CHAPTER 51

Adriana tiptoed out of the room, thinking her kids were asleep. It had been a very exhausting day, one without Noah in the picture. She had hoped he would reach out, call, or something, but it's been silent for three days now. Having tucked the kids in bed, she yawned and started to leave but was barely out when they sat up. Not that she saw them. Her back was turned to the twins.

"I can't sleep mom." Ethan called, rubbing his eyes.

Their mother stood rigidly in the middle of the room, trying desperately not to sigh out loud. She turned back to see both kids seated on their bed and the first thought that crossed her mind was, 'Noah could have handled this better'

"Kids?" She questioned walking back into the room, also putting on an act. She hopped like a frog back to them. They kids smiled at her.

"I can't sleep, mom." Ethan repeated himself when she got to his bed, "Neither can I" Elizabeth said too.

'Not tonight' she muttered under her breath. Elizabeth immediately left her bed and joined her twin and her mother on Ethan's, her eyes were wide with expectations. Adriana's eyes grew wide at what they wanted, "No, no. not tonight." She said shaking her head, trying to dissuaded them but they didn't look like they would budge.

"Please" Ethan pleaded. "Mom, it's been a while." Elizabeth pleaded too.

"It's way past your bed time. I can't tell any story." She was adamant.

The kids looked at her with sad eyes, "Just one." Ethan pleaded again.

She couldn't do this to them, she thought. Moreover, the earlier they have this done, the better for everyone. Thankfully, they didn't ask about their father yet. She could at least do this and they wouldn't be asking questions she had no answer to "Okay, okay."

"Thank you, mom." Chorused both kids.

Like their father, she sat in between them. That was the best way to avoid them throwing punches at each other every slight chance they got. "So, which story are we interested in tonight?" she asked, rubbing their heads.

Both of them pondered over it for a while. "The lion and the elephant?" Elizabeth suggested. "No. why would you listen to that. She's told us this story over a hundred times." Ethan cautioned, "How about the dancing monkey?"

"Well, you've heard that a hundred times too. So, no" Elizabeth threw back at her brother.

Their mother watched them argue back and forth before coming in. "How about we listen to one you both haven't heard before?"

They nodded in agreement. "Yes. Like the one dad was telling us that night before she slept off." Ethan added. "We both slept off" Elizabeth said refusing to let him bully her again, "You slept off first."

"You were dozing, snoring like a cow. Moo, moo." Ethan teased. "And you like an elephant. Boo, boo." Elizabeth shrieked loudly.

"Kids." Adriana cautioned before they go into another bout of arguing contest. "What's the story anyway?"

"The owl." Ethan said. "The owl that sleeps at night." Elizabeth corrected proudly. Ethan gave her the evil eye.

Something about their constant fights made their mother worried, so she asked "If someone slaps your brother, what do you do?" she turned to Elizabeth.

"I'd slap the person hard." She was so serious about it that Adriana had no doubt she meant it. "He always does the slapping though." She smiled at Ethan who grinned happily

"I do that only when they disturb her, mom." He quickly chip in.

Their mother was happy to hear that. She was going to ask their teacher in school tomorrow to be sure. The way they were at each other's throat at home was ridiculous. She would hate that they do this outside. "Always have each other's back, okay?" she said and they both nodded then said, "Okay, mom"

She pulled them for a group hug. When they all let go, she smiled at them. "Now, do you remember where dad stopped?"

"Yes" they chorused. Ethan then said, "The owl fell sick and he slept all night. Then he woke up during the day when all his other owls were asleep."

"Yes. And he was bored. So he stepped out to find something to do. That was when he discovered the new world that was brighter and more colorful at daytime."

That was exactly where Noah had stopped the other night. She didn't let them know she heard the tale too. "I'll just pick it up from there." She said, "Well, when the owl stepped out and saw the world different, he fell in love with the new world. He wanted to share the details with the other owls, but they were asleep. Lost as to what to do, he tried waking them up. But they continued to sleep, pleading with him to let them play when they awake later."

"Sad." Elizabeth murmured.

"Yes. Finally, the owl got out to tour the world. He wanted to see as many things as he could so he could tell the others about it. So he went round the stream, noticed the difference in color of almost everything. He saw humans playing and talking. The humans never talked so loudly at night. He had never seen them talk. All they do was whisper. The owls had assumed, humans whisper."

The kids laughed.

