"Anna! Have you seen this?" Naraya said, rushing up to Anna with a newspaper in her hand.

   "What is it?" Anna asked taking the newspaper from Naraya. She read the headline mentally which said Amanda Chester, Scott's Ontario's ex fiancèe buys shares from Ontario Holdings. 

  "Did you know?" Naraya asked her.

   "No. I didn't." Anna shook her head, still reading the content of the paper.

   "Chad told me she works with the company now. Head of designing department." Naraya informed her. "Didn't Scott say anything about her?"

     "Scott never told me Amanda was back neither did he say she was presently working at his father's company." Anna said seeming surprised.

    "How on earth was she able to buy 2 percent of the company's shares? That's crazy." Naraya said to Anna. "This means if your boyfriend's ex works at the company, they'll see each other often."

   Anna frowned slightly. "I'm sure there must be a reason that Scott didn't tell me this." 

    Anna walked out of AnStin, heading out when a car pulled up in front of her.

    "Huh? Daniel." She stood, unmoved.

    "Hey mommy!!!" Isla yelled, poking out head out the backseat window.

   "Wait, Isla?" Anna went closer immediately, going to the window. "What are you, what are you doing here?" She asked Isla who had half her body out the window. Anna turned to Daniel who got out of the car.

    "Dee and I went to watch a movie nearby so we thought to come say hello." Isla said, pulling Anna closer to the car.

   "Hey hey, you'll hurt yourself." Anna held her daughter's hands. "But I was coming to get you from your grandpa's place." She said, looking at Daniel.

    "I got bored mommy and Dee offered to take me to see a movie." The little girl said.

    "Well, um... Dee, I think you should have told me that you would be taking Isla out." Anna said to Daniel.

     "Sorry." He scratched the back of his head. "I tried calling but you weren't picking."

    Anna took out her phone and saw the missed calls. "Oh."

    "Should I take you home?" Daniel offered.

    "Well my car is over—"

   Isla interrupted her. "No mom, let Dee take us home. You both have a lot to catch up on. I've missed hanging out with Dee and I'm sure you do too." She spoke her mind.

   "Then what happens to the car?" Anna questioned her daughter.

    "Naraya would drive it home." Isla suggested.

    Anna sighed, knowing her car keys were with Naraya anyway. "Okay fine. Now seatbelt." She said, urging Isla back into the car. She got to the front seat and waited for Daniel to wind up the windows automatically.

   "Dee can you play my song?" Isla requested.

    "Sure sweetie." Daniel started the ignition before turning on the Bluetooth speaker in his car. The song we don't talk about Bruno from the Disney animated movie Encanto started playing.

    "God she's obsessed with this song." Anna groaned, massaging her forehead as Isla sang along to the playing song.

    Daniel chuckled lightly. "I guess all kids are."

   "Mmmm." Anna sighed deeply.

   Daniel gave two quick glances at Anna while driving.

    "What is it?" She asked him curiously.

   "Nothing." He shook his head. "I just... I just um..." Daniel cleared cleared his throat. "Nothing."

    "Oh come on Dee, just tell me." Anna said, waiting for him to speak.

    "I miss you." Daniel finally said. "I miss you too much." He declared, giving her a quick glance before turning to the road.

    "Daniel..." Anna looked out the window, away from Daniel.

    "I wanna be selfish for once as sometimes I wish you never came back. Maybe things would have worked out." Daniel said to her.

    Isla, oblivious of anything, called the attention of her mother. "Mommmy!! This is my favorite part mommy..." She began singing in a tiny sweet voice, trying to mimicking the character Isabella Madrigal in the animated movie. "He told me that the life of my dreams would be promised, and someday be mine........ He told me that my power would grow, like the grapes that thrive on the vine."

   "Peaches your voice is very lovely." Anna complimented without looking away from the window. Isla kept singing happily.

    Daniel decided not to say a word again and just drive as he senses that Anna wasnt ready to talk to him.

