“Hmm… I feel like having a chocolate sundae. Let’s hit the mall. What do you say?” Amelia asked, rubbing her pregnant belly.
“Yay!” Sasha jumped as Samantha groaned.
“Come on, Sammy. Won’t you do it for your niece?”
“A niece?!” They chorused in unison with wide eyes.
“Um… I guess so. Mama bets it’s a girl, she says that the shape of my belly says it all.”
“Oh, is Eric going to join us?” Samantha asked.
“No. He’s gone to meet one of the associates. I’ll drop him a message to meet us there.”
“Okay then, let’s get ready. Sasha, tell mom and dad,” Samantha said, getting up and going to her walk-in closet.
∞ ∞ ∞
Samantha’s feet screamed bloody murder by the time they finished their first round at the mall. They had their ice cream and when Amelia saw something she fancied she dragged them along. Sasha came to stand beside her with a tired face while Amelia bounced up and down with all energy.
“She should be all tired and cranky by now," Sasha grumbled under her breath.
“My feet are dead,” Ryan muttered beside them.
“Where’s Eric?” Samantha asked.
“Oh, he'd be arriving any time now. He’s in the parking,” Amelia informed.
Fortunately, their bodyguards carried their recent purchases so there were able to walk without any added difficulties. Gregory never allowed them to go alone in public without security.
Samantha noticed Eric coming and the sister’s shared a look before sprinting towards him, not caring if the mall goers cast them weird looks.
Eric grinned widely as his sisters came barreling at him. He knew exactly what was going to happen. He will have to buy goodies, for the one that reached him first and it was a tradition the sisters have followed since childhood.
Sasha was the first one to reach him as Samantha panted beside her. “You’ve gotten faster kitty,” she said to her sister in an envious tone and hugged Eric.
“You win every time and it's my turn today,” Sasha beamed.
“You got a five seconds head start,” Samantha complained.
“Nonetheless, Sasha won today Panda,” Eric piped in.
“Don’t call me that. I’m not a Panda,” Samantha scowled.
“Of course, you are. Look at you, you look like one with your round bottom and you always wear black and white. See, even now you are in black and white.”
“Are you calling me fat?” Samantha huffed.
“No, just cute like a cuddly Panda.”
“Oh, stop it you two. Come on, big B. Let’s go,” Sasha whined, pulling his hands.
“All right, so what do you want, kitty?”
“I saw this really nice bracelet with charms. I want that,” Sasha grinned as the others who had reached them now groaned louder. The shop Sasha mentioned was on the opposite side of the mall.
“I think, I’m gonna eat another sundae,” Amelia drawled eying the food court which was a few feet away.
“I want one too,” Samantha joined and Ryan had no qualms about picking sides, which left Eric and Sasha to go alone.
A few hours later…
Samantha was wasted by the time they reached home. She dragged her exhausted body to the bed with her eyes half drugged with sleep as her mobile rang.
“Hello.”
“Hey, it’s me.”
“Axel, hey. How are you?”
“Good. How was your day?”
“Busy.”
“You sound so tired.”
“I am.”
“Okay then, I’ll let you sleep.”
“Good night, Axel.”
“Good night, Sam.”
Samantha didn’t realize when sleep embraced in her arms. She had slept in the same position with her phone in one ear as exhaustion got the best of her.
∞ ∞ ∞
The next morning, Samantha had to drag her body out of the bed. She remembered talking over the phone when she stood under the warm spray which soothed her aching muscles. She frowned, trying to remember whom she spoke to, it felt more like a dream.
Sighing, she massaged her sore legs. Samantha hated going to the mall just because she had to walk a lot and always ended up with a sore foot.
When she came down, her family was chatting merrily at the breakfast table. She gave them a broad smile before taking a seat next to her mother.
“Mmm… Smells so good, is that?” She asked with wide eyes as she got a glimpse of the food.
“Dad hired an Indian chef when you said you are moving in,” Ryan informed.
