The kids were now enjoying ice cream and were also making a mess, as babies usually do. However, Jonah wouldn’t stop whining about it to Nella’s disgust.

“Can’t you keep those kids clean while they eat? They’ll be messing up my car’s upholstery with their sticky clothes and fingers.”

“If you were going to be such a sniveling retard then we shouldn’t have taken your offer,” replied the babysitter angrily.

“How can you demand that your babies eat like adults?”

“If you don’t train them now, then they’ll probably not learn at all!”

“They are KIDS! Oh God, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Shut up, Nella, don’t give me this kind of shit in public!”

“Well, you started it!”

“Ok, that’s it. You stay with the twins. I need to make a call!”

“What?! You’re leaving us here?!”

“I’ll come back, ok!” half-yelled Jonah, causing a few of the ice cream parlor’s customers to look at him suspiciously. “Just wait for me. I’m gonna have a meeting at the Peacock. If I take too long, just ask Siel where it is.”

“What the… you’re gonna have me bring Rose and James to a place I’m not even familiar with? Damn it, Jonah!”

“Just wait for me here then! I’m sure I’ll be finished before this place closes.”

“They still need to nap and have dinner! Wait! Don’t go…”

The babies then started to wail and Nella was forced to focus on them instead of continuing her argument with the stubborn and selfish spoiled brat of a dad… or rather, sperm donor. Helplessly, she watched as Jonah walked out the door while taking out his mobile to make a call.

GODDAMNIT! I can’t trust this asshole with anything. Siel needs to know what’s happening…

* * *

“Alpha, there’s a problem at your mate’s house.”

Vincent was still busy overseeing the repairs being done to his office but he had no choice but to take the call since it was Antoine making it. According to Myron, he was the chauffeur assigned to bring their mall purchases to Siel’s home that day, and the driver mentioned that this was an emergency.

Good thing the first task that Myron completed upon entering his office suite was to set up his new mobile to replace the now cracked and broken one. Otherwise, he could never have received that call.

   And yes, it was an urgent one…

   “What is it, Antoine?”

“I’m supposed to be the one to deliver your shopped items to your mate, Sir. However, I’m currently parked a few houses away because a large van is there in front of her place, with its motor running. Also, two men are bringing out the Christmas tree you bought and are now loading it into the van along with the boxes of gifts.”

WHAT THE F**KING HELL?!

Roth spoke as well: No… V, those are for our mate’s kids! Who the f**k could be doing that?

I have a hunch, but Goddess help him if I’m right!

“Antoine, is there anything you can do to record these men’s faces?”

“Already ahead of you, Alpha. I’ve been filming them with the limo’s video cam. It has magnification capabilities, and I’m taking a high-res video of the scene right now.”

The enraged CEO allowed himself a few seconds of respite as he remembered how he approved the installation of those hi-end cameras a year ago. All the company cars have these to document their drivers’ performance on the road and to make sure they avoid any kind of case filed against them by victims faking an accident.

He sighed deeply to release the emotions that were piling up inside of him before he returned to his caller, “Antoine, stay there and record everything. And I mean, everything! Report every single detail you see to me once we meet. Possibly later tonight or early tomorrow. And don’t push through with your delivery.”

 “As you wish, Alpha.”

As soon as the call ended, another one came through. Vince had no idea who’s number it was but still decided to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hello, ‘decent man’, we need to talk. Care to meet up with me in an hour?”

Roth’s growl echoed in his head along with his own…

 “Tell me where, Jonah. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

* * *

Siel’s phone was on silent when Nell was messaging her almost non-stop. As a matter of fact, the very worried nanny even tried calling her, but there was no answer.

And the single mother couldn’t be blamed for it since she’s never really been with a therapist or counselor at all, even when she had already divorced Jonah. She didn’t have the budget for it, and she actually maximized the time that was allotted to her since it’s practically free for every Silvercrest employee.

It was only later that she would find out that there really was no time limit for her appointment…

“Thank you, you’ve helped me out so much, Dr. Denar,” gushed Siel, as she slightly stretched her legs. She had been lying down on the clinic’s very cushiony and comfortable velvet divan for quite some time now and was enjoying the session.

“Alexia, please. Much as I love my husband’s surname. I still prefer being called by my first name.”

 “Even with those who have consultations with you?”

“Especially those who have consultations with me. I would rather see myself as their friend and not their doctor. It makes my life easier, while they find it easier to deal with me.”

“That is… quite noble of you… Alexia.”

The busty, tanned psychiatrist chuckled in a low, almost seductive voice as she tossed her unruly midnight black waves out of her blue-violet eyes. “I wouldn’t go that far, really.”

“I mean it, though. You can’t imagine how much better I feel right now because of our talk. I couldn’t even tell V… my boss… about everything that happened after he left. I mean, I should have told him at least that Jonah demanded his mobile number or else he was going to continually hit me until I tell him.”

