"Baby, just tell me why
This bed feels cold without
You inside
Oh my and your emerald eyes"
~-~-~
"I should go to the bank?"
"Yes. Even though I doubt that it's going to help, you could try and find out more about why or how your account has been frozen," Jeffrey replied.
"Isn't there something more effective?" I sighed.
"I'm sorry, Mr.Xander... The only other way I see is to investigate Mr.Fischer but you're going to need an insider for that."
"You could help me Jeffrey, and once I get back Xander Corp, I'll pay you double."
"It's not about the money," he sighed, "I still don't trust you and I certainly don't trust Reed because he's very secretive about things. I don't know what he's planning and Mr.Choi seems helpless in this matter."
Right then, something clicked in me.
"Can I have anyone as an insider?"
"Um... Yes, just someone close enough to Reed and the company documents."
"Okay."
"Do you have someone in mind?" He stared at me wide-eyed.
"Yes, but I'll need to talk to him first."
"I'm surprised," he replied.
"Huh?"
"You used to treat everyone like your slaves and I'm pretty sure that all the employees despise you, Mr.Xander. It's funny to think that you have a spy."
"It was a nice chat," I muttered before getting up.
"I could say the same," he smiled and shook my hand. "For our future meetings, you can text me directly."
"I'm glad. I don't have to deal with your PA anymore."
"What's wrong with my PA?" He chuckled.
"She talks too much, and is very protective of someone talking to you and honestly, I don't think you haven't changed her in years. I think it's time to rethink that-"
"She's my wife," he laughed, "Of course, she has to be protective over someone as handsome as myself," Jeffrey smirked.
"Right..."
Jeffrey left a large sum of money at our table and walked over to the elevator with me. "I love it when she gets protective," he sighed deeply. That piece of information was totally unnecessary.
"So, how's Mrs.Xander?" Jeffrey asked.
"Fine... I guess."
"You don't know if she's fine or not?" He raised an eyebrow.
"She's fine, Mr.Campbell."
"Good to know," he smiled.
We walked out of the restaurant and it was raining by now, "Do you want a lift home or something?" Jeffrey asked as his valet opened an umbrella for him.
I missed these privileges too much.
"No, I have uh... Work."
"Work?"
"Yeah," I glanced at Jim who honked from the pickup truck. He beckoned me to hurry up.
"Is that your... friend?" Jeffrey glanced at the truck.
"I guess."
"What work do you do?"
Why did this asshole have to pry so much...?
"Packing and moving heavy things."
"Damn, that must have crushed your ego," he chuckled.
I walked over to the pickup truck when Jeffrey yelled behind me, "Don't hesitate to call, and take care of yourself, Mr.Xander!"
"Let's go, Jim," I sighed and got in next to him.
"Did that rich boy offend my ballerina?"
"Drive, Jim." I glared at him and he kept laughing as we went down the road.
***
I spent the week making inquiries at the bank and even took Lucy for her dose of vaccines at the hospital.
The bank manager said that he was helpless as their system always crashed when they tried to access my account. He had tried to get it fixed many times but nothing was working. Now, my money was the bank's property and I couldn't access it until the system was fixed.
Whoever was behind these acts was very clever and extremely good with computers. If I could access at least a part of my money, I'd be able to hire a hacker for myself and take down the criminal.
Meanwhile, the doctors and nurses at the hospital were obsessed with Lucy. They said that she was the prettiest baby they had ever seen and if I remembered correctly, she looked exactly like the younger version of Chelsea but with green eyes.
Dr.Carter was able to get us free vaccines with her privilege card but I didn't thank her, Chelsea did and that was her job. I would never thank that woman for anything.
"Would you like a ride home? I'm done with my night shift," the doc smiled at us.
"No thank you," I replied and was about to walk out the door when Chelsea stopped me, "My legs already hurt, Leo."
"Then you can go home in the car. Lucy is walking with me."
"Come on Mr.Xander, I won't bite," The doc smiled.
It was almost as if Lucy could read the situation. She immediately reached for her mother in my arms. "My little girl is so smart," Chelsea chuckled when I reluctantly agreed to go with them. "She's too smart," I muttered.