“You’re the best dad in the world,” Samantha squealed hugging her father before grabbing the plate and filled it with fluffy poori and masala, her favorite food. Her siblings chuckled as Samantha let out an appreciative hum at the taste of mashed potato heaven. “This is so good,” she commented.
“I’m tasting it for the first time today and I like it,” Amelia stated.
“Mhmm… Now, that I’m here, I’m going to introduce you to so many goodies. Oh, and I’m meeting this chef after breakfast, I’m having a traditional Indian meal for lunch today,” Samantha grinned.
Gregory smiled, seeing his children’s happiness made him happy. Samantha has been just like her maternal grandmother. She went to visit her grandparents a few years back during summer holidays and when she came back, all she talked was about the food her grandmother cooked for her.
Her grandmother had taught her to cook a few Indian dishes during her time there and Samantha preferred the spicy delicacy anytime of the day.
“Does Axel like Indian food?” Sasha asked out of the blue and Samantha choked on her food.
“Um… Don’t know. I found out that he liked Chinese, Italian and Spanish, considering his mom is from Spain,” she responded. Speaking of which, she hadn’t checked her phone for any calls or messages.
Quickly finishing her breakfast, she ran upstairs to her room. Sure enough, her phone had four missed calls and two messages from Axel.
“Where are you? Are you All right?”
“I’m going out with my family for lunch. I’ll talk to you later.”
She immediately called him back and when he didn’t pick up, she left him a voicemail. “Hey, sorry for not answering your call. I was downstairs having breakfast with my parents. I moved in yesterday and my sister-in-law took me to the mall. Call me when you get back. Have a great time!”
She decided to stay in for the rest of the day relaxed on her bed, thinking about the work for tomorrow. With Axel gone, her task list doubled. Though Axel told that he would help her, she had declined his offer, saying that she wanted him to relax and his only focus during the trip should be his family.
She didn’t know how much help Denzel would be, and she grew tired just thinking about all the work she had to do.
∞ ∞ ∞
Axel missed Samantha. He didn’t think that he would miss her so much. The next morning when he woke up just the thought of not being able to see her smile in person or kiss those soft lips, made him sad. He didn’t get to talk to her much and he missed hearing her voice.
He was happy to meet his mother’s family and his grandpa Joaquin on top of all. The old man talked merrily and his words of experience gave him the motivation and determination to finish what he has started.
The latest news on business magazine had him grinning ear to ear. The upcoming Hollywood heart-throb Alexander McGregor has become the honorary vice chairman of the McKenna Enterprises. That was faster than he thought. Axel could see the plan he set in motion all those years ago going on in the right direction.
Pulling out his phone, he typed a message. “Congratulations! Xander.”
“Don’t congratulate me. I am not glad to find out that I’m engaged without my knowledge,” came his best friend’s reply.
Axel decided to call his friend and frowned when he told him everything. His mind calculated the possible outcome a
nd he grinned in the end. Apparently, Xander had gone to dinner at her father’s place. Alicia coaxed Xander to act as her fiancée for the sake of her terribly ill father. Xander had played along as this would get him closer to their goal.
Only they knew that Seemus Weston, his once principal and the CEO of McKenna Enterprises wasn’t sick. Seemus became the CEO after the death of Alicia’s grandfather a few years ago, making him wonder why it was Seemus, who got the position instead of Alicia’s mother, who always showed up to the meetings on behalf of the company. He’d need to have his private detective look into this.
One thing that made him think was that Alicia never jumped into a relationship this fast. She never initiated a relationship. She would usually lure the prey, wait until they were drugged with lust. She would keep them as long as she was entertained and threw them away when someone else caught her attention.
When this was all done, he would be the new boss of McKenna Enterprises and Samantha was a bonus he didn’t expect when he first planned his revenge. He’d not only have everything Alicia ever wanted, but also a family.