   Anna kept looking out the window and that's when something caught her eyes. "Umm.. Daniel can you slow down?" She sat up to get a perfect view.

   "What's wrong?" He slowed down.

  "Isn't that Amanda?" Anna could never forget the face of Amanda. "And... Wait.. Scott?" Anna squinted even thought she could see him clearly. "That's his car."

   Amanda and Scott had just gotten down from one of Scott's cars and they had just entered a building.

    "I guess so." Daniel nodded.

   Anna nodded slowly, before turning to Daniel. "Isn't it that Amanda now works at the company?"

    "Yes she does." Daniel said to her.

  "But how did that happen?" She was inquisitive, since Scott obviously didn't tell her anything.

    "Looks like she bought off shares from three of our holders. I wonder how she managed to pull that off. My father is trying to see ways to kick her out, in no time she would lose it. She's not a smart one, forgive me for saying." He said to Anna.

.................................................................................
   

   "You didn't tell me Amanda works at the company now." Anna said, setting a plate on the table for dinner.

   "Who's Amanda?" Isla who was seated beside Scott asked.

    "Eat your veggies." Anna pointed a finger at her daughter.

   "Yuck! I hate broccoli! Why can't I have cookies instead?" Isla made a disgusted face, pushing her plate aside.

    "Young lady behave yourself. You can't have cookies for dinner." Anna chided the little girl.

    "You know if I was to be with grandma, she would let me have what I want. This is stupid!" Isla rolled her eyes at Anna.

    "Hey! Don't... Don't say that." Anna placed her hands beside her waist, displeased with Isla's behavior. "Stop being naughty."

    "Isabelle listen to your mom." Scott poured out a glass of wine into a cup for himself.

    "I'm going to my room." Isla got up,  noisily moving the chair backwards.

    "Isla where do you think you're going?!" Anna tried to call Isla back but her daughter stomped away. "I swear to God, someday she's really gonna get it from me." She groaned aloud while clenching her hand into a fist.

     "Let her be." Scott wiped his mouth with a napkin.

    She looked at him and sighed in frustration. "Scott your parents are spoiling her. She's behaving like a brat."

    "She's a kid. Why don't you just let kids be kids, huh baby?" Scott shook his head.

    Anna took her seat beside Scott. "So... About Amanda...."

    "Hmmmm." He moaned, closing his eyes as he chewed on his meal. "This is really good. Oh... You should have a taste." Scott said, ushering for her to taste.

   Anna smiled as Scott fed her. "I'm glad you like it." She took a sip of water.

    "You were asking about Amanda. Well I didn't tell you because I didn't see a need to." Scott shrugged like it was no big deal.

   "You don't see the need for me to know that your ex fiancèe works at the same company as my boyfriend? Yeah right." Anna rolled her eyes at him. "I should have known at least. Even Naraya knew about the recent development."

    He placed his cutleries down and placed a hand over hers. "I'm sorry. I'm an idiot, I should have told you. Forgive me love." Scott took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

   She smiled, placing her other hand on his cheek. "Yeah."

    "Thank you." He smiled dreamily at her.

   "But Scott.... Should I be worried?" Anna asked him. She had a feeling that something about Amanda appearing back into their lives would not be a good thing.

    "Worried? Oh sweetheart, why should you be worried?" Scott was concerned.

    "I don't know..." She shrugged, sighing. "Maybe because Amanda is—"

     "Hey, sweetheart listen, you have nothing to be worried for. All right?" He gave her an assuring look.

   Anna finally smiled, nodding her head in agreement. "Yeah."

   Scott leaned forward, kissing her lips and Anna kissed him back. Almost immediately Scott's phone ran. He pulled away. "One second." He gave her a quick peck on the lips before reaching out for his phone at the inner breast pocket of his suit. It was Chad calling.

  "What's up?" He said after placing the phone over his ear.