I sat at the back while the women were making small talk at the front. They already talked every single day and it made no sense why their conversations never ended. Soon, they were talking about Lucy and the doc told us about the remaining vaccines to be taken.
"Once she's able to lift her head, she'll begin crawling and sitting up. Before you know it, she'll walk and run!" The doc smiled.
But once she begins running around, would it be the same though?
Lucy was growing up and I wasn't against it, but what if she doesn't stay small anymore?
She'll grow up in the blink of an eye and we'll have to send her to school. She'll make friends, good and bad... By the time she's a teenager, she may even have a boyfriend.
I wouldn't let any idiotic men in the house. Never.
Neither would I let her go overboard and do idiotic things.
The boy had to be level-headed with a clear sense of priorities. He'd have to put her first before everything he does. He'd have to take care of her in the same way that I do.
If he doesn't, I'll break his bones.
But I would only be able to restrict Lucy till she turns 18. After that, she'd be a woman of her own. She'd go away for college and get married in a few years.
Lucy will get busy with her job, and her family. Her life wouldn't include me.
I wouldn't even be able to see her anymore...
"Leo?"
Chelsea's voice snapped me back to reality. I sighed in relief on seeing my three-month-old baby. Thinking about her future was a total nightmare.
"You're spacing out too much."
I ignored Chelsea and got out of the car. On entering my apartment, I searched for the card that Mathew had given me. For a long time, I debated whether or not to call him. Chelsea closed the front door behind her and I watched as she tried to nibble Lucy's cheeks. My little girl squirmed and giggled in her mother's arms.
"I'll eat you up, my dear rainbow cupcake!"
It was very weird how Chelsea assigned multiple food-related nicknames for Lucy, but rainbow cupcake was her best one yet.
"First, I'm going to give you a nice long massage though." She grabbed the baby oil and laid Lucy on the bed next to me. "Could you take off her clothes and diaper?" I nodded.
Lucy loved massages more than anything because she made a variety of sounds during the process. It was as though she was desperately trying to communicate with us.
"Daddy looks so jealous," Chelsea chuckled while glancing at me.
"Why would I be jealous?"
"You want me to work on you with my hands," she smirked at me.
"I'll work on your body with my hips."
"Daddy's being hormonal," she told Lucy. "But seriously though, do you want to try?" My wife smiled at me.
"Try what?"
"Try massaging her," she poked Lucy's chubby face.
"My hands are too rough."
"Come on, Leo." She grabbed my hands and squirted oil all over them.
"Spread it evenly," Chelsea rubbed our palms together and for some reason, her hands felt very warm. She gently smoothed out the oil in my palms and across Lucy's soft skin.
"She likes shoulder squishes!" My wife chuckled and this time, I watched her eyes. She showed me how to massage Lucy's tiny arms, legs, and finally her chest. Our rainbow cupcake grabbed our hands and tried to suck on our fingers. Lucy really was adorable and Chelsea giggled at every little thing she did.
These were the times when Chelsea Xander looked utterly beautiful.
I leaned in and kissed her, she closed her eyes feeling startled but kissed me back. My hand left Lucy and enveloped her mother's face. Even Chelsea did the same but we were forced to pull back for air.
"We have baby oil on our faces," She chuckled against my lips.
"Leave Lucy in the cradle, let's do a quick one," I held the side of her face and proceeded to kiss down her ear.
"I need to take a shower!" She broke free and grabbed Lucy.
"Chelsea-"
My wife dashed for the bathroom before I could grab her.
***
I still hadn't called Mathew and honestly, I didn't want to talk to him at all. But I was curious about what Mr.Choi had to say. Reed Fischer had appeared out of nowhere and the only person who knew something about him was his boss, Mr.Choi.
When I returned home that evening, contemplating whether or not to call Mathew, Lucy was crying at the top of her lungs.
"She threw her squeezing toy somewhere and I can't find it," Chelsea sighed. I lifted Lucy off the bed and walked over to the balcony while Chelsea kept searching for the toy.
