CHAPTER 5: SURPRISE

I shook my head at the thought. He can't be here!!! It's impossible. I...I...must be overthinking it. He is in New York, and I'm in Los Vegas; there is no way he could magically be here and even if he was, it must be for a business meeting or...

"Mummy!!!" I whiffed out my thoughts and bore my gaze to the innocent pair of eyes that gawked at me.

"Are we waiting for someone?" Josh asked.

"Huh? No, Joshy. We aren't," I stated. I must have smelled wrong. Heck!!! I'm not a dog who sniffs people's scents.

"Mummy, aren't we going home?" Jarvis asked.

"We will, but you two must be hungry." A 7-hour flight was stress-draining, though all they did was sit, watch, and probably sleep. My babies needed food.

"No!!! We're not hungry. We...we're fine!!!" Jarvis giggled more than usual.

Okay, what's going on?

"Jar, love, are you hiding something from Mummy?" I asked.

"Yes!!!" She squealed.

"Mommy, we met a man."

It was Josh's turn to act excited.

Josh excited? Did the sun rise at night? Josh rarely laughs or shows any emotion; he was just like his father, which I admit was saddening. He was too young to display a stoned expression all the time. But here he was, green eyes glittering with excitement, lips spread into a smile.

What the hell did I miss? One week in Hawaii has changed my little prince.

Wait... A man? Gone was shock; all that was left was a thread of uneasiness and worry, which I knew were visible on my face.

"A man?" I repeated.

"Yes, Mummy!!! Tall and handsome and kind and...and...kind."

I waited till she concluded her words. "Really? Josh, who is he?"

"Some nice uncle who helped us," Josh replied.

"Nice?" It's confirmed; these aren't my children.

Josh once called his teacher Cinderella's fairy godmother, not because she was nice and helpful, which she was, but because she didn't know how not to stick her nose into other people's business. He once said he would prefer being trapped in a bottle than speaking to people which I crossed out as normal. People are better stared at from afar; once they open their mouth, you will wish the same.

"What's his name?" I asked.

Please don't be him!

"Uhm, we don't know. But he did say he was popular."

I breathed out in relief. It wasn't him. What was I even thinking?

"Well, that's a mystery we will never solve. For now, let's go home. I'm sure my little babies are tired from the long trip."

They didn't urge, which showed they were. I nudged them into the taxi, sat beside them, and slid their little backpack off. It was the only luggage they had.

"Where to, ma'am?" the driver asked.

"65 Mayor Street," I replied and took a glance at the airport. Could I be wrong? Was he here? I thought as the car sped out, and the airport faded from my sight.

~~~~

FRANKLIN's POV

Subconsciously, I drummed my fingers on the black armrest of a Ferrari. It was the least I could arrange in a short space of time, by short, I meant five minutes. There was no way in hell I was going to spare a second after receiving such news.

Fuck!!!! Five years!!! Five fucking years!!! I found her. Enough of this cat-and-mouse game, sweetheart. You're mine.

I tossed my head back and rested, impatiently awaiting the car to screech to a halt. It felt like forever, but in actual sense, it was ten minutes. According to the private intel, she was spotted at Waltz Estate this morning. Right after she left, an ambulance pulled in.

Shit!! After five years, I find her through this. I wonder what she's been up to. The Ariana I knew wouldn't hurt a fly.

_She wouldn't also stumble upon a naked man and let him fuck her._ The tiny voice chipped in.

For the love of Jesus, shut up!! I was drugged, and she was drunk; it was an accident.

_Then you shouldn't be here; you should be at home trying to solve your issue, not chasing after a one-night stand._

_Why shouldn't he? Isn't it obvious she meant more than that?_

"There are two voices arguing in my head; if this isn't a sign of doom, then nothing is." I grunted, but they were right. Why the fuck am I here? I should be at home trying to find a way over my grandfather's bullshit. I shouldn't have booked the soonest flight to Los Vegas. Heck, for the first time in ages, I sat in the economy class with those creeps, well, except for those adorable little children who were too smart for their own good.

~~"You look like my brother, grumpy but handsome."

"I am not grumpy." He snorted, his little green eyes, which strangely mirrored mine, had a steel look, like he would chop off anyone who called him grumpy. "You are not, but Mr. Uhmmm..." She snatched her little chestnut hair. "What's your name?"

"I..."

"No need, I will call you uncle." She waved off my unsaid words.

Bossy.

"Uncle?" Did I really look that old that they had to call me uncle? Mr. Cool or handsome would do.

"Yes. Do you prefer daddy?" She beamed joyfully, and my heart tugged.

Just a little.

"Maybe old man." Her brother added, which eradicated the soft spot I once had for them.

Old man? For God's sake, I was 29 years old! Not 40 or 50. I had the body of a fictional character made alive – 6'7 feet tall, broad, tight, and bicep, sexy green eyes, short perfectly made black hair, and kissable lips. Any woman would fall head over heels in love with me, even their mother.

I refrained myself from uttering those words; they were little kids and would probably freak out. I would too if a handsome man spoke about snatching their mother from their dear father.

"Is he having a panic attack? 90% of old men do." Okay, someone tell this little boy to choose his words.

"I am not. Now leave me alone." The little girl, Jarvis, didn't; she kept blabbing about her everything – her teacher, who smiled too much, and Josh implied she had Möbius syndrome (a rare neurological disorder that leads to involuntary smiling), her Nana, who loved them and took them to Hawaii, her neighbors, dolls, friends, even her imaginary ones, and her mother.

I didn't get why she didn't speak of her father; maybe she wasn't a fan. Josh, on the other hand, chipped in 'jokes' about me getting a stiff back from sitting too long.

In short, 7 hours of my trip was hell, but a little part of me loved it – their whining, Jarvis' giggles, Josh's smirk, his hurtful jokes, and her well-detailed description of her life. I loved it, all of it.

"Sir, we have arrived." I blinked away the memory.

Right, finding my one-night stand! I paid him and slid out of the car in a swift and liquid movement. I stood, readjusted my collar; my navy blue suit fit perfectly against my rigid muscles, concealing the storm raging within.

I gazed at the house, which was laid beside the less crowded street. Walking closer, my being shook in anticipation; I pressed the doorbell, and in less than three seconds, the door slid open, bearing the responder.

