Chapter 36

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It takes the police two weeks to finally contact us. They don't say much, just that they'd like me to come down to the station as soon as possible to meet with Detective Warren.

Xavier isn't at work today so he's by my side as we go down there. Mel is watching Angelo for us.

Entering the police station again I feel nervous, and a little scared at what they've found out. It couldn't be that bad, right?

We are led to an empty room and we sit at the table where I fidget nervously.

Xavier grabs my hand and steady's it between his large ones. "Hey cara? Are you okay?" He asks me gently.

I shake my head and continue tapping my foot. "No, I'm scared Xavier. What I've heard already from the police scares me, I'm not sure I want to hear the rest of it, but I don't really have a choice." I tell him honestly. "I wish they'd hurry up, I'm hungry."

Another five minutes pass before Detective Warren comes in, and he smiles kindly at us.

"Mr and Mrs Grayson, hello again. I'm Detective Warren, the officer assigned to your case." He explained for the benefit of the tape recording us. "Now I've asked you here because more evidence has come to my attention. Does the name Alexa Andrews ring any bells?"

I nod numbly. "Yes. She used to be my best friend until she turned on me, determined to split me and Xavier up." I tell him angry. "She tried everything to get us apart."

The detective nods and opens a file from the pile he'd brought in with him.

"It seems that your brother, Marcus was hired by her to get rid of you. It wasn't a kidnapping like we first assumed, that was a cover up. He was hired to kîll you Mrs Grayson." The Detective tells me bluntly.

I'm sure my face must have shown exactly how I was feeling because he looked slightly alarmed. I'd never before felt so much white hot rage at anyone before.

"You have the proof then? Is Jade Wright involved in anyway too?" I ask angrily.

The Detective looks shocked, before nodding. "Yes, she helped Alexa get the cash to pay Marcus. I'm not sure what they hoped to achieve by kîlling you Mrs Grayson, but we will find out. All three are in police custody now, and we're trying to keep this from the media for as long as possible. I just want to make this perfectly clear, you want to press full charges against your brother, and the others? Right?" He asks me stupidly.

I look at him as if he's sprouted another head. "Damn straight I do. I want everything thrown at them. How dare my own flesh and blood attempt to do this? It sickens me to the core. I hate the bâstard so much right now." I explain barely containing my rage. "I don't care about the media harassing us Detective, they do anyway, but I'm worried about Claire and Daniel. Claire's heavily pregnant, she doesn't need the stress this will cause."

Turning to Xavier he tightens his grip on my hand, squeezing slightly. "We need to bring them here before Claire can't fly anymore, they need to be with family, and I want them here and safe." I tell Xavier sadly. "Would you mind them staying with us?"

He shakes his head and kisses me softly. "Anything for you, mio amore." He responds gently.

Looking closely at Xavier I can see his anger simmering just under the surface, and know it won't take much more for him to lose his shît. It doesn't scare me though, I know he'd never hurt me.

"We have your brother's statement here Mrs Grayson, it seems his motive waw because he was the assumed benefcator in your will. He also harbours a surprising amount of hate towards you but won't elaborate why. Miss Wright and Miss Andrews have a different motive but we haven't figured that out yet, they are both refusing to talk." Detective Warren tells us.

I laugh when he's finished happily. "Marcus isn't, and never was my benefactor." I tell him seriously. "If I would of died before my marriage and the birth of my son, all my money would of gone to Daniel, and any other children Marcus and Claire would of had. I arranged for it to go into a trust fund that Marcus couldn't ever get his hands on. Claire knows about it because after I changed my will when Angelo was born, I still left a lump sum for Daniel, and the baby she's carrying to put them both through college. Angelo is my heir to the few hundred thousand I have left and my house here and on Seattle. " I tell them both.

Xavier smiles at me softly, knowing how important Claire and Daniel had come to be to me in the last few months.

The detective looks pleased by the information too. "Who is your Attorney? This might be the reason Marcus hates you so much, especially if he found out he wouldn't get any money." Detective Warren asks.

I stare at him shocked not having thought of it before. "My Attorney is Michael Maxwell, a good friend of Marcus's. He introduced me to Michael around five years ago. You don't think he betrayed me do you?" I ask in disbelief.

He just nods at me and I feel sick. My Attorney was supposed to protect my privacy, not spew everything to that bastârd the first chance he got.

"I want him brought in and questioned. If it's true what you think, then I want his practice shut down, and him charged with whatever you can throw at him. He's one of the reasons Marcus will have done this. What a spiteful prîck Marcus really is, our parents would be so ashamed." I reply sadly.

