The Tyrant's Wife

“Maybe the spoiled little girl is not nearly as smart as we think. There has to be a reason why all her exes are dead.” Evan threw in a random guess that he didn’t think was too illogical to be possible.

“Do you think she told them all about her family? That would be tragic.” Liam rubbed his chin.

“It’s quite likely considering how much she revealed within the few minutes we were together.” Evan placed all the pictures he had taken and printed on the table. “Do you still need these?”

“Yes.” Liam took them. Although he was certain they had been photoshopped, he was repulsed just looking at them. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“You better believe it. I nearly lost half my life getting my hands on them and I will not appreciate you suddenly changing your mind because you think it’s unfair to do this to an innocent woman who we both know is anything but innocent.”

Liam frowned at his accusation. “Do you think I would make you go all the way and do this if I’m not certain of what I want?”

Evan let out a breath. “I am not involved in this. Do you understand? If the truth came out, I would never want Zaria to know I had anything to do with this.”

Liam was about to tell him he could rest assured nothing of that sort could happen but when he heard the second part, he huffed helplessly. “Drop it, unless you want to become Desmond’s worst enemy.”

.....

“So what? He’s not the boss of me and a woman should be allowed the right to choose who she wants.” He retorted, to which Liam shrugged.

“Do as you wish. Just don’t complain if your choices come crashing down on you.”

Evan scoffed. “Knock it off. You’re not giving a teenage boy lectures about love.” Before Liam could say an annoying word more, Evan’s assistant knocked and came in.

“Sir, Miss Williams requests a video call. She said it’s urgent.”

“Speak of the angel.” Evan smiled as he took out his laptop and turned it on. Zaria’s call came in moments later.

“Do you miss me so much that you can’t wait to see my face?” He greeted them once he saw her worried face, and she rolled her eyes.

“You never stop, do you? Hey, I need a favor from you.”

“Are you sure your helicopter fiancé is not going to throw a tantrum about that?” He teased, referring to Desmond who was minding his own business in the background.

“I’m tired of going on and on about the same topic every time. It gets tiresome, doesn’t it?” She asked, and didn’t give him the chance to answer her before she fired off her questions. “I need all the information about the schools Veronica went to. All of them, including her kindergarten.”

“Why do you want to know so much about my sister?” Was his first question.

“I know it sounds crazy but hear me out. Veronica’s information is not quite adding up.” Zaria whipped out her notebook to fill in the answers to all the questions she was going to ask.

“Quit it. That woman is no impostor. I would recognize my sister even if she turned to ash.” He tried to make her give up, but she was persistent.

“Can you be certain that she was exactly where she said she was all her life?” Seeing his stunned expression, she nodded. “That’s what I thought. So, what’s the university she claimed to have gone to?”

He answered her questions diligently and just as he thought, she had more questions than she did before.

“I was right. She was nowhere near France when she claimed to be in EBDP.” She opened another notepad. “Do you think your grandfather knew everything from the start and is conspiring against us using her? The gap in her life could be a period when she learned some skills your grandfather thinks you shouldn’t hear of.”

“You are giving the old geezer too much credit. He wouldn’t think that far ahead.” He assured her.

“Honey, it’s a call from Rosaly.” Desmond finally spoke up, handing his phone over to her.

“Oh, okay.” She took the phone and answered the call, smiling briefly at the screen. “Can I call you later, Evan? I still have a billion questions and Rosaly needs to go back to bed.”

She hung up before he could say a word so he stared at the blank screen for a while longer, earning another round of scolding from Liam.

“She could be in the middle of an important meeting but as soon as Rosaly calls for her, she will go running to her. This is not about the child being cute and whatnot. It’s because she loves Desmond so much that she’s grown to love his daughter.”

Evan’s lips twitched. “Funny for you to say that, considering how much you liked her before. Are you going to deny that?”

Liam was helpless. “You are going to set off a bomb you could never handle. Learn when to stop.” The last thing he wanted was enmity between his friends which would throw all of them into a predicament-they had way too many projects together that could crumble into smithereens if one of them made the wrong move.

_______

Two days later, in Imperium.

Alyssa met up with a woman she didn’t think she would need any time soon, and the latter didn’t believe they were meeting either.

“How did you know I came back?” Angela asked when she saw the woman who should have helped her before. She was wearing a scarf and sunglasses and hated Alyssa for not doing the same. What if she got recognized?

Alyssa, on the other hand, was indifferent. “A little birdie told me.”

“What do you want?” They were not meeting at Reynolds’ merely for a cup of tea, that much was obvious.

Alyssa took her time finding the right words. “You left on a rather unpleasant note.”

“Who am I to thank for that other than your son and his precious skank?” She rolled her eyes and took a big gulp of her coffee to calm herself down, and almost choked on it when a tall, black-haired woman walked in.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She wanted to hide under the table when she saw Ximena clearly. The sight of that woman sent her chills down her spine.

“What’s wrong?” Alyssa tried to follow her line of sight and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“Nothing.” Angela swallowed hard and hoped she wouldn’t be noticed. To her relief, Ximena was done in a few minutes and headed out right after, only to stop halfway towards the exit. She turned and scanned the cafe as if on instinct, stared at Angela and Alyssa for long enough to make them uncomfortable, and finally left.

“Damn it. I forgot Morel Beauty is nearby and that woman...did she see us?” Alyssa was worried. “Never mind. We need to be done and get out of here as soon as possible.”

For the first time, Angela agreed with her. “Tell me why I’m here.”

“I missed my granddaughter. I haven’t even met her a second time and you know who to blame for that? Zaria Williams. She has my son wrapped around her little pinky.”

“You are here to use me.” Angela guffawed. Hadn’t she given up?

Alyssa didn’t deny it. “I know why you are here. You can’t stand the thought of being pushed away from your daughter. I understand how you feel. When I lost Samantha and then Jaime, I couldn’t take it.” She drooped her eyes bitterly and when she looked up, they were filled with determination. “And it’s all because of one woman who thinks the world owes her something. Have you heard what Rosaly’s been calling her lately?”

“You wouldn’t know.” Angela retorted.

“I wouldn’t, but I know people who know people, who have heard her call Lucy Roatta ‘grandma’ and Theodore Williams ‘Grandpa’. It’s almost cute. I mean, the high and mighty Lucy as a grandmother, now that’s a sight for sore eyes. And did I mention, Zeus is now ‘Uncle Zeus’?”

“Enough!” Angela banged her fist against the table in rage.