Without thinking I rushed to him and threw a punch at him.
" Markus!" I heard Jane shout but I was ready with my second punch to land on his stupid face but fortunately for him someone stopped me.
" Fucking bastard, you've refused to stay out of my business," I said with anger boiling inside of me. Jane rushed to him as she took her kerchief from her bag to clean the blood that was on the side of his lips. The sight didn't sit well with me.
" Markus, what is wrong with you? Why do you want to hurt me so much? First my child, now you're hurting my friends too, what did I ever do to you?" Jane asked with tears forming in her eyes.
" Jane it's okay, there's no need to cry I'm okay there's nothing to worry about," I watched in agony as the Hardin guy brought his hand to clean Jane's tears. I fisted my hands trying to control myself or else I was going to start punching him till his face was covered in blood.
I promised Jane that I would always wipe her tears, I didn't like her crying, and now I was the one causing her tears. I promised her a lot of things and I broke everything.
Suddenly I felt like there was no difference between me and Fiona. She hurt me, I hurt someone else.
The realization of what I've become hit me and for a moment the world became silent.
When I came back to my senses and the world appeared before me again, Jane wasn't in front of me anymore.
" Jane, Jane," I called as I turned left and right but she was nowhere to be found.
" Sir, we're ready to leave," Alexandra's nanny said as she looked at me with concern.
" I'll be with you shortly," I said to her as I scanned the place one more time for Jane before I turned away heading to my car.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even know when we had reached home, not until I heard my baby girl crying.
" Honey there's no need to cry, your dad's right here," The nanny said as she handed her to me. When I took Alexandra I couldn't help but let my mind wander to Jane. My reaction whenever I saw her with that man was confusing. But now I knew what was wrong, I had been in denial for too long.
My father warned me, and my heart warned me but I was stubborn. I was still confused, was this a moment of weakness?
There was a time I actually dreamt of this, a perfect life, a family, but my experience with Fiona changed my thoughts about everything. I let one person determine my life for me. Jane told me if I kept this up I was just giving her the upper hand that she won, but I didn't take it seriously.
Now I was paying the price and if I didn't make my decision quickly I would end up losing everything. What do I do now?
I handed Alexandra back to her nanny. I needed to think, and I couldn't do that with my baby girl in my arms.
" Take good care of her, I'll be in my office"
I walked to my office and shut the door needing some time to set my thoughts straight. I walked to my chair falling on it in exhaustion. I was emotionally and mentally drained.
I've told myself that Jane wasn't needed in my life but all this while I was just in denial about what was really happening. I was refusing to give my heart what it needed. It took seeing her with that bastard to open my eyes.
There was something I needed to set right.
*********
They can't be serious, did they just ask me to go to the courtroom to waste my time?
Now they just dismissed the case like we were all there to joke.
I just couldn't stop pacing my room, I felt stupid, like they just made a fool of me. I had a feeling Markus was involved. I don't know what he has done but I'm sure he's the only one who has the power to do something like this. I must have underestimated him.
We needed to speak. He has taken this too far.
I quickly booked an Uber, took my bag, and went out of the house.
The driver dropped me in front of the gate as I paid him and stepped out.
There was none of the staff in sight and I wondered where they all had gone. I tried calling Rena but she wasn't picking up.
Markus was either in his office or his room so I checked his room first but he wasn't there, so I decided to check his office. I didn't bother knocking, I just opened the door.
Like expected he was in his office. What I didn't expect was to see Markus like this. He looked like a man who had just been told he had lost everything, I shouldn't care, that wasn't why I was here. He didn't even notice I had opened the door, he had his head bent like he was crying.
" I'm sure you're very happy with me suffering right?" At my question, he quickly raised his head.
" Jane," He whispered like a man who was in a trance before he cleared his throat and sat up straight. What was he up to?
" Well I was expecting you, it's a good thing you came," He said as he beckoned me to take a seat but I just looked at him not moving from my spot.
" You might wanna sit down for what I have to say,"
" I don't care what you have to say, I didn't come here to listen to you, so you should hear me, I might have been quiet when you met me, but an angry mother isn't quiet, you have taken things too far…" I didn't get to complete my statement because Markus stopped me.
" I have taken things too far? Really? Who was the person who took the case to court?"
"I and I'll do it again, if it means I'll have my daughter, you don't seem to understand that I'll do anything as long as it results in me having back my child,"
" Then you might wanna sit for what I have to say," At his words, I carefully scanned his face, he looked like he had answers I might be interested in, but who was I fooling? At one time, I thought he was being genuine but look how things turned out.
" Be fast with whatever you have to say," I said as I grudgingly sat down."
" I have a deal for you,"
" Oh please, the deal we made I'm regretting it, you want me to make another one with you so you can call me names? No thanks,"
" You will be able to see Alexandra," That piqued my interest immediately, this guy was joking with me.
" What do you mean, mind you anything that involves a document, count me out,"
" There's no need for one," I looked at Markus trying to find anything to prove he was lying but I couldn't, he was so good at hiding his facial expression, I've been there before.
" So how is it gonna work?"
" Simple, you return to the mansion,"