Xavier pulls me out of my chair and into his lap, holding me close. "It will be okay tesoro, they've been caught now. And they will get what's coming to them, especially those puttana's! How dare they try to kîll you?!" He asks enraged.

I kiss him distracting him and he responds eagerly. Pulling back I kiss him again softly before turning back to the Detective who looks a little uncomfortable. "Is that it for today Detective? I really am starving." I grumble.

"Er.. yes Mrs Grayson. We'll be in touch about what we find out about Mr Maxwell in a few days. Like I said before I can't hold the press off much longer, so get Mrs Stewart and her son here soon if that's what your planning to do. Does she know everything that's been happening concerning Marcus?" He asks curiously.

I stand up off of Xavier and stretch my legs in relief. "Yes she knows. I didn't hide anything from her, she needed to know. She's actually filing for divorce."

After we leave the police station Xavier drives me to a small diner nearby so I can get something to eat. It's amazing how I'd gone from not being able to eat at all because of the nausea, to now where I ate every two hours, and never seemed full for very long. I'm going to end up looking like a whale by the end of this pregnancy. I was glad the doctor was right though, she told me the sickness would calm down eventually, and at around ten weeks along now, I didn't get any at all.

The diners quiet when we enter and nobody seems to care who we are thankfully. Taking a seat at a corner booth near the doors, we wait for out waitress to come over. I look through the menu trying to figure out what I want.

"Are you okay, Arianna? You've been quiet since finding this out and I'm not even sure how you're so calm. I would be screaming and throwing stuff, not sat calmly waiting to be served some food." Xavier asks me gently.

I look up at him and smile sadly. "I'm mad Xavier, really, really mad. But being angry now won't help anything and will just stress me and the baby out, I can vent my anger when it goes to trial. Like they say, karma really is a bîtch, I just can't wait to see them get what they deserve. I'll be in the front row laughing my ass off with you beside me. Us being happy and together is what Alexa and Jade didn't plan on, so rubbing their faces in it will please me." I tell him seriously.

He stares at me in awe, and leans over the table kissing me in front of everyone in here.

"You're amazing mia bella moglie." He tells me softly.

"Thanks" I reply just as the waitress comes over smiling brightly.

"You two are adorable together. Newlyweds?" She asks knowingly.

Xavier nods at her smiling. "Nearly three months now." He tells her proudly.

She's an older lady and is wearing her own wedding ring.

"Me and my George have been together forty years this year. Just remember to always listen to each other and you'll be okay. Now what can I get you?" She asks us.

"Two large coffee's, one black, the other with two sugars and cream. I'll have the large breakfast, with pancakes and syrup too. Xavier, what do you want?" I ask him quickly.

He orders a large breakfast too and the waitress goes away smiling.

We make idle conversation until our food gets here. Once she serves us, I eat everything on my plate feeling ravenous.

Leaving we pay the bill and Xavier leaves her a hundred dollar tip much to her surprise. She tries to refuse, but we assure her it's nothing.

Getting back to the car we spot a photographer sat across the street watching us, when he realises it's us he starts taking pictures of us and moves closer.
"Arianna? How are you since the attack? Why haven't ☆
you been out if the public eye lately?" The reporter rushes out quickly.

I surprise Xavier by stopping by the car and waiting for the reporter to catch up.

Once he reaches us he puts his recorder in front of me, but stays a respectful distance away so he doesn't crowd me.

"Hello..?" I ask him politely.

"James, ma'am. James Martin, I work for the daily standard." He replies.

"Well James, I'm fine. As you can imagine it was a shock, but the security guard Stewart Hoey saved me that day, coming to my rescue so quickly. And I've been out of the public eye because I didn't feel all that safe without Xavier. Now I'm not scared any longer, and Xavier's always here for me anyway." I reply to his earlier questions.

"Thank you so much for being willing to stop and talk to me today Arianna." He tells me sounding grateful. "I'm new at my job and with the others are vultures, i hardly ever get a break like this."

"That's fine James, you're the politest reporter I've met so far." I tell him smiling. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask before we leave?" I prompt him.

"Er yes. How's married life treating you both? Business is really booming Xavier, you're truly brilliant. Any inspirational quotes you follow?" He asks Xavier.

Xavier chuckles and shakes his head. "Not really, no. Although I do like the saying 'happy wife, happy life' I live for my wife's happiness so it rings a bell. My business is doing exceptionally well James and that's because my wife works right along beside me, helping me with everything I need her to. Her and our son Angelo are what i live for." He tells James, who looks like he's won the lottery.