"We'll find it," I whispered and kissed my baby's face but Lucy made no attempt to stop crying.
Right then, my phone rang and Jeffrey's name flashed on the screen.
"Yes, Mr.Campbell-" Lucy screamed in my ear and I flinched away from the loud noise.
"I'll call you later..." I told him.
"Wait. Why is she crying?"
"It's nothing, I have to hang up."
"Mr.Xander I won't help you if you don't tell me things"
He was insane.
"She lost her toy or something," I muttered.
"You tried the pacifier?"
"Er... Yes... She's too smart for it now."
Jeffrey chuckled, "What about milk?"
"She's not hungry," I sighed.
"And diapers?"
"We tried everything, Jeffrey. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll call you back in an hour."
"Have you tried the talk?"
"The what?"
"Talk to her."
"She's just three months old."
"That doesn't matter, she'll pay attention and go quiet."
"Mr.Campbell... What do I even talk about with a baby...?" I groaned in frustration.
"Anything, everything, whatever you like. About a soccer game, something funny or I don't know, just random sensible things."
I didn't reply.
"You'll call me back when it works." I knew he was smiling as he hung up.
Lucy kept tugging at my shirt buttons and had her fingers in her mouth. She scrunched up her nose, crying like she lost something extremely important.
"Look, Lucy, one day you'll be rich and famous. You'll own the whole of Xander Corp and you'll be able to buy as many squeezy duck toys as you like."
She still hadn't stopped crying.
"You can buy many other toys as well like uh... Dolls?" Lucy cried louder and I groaned. This wasn't working at all.
"If you don't like dolls, I'll get you bears." Somehow she wasn't too loud this time.
"Big fluffy teddy bears who look as cute as yourself," I smiled, "Or we could get many other animals like stuffed bunnies, cats, or even snakes."
I didn't know why but Lucy stopped crying as soon as I said snakes. She stared at me curiously with her moist green eyes. I pulled her fingers out of her mouth, "Stuffed snakes are going to be very long though. They will be mostly green like a python or dark like an anaconda. They are the biggest snakes in the world."
Lucy made sounds as though she understood what I was talking about.
"Snakes go hiss all the time." She smiled when I made the sound.
"Like hissssss..." Lucy gurgled and tapped her palms together.
"Pythons aren't green," I heard Chelsea chuckle behind me, "They are brown with markings all over them."
"I meant tree pythons."
"Admit it, I'm smarter than you," she smirked.
"You found the toy?"
"Yep, it was under the pillow. She might have dropped it," Chelsea took Lucy from my arms and handed her the toy.
When I was left alone on the balcony, I called back Jeffrey, "Why did you call me?"
"She stopped crying?"
"Yes, but wh-"
"See, I told you that it would work."
"Mr.Campbell, I prefer staying professional in this matter. You don't have to involve yourself with my family."
"Mr.Xander, nothing can be kept professional when it comes to family and kids," he chuckled, "And I'm only trying to help you as a friend and not as your lawyer. That's going to cost extra."
"Fine," I sighed, "Why did you call me?"
"I wanted to know if you made a move yet."
"I'm still thinking it over... But I went to the bank. Their system crashes every time they access my account. It makes no sense but now we know that the criminal is a skilled hacker."
"Hmm... And about your spy?"
"I haven't talked to him yet."
"But why not? We need to act fast and logically."
"I know but..." I squeezed the balcony railing.
"Could you tell me who he is?"
"He's my um... My ex-PA..."
"You mean that young blonde boy?" Jeffrey asked.
"Yes, his name is Mathew."
"The one you fired for no reason?"
"Yes..." I mumbled.
"Is it too much for your pride to call him now?"
I didn't reply, maybe because Jeffrey was right.
"Mr.Xander, if you continue being who you were in the past, you aren't going to win your company. There's something called karma and I think that your shitty attitude has led to this situation. If you start treating people like they matter, you'll get back everything you lost and even more."
I continued to stay silent and Jeffrey sighed, "Once you talk to him, call me back. Have a good evening, Mr.Xander."
Lyrics: Ready Yet by Mokita
Last Edited - 26/01/24