Oh, he couldn’t wait to rub it in the face of his nemesis. He will marry Samantha and start a family with her, he will show Alicia that he wasn’t wasting away like she said he would. He knew that Samantha was not a social climber like Alicia and she would never hurt their child like Alicia did.
Their child.
His feelings for Samantha only has increased as he now acted on his attraction with an open mind. He thanked his lucky stars for sending an angel to him. He will make her happy, shower her with all the love she deserved.
What will Samantha think if she finds about his plan? Will she be able to understand his need for revenge?
He didn’t think Samantha had a mean bone in her body. They promised to stay true to each other and he knew he had to tell her everything before she found about it herself. Maybe he will talk to her after this trip. He didn’t want her to leave him, but he won’t lie to her either.
He only hoped that she would understand.
“Axel.” His mother motioned him to come over as she talked animatedly to a couple he never met before.
Axel composed himself and with a polite smile, he walked towards them.
Chapter – 14
“Meow!”
“Meow!”
Samantha groaned as the furball pawed her awake. “What now, Whiskers?”
“Meow!”
“He missed you, Sammy,” Sasha chuckled.
“Yeah, where were you yesterday and a day before that? Did your girlfriend abandon you again?” Samantha asked, scratching the feline’s ears.
“Meow!” He confirmed as he rubbed his body against hers.
“The Spencer’s took Poppy along with them for a family outing and Whiskers got no company today,” Sasha explained.
“This is what happens when you decide to move in with the girl,” Samantha scolded the cat, her lips twitched as the furball continued to rub its body against hers.
“Meow!”
Sasha giggled as she took Whiskers from Samantha.
“So what are you up to?” Samantha asked her sister, who plopped beside her with the cat in her embrace.
“Mom and dad went out. You know their monthly date thingy.”
“Oh.”
If one thing Samantha admired about their parents, it was their love. Her mom still blushed under the intense glance of her dad and he still bought surprise gifts for her mom. Sometimes he bought just flowers, but it was something romantic, nonetheless.
Their parents always made time for themselves and every month they took a day off from their work and family, it was just the two of them just like their old days when they started dating.
“I call it a girl’s night, then,” Amelia announced as she came in.
“Girl’s night it is then,” Samantha grinned. It has been a while they had a girl’s night. Since she started working for Axel, she barely visited her parents for dinner.
Samantha and the girls were supposedly having a girl’s night until her brothers decided to crash the party.
“You were supposed to watch football and have a boys’ night,” Amelia groaned as Sasha painted her nails.
“Meow!”
“Yeah, you to Whiskers, go with the boys,” Sasha quipped, waving her hand, motioning them to get the hell out their room.
“We are not here to create any trouble and we won’t make fun of you. In fact, we can help you,” Eric offered as he plopped down on the furry carpet.
“Help! I think I’ll pass,” Samantha snorted.
“Pretty please, Sammy. I won’t mess with your hair this time,” Ryan pleaded.
“You said that the last time and you dyed my hair pink,” Samantha accused.
“That was a genuine mistake, I was thirteen and how am I supposed to know the difference between henna and hair dye, who bought a pink hair dye anyway?” Ryan exclaimed.
“I bought it for a school project,” Sasha added. “I kept it in my vanity and you should’ve asked it before using it.”
“Yeah, whatever… Sammy, I can apply a facial mask for you,” Ryan offered.
“No thanks.”
“What about a hot oil massage for your head?” Ryan asked, not giving up.
“So what’s your offer, Eric?” Amelia asked as Samantha considered if it was safe to accept Ryan’s offer.
“Nothing, I am just going to stay and talk. Ryan, I’ll take that head massage, and oh, I have a much better idea. What about a full body massage.”
“Ugh! Not you again. Last time I agreed you made me knead your back for two hours,” Ryan snorted.
“Come on, Ryan. You are so good at it and you know it,” Eric pleaded.
“He asked me first and Ryan, I accept,” Samantha grinned and stuck out her tongue at Eric.
Eric snorted and turned his attention to Whiskers, who was stretching his body on the carpet, enjoying all the attention he was receiving.
