The Con Man

Chapter Twenty-Four.

"So where are we going?" Alex asked as he walked to his car accompanied by his business associate and friend Aaron.

"I have met a potential investor who is willing to invest in our next project. We need good investors because this project is huge and we cannot let this one go."

"Okay but where are we going?"

"San Jose"

"Okay great" Alex muttered as he got into the car. He hated long drives not that it was that long but still one hour was enough to test his patience.

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"Ethan, what the hell is going on? George asked as he walked into the office.

Ethan was sitting there with his hair all over the place and day old stubble. His tie was let loose and his shirt was wrinkled. The past one week has been a disaster. They had lost all major business deals and their shares in the stock market were dipping. This was not a good sign.

"I think someone is trying to overthrow us" Ethan muttered as he looked into the documents.

Ethan had shifted to the states for the periods of five year under which the company's major decisions were still under George. Only a year was left and finally Ethan could go back to London. George was not an easy person to work with. He was ruthless and a calculating bastard. Then there was Belle, there was no sign of her from the past four years. George had told him that she had gone to Italy and that was the end of it. Ethan didn't get any other information on her.

"Damn it, what you mean someone is trying to overthrow us? That is next to impossible!" George shouted.

"Nothing is impossible George" Ethan muttered as he got up and left the office to get coffee.

"Don't you dare walk out on me boy!"

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It was almost evening and Alex was dead tired and hungry. Most of the day had been spent in the meeting and he now had full support of the investors.

Alex smirked as he thought over this deal. He had a "friend" at Hawking and Sons which informed him of all the major deals. This was a big deal and Alex had snatched it from right under their noses. They had lost the deal of the year and he had pocketed it. He had also manipulated majority of their investors onto his side. He had bought out some shares from the company and had sold it for way cheaper price under a different name and hence disrupted their stock market value. It was not too late before Hawking and Sons came crumbling down to the ground.

"Hey Alex, man there is this really nice place where we can grab dinner, it's a diner, I think probably a block away from here."

"Diner?"

"The food is awesome plus their waitresses are even more awesome" Aaron winked and instructed the driver to take them to that place. Alex was too hungry to argue.

They reached the diner and found themselves an empty table. Soon a waitress came to take their order and Aaron nudged Alex's leg from the under the table but Alex didn't look up as he was busy with his phone.

"May I take your order gentlemen?" the waitress said and Alex's head shot up at that voice. He could have recognized that voice anywhere.

Belle paled as she saw him. Her hands shook and sweat broke out across her forehead. This couldn't be happening. Their eyes made contact and Belle took deep breaths to steady her.

"He cannot recognize you. He cannot recognize you" Belle mentally chanted to herself.

Alex took in her appearance. This woman had uncanny resemblance to Isabelle but this woman had short black hair and dull brown eyes, nothing compared to sparkling blue ones of Isabelle but that voice. It was exactly same as hers.

"You guys know each other?" Aaron asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Nah, I mistook her for someone I used to know" Alex shrugged his shoulder and why would she be here waitressing when she has a multi billionaire company to herself.

"How absurd of me" Alex muttered.

They gave their orders and started a casual talk. Then Aaron as he tried to pour water, tipped over the glass and it all spilled into Alex's lap.

"Really Aaron?" Alex said as he tried to wipe off the water from his pants. 

"I will be back" Alex said as he made his way towards the rest room. Just as he was about to turn towards the restroom at the end of the corridor, someone came and crashed into his legs.

Alex looked down and saw a little girl picking up her scattered colors.

"Hey there" Alex said quietly, trying not to scare her.

"My color bwokee..." The girl whimpered and then she looked up.

Alex gasped as he looked at his eyes staring back at him. The girl was the cutest toddler Alex had ever seen. She was wearing a yellow dress and her hair was tied into a ponytail with a yellow ribbon. However her chubby cheeks were flushed red and she was on the verge of crying.

"Don't cry baby girl. I am sorry. I will get you new colors okay?"

"Promise?"

Alex nodded still taken aback by how similar her eyes were to his own and she also resembled him from her facial features. Alex tried to remember if he had ever been careless in the past but then again if this was his child the mother would have come running to him and would have asked for money and marriage.

"I want my mama"

"Okay we will go to your mama. Can you tell me your name?

"Mama said no talking strangers. They bad"

"Yes your mother is right but I will help you. I won't hurt you."

Hazel looked at him and her gaze was too observant for a toddler. Alex felt himself getting uncomfortable under her gaze.

"I am Hazel"

"Can you tell me your full name so I can look for your mama?" Alex's heartbeat was rocketing off.

"Hazel Alexis Knight" Though she pronounced it in her child like tone, Alex understood it very clearly.

"I will take you out and you point me to your mother okay?" Alex was dazed, either this was his daughter or this all was just a coincidence. He prayed this was coincidence.

"I could not have been this careless" Alex muttered and he again looked at the girl. She seemed around three to four year old. Alex couldn't will himself to think four years back.

"No it this can't be" Ale thought to himself.

Alex carried her towards the seating area and asked her to point to her mother.

"Mama!" Hazel exclaimed and started jumping in his arms.

Alex looked and saw that Hazel was pointing to the same waitress who had taken his order. She was a few a steps away from them and was heading in the opposite direction and before Alex could think he called out to her.

"Isabelle Hawking"

She turned around to face them as she heard her name and then Belle fainted.