   "Hey, uh, where are you?" Chad asked casually.

   "I'm at Anna's place." Scott answered, smiling at Anna who had began eating from his plate.

    "Right. So... Is the phone on speaker?"

   "No." Scott answered right away.

   "Then I hope this is a good time for you to come over to your place. I'm waiting for you."

     "Really? Why?"

     "The paternity test results came in, you might wanna come over to check it?"

   Scott's mood instantly changed. He frowned, and his voice got deeper. "Did you open them? What did it say?" He was indeed curious.

      "I didn't open any of the results." Chad revealed.

    "Okay fine I'm on my way then." Scott told Chad.

   Anna looked at Scott, waiting for him to end his call. And when he did a few seconds later, she started, "You're leaving?"

   He cleared his throat, running his hand down his hair. "Yeah. Work."

   "Oh. It's a shame." Anna raked her fingers through her hair. "I thought you were gonna pass the night here."

    "I thought so too, but work came up." Scott pulled her close. "Come here." He gestured for her to come sit on his lap.

    Anna straddled him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I hope it's nothing serious."

    "Not really." He said, placing kisses on her lips.

    "Stop teasing me Mr Ontario." Anna locked his lips with hers, and she kissed him slow and passionately. Tasting every part of his tender lips and delicious mouth.

   Isla walked in on her parents while they were kissing.  "Ewwww, you're both disgusting." She made a gagging noise.

    Anna broke away from Scott, turning to Isla. "Peaches just close your eyes for one second, please? Your dad and I want to have a moment." Anna said to the little girl.

    "No! Mommy I'm hungry." Isla frowned at Anna, pouting her lower lip with her hands folded over her chest.

    "Sweetie come here." Scott gestured for Isla to come closer.

    "You might as well say goodbye to your dad." Anna got up from his laps and Scott placed Isla on one of his laps.

   "My angel." He kissed the top of her head. "How's my little girl huh?" Scott kissed Isla's forehead.

    "Why are you leaving? Stay daddy." Isla placed her head against his chest.

     "I promise, the next time I come for dinner I'll stay." Scott promised her.

   "Pinky promise?" Isla looked up at him.

   "Pinky promise." He held his hand above his head.

    "You know what I think, we should move into your penthouse. It's much bigger than this place. Then we will be together always." She turned to Anna. "Mommy let's move in with daddy, please mommy please." The girl begged.

     Anna glanced at Scott and back to her daughter. "Uh Isla, your dad and I are —"

   "You love each other mommy, so what's stopping you?" Isla interrupted her.

    Scott decided to butt in and help Anna out. "Baby girl guess what, daddy's gonna show you around his office on Friday. How about that? A little tour around my place of work, just me and you... What do you say?" He grinned at Isla who looked skeptical about the idea.

   "I don't know." Isla shrugged, not showing enthusiasm. "Well okay." She finally nodded. "Would I get plenty of ice creams with different flavors?"

    "Sure! As many as you want my princess."

     "I want to hundred! No... Thousands!" Isla squealed happily, counting with her fingers how many flavors she was yet to taste.

   

   Anna escorted Scott to his car, and Scott decided to throw in Isla's idea.

    "Isla's idea isn't bad at all. We should move in together." Scott told her as he leaned against the car.

   "That's a huge step into our relationship. I don't know if that's the best idea for now." Anna told him.

    "Why not?"

   Anna shrugged. "We are taking our relationship slow and steady. I don't want us to rush into something we aren't ready for."

     "Anna I'm ready for anything. Why are you always holding out on me?" Scott shook his head.

   She bit her lip. She didn't want to tell him that she was still scared and afraid. She didn't want to put all her eggs in one basket one day only for things to change the next. Yes, Anna loved Scott but the fear she always felt whenever she recalled what happened seven years ago, it would always weigh her down, letting her think she wasn't enough.