“Amelia, when are your parents coming here?” Sasha asked.
“They will be here next month. Mama is planning a grand baby shower,” Amelia beamed.
“Yay! That means another shopping spree,” Sasha's fist pumped in the air.
“Not again.” Samantha groaned.
“Come on, Sammy. We will get to buy all cute things for the baby,” Amelia spoke in a dreamy voice. Only they knew they wouldn’t be enjoying it much.
“Do we have a choice?” Samantha chuckled, considering if she could buy everything online.
“No!” Amelia deadpanned.
“That’s settled then,” Eric winked at his siblings, who all except Sasha groaned internally.
“Okay, let’s move on to the next topic. Sammy, tell us more about Axel,” Sasha beamed.
“There is nothing to tell,” Samantha frowned. In fact, there was nothing to tell them. He messaged earlier that he landed in Spain and then called when she was asleep. To be honest, she didn’t remember what they talked in those ten seconds.
“You are a bad girlfriend, Sammy,” Ryan complained.
“You guys know more than me when it comes to Axel. So why do you ask me?” Samantha snorted and sighed in content as Ryan’s fingers worked their magic on her scalp.
“Hmm… don’t you want to know about your enemy?” Sasha quipped.
“Enemy?” Samantha gave her a puzzled look, not understanding whom she was referring to.
“Little sis is asking about Axel’s ex Alicia,” Ryan explained.
“What is there to know about her?”
“You remember dad saying that she is a boyfriend hopper?” Eric piped in.
Samantha nodded with a deep frown forming on her face, she literally didn’t understand the direction this conversation was going. Her family was good at everything, except their gossiping habits. Samantha didn’t like gossips.
“Well, she is now engaged to the Hollywood heart-throb Alexander McGregor,” Sasha said, pushing her tab towards Samantha.
The woman in the photo was strikingly beautiful, an epitome of beauty. Her golden blonde hair cascaded around her heart-shaped face, her big blue eyes highlighted with golden eyeshadow, giving her a glowing look. The Gucci golden gown she wore accentuated her perfect model figure. The photo was from one of the red carpet events, and Samantha frowned when she looked at the guy, he looked so familiar.
“They just started dating a few weeks back and the media is going crazy when this news leaked. Alexander hasn't said a word, but this morning they caught Alicia at a shopping mall, sporting a fat diamond ring on her finger,” Ryan added.
“I know this guy,” she mused, trying to remember from where.
“Everyone knows him. He is a famous actor, he got into the A-list just after his third movie,” Ryan supplied.
“No, I haven’t seen any of his movies.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet, Sammy,” Amelia winked.
“No, seriously. I have seen him elsewhere. I just can’t seem to remember where.” Samantha said again.
Her eyes went to the woman again. No wonder, Axel fell for her charms. The woman oozed with confidence and her eyes reminded her of a predator.
“Anyway, the boyfriend hopper here has finally settled down with her thirteenth boyfriend or looks like she is settling down. She got engaged twice before, only to break it off to go to someone else better,” Sasha stated.
“How do you know so much?” Samantha wondered loudly.
“Well, unlike you I like to read gossips and keep tabs on everyone,” Sasha gave her an offended look. “Also, Dad had our security agency to do some background check on her.”
“How is this news relevant to me?”
“It’s always better to know these things, Sammy. Alexander is now appointed as the honorary vice chairman of McKenna enterprises, who is our top twentieth competitor. You might meet them at parties or any gatherings,” Eric explained.
“Oh.”
Taking a closer look, Samantha felt like the woman was nothing like she looked on the inside. She left a man broken and never bothered to look behind. While he was recovering from the breakup, she was busy screwing her new boyfriend.
“Axel’s company is climbing the charts twice as faster than the last year,” Eric began, taking her attention from the photo. “Now, that you are a general manager it is only a matter of time before he earns his first billion and then enters into the top hundred.”
Perfect Revenge (Revenge Series Book 1) Page 10