After touching down at my family's private airstrip, Benji is waiting for me. He takes me from the airstrip to King's investments where the media is in full force. Blocking all the entrances in the hopes of catching a glimpse of me. And once they see me approaching, the camera flashes start. Followed by a barrage of questions I'm never going to answer, and them trying to follow me into my building.
Once inside, I turn to my head of security and tell him, "I want them removed from the premises at once."
"Yes, Mr. King." He nods.
I make my way to my office to handle a few things that won't wait, and then I try calling Evelyn for the millionth time, only to reach her voicemail.
Damn her.
Dialing Benji a second time, I ask him, "Is the tail we put on Evelyn still in place?"
"Yes, boss. She's currently at home with her son." He informs me.
And ignoring my phone calls.
"How is everything coming along with our home? Is it ready?"
"Yes sir. And I made sure everything was as you requested."
"Thank you, Benji." I exhale a relieved breath. "Send movers to her place to do as I asked, and that will be all."
Hanging up the phone, I sit back and sigh. I know she wants another baby, but I don't want to be a father.
Inheritance be damned.
It's not like I'm hurting for pounds. And now that my father has passed...
Bloody hell.
Grief threatens to unravel me, but I shove my emotions away. I'm not ready to face that reality yet. I just wish my mum and sister Ailene would get that memo.
The elevator to my floor dings and they both emerge from the elevator with a mission in their hearts and an intervention on their minds.
"Can we talk?" My mum asks. She and Ailene taking the seats across from me.
"I don't want to talk about it mum." I shake my head.
"He was in pain, Alexander."
Grief forms like a knot in my throat and I swallow it back down.
"I said I don't want to talk about it."
"But you must." Ailene's worried gaze pleads with mine.
She and I are close enough for her to know I would move heaven and hell to take away her pain and sadness. But to do that, I would have to confront the anger threatening to consume me daily. Anger that my dad... a man I loved more than life itself, chose to leave me rather than fight to stay here for me.
How do I reconcile that?
"We need to make arrangements to bury him. But we can't do it without you. He named you the executor of his will and gave you power of attorney over his medical decisions, Zandy." My mum sniffles. Tears falling from her eyes.
Fuck.
Just... fuck.
I can't do this.
The lump of grief in my throat returns with a vengeance, and tears force their way to my eyes. Unable to speak, I simply nod and allow my mum and sister to tell me what they need.
He knew I would react this way.
He knew I would distance myself to ward off the grief.
And that's exactly why he made burying him my bloody responsibility.
Damn him.
My mum and sister go over their plan for a viewing, funeral, burial, and plot.
And I agree to all of it.
We spare no expense where my father is concerned. Sending him off into the afterlife exactly like he lived.
Like a King.
When all the planning is done and I receive the tally of how many pounds this is going to cost me, I send the sum to my mum to handle. And now that I have them here, there's something else we need to discuss.
"Evelyn wants another baby." I tell them.
They smile like I knew they would, clearly on board with the idea. Which makes what I have to say next even harder to say.
"I don't want kids."
Ailene and my mum exchange shocked glances.
"What about your inheritance?" Ailene is the first to find her tongue. "Isn't that why you went through the trouble of marrying her?" With a pleading look, she adds, "Please tell me you're not considering walking away from seven billion dollars, Alex."
Of course not.
"Please... just... hear me out."
Ailene rises from her seat with a look of horror on her face. But my mother remains stoically in place.
"Do not do this." Ailene pleads. "I know you're angry with dad and mum, but this... you'd be a fool to walk away from the fortune grandmother left. Not to mention you'd be damning us all."
"He's not planning to walk away." My mum finally speaks. "He's looking for loopholes."
How the bloody hell does she know that?
"How did you-"
My mum holds up a hand to silence me and smiles proudly at me.
"It's what your dad would've done." She explains.
"What if you don't find a loophole in time?" Ailene sighs.
"Then we don't find a loophole in time," I shrug. "Besides, this new product King Technologies is working on will bring in trillions." I assure them both. "We don't need grandmother's money."
My mum chuckles softly, and says, "I'll be the first to admit your business savvy is rather impressive, but... son, you don't know that for sure."
And okay... she may have a point.
"Yeah... as inspiring as that sounds... you're not the only one who was counting on that money. Or some pretty little annoying shits that look like you running around. Please don't be selfish, Zandy." Ailene pleads.
"You need me to be on board with this funeral, and I need the two of you on board with my decision." I tell them. "Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."
My mum and Ailene exchange frustrated glances before they both finally nod. Lending me their support even though they don't agree with my decision. Which is great because my plan doesn't work without their support. And I'm hoping they'll back me up when it comes to Evelyn.
"Why is it that you don't want children?" My mother asks.
My answer is as selfish as they come and I'm a bit ashamed to share my reasons.
So I give them an answer that will appease them.
"I don't want to compete for her attention. It is already divided between Elijah, her business, and me. I do not want to add another body into the equation when I am already struggling with the current one."
"I'm just going to say this last bit and you can do with it what you will," Ailene grips my hands and looks me in the eyes. "A baby might be a good thing, Zandy. For your inheritance, definitely. But also for your marriage. Losing the baby has taken its toll on her and like most women, she might have a hard time coping until she gets pregnant again."
Fuck.
"Evelyn has got a great head on her shoulders, and it doesn't take a genius to see how much she loves you," my mother gives Evelyn her stamp of approval while backing Ailene up on this. "Give her a child, Zandy. And put the poor girl out of her misery before you lose her. To grief or otherwise."
They're not listening.
"Also, this Sunday after mass, I'd like the four of us to have brunch with Winnie Graham." My mother continues when I say nothing else.
