomorrow. I don’t believe he wouldn't want to see me after I show him that I have the identity of the artist that his dear twin brother is searching for.” She muttered under her breath as a corny smile appeared on her face.

Making a mental note to tip her spy in Jackson’s office, she hurried off to her walk-in closet to prepare her outfit for tomorrow.

That night, Anna Facetime Maria and told her everything about the client and the deal she had just accepted.

“For 5 million pounds? Sister, you are a hot potato.” Maria exclaimed and Anna laughed at her phrases.

“What do you think about being the hot potato for a day? We can split the payment.” She added, but Maria shook her head.

“I'm so sorry, big sister, I would have agreed to meet up with your client and deliver the painting, but I really really really want to see you and Marcelo. This is like God granting my Christmas wish.” She purred and batted her gorgeous eyes at Anna.

“This- you know I can’t come back to London.”

“No, I don’t. If you are worried about our father, I live alone now, and he only comes to see me once a month. So, you can stay with me for a few days before you return to Jersey. Just please come, okay?” Maria urged and Anna felt her heart torn apart as she listened to her little sister.

She was definitely worried about their father remembering her existence, and what he could do to hurt her again, but she was more worried about pumping into any of the Mikelsons.

“I can’t, Maria.”

“What's your reason?”

“Marcelo’s fathers are there.” Anna let out faintly, confiding in her sister for the first time.

When Maria heard her sister say fathers, she thought she had heard wrongly until Anna started pouring out her heart, and telling her how she had met the twins without saying their exact names.

“If they were so wealthy, why did you leave then? Why did you have to flee London and start afresh in a strange land while you already knew you were pregnant for them?” Maria asked, unable to comprehend what Anna was saying.

Anna, who couldn’t reveal that she had been threatened to leave the twins, and had left because she wanted to protect Maria, had to agree to fly to London, and spend a few days after delivering the painting.

The next day in London, Rebecca Cameron arrived at Jackson’s company in a grand style with some of her father’s men, and they stood outside the building of the large skyscraper as if they had come for an event show.

“What is all this rubbish?” Jackson’s voice was raised a little higher after Paige explained the situation outside of his company to him.

“Tell her to return to her father’s house and not cause a nuisance, or else I will sue her for trespassing.” He asserted dismissively, but when he saw that Paige wasn’t leaving, he raised a brow at her.

Confused about how to relay Rebecca’s words without implication herself, Paige swallowed before opening her mouth to speak. “Sir, uhm - the painter, the painter that you were searching for, Miss Cameron said she has information about her, and she wants to exchange for an audience with you.”

Jackson’s face slowly turned into a scowl and he stood up angrily. “And how the hell did she know that I'm searching for a particular artist?” His cold, powerful voice sent Paige to her knees, and she started pleading.

“I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't know the information would get to her. I was only trying to assist you in finding the artist, I didn’t know that she will seize the-

“Leave. Leave right now!” Jackson thundered, unable to listen to any of Paige’s words. His cold voice cut her heart, and she started weeping.

“Please, let me stay, I will never do this again. I only told Alice because she had more connection with the streets and-

“You and Alice, or whatever her name is, are to immediately get the fuck out of my company before I get you both arrested for leaking confidential information.” Jackson yelled at Paige, and she quickly scrambled off with tears running down her cheeks.

Immediately after she left, Jackson transmitted a call to his head of personnel and asked him to prepare a termination letter for Paige, and all the Alice in the building as he couldn't be sure who it was.

It took about 30 minutes before Jackson’s anger finally depleted, and he told his newly promoted secretary to ask Rebeccas to send back all her bodyguards if she was really interested in an audience.

After a few minutes, Rebecca was escorted to Jackson’s office by his secretary, but when he saw her, he felt like he had seen her before.