Chapter 48

**LUKE**

I remained seated on the couch and watched them come out of the door until Stacy came into my office in a wheelchair.
“Your assistant isn’t very polite in treating a guest.” A smirk played on her lip. “She didn’t ask me if I wanted coffee. You know how I love coffee.”
She was still the same woman I saw a few weeks ago. Despite her situation, she always seemed arrogant. “It’s because I told her you are not a guest, Stacy. What do you want?”
“You don’t want to see me, so I came all the way here despite my situation just to see you.”
“Don’t be so proud. I didn’t want to see you.”
She chuckled. “You wouldn’t be able to resist after I say this to you. Whether you like it or not.”
“Just tell me what you want, and don’t come here again. I don’t want the people to see you in this building.”
“Then, do you prefer your daughter?”
“Stop fucking with me, Stacy. You know you can’t bring her here.”
“I know, but I brought Bella with me. She’s waiting for you in the car with her nanny.” She did sound sincere this time. “I’m sorry, okay? She won’t stop crying until she sees you.”
I shut my eyes at the thought that I did miss her. “You brought her here?”
“I may not be a good person in your eyes, but my daughter comes first. I told you that she misses you. Just go see her, Luke.”
“We will use the other exit.”
“No problem with me.”
And I wasn’t entirely a terrible person. Bella might not be my own blood, but I loved her. But that ends it. My only connection with her mother was her. Stacy might have gained and broken my trust over and over and had lied to me countless times, but she was my daughter’s mother. We wanted to make a good appearance in front of her.
“Miss Stacy.” Lyn, my daughter’s nanny, prompted as soon as I opened the SUV’s door. She looked up at me. “Mr. Alejandro.”
“How’s Bella?”
“She’s asleep, sir.”
“Oh, could you wake her up?” Stacy told her.
“No. It’s alright,” I stopped Stacy. “I’ll drive you home and wait until she wakes up.”
“Would that be fine with you?” she asked.
“It’s fine. I’ll have my driver fetch me at your place later.”
She smiled. “Thank you, Luke. I knew you wouldn’t refuse.”
“I’m not doing this for you.”
“All right.” She sighed. “But can you help me get up?”
I nodded. I wrapped an arm supporting her back and my other arm under her legs. She clasped her arms around my neck then I slid her into the seat. I stepped into the passenger seat after. Then I found Bella lying in the back seat with her thumb in her mouth.
I smiled at the sight of her. She was just a little angel. Stacy gently placed her head on her lap.
On the road a few minutes later, my phone rang.
“Gene.”
“Oh! Hi, darling. Are you on your way home?” she asked with her usual high-pitched tone.
“I’m going to be late. Why?”
“Really? I cooked a good dinner. When are you and Scarlet coming?”
“What? I’m not with her.”
“Really? But she said her classes finished early today. She called me this afternoon and told me she’s going to see you in your office.”
I frown. “I didn’t see her today.”
“Really? I’m certain that she went to see you. Where did that child go? Her phone is out of reach. Anyway, come home early.”
“Yes. I’ll see you later, then”
“Call me if you reach her. Bye!” And then she hung up.
Scarlet certainly didn’t call or tell me that she was coming. It’s not like her to leave without telling anyone. Did she go to her friend?
No, no. Gene and Dad are leaving tomorrow. I asked her to stay.
I tried calling her number, but it went straight to voicemail. Damn it, where was she?

SCARLET
Katherine invited me to Subway for an afternoon snack.
“Mom and Thomas are going back to New York tomorrow.” I took a big bite of my sandwich. “I called Mom this morning. She wanted me to come home tonight.”
“Aw, are you okay?” She touched my hand. “Of course, you can go.”
“I’m getting used to it, but I still miss her.”
“Then, you will come back to our apartment when they leave?”
I smiled. “Yes. I don’t want to stay with Luke during the weekdays. It’s too far from the school.”
“Great! Because we already missed some episodes of The Wobble. But hey, I want to tell you something. Mom asked me to work in Scotland for a year,” she said. “My uncle’s going to give me a position in his company.”
“Oh.” I guess we were going to part ways anyway. It’s not that I didn’t expect it.
She smiled. “Where do you plan to work then? Is it AT or Hotel B?” She smiled meaningfully.
“I’m going to take an internship at A.T. I don’t think Thomas would let me go to another firm, but I don’t plan on working there permanently.” I sipped on my juice.
“At least you have your stepbrother,” she added enthusiastically. “Either way, you will live with him unless he marries.”
Was Luke marrying someone else? I didn’t think I could stomach that. Even if I knew that it wasn’t his thing, the thought of it was still frightening. It was going to be the death of me. I couldn’t imagine holding the bride’s veil as one of the bridesmaids.
“Then, I’ll grow old alone and live in a retirement home.”
“Are you serious?” She choked and then drank the glass of her orange juice straight. “You’re really not going to marry? I thought you weren’t serious. Is this because of the sleazeball Raoul?”
“I don’t want to hear his name right now.”
“Sorry.”
I sighed. “Anyway, I’m going to see Luke tonight, so I must go now. Is it okay?”
My best friend nodded. “Oh, sure. Totally okay. I have an essay to finish anyway.”
Katherine and I parted when I booked an Uber to Hotel B. I wanted to see Luke, and it wouldn’t be wrong to go there, right? He hadn’t called me the entire day when he had just told me he would call.
It was already evening when I arrived at Luke’s office building. I went straight to the elevator. The door was about to close when a woman’s voice echoed over the floor.
“Hold the elevator! Wait! Wait up!”
I cocked my head to the side and held the door open.
A gorgeous blonde in a wheelchair appeared at the door.
“Oh, God! Thank you very much.” I watched her struggle with pushing her wheelchair inside the elevator with her bare hands.
Was she okay? Why was she alone? She should have company.
“You’re welcome,” I murmured.
She looked at me with her ocean-blue eyes and smiled.
I pressed the button for my destined floor. The elevator started to go up. She still didn’t push a number.
“Hi! Um… excuse me?” I prompted.
“Yes?” She looked up at me.
“Can I help you? Which floor are you going to?”
“Oh.” She glanced at the buttons. “We’re on the same floor. Thank you.”
I frowned. It was the executive floor. Luke’s floor. She must be mistaken, or was she visiting Luke?
“Are you an employee?” she suddenly asked.
“Oh, no. I’m here to visit.”
Her eyelashes flicked. “You’re visiting the CEO?”
“Yes.”
“Luke?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes scanned me from head to toe. She looked up at me again and smiled. Who was this woman? The elevator tinged when we reached the floor.
“Um, can you help me up?” she requested.
“W-what?”
“You’re going to the CEO’s office. Can you help me get there? I’m having a hard time in this wheelchair.”
“Oh. Of course.”
I walked behind her and pushed the wheelchair forward; we stopped in the lobby. A smartly dressed female receptionist greeted us.
“Good evening, miss. Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m visiting Luke. Can you call him?” the woman answered for me. “Tell him it’s Stacy.”