Alexia secretly bit her lip to hide her anger once again. She truly hated bully men who abuse women, especially if it was their wives…

“I’m sure Mr. Riegel can take care of himself, Siel. You shouldn’t worry. By the way, I still need to bring you to a

medical doctor to fix your black eye and bruises.”

“Alright, but can I just take a look at my phone before that? I need to check up on my kids.”

 “Go ahead. I’ll wait.”

* * *

The venue Jonah mentioned was just a few minutes away from the office, simply because V drove as fast as he was legally allowed to get there as fast as he can. Surprisingly, it was in the same commercial complex where the ‘special’ mall was located.

He can hardly believe that it was just yesterday that he and his Elena were happily shopping there.

V walked briskly to the meeting place Jonah mentioned and braced himself. Even from afar, with his heightened senses, he realized it’s one of those drinking pubs that served alcohol as soon as they opened before lunch. And even now, he hated the idea that this lousy excuse of a father frequented such a place.

As he opened the door, he felt blinded by the darkness in the dimly lit pub. He searched among the scantily clad waitresses, with their half-exposed bras under tight blouses and their bottoms peeking out from their micro-shorts, trying to find a familiar face. Finally, he spotted him drinking at the bar, talking to the bartender.

 “Well, there he is, the man of the hour. My new best friend!”

Vince felt instant and intense revulsion upon hearing the wife-beater’s words. Again, it took all his self-control not to punch him and keep his wolf from doing worse.

I’m close to killing him, V…

He took his seat beside Jonah silently and gave him a cold smile. Meanwhile, the man who invited him was drinking a double shot of whiskey on the rocks while chuckling to his face. V knew that Jonah was playing on his emotions and he absolutely will not let him have the satisfaction of winning this way.

Or at all…

We kill him now, we lose. Let’s hear what he has to say.

“Hey, give us a bottle of your most expensive drink here. My friend’s buying.”

The bartender gave V a meaningful stare, waiting for confirmation. V nodded, and soon a bottle of Scotch, the local-average brand, is placed in front of a jubilant Jonah. The CEO casually tossed a paper bill at the barkeep and motioned for him to keep the change….

It was an action that was not lost to the greedy man beside him.

“Yes! So, let’s talk business. I’m sure you have a lot of questions as to why I asked you to meet me,” he laughed as he poured himself a triple shot.

“I do, and I hope you can be honest with me, even if you haven’t been that truthful with your ex-wife.”

Jonah guffawed, “She’ll believe anything I say, so why should I even? But you, you’re different. I can talk to you, man to man.”

Man? Excuse me? Roth snapped. Hitting your wife, and yet you can call yourself a man?

V’s lips twisted as he stopped himself from saying the words his wolf had just spoken, “Why don’t you just leave your ex-wife alone? Is it because of your kids?”

Again, more rude laughter. “I don’t really give a damn about the kids either. They’ll just get in the way of me sleeping around. I won’t be able to bring my women to my apartment if I have my twins there, right?”

Vince felt his jaw tightening again, along with his fist. “So why are you doing this to her if you already have other women to make out with?”

“Simple, I used to own her, and I don’t want anyone touching my things even if they don’t matter that much to me anymore.”

Things! THINGS?! He is talking about a wonderful and amazing woman V?! OUR MATE! AND HER CHILDREN!

ROTH SHUT UP!

Roth recoiled from V’s fury and finally backed off. Meanwhile, Vince’s focus was now fully on Jonah just so he didn’t lose it. He was no longer aware of anything else, so he didn’t even notice the familiar tempting scent that was now coming from the pub’s open door.

“Alright, so what if I buy your THINGS from you? Are you willing to let them go, then?”

“What? What do you mean by that? You’re going to buy her from me? And my kids, too?”

With slightly trembling hands, V took out his checkbook and

Visconti fountain pen from his formal coat pocket. He wrote out a check ten times bigger than the one Siel received from him, then waved the piece of stiff paper in front of the hateful male’s face.

Truth is, he intensely desired to slap Jonah with it, but he still found a bit of self-control and common sense left to keep himself and Roth at bay. Besides, he wanted to make sure that the bastard can see the amount clearly.

Jonah grabbed the check, took a quick glance, and started laughing again. He finished off what’s left in his glass before shoving the check back into Vincent’s hands, “Nah, dude. That’s too small an amount for treasures like them.”

Treasures? Just a while ago, you were saying they didn’t mean anything to you. What the hell just happened?

“V, what is the meaning of this?” asked a soft but still audible female voice from behind Jonah.

Vincent heard his wolf yelp inside his head as a cold chill passed through him. He looked beyond Jonah’s sadistic smirk and saw the last person he hoped to ever see in this very place and time. His blood curdled in horror as he realized, while looking into her hurting gaze, that she had heard everything.

And she got it all wrong…

“Oh hi, Siel, perfect timing. I just turned down your boss’s offer to buy you and the kids from me. You know that I can’t do that to you, right? After all, no one else can love you like I do.”