Chapter 31: We need to talk 

Alaia 

“What do you think?” Tino showed off the suit he was wearing today. They were doing tests for launching a men’s collection. 

“I like it, it’s very masculine,” I said, watching him turn around. 

“It’s good, but I think the buttons would fit better if we added some in a contrasting tone,” Ash said. 

“But darling, that’s what makes the garment unique, that it’s all one tone. They’re perfect, right, princess?” Tino stopped, looked at me, and put his hand on his hip. 

“Honey, I love your work, and I think that blazer is great, but I’m not the expert,” I said, looking at my cousin. 

“Let’s do some tests. Leave that design as is, and we’ll make another one in the same tone but with the buttons, I’ll send you this afternoon. That way, we’ll be sure.” 

“Fine,” Tino grimaced. 

“The fabric for your wedding dress has arrived, Ali. It’s a dream, you have no idea. I had to shoo these spiders away from pawing it.” He waved his hand toward the girls. “They’re cutting the patterns according to the measurements I took before you left. There are only a few months left, and the dress is the most important piece. I’m sure you’ll look divine.” 

“You’re right, and with all this, I haven’t reviewed what the wedding planner sent me.” 

“Yes, I’ve noticed, but don’t worry, I’m in charge. Fortunately, you’ve already defined all the details. It’s just a matter of making sure everything is running smoothly and in order.” 

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I smiled. 

“Oh, oh, wait, it’s Tony. Don’t hang up on me; I have so much more to tell you.” He looked at his phone, blinked at us, and answered the call with a big smile on his lips. 

Ash and I looked at each other, and as good friends, we paid attention to Tino’s very cheerful 

call. 

“Tony & Tino, it couldn’t sound better,” I said. Ash laughed. 

“Alaia, this has arrived.” Erika brought me an envelope with the Garnett letterhead. 

“Thanks,” I said as soon as I had it in my hands. 

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Chapter 31: We need to talk 

I turned it over and thought it was something about the project. 

“What is it?” Ash asked, moving her chair closer to me. 

“We’ll know in three seconds,” I said, opening the envelope and reading the contents. It 

surprised me a bit and amused me at the same time. 

“It’s the bill for the repair of the donor’s Rolls–Royce,” I said, watching my cousin’s eyes widen 

as she covered her mouth to stifle the laugh she couldn’t hold in. 

I saw the total; the invoice was directly from the Rolls–Royce offices in Beverly Hills. Of course, 

the amount was what it would cost to fix a little damage. 

“Send them a check from one of my accounts, please,” I said to Erika and handed her back the 

invoice. 

She approached me timidly, and I noticed her hesitation. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked, noticing her behavior. She cleared her throat before responding. 

“They requested that you pay the bill at the Garnett offices.” 

Ash and I raised our heads to look at her simultaneously. 

“What?” I shook my head rapidly, not understanding the reason for the request. 

“That’s right, they left this note.” She handed me the paper. 

“I’ll be waiting in my office unless you want to face charges for the damages. P.S. He who laughs last…” the note read. 

“He has a sense of humor,” Ash said, looking at the card. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said firmly, slightly annoyed. “Send them the check,” I handed the 

invoice back to Erika. 

“Alright,” Erika said, giving up and leaving my office. 

“But who does he think he is?” I grumbled, and Ash shook her head. We continued watching Tino talk and gestured to him that he had been on the call for too long. He just rolled his eyes 

and continued yapping. We bid him goodbye and were about to end the call when my office 

phone rang. 

“Alaia, Mr. Nick Garnett is here,” Ignacio said. I frowned. Erika couldn’t have sent the check 

that quickly. 

“Tell him I’ll see him when he makes an appointment,” I said and turned my attention back to 

Tino, who was silently watching my exchange with my assistant. 

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“Ali, he won’t leave until you see him. Should I make the call?” Ignacio said, and I remembered 

the call referred to calling security. I rolled my eyes while my cousin and friend watched me 

expectantly. 

“Don’t make the call for now, let him in.” I’ll take the opportunity to discuss the damn invoice 

and his wish for me to go to his office to make the p*****t. 

I hadn’t finished hanging up when Nick burst into my office, his expression more serious than 

usual. 

“We need to talk,” he said in a deep voice. 

“Fine, talk,” I responded from my place, and he looked at my cousin. 

“Alone,” he said, and I saw Ash move to leave, but I stopped her. With a glance at my laptop, I 

noticed Tino had his entire face on the screen, being nosy. 

“No, just say what you have to say and leave,” I said, standing up and taking a few steps to 

keep a safe distance from where Nick was. 

“If you’re here in your car, I’ll send you a check, and no human power will make me go to your 

office to fulfill your whims,” I said as he watched me from his height. Damn, it looked like he 

was going to breathe fire through his nose (All this over a car?). 

“To hell with the car, you left with him,” he asserted, his jaw still tense. 

I gestured that I didn’t understand anything, and he walked towards me. 

“You disappeared to go with Cedric,” he accused me when our faces were just inches apart. 

