Chapter 16
Mia’s POV
“Don’t tell me you agreed to meet with her,” Nathan threw me a look from the driver’s seat.
“Actually, I invited her over.”
“Why would you do that?? He asked, his tone calm and measured even though he was evidently aghast.
“Because I’m going to use her, I have to turn her against Xander.”
“How? She’s a sneaky little witch who collaborated with him to get rid of you, do you think it’ll be easy to just convince her?”
“I know it won’t be easy, but I’ve learned how to be sneaky too. I’m going to use her own method on her.”
Nathan sighed, “Mia
“She likes you, Nathan, Well, maybe not actual like but she’s attracted to you and she wants you. I want to take advantage of that and I’ll need your help.
“You know you always have my support but this is not the plan, Mia Can we just stick to the plan?”
“My plan is to take advantage of every opportunity to ruin Xander and I’m not going to let this one slip by.”
Tunderstand that but I don’t want you getting entangled with those people again. You don’t know what they might do to you this time.”
My defense impulsively kicked in, “They’re not going to hurt me again, not in this lifetime”
“I know, and I won’t let that happen either, but I strongly believe that sticking to the plan is the right way to go about this
“I’ve told you before Nathan, the law means nothing to Xander. You don’t know these people like I do,” I turned to him.
“Xander is the law! The Schaeffer’s are the law. I know we’re just as powerful, but bringing down the Schaeffer’s using just the law will drag on forever, and I do not have the patience. It’s hard to live every day knowing that he still draws breath, I want to take everything away from him. I want to make him miserable!”
I was breathless by the time I was done speaking and unwanted tears had formed in my eyes
Nathan slammed on the brakes and the car screeched to a halt. He quickly tore off a handful of tissue from the box and handed it to me, guilt resting in his eyes.
“Oh, Mia, I didn’t mean
make you cry.”
“I know, I just” My voice trailed, my emotions failing me. Without warning, Nathan scooted closer and pulled me into his arms. The sudden contact made me jerk before I finally relaxed.
“I’m so sorry. You know I’m just worried about you.”
“I know, but you have to trust me, Nathan
“Of course, I do. I just don’t trust them. I never understood the depth people could go to pull someone down until I met them,” he sighed. “And his mother? She’s worse than the others. Those people are dangerous.”
“His mother?” I pulled away from the hug just in time to see the switch in Nathan’s eyes. His expression was a mix of surprise and regret, and it made me even more curious.
“What about his mother?”
He sighed, contemplating. “Dad told me not to tell you…” he started to s
“To see me?”
“She came for Dad.
“What did she want?” I urged
to say but gave up halfway. “She was at the house earlier today.”
“She came to warn him. She assumed he was helping you and she thought she could advise him against it.” He hesitated before pulling out a tab, “Dad forwarded the footage from their conversation to me.”
Chapter 16
For as long as I could recall. Aspen’s resentment towards me wasn’t new but it intensified after I got promoted by Xander’s father. She had always been uncomfortable with her husband’s fondness for me and suspected there was more to our professional relationship.
After getting married to Xander, I expected her to become indifferent but her dislike only worsened. It was then I realized that she just hated me because she could, there was no exact reason.
Being married to Xander, I had tried to win her over and endured all of her but now there was no reason to. As much as I knew, Xander barely acknowledged her as his mother. The way he looked at her was no different from how he looked at a stranger because the became a stranger to him after she abandoned him.
After giving birth to Xander. Aspen filed for a divorce from his father and left with a fat cheque. It took her less than a few years to lose all of it to a bad investment, and she snuck her way back into their lives with four–year–old Kyle.
Luckily for her, Kyle was confirmed to be a Schaeffer, so Xander’s father had no choice but to accept her back. It never sat well with Xander and he never attempted to hide it.
But she was his mother, and even though he hated her, there was no doubt that he still cared about her to an extent, and collaborating with her to pull me down was proof of that.
Nathan passed me the tab and I peered into the screen. Aspen sat across my father, looking resplendent in a beige dress. Her great fashion sense was a contrast to her horrible personality.
“Let me tell you about Mia” Aspen’s voice filled the car, “she’s bad news with an innocent face. I know Mia like the back of my palm; she was married to my son, and all through the course of it, she was unfaithful to him. Mia went as far as sleeping with his father just to gain favor from him. I know you’re just helping her out and trying to make a daughter out of her to replace the one you lost but Mia is the wrongest option for you, you should abandon her before it’s too late-
The
same way you abandoned your family for a share of your husband’s wealth.” My father’s comeback was enough to wipe the gloomy expression from my face.
Aspen was taken aback by the outburst but she quickly comported herself.
“I don’t know where you got that information from but it is very untrue. I have always loved my family, and I only came here out of concern for you, Mr Walton. Mia is….
Nathan paused the video and I flashed him a questioning look.
“The rest are just horrible words, and you don’t have to punish your ears by listening to them,” he took the tab from me, and I obliged without a word. “My point is, the Schaeffer’s are scarier than you think you know. Their hatred for you runs deep and I don’t want you to get hurt, Mia. I promised Dad to protect you.
Then protect
t me. I urged. “Help me, Nathan”
Nathan sighed, his eyes locking onto mine. “I can’t change your mind, can
I shook my head negatively.
“What’s the plan!”
My lips spread into a smile. “I’ll tell you on the way, Dad will be worried if we’re late”
I had thought I knew all of Xander’s tactics but not once did it cross my mind that he would involve his mother. Instead of being bothered, I felt proud that my resolve was strong enough to break through his usual strategy,
Nathan roared the car back to life and resumed the journey
As I narrated my plan to him, I knew he wished he could make me reconsider. As a legal practitioner, it was only right for him to recommend caution, but being cautious when dealing with Kander would merely give him more time to plot.
Xander’s crimes demanded more than the law could offer and even our influence would not yield the immediate justice I desired.
I had lived with him for three years and worked with him for more; I knew Xander better than anyone, and I had studied his tactics and discovered ways to tackle them. I knew where to hit him that would ignite a bruise but Xander deserved more than a bruise. And the Law can’t give him that, only I can.
By the time I was done, Nathan was fully in agreement.
“Knowing that someone like Irene is attracted to me makes me wish I wasn’t so good–looking.” he groaned, a hint of humor in his tone.
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Chapter to
You can’t help it, can you? I joked. “While you’re at it, maybe consider getting a girlfriend! I’ve never seen you with any woman since I’ve known you”
Tilpass” he said. Tm too busy working and looking after you to have time for anyone else”
“Look after yourself too, Nath. Any girl would be lucky to have you Luttered sincerely.
“Tin fine just hanging around you, he flashed me a quick smile. You’re one lucky girl, you know”
I chuckled. “Of course, I do”
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