"Thank you so much for talking to me, I'll let you go now, I know how busy you must be." He tells us grinning widely. "Can I get a picture of you together first though, please?"

We stand together, and Xavier puts his arm around me pulling me close to him.

James snaps a few shots of us and turns to leave.

"James? Do you have a business card we can use to contact you in future? I'd love to give press statements through you, if your boss won't mind? You really aren't like the others, and I value that" I ask him quickly.

He shakily takes a card from his coat pocket and hands it to me looking stunned. "You'd do that? Oh wow. Thank you, so much. You don't have any objections Xavier?" He asks quickly.

"No. I think my wife's right. We'll see you again James." Xavier replies and we get into the car, leaving a grinning James on the sidewalk looking at his camera happily.

"That was quite clever mio amore, he really was new and polite, maybe it won't be so bad having our own reporter to call and issue press statements through, we really should have someone to deal with the press anyway."

We reach home around noon and Angelo's running riot. He might have only been crawling for a few weeks, but he was really fast at it. Mel surprises us though, as she crawls after him in a game of chase, making Angelo squeal and giggle happily.

I take out my phone and snap a few good photos of them together. They look so cute.

Xavier heads into the study after kissing me to do some work, or maybe break some stuff with how angry I'm guessing he still is.

Mel gets up and follows me into the kitchen obviously wanting answers. "Well?" She rounds on me as I sit down at the table. "What did they say?"

I sigh tiredly not sure where to start. "Alexa and Jade are involved. It wasn't a kidnapping like the police first thought. He'd been hired by those bîtches to kîll me. According to the police's suspicions he was doing it to get his hands on my money, he's been planning this for a while actually because I changed my will after having Angelo. Turns out my Attorney; Marcus's close friend, betrayed my trust and told him about the change, making him angrier. I have no idea why he hates me so much and frankly I don't care anymore. They are all locked up away from me now and I can't wait to see them go to prison."

She's gone really pale and I wonder if she's going to faint. Carlos has stopped mixing whatever he was making, and moved to stand beside me gaping.

"Oh my god Aria! How are you so calm?" She demands loudly.

I shrug at her nonchalantly. "Like I told your brother, I have to be. Stress isn't good for me or the baby. They'll get what they deserve anyway and me being mad now won't change anything." I explain to them both.

Carlos pats me gently on the back, and hugs me before going back to his mixing.

Mel just states at me probably wondering if I'm telling her the truth, and I am.

"Okay fine, be calm then. How did Xavier take the news?" She asks warily.

"He was obviously hopping mad, but controlled it. He's probably smashing the study up as we speak trying calm himself." I reply non plussed.

She hugs me quickly and pecks me on the cheek. "I'm glad that prîck never got the chance to hurt you or my niece." She tells me and pats my stomach gently. "Andre and his girlfriend, and Amanda are coming over later, I invited them for a barbecue. Claire's been ringing all morning, I told her you'll ring her when you get back." Mel tells me as she leaves the kitchen.

Carlos has given Angelo a gingerbread cookie while we'd been talking and he was happily munching away at it.

Grabbing my phone I ring Claire to see if she's okay.

"Hello" She answers after two rings.

"Claire? You okay?"

I hear her sigh, then sob slightly. "No Aria. It's Daniel, he's found out about what Marcus was involved in, and he's devastated. He doesn't understand why his dad would hurt you, but he believes me anyway. He wants to come see you?" She asks cautiously.

"Good, because I want you two to move here and be closer to me. I'll send Xavier's jet to come get you both as soon as it's ready. We'll talk more when you get here, okay?" I ask her.

"Really?" She asks surprised.

"Yep really. I want you and the boys around full time, that way i can keep an eye on you all. You're family Claire, wether you're married to that prîck or not won't change anything, okay?" I tell her being serious.

"Okay Aria I'll go pack now. We'll see you soon." She replies sounding happier and hangs up.

Putting my phone down I see Carlos watching me smiling and smile back.

Angelo crawls over to me and pulls himself up against my legs into standing position, and I shriek shocked making Angelo gigle.

Xavier comes running in at the noise, and looks around as I'm getting attacked again. Not seeing anything wrong he turns to me and spots Angelo. A big grin appears on his face and he snaps a few pictures of his own proudly.

"Wow, little man look at you?!" He crows happily. "You're such a clever boy Angelo."

He smiles at us both widely displaying his gums to us and I pick him up, cuddling him to me tightly feeling so happy I might burst.

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