“And you had children with him.” His voice came from his chest. I heard a slight gasp from 

Tino, and I mustered all my strength not to show any reaction to his words, especially about 

my children. 

My body tensed as I processed each of his words. How dare he think I would do something 

like that? Wasn’t he the one who married Barbie a week after divorcing me? I couldn’t believe 

his level of cynicism. How dare he doubt me at that moment? I was completely in love with 

him; I would never have done anything to hurt him. And now, he was making accusations. I 

released a strong slap that resonated in the room. 

Nick touched his cheek but continued looking at me with fury in his eyes. 

“You have no right to claim anything, Nick. You were the one who married another woman a 

week after asking me for a divorce, and I don’t know how long you were together before that 

happened,” I shouted, pointing at him. It didn’t take long for me to hear another gasp from 

Tino. 

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“Don’t come to me with complaints now about rebuilding my life with someone who has been 

there for me at every moment, and who has never doubted what he feels for me,” I asserted. 

His jaw clenched tighter with every word I said. 

“You have no idea what you’re saying, Alaia, and Cedric is not…” His voice was deep again, and his gaze changed for a second, but I ignored any emotion he might have shown. 

“I’m not interested in listening to you or having you near me. Just leave, and I don’t want you 

to come near me again. You’ll talk to my employees and Ash about everything related to the 

project.” 

“Daughter, I knocked several times, and no one answered…” My father looked at all of us. We 

fell silent, and he looked puzzled. “Nick, it’s good to see you. I’d like to discuss a few things 

with you,” my father said, fixing his gaze on me. I know he could tell that I was tense. 

“Patrick, I still have an unresolved matter with your daughter.” Nick’s eyes remained fixed on 

1. me. 

“It’s okay, Dad. I was just finishing up. I hope it’s clear to him now. He can contact my staff or 

you if any questions arise,” I said, but he just looked at me without saying anything. 

“Shall we?” my father invited him. 

“I don’t think it’s clear. This conversation will have to continue at some point, Alaia. Go ahead,” 

he said to my father, and I sighed, watching him leave. 

I slammed the door shut as soon as they left. 

“Ali, drink some water to calm down,” Ash ran to where I was and made me drink from a glass. 

“Hello!? Girls, you left me here alone,” Tino shouted as we walked to the chairs, where I sat 

heavily. 

“Well, well, well, someone tells me what the heck is going on? And who was that hunk of a 

guy?” he said, approaching the screen. 

Ash looked at me, and I nodded, allowing her to speak. 

“He’s the father of her children,” Ash explained, almost in a whisper. 

“What!? I’m dead, dead.” His eyes were wide open. 

Ash and I told Tino the story while he brought some snacks to eat as he listened. 

“What a rush,” he said, eating anxiously. “But how is it possible? How can he doubt you, that 

Neanderthal, brute? How could he not know they were his? Or even doubt? Jealousy really 

blinds you.” He covered his eyes with both hands. 

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I rolled my eyes at his last statement. “The only thing that matters is that he knows about my 

babies,” I said, exhaling deeply. 

“Yes, my dear, but we’re at an advantage because he thinks they’re not his,” Tino said, and we both looked at him. “Seriously?” Everything was so contradictory at that moment. 

“Calm down, bitches. If you, princess,” he pointed at me, “don’t want him to know about the kids, it’s best if he thinks they’re not his. That way, he’ll leave you alone. Well,” he tilted his head, “I think he’ll leave you alone. But that man’s got an attitude so I don’t know as well.” He placed his glasses on his chin. 

“I don’t want Nick or anything related to him near my children. I’ll do everything to prevent him from seeing them because I’m sure at that moment, I won’t be able to deny it.” 

“Do you think he might be interested in the kids? Come on, he can’t stand having a child near 

him,” Ash said. 

“For that and a thousand more reasons, I’ll let him keep thinking they’re not his. I’m sure the Garnetts won’t bring anything good for my kids,” I said. 

“I support you, princess. If you hadn’t told me that hunk of a man is your ex and what he did to you, I swear on my grandma, I’d take the first flight to Los Angeles and go after him.” He 

fanned himself. 

“You witch,” Ash and I said simultaneously. It was incredible how Tino could distract us and 

make the moment less tense. 

“And you haven’t seen his cousin yet? He’s a total fuckboy,” Ash said. 

“I don’t want a straight guy. Your dad’s bodyguard is straight,” he pouted, “but I’ll see him. 

That’s what eyes are for. Aaaah!” Tino let out a scream that put us on alert, “I was thinking of 

traveling in the coming weeks, but guess what?” 

We watched him in silence. 

“Kurt, the major brute, sent someone to look at the store. That man never gets tired.” 

“He won’t get tired,” Ash assured him. 

“But I want to see you and the little ones.” He reflected for a while, “What will I do? What will I 

do? Oh, I know! I’ll dress like anyone else.” Suddenly, his eyes lit up with excitement “Prepare 

that luxurious plane you have to come for me.” I laughed and shook my head. 

“Just tell us the date,” I said, and he smiled excitedly. 

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