Date The CEO.com

Chapter 307: Kids Can Change the World... or a Grump Old Man

Over the next few days, Eve and Ambryan fell into a routine. They had their breakfast along with Cale, Mikael, Jordan and Tiffany every morning. Eve would attend her classes while Ambryan retreats to their room for work. Sometimes he would leave the hotel for a casual meeting with foreign partners.

Then, for dinner, they'd drive out to explore a new place to eat. The rest of the night would be spent in their hotel room where Ambryan would resume his work on his laptop.

He propped an elbow on the desk and covered his mouth with his hand. Scrolling through the document, questions raised in his mind about the financial figures. The rest of the staff had gone home but he needed to learn why they resulted the way they did.

His chest rose up in deep sigh.

This meant he had another all-nighter ahead of him.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of crimson hair. Eve stood in front of the room's only full-body mirror. She had learned new poses during her sessions. The entire week had been dedicated to best model specific clothing items. Sometimes the photographers coached them on which angles worked best for their body.

She faced her body towards the right in 45 and pulled her right shoulder back, right hand on her hip. To emphasize her waist, she rested her right elbow against her side. Her left hand rested on the front of her thigh. 

The nightgown she wore had a straight-cut shape. 

But, now, her pose created folds that shaped her curves.

Ambryan watched silently as Eve tried to remember how to angle her face. She turned her head from left to right, lifted her chin up and tucked it downeven craning her neck. Her undone hair followed each movement like a waterfall over her back.

He could do this all day and not get tired of it.

Then, a thought occurred to him. The wardrobe Eve obtained were either sponsored by brands or borrowed. Their existence was to elevate the looks of her status but none of them were specifically acquired to suit her as her own personal style. She had to model for the brands in return.

His violet eyes flickered to his mobile phone. 

Paris was known as one of the fashion capitals of the world.

What was a better chance to shop than now?

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"Dear, have you heard about the incident with Kyle Rivers?"

Avery sat in the living room of Hathaway Manor. She wore her pink silk pajamas, waiting for her husband to come home. Her legs were perched up on the sofa while her back leaned on the armrest. Because of the floral pattern of the furniture, she seemed part of the decoration.

A servant helped Jackson hang his coat in the closet. He had returned from a business dinner that included several company associatesone of them notably being Venus Investments. He undid the knot of his tie but left it around his neck.

Avery put her magazine down and moved her feet to the floor. 

Jackson approached her, planting a kiss on top of her head.

"Had a rough night?" She asked as he sat down beside her. She scooted closer and lied on top of him with her arm around his waist. He began rubbing her back. She wondered if he was even aware of this habit.

"News spread fast about the Rivers' son." Her husband sighed, closing his teal eyes.

Avery placed her head on his chest and looked up at him. "Any rumors that they'd counter sue?" 

"Nothing yet." Jackson sighed again. He fluttered his eyes open and stared at the ceiling. "Let's face it. It's not the first time Kyle had done something outrageous. What they want to preserve is the family name. Private negotiations should start soon to avoid the public eye."

The meeting occurred every three months. As much as he wanted to focus on their agenda, his business associates couldn't help but gossip about the incident. It was understandable given that it had something to do with the investment from Venus.

They had played it off like they wanted to congratulate him for getting back.

But, in reality, they just wanted to know more about the aftermath.

"Do you think" Avery trailed off, biting her bottom lip. A nagging suspicion tickled her mind. She couldn't shake it off since finding out what happened. Some might say it was a ridiculous thought but the moment she thought about it, she thought of nothing else.

"No, I don't think so."

Her violet eyes widened at his face. "You didn't even know what I was going to say!"

Jackson looked in her direction with his eyebrows raised. They had been married for almost 30 years. How could he not know what she was thinking? "You were going to ask if Kyle was behind the fire at the new studio."

"Well" Avery felt her throat clog up. He got her there. "ButIt's not the first time he had done something outrageous?"

"He's not the only one outrageous in that family."

