Dealing With Solevan

CHAPTER NINE

DEALING WITH SOLEVAN

COPYRIGHT 2018 © JOESLINE

CHAPTER NINE

Walking down the streets, as I strolled admiring the passers-by while my eyes fixated on the cafeteria that was around the corner. It was noon time. People in formal outfits were seen walking along the streets in groups. Chattering and laughter could be heard swimming in the atmosphere, creating a light-hearted environment. My lips rose on both ends, infatuated by the positivity, although at the same time overwhelmed with envies. I wished I could be like them – having a simple lunch-out with colleagues.

As I entered the cafeteria, instantly I caught Melissa waving at me. The next reaction from her startled as her eyes paused at my outfit – tee-shirt and jeans, "You..."

I acknowledged that underlying sentence, "Yes I am no longer employed" as I waved for a waitress for my order. I would have frequented this place too often to know what I would like to have without browsing the menu. The cafeteria was just few miles across the street of my previous workplace. Jane and I always had our lunch at this place, they served quite affordable decent food that was prepared in a short amount of time.

Melissa smiled, nodding away as she wrongly deciphered my meaning.

I coughed, "I mean..." and emphasized, "I got fired"

She hurriedly withdraw her smile as she embarrassed apologized, "I am sorry Annie... I thought you..." Yeah, thought that I left my job to enjoy being the wealthy man's wife. 

Stereotypical judgement that I should have believe even Melissa would hold against me. But how can I blame her? After all, the first marriage was signed over a deal – paid in cold hard cash.

The waitress came and took my usual order before I resumed my conversation with Melissa. "Well, that's why I wanted to talk to you about."

"I wish if I could help you" Melissa directed her glance at the cup of hot chocolate placed in front of her, "You should know I am only eligible to inherit asset, but not contributing to anything significantly important"

"No?" I frowned, "You seemed busy lately"

Her eyes turned sour, "Yeah, I'm busy... visiting Mom. She was hospitalized. Doctor said it was the final stage of cancer."

I widened my eyes, unable to react, "Jayden didn't tell me about it"

"He doesn't know." Droplet of tears swelled in the edge of her eyes as she sniffed, trying to hold back those tears, "Mom said he doesn't need to know... and I don't think he wants to know."

I stretched out my hand, touched hers. "I am sorry."

She shook her head, forcing a smile. "It's okay. I am going back to the hospital later after lunch. You want to join me?"

"Of course"

"So... " She inhaled deeply, as she coughed. "did he interrogate you about your meet-up with me? I remembered he always does that in the past whenever we planned to meet."

"He was... distracted" I chuckled, unable to suppress that butterflies in my stomach. I can't bring myself to stray in the thoughts of last night that was lingering in my memory, fresh and vivid clear. It's as if I could still feel his gentle touch caressing every inch of my skin. I gulped, turning away, feeling embarrassed in front of Melissa. My hand held the cheek that were blushing. I startled as I tried to gather myself.

Melissa smiled, "I am glad he finally knows how to love someone well"

"I believe he does that for Anna in the past too" Anna's indiscreet description about how intimate they were still run deep underneath my skin like an itch that never goes away.

She smirked, "How does keeping someone in the dark for ten over years, not willing to let anyone know about her existence and controlled the amount of exposure she had with anyone is considered love?"

"Well, you do know about her."

"I wouldn't have known if not for the paparazzi who dig deep into his personal life. And even so, it was still kept sealed tight." She narrowed her eyes, reminding me. "If he had loved her, he wouldn't marry you. He should know that it will hurt her badly."

I let out a sigh, "Maybe that's why she came back seeking vengeance..."

Melissa widened her eyes, "She did?"

I gave a slight nod.

"So that's why the wedding was cancelled?"

I let out another sigh and nodded again. "But Jayden still want to have the wedding. And what makes it complicated is Anna requesting to be the wedding planner."

Melissa smirked, "He hurt her so bad that she is grabbing onto him like a pathetic leech"

I stared into spaces, feeling numb already with the crazy thing that this woman requested, "I don't know how bad he had hurt her but this is insane."

"And he agreed?"

"If not, would I be bothered about it?"

She raised her eyebrow, as she froze for a moment. Her voice then exclaimed in disbelief, "This is ridiculous! Allowing your ex-girlfriend to plan your wedding?!" At least, someone agrees with me. At least I am not the one that is insane.

"Isn't it? And Fall said that's so Anna." I shrugged, "I just can't imagine what kind of crazy woman would do such a thing and I can't imagine how toxic their relationship had been."

She asked, "You knew nothing about their past?"

"I was actually asking Fall the other day but then I got interrupted"

She continued, "What... exactly did she do to make the wedding cancelled in the first place?"

"It doesn't matter anymore" I returned my glance at those eyes that had so much of questions. My thoughts sped up, carefully explained my worries without giving much away. "She had just up her game by being the wedding planner and now I had no idea what she is going to do next."

Right now, I had no idea who I should tell or how much I can say without understanding how it can implicate an already worse matter even worst.

"So, you believe she is going to threaten you or Jayden in some way by being your wedding planner?"

Yeah, I believe so.

"This doesn't look good." Melissa reached for her tote bag as she took her phone out, scrolling through I supposed were her phone contact list, "I can hire some private investigators to check up on that."

"Fall had done that, but nothing came out of it"

Melissa uttered, "Well, you do know that... Fall... works for Jayden"

"And?"

She paused as she let out a sigh, "She probably doesn't want to look into stuff that can threaten Jayden. I mean I am not trying to say that Fall is sabotaging your wedding but..."

"You do know that Fall was the person who had assisted... Jayden to approach you to marry him" Melissa emphasized a memory that I have seemed to lock it away, "-to resolve the negative news which was threatening Jayden's empire because of his relationship with Anna so..."

I finished her sentence, "she could do the same now." protecting Jayden's empire from anything that was coming in the way.

Melissa was right. Even I had trusted Fall not to do any harm to Jayden's business, I couldn't trust her to investigate thoroughly what Anna was doing. She might have found something or not. But her priority would always be managing the reputation of Jayden's empire and not his personal relationships.

"Give me those contacts, I will visit them myself"