"The owl saw the trees that they climbed at night. They were so tall, big and scary. Had they seen them these scary at night, he was sure they wouldn't climb them. But generally, the brighter world was better. You could see and hear everyone. It was safer. There was no danger of falling into trap like they do most nights. He had lost countless friends to human traps. He had a feeling that doesn't happen during the day when you could see everything clearly. There was also plenty to eat; fruits and food. He ate to the full."

"Wow!" Ethan smiled, "I'd prefer a brighter world any day over countless nights."

"Me too." Elizabeth said.

"Then it started getting dark and the other owls began to wake up. The owl who had witness daytime kept telling them how bright the world was. He told them stories of his adventure, which they found insane. The leader concluded his sickness had messed with his brain especially when he fell asleep while telling them his adventure"

The kids chuckled, "He must have been exhausted." Elizabeth said

"He was. But the owls didn't see it that way. They assumed he was still sick. They let him sleep while they went about their nightly duties. By the time they were done, it was almost day time and they started dozing off one after the other. Again the sick owl woke up. Since they were asleep, he began another tour of the world. He was quite sad that he couldn't make the others believe him. There was really no way to make them see this brighter world. So, he sat down by the stream watching the flowing water. And that night, while the others wake, he slept."

The kids yawned.

"This continued until one day, the owl saw some kids playing with a phone. He moved closer and saw the solution to his problem. He quickly made friends with a 'mini human' like he called them. His friend was an eight-year-old boy."

"Like us?" Ethan asked

"Yes, like you both. The boy helped him take pictures of the world as proof for his sleeping fellows. When they woke up, the owl presented them with a proof of the world. The other owls were amazed at how bright everywhere was. They decided to see things for themselves. That day, they chose not to sleep. And they stepped out in twos and threes to see the bright world. It was as they had seen on the phone. They were amazed."

When the kids yawned again, Adriana decided to let them go to bed. "We should stop here. But you should know the story just began from here."

"Really?" Elizabeth asked sleepily

"The owl had a proposal for the others," Their mother said, "But that is a story for another night."

"Okay, mom." Ethan said, "Thank you, mom." Elizabeth said. Their mother kissed them both on their heads and lifted Elizabeth out of bed. She placed her gently on her bed and covered her up. The young girl murmured her thanks and was soon asleep. Adriana turned to check on Ethan too. The little boy had slept. She pulled the duvet higher to cover his chest and neck then quietly walked out of the room.

$CHAPTER

CHAPTER 52

The moment Logan Thames stepped out of the car with a smug look plastered on his face, the security team at Valdez Company became alert. He was quickly stopped at the gate and delayed slightly while James informed Jason of his presence. Everyone knew there was bad blood between them, and Logan walking into their premises wasn't seen as a friendly visit. If anything, there wasn't anything friendly in his approach. Logan deliberately chose the meanest of his men for his security detail. A man dressed in a pink shirt and blue trousers followed them with big rimmed glasses, looking sheepishly at everyone. While the men were being searched, Logan stated his mission and threatened that any delay would cost their boss millions. James was quick to patch this through to Jason. It was up to him to let them in.

Sam scoured the men thoroughly then whispered to James through the ear pod that the men came unarmed. James then passed the information to their boss.

"He came with who again?" Jason asked James, who stood at his desk. His right hand was buried deep in his pocket. He pressed the ear pod and listened to Sam filling him in on the current situation. Even though the search was done, the man was to be held down for any reason. Unless Jason wanted to see him and gave the order, Logan should stay blocked from entering into the office. When James informed Jason of the two muscles Logan, with, he asked them to be restrained, but the other man should be let in.

"Don't let his men in. Just him." James said to the man on the other end. Then looking at Jason, he replied, "He came with his two security which we are holding down. There's another man, though. He is on glasses, looks like a nerd. I'm guessing he's the computer guy."

The way he said 'computer guy' made Jason smile. It was apparent James didn't see any relevance in being a 'computer Guy'. They had argued that over the years while growing up, most times. James would be angry because Jason focused more on his computer than him whenever he had something important to complain about. Jason as a boy, was always bent on his laptop, either fixing something or learning new tricks. It pissed James off. One day he had busted out angrily, "What do you always bend over this thing for?"

Jason had turned to look at him, amused. "It solves all my problems." He had shrugged it off and continued.

"Really?" James wasn't amused, "So, I'm here telling you about my father going on about my mom. He's deliberately an asshole on a killing rampage, and that" he pointed at the laptop, "That will provide the answer I need." He scoffed.