Her heart sped up when he dropped those words. Power struggle was a known issue within the Rivers Family. With Kyle behaving this way, others pounced at the chance to inherit the company. They kept the conflicts internal so far. 

But to attack Eros in order to get what they wanted wasn't impossible.

When Avery spoke again, her voice became small. "Will Ambryan and Evangeline be okay?"

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Jackson assured her. He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Just focus on the holidays. They'd face a lot together. A good party might be something they'd need soon."

The married couple sat in silence. Although he said it with good intentions, Avery barely had any energy to think about a party right now. Traces about the fire came to light piece by piece but they had a long way to go if they wanted to lead it back to its mastermind. Footage about the taxi crash also became sources for clues.

She wouldn't relax until they had been resolved.

"Are Eve and Ambyran in trouble?"

Avery and Jackson snapped their heads over their shoulders. Two innocent faces waited for their response. Both had a pair of almond-shaped brown eyes each. Cinnamon hair framed their faces and gleamed under the chandelier lights. 

"Girls, shouldn't you be asleep?" Avery asked. She sat up and narrowed her gaze at them. 

Ede placed her chin on the backrest of the sofa. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "But we got worried when you didn't leave the couch."

Eri followed her example. The twins stared at their guardians. Their under eyes had a tint of bluish purple. They had snuck into the kitchen for some milk when they noticed the madam in the living room and checked the time. 

They'd never seen her do that the other times they came down for milk.

Avery softened her expression. How could she resist such cuties? "Aw, thank you for staying, dears. We're just fine. Go to your room."

"Yes, Aunt Avery."

The twins bid them good night and ran up the stairs. Although they were in the clear, the couple could still change their minds. They didn't want to be around if that happened. 

Jackson observed the little girls. The house had never been livelier before they got here. Their music practice echoed around the placepleasant to the ears as well. They also interacted with the help. They always spoke their minds and shared their little sources of joy.

It was a far cry from when Ambryan moved in when he was close to their age.

"I wonder when I'll get a grandchild from our son."

Avery craned her neck to have a look at her husband. "You want a grandchild?"

"Can't I?" Jackson frowned.

"No, I just never heard that before."

He opened his mouth. Then, he closed it again. Of course, he wanted a grandchild. If possible, he wanted Ambryan and Evangeline to stay in the manor during that time. That way, he could see the baby easily whenever he was free.

"Then again, maybe I am getting ahead of myself," he thought out loud. "Marriage should be the next step. I should give Ambryan a call on his plans for a proposal."

Avery gaped, hardly believing what he just said. "Dear, they haven't dated for that long yet. You've barely met Evangeline all this time. How could you suddenly be this eager to have her as a daughter-in-law?"

"She's a smart woman."

"And?"

"Charismatic."

"And?"

"And a lot like my wife. What's a better qualification?" Jackson concluded. He wouldn't admit to it but the presence of kids was the real reason behind it. The younger they were, the more time to build a family. That also meant more time for him to make memories with the young ones around.

He couldn't wait to see what offsprings their genes would produce.

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"Ambee, why are we here?"

Eve trailed behind him, entering a boutique. The weekend had come and they had more the entire day free. Ambryan expressed that he wanted to start looking around for souvenirs. Avery loved it when he took the time in making a decision. Safe to say, Eve had left the hotel with the madam in mind.

A clothing store sounded reasonable.

Except, based on the sign, they used a traditional approachsuch as tailoring every piece of clothing to the wearer's measurements. They offered a variety of styles from day time wear to night time. Even one catalog contained popular designs from different eras.

Because of mass production, this practice dwindled but the shop continued to keep it alive. 

Not only did it take a lot of time before a customer could wear them but it also charged a significant amount of money. Eve pressed her lips together and clung to her purse strap.

What were they doing here? 

"Bonjour, madame et monsieur. Que puis-je faire pour vous?"

Ambryan approached the counter and scanned the wall behind the store representative. The display showed photos of their latest works. "Bonjour, mademoiselle. Avez-vous ce dsign disponible?"