"Very well." I nod. Though, I'm wondering why.
Nothing involving Winnie Graham is ever good.
My mum and Ailene leave my office, and I head home, but I can't sleep at all.
I need to see her.
So, I reach for my phone and dial her number.
It goes straight to voicemail.
To hell with formalities.
I dial Benji who informs me he is already waiting outside. And he's sporting a rare smile on his face as he opens the door for me to climb in. Then he drives me to Evelyn's.
It's a little after midnight and all the lights are off inside, but I refuse to be denied. Several times I ring the doorbell until the hall light flicks on and I hear her featherlight footsteps pad to the door. She looks out her peephole, sighs, waits another minute and then she finally opens the door.
"Do you know what time it is?" She asks. Annoyed. "It's after midnight, Alex. And I have work in the morning."
"I can't sleep." I tell her. "I need you."
Sighing heavily, she steps aside to let me in and closes the door behind me. Elijah is asleep on the sofa when I walk into the living room, and there's an empty carton of both cookies and cream ice cream, and extra-butter popcorn sitting on the coffee table alongside empty bottles of soda.
"Some soiree." I joke.
She doesn't so much as crack a smile.
"Please don't be cross with me. I've had my fill with emotions for tonight." I sigh.
"Fine." She disappears into her bedroom and reappears with a pillow and blanket that she tosses on the floor. "I'm not cross with you, but I'm not sleeping with you either."
Well, this isn't good.
Pointing to where she tossed the pillow and linens, she tells me, "Floor."
"You can't be serious." I scoff. "This is a five thousand dollar suit."
"If it gets wrinkled, send me the bill." She rolls her eyes and lies back down opposite her son on the sofa. Her back turned to me.
"You're serious."
"Take it or leave it, Zandy." She makes fun of my childhood name.
Resigned to my fate, I opt to take off my suit and drape it over the back of an armchair. Dressed in only my boxers and a t-shirt, I lie down on the hard wooden floor to try to find a comfortable position and close my eyes.
***
The next morning when I awaken, it's to Elijah and Alexander cooking in the kitchen. Flicking food at each other and conversating with one another as if they're father and son.
He's so good with children that it bothers me he doesn't want one. And it makes losing our son even more painful for me because... I want this. More than anything in the world I want to be able to give him a son and walk in to see them like this. To know a part of him and I created another human being together. To have him entrust me with his future and his legacy.
Swallowing the lump of sadness threatening to consume me, I push a smile to my face and step into the kitchen to join them.
"What's on the menu?" I startle them both.
"A heart attack, apparently." Alexander deadpans. A hand to his heart.
"We're making you breakfast." Elijah smiles proudly.
He and Alexander meeting each other's gaze, high-fiving, and then bringing their gazes back to me.
"Smells yummy." I wink at Elijah.
He and Alexander fall back into chatter, and I head to my room to shower, get dressed, then make it back to the kitchen table in time to sit and eat.
They've outdone themselves.
"It's delicious." I savor the first bite.
Alexander and Elijah scarf down their food in record time and disappear out back with Elijah's football. Once I'm done eating, I gather up all the plates and cart them over to the sink to wash. Watching from the window over the sink as Alexander teaches Elijah a few football moves. Then they toss the ball back and forth and Elijah's smile never leaves his face.
I silently curse Alexander for his manipulative tactics.
He knows my son is the way to my heart and his way back into my good graces. And he's not above fully exploiting this weakness for his benefit.
After washing the dishes and cleaning up the mess they made, I reach out to Professor Rollins, Karen, and David to let them know I'm back. Karen and David fill me in on what's happened with my companies. Giving me a rundown of all our profits, losses, and any significant changes I should be made aware of. One of which is Bishop Riggs hinting at backing out of our deal. Furious, I tell David to get him back on the phone and setup a meeting with him at my office. Adding he needs to go over our contract with Bishop to see what if anything within the contract we can use against him.
My last call goes to Professor Rollins who informs me of new developments with our research and any significant changes with our hospitals. Just as I'm about to hang up the phone, he asks, "How are things between you and Alexander?"
"We're good." I reply.
"You don't sound very convincing." He chuckles.
And as much as I hate dragging him into all of this, I really need his advice.
"He doesn't want kids." I admit out loud for the first time. "But I do."
"Have you told him?"
"Of course. But he doesn't care."
"He loves you, Evelyn. I have seen it with my own eyes. I just think that perhaps he's not ready. The two of you haven't even been married a year, my dear. Give it some time."
I inhale a deep breath. Forcing my emotions into a cage to think objectively about this. Elijah and Alexander come into the house out of breath and high fiving each other, so I quickly rush the professor off the phone.
"Have you seen him throw?" Alexander asks me.
"Not yet."
"He's got an arm on him. I have a few contacts I'm going to reach out to and see if I can get him some one-on-one lessons. He'll be ready for the pros in no time."
"If that's what he wants." I interject.
"It is!" Elijah exclaims. Beaming from ear to ear. "I'm gonna be just like Russell Wilson!"
"Okay Russell." I teasingly nudge him with my elbow. "Go wash up, you smell like outside."
"Where I'm from, we call it a man's smell." Alexander defends him.
BFF's already?
"Well, where I'm from, we call it needing a shower." I shoo Elijah toward the bedrooms. Turning toward Alexander, I tell him, "You too."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think your mum wants to see me naked."
My eyes widen and my mouth drops open. Disgusted, Elijah covers his ears and bolts for his room. Meanwhile, satisfied, Alexander just laughs.
Shoving him into the bathroom, I head into the kitchen to pull something out for dinner. It will need time to dethaw, and six hours should be plenty of time for that to happen.