"Not exactly." Jason replied, still bent over the laptop. He fixed what he needed to be done on the computer and stretched. Standing up, he looked at his newfound friend. The boy was a mess. His hair was unshaved, and he looked like he hadn't eaten. He let that slide while he looked around for what to give him. "It could be what you need to take off your mind." He told his friend, but before James could reply with another smart response, he asked about his father. "Did you say your dad is killing people?"

"Yes." He replied, sliding in the chair beside Jason, "He thinks my mother was killed. He almost shot his colleague at work."

Jason sat up straight, "Wow." he exclaimed.

"Exactly." James slurred, "Mom died naturally. Why can't he just accept that?" noticing how the other boy kept looking around, he asked, "You looking for something?"

"Yeah. Not really." He replied, turning to his friend, then added, "Your dad has always been cool-headed. He must have been hurting."

"So is everyone."

"Adults. I'll never understand them." he smiled at his friend, "Which is why I still think this computer is more fun. I can understand every bit of it."

"Nah. There's nothing understandable about that." James refused to accept that.

He finally found the pizza box he had ordered earlier and stood up to retrieve it. When he brought it out and opened it, James went at it with enthusiasm. As they ate, Jason offered that him his laptop, "Want to try?"

After series of pleading, James moved closer to the laptop and tried his hands on it. He couldn't do anything reasonable for minutes, and he gave up. "See? Not for me." he said and stood up.

"You didn't even try." Jason told him. They swapped positions, and he went to work. He was soon lost in the computer work that he didn't James had left until hours later. The next time they saw, Jason was telling him about going to Ukraine to study.

"Let me guess." James had said sarcastically, "Coding." The ecstatic look on his face was what he needed to confirm his suspicions. "Look." he told Jason, "You're rich. You can have anything you want. Which is why I'm asking, why travel to Ukraine to learn when you can have Ukraine here?"

Jason looked at him. Confused, he told him plainly "I don't get you."

"Do you want a repeat of your school episodes that you told me about?"

"No." He said with so much vehemence that James laughed.

"Then, have tutors coach you here. You have an empire to run as it is."

"That could work." He agreed, and that was precisely what he did. It had been James who advised him to get trained right here in Miami by the world best. All he did was travel to write his examinations which could be done at home, but he chose to go. It was a way of seeing the world. However, even though James gave him the smart idea, he never liked the computer. And he didn't hesitate to voice it either. Each time he walked on their classes, he'd snicker and grumble all through. Most times, he simply turned back. Jason learned to accept him just the way he is. Which was why even now, he didn't let that look on his face bother him.

"Let them in." Jason said, leaving his seat. He went to sit in the conference room centered in the middle of his office. He mostly held his meetings there. The place was wide enough to keep them apart while providing him ample view of the other man. There, Logan could state his mission while he monitors his every move.

As the secretary walked the two men in, Jason nodded grimly to Logan while fixing his gaze on the other guy. James had been right; he was the computer guy. Anders, Was it? He had walked with the guy a little back then when they had that project. But Key had been the one who hit it off with the guy more.

Key was the Valdez' computer hacker. Though his real name is Dylan, he had been nicknamed Key because he was so good at logging into any system or account, undetected. He was known for unlocking the most complex virus code. He could untangle a long list of codes in seconds. He was that good and loyal too.

Key had stayed with him through thick and thin. He protected the company's information so well he was often teased for always backing up his file every day before going home and building strong firework to protect the files. He had never once divulged any company's information. Key was that loyal. But he could bet the man wasn't loyal about Anders. He was always happy to meet nerds like himself. Though he knew Jason wasn't on good terms with Logan since the incident, he was sure key and Anders communicated back and forth.

If Anderson was here, Jason had a feeling he would need his computer analyst too. From all indications, this visit was official, not personal. He could say that. It wasn't like they had anything to discuss about. Evangeline? Nah! Logan would have some balls to walk into his lair and raise that issue. Every time they had both met at Evan's, the result wasn't ever a friendly atmosphere. This looked calm enough. Anderson already had his laptop out and was fumbling with some things on it.

He offered them the seats opposite him. This placed the men farther from him but closer to the CCTV, which monitored everything Anderson was doing on the screen. Just in case Logan wanted him doing something crazy.

When the men were seated, the secretary who had been standing close by asked what they wanted, and Logan asked for coffee, creamy, while the nerd asked for tea instead.

"Add honey, no sugar for me please." He said.

Jason smiled at him, "Anders?"

"Yes. I am... Sure. You remembered." He stuttered.