   "What are you thinking about?" Scott pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. "God, you smell so fucking nice that I might wanna fuck you here.

   "What?!" Anna gasped, slapping his chest. "You're so dirty." But she smiled.

    Scott laughed, "hey it was a joke! Ow! That hurt a lot." He held his chest, chuckling. "I just wanted you to smile because you seemed I don't know.... Outta space?" He said, looking down at her. "What are you thinking of? Tell me." Scott urged her to talk.

    "Nothing," she shook her head, trying to shake off every thought. "It's nothing." Anna stood on her toes and placed a kiss on his lips while he encircled his arms around her, lifting her off her feet.
🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱

  Daniel had heard the knock on the door and he went to answer. The person behind the door smiled at him while he looked surprised to see her.

    "What are you doing here?" He frowned at her.

    Amanda only smiled with her lips glistering bright red. "Hi Daniel. I was hoping we could talk for a bit."

    "What makes you think I'd wanna talk to you? Please leave." He told her as politely as he could.

    "Aw, you see, that's why I prefer you to that moron brother of yours. You know how to treat a lady. How on earth didn't I fall for you?" Amanda chuckled. "Such a charming gentleman."

    "I have no time for this, excuse me." Daniel said, about to close the door when Amanda immediately stops him.

    "There's something you should know. I promise, it would be worth your time." Amanda gave him a small smile.

    Daniel gave her a long stare before sighing and letting her in. "You have two minutes." He said, closing the door behind him

      Amanda looked around the living room and nodded. "Nice place. Not as extravagant as your brother's but nice."

    "Get on with it." Daniel didn't have time for chit chat.

    "Seeing you're the only one who I think would be able to be welcoming and—"

    "Don't you dare beat around the bush, I wouldn't think twice calling my security on you." He said, placing his hands into his pants pockets and still acting like the cool person he was. 

    Amanda smiled, flipping her hair. "Look, I know almost everyone in your family despises me. Tell you what, I don't care. Scott hurt me and he has to pay for his sins."

    Daniel nodded slowly. "You have issues with my brother, none of my business. Okay now get out." He walked up to Amanda taking her by the arm and pulling her towards the entrance.

   "No, no, stop," she tried to struggle desperately to get out of his grip. "Stop, Daniel! No, wait, st- I'm pregnant." Amanda finally revealed to him.

   "Okay..." He had heard but he didn't care, he kept pulling her towards the door.

   "Daniel it's Scott's. I'm carrying Scott's fetus!" Amanda yelled out.

   Daniel stopped on his tracks and looked at her with a questioning raised brow.

    "I'm carrying Scott's fetus." Amanda repeated. By this time her hair had already smudged her lipstick.

   Daniel frowned. He looked at the hand he was using to grip her before letting her go. "Why come to me when there's Scott to tell?"

     "He knows. The asshole knows that I'm expecting yet he keeps on denying it." Amanda said to Daniel.

   "Well yeah, considering the kind of person you are, I'm not surprised he did." Daniel said, narrowing his eyes at her.

   Amanda scoffed at him. "You don't know me, so don't say shit! I was faithful to your brother when we were engaged. I'm not some dog bitch that goes fucking any available person. He was the only person I had been with..." She shook her head. "Just him."

     "Why are you here? To tell me this? I don't care about your relationship with my brother okay? I don't care Amanda. It's up to both of you to figure your shit out." Daniel told her plainly.

    "Oh come on Daniel!" She bitched at him, throwing her hands up. "We both know that the woman Scott's with is the woman you love!"

   Daniel watched her, walking around like she owned the place.

    "That woman is the reason Scott ditched all our plans and refused to marry me. Now I want him to suffer for what he did to me!" Amanda turned to look at him with a smug look. "We both need each other."

     "I don't need you." Daniel frowned at her.

    "Oh you will," she smirked. "You will when I tell you my perfectly planned out scheme." Amanda smirked mischievously at Daniel who just kept frowning.