~~~~

ARIANA'S POV

The cab halted in front of the renowned Morena X skyscraper made entirely of glass (well, not entirely).

I carefully tied the backpack to my left hand after I paid the driver, cradled my sleeping angels, and walked towards the building. .

I stepped into the elevator and clicked the fifth button with my right leg. All those years of ballet; I knew that skill would pay off. I waited till the elevator beeped, and its door opened. Finally, I inched towards my door and for the most difficult part – unlocking it without waking them.

Unlike other buildings, ours was quite modern; it was constructed by Morena Empire, Italy's top seven richest and most skilled and creative builders. The building consisted of 123 apartments, four rooms each with a restroom and bathroom, a 13-19 feet landscape parlour with a unique setting, a kitchen, and a glass-sealed corridor. What more could an unemployed lazy person ask for?

Slowly, I tried to fish out the card from my pockets; I swear I kept it there. Or was it in my car? Did it drop when I delivered a kick to my ex-boss's private parts (not my proudest moment)?

Please...please...got it.

I placed the card, and the door beeped and cracked open.

I walked in, closed the door, and made my way to their room. Two little beds, with their names engraved above the bed. Thankfully, it was well-arranged and close enough. I dropped Jarvis first; she was a sleepyhead, and it wouldn't take much effort. But Josh.. he must have been a secret agent in his past life. Any little sound could wake him; it was a miracle he hadn't awoken.

"Mummy!!"

Dammit!

"Yes, my love." I cradled him so I could see his face. He was half awake; all I needed to do was be calm, quiet, and nurse him back to sleep.

"I..." He yawned. "I enjoyed his company." He yawned again. "He is handsome and...and the best." With that, he dozed off.

The man they met during their flight?

I tucked them in and wandered back into my room, changing into a simple baggy white top and black shorts.

I rushed to the kitchen and pondered on what to cook.

6:06 pm? Shit!

After much thought, I went with chicken sauce and rice; it was the fastest I could make before they woke up.

I turned off the gas, hauled to their bathroom to warm their water.

"Sweetheart, Jarvis." I called out while she grumbled and continued her sleep. Having a child who acted like me had its disadvantages. Waking Jarvis would take hours, so I opted for Josh, who flung his eyes open almost immediately.

"Seriously!!!" I screamed.

"Sorry, Mummy. Did I scare you?"

Yes, you did. I almost died. I shook off that response. "Just a little bit, dear. You are awake?"

"Yes, I heard when you were trying to wake Avi." Avi, that was what he called his twin sister, which was cute. Jarvis called him Jo, saying it was much easier than Joshy, but when she got angry, she called him Alvin, which wasn't that bad. She said he reminded her of Alvin and the Chipmunks, a squirrel cartoon.

"Sorry, I woke you, but you need to take a bath and eat."

"Okay, Mummy." Simple and obedient, unlike Jarvis.

Good! One down, another to go.

"Mummy, don't worry. I will wake her." He plucked a feather from their side desk and carefully sat near her. I watched him wave the feather around her nose until she released a cute squeal. He continued until she couldn't take it anymore; she jerked up, her little cheeks flushed red as she stared at him like she would kill him in about five seconds.

"Jo!!!"

"Mummy wants you to take a bath." He said neutral to her angered look.

"I...I will kill you!!" With that, I witnessed what must be the most funny and cute fight, she was trying to grab his hair while he was doing his best to stop her.

A responsible mother would pull them away, but I never said I was responsible.

I stood and watched while laughing out loud.

Just then, the doorbell rang, and not only did their little fight get disrupted, but our peace and probably our future did as well.

As I walked towards the door and slid it open, my greatest surprise stood firm.