While the man blushed, Jason replied gruffly, trying to shake the man a little. It was fun watching him stutter. Logan steamed silently beside Anderson, obviously irritated. "I do. You left an impression." Turning to James, he whispered that Key be brought in. His presence would be needed. James nodded and went to another corner of the room to badge the order.

The secretary walked in with their tea and coffee, served the men, including Jason. She knew already what he'd want. Once done serving the drinks, she excused herself just as Key walked in. The instant he saw Anderson, his face brightened. Logan looked from one to the other as the two men literally face-greeted each other, ogling each other in such an irritating way. Sighing, he boomed, "Guys? Really?"

The men giggled like primary school girls, and Key settled in the chair opposite Anderson with a proud beam. "Fancy running into you again like this." he greeted, then said, "Mr. Thames." as a formal greeting of the man sitting stoically on the other side.

"Hello." Logan greeted. He smirked, then turned to Jason. "Now, can we get down to business. I have something that will interest you." He said with a grin.

CHAPTER 53

Right about that time, Evangeline was driving angrily towards their home. She was hoping to meet them all at home and give them a bit of her mind. What Jason had told her yesterday was disturbing. How was she to move past their soiled past and explore her growing feelings for him? She drove into the compound and stormed out, only to be greeted by the twins. They ran to hug her. Evan stooped down to cuddle them fondly. Whatever anger she felt dissipated temporarily while she hugged them. Their mother came out too. The kids let go, and each went to get the backpack their mother came out with.

"Hey, sis." Adriana greeted her as she quietly closed the door. She hushed the children as she dragged Evangeline to the car.

"What's going on?" Evan asked, a little thrown off by the gesture. She was in no mood for quietness. Some noise is what she craved now.

"The kids?" She eyed her twins meaningfully as they arranged their lunch bags. Adriana then walked with Evan to her car, where she parked roughly, "Why don't you park your car properly and join me? I'm taking the kids to school. I also want a word with their teachers."

Before Evan agreed, she asked, "Are they having issues in class?"

"No." Adriana said, "We're running late. Would you mind getting in the car and letting's talk? I assume there's a reason you're here this morning looking disheveled and angry?"

Evangeline looked through the side windscreen and laughed at how her hair was a mess. Her pale skin a contrast to the blond color of the hair. She hadn't checked herself before stepping out. The instant Jason had left, she had dressed up hurriedly and driven down here. He had explicitly told her to stay put. That he was okay with what he just discovered, plus the threat on their lives, but she wasn't falling for that. She needed to hear it from her dad. "I'm so furious with dad." She whispered, trying to get her hair in a neat bun. Her sister moved closer to help her adjust it. "What's with the parents?"

"What?" Adriana asked, feigning ignorance.

"Don't you dare." She looked at her sister with disapproval, "Either you tell me or I go storming in there like I planned to."

"Hey, Thatcher, chill."

"So?" Her quirked eyebrows asking all the questions, "Yes?"

Sighing, she said, "I saw them kissing last night."

"Eeww!!!" Evangeline feigned displeasure

"I didn't want to tell you." She teased as Evan pretended to puke.

The twins were settled in the car by now. Elizabeth peered at the adults and screamed, "Mom, we'll miss the first class."

Adriana walked back to her car while Evan parked her vehicle properly in the garage and joined them. "Shall we?" she looked at her pregnant sister, "Belt up?" She said before looking at her stomach, "You're showing."

Evan rubbed her stomach through the sheer material she had on, "Jason noticed it first. Even I didn't know." She smiled brightly.

"Wow." Adriana said and started the car. "Kids?" she peered at them through the front mirror. They were well seated and on their seat belt. "Good."

"Linne?" Elizabeth called Evan, who turned to look at her. "Will you stay with us tonight?"

Evangeline gave her sister the eye before replying, "No, why?"

"You always stay with us any time you're in Miami. But mom said we would be staying at Grandmas awhile."

"Oh, right. I won't be staying with you guys. Okay? I have a place." She dragged the last word, smiling at the little girl, "But I'll come over every now and then."

"At grannies? Good. I missed those chocolate bars." Elizabeth said.

"Okay. I'll bring them when coming."

"Thanks, Linne." She said. Ethan, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly asked, "And why hasn't dad called?" He seemed upset. His mother looked at him through the mirror. He hadn't mentioned it, neither had his sister. But he obviously looked upset.

"We can call him tonight when you get back." She told him

"We will." The boy said, looking away. He was angry.

Adriana sighed as she steered the car into their school gate. A parent saw her and honked. She did the same even though she didn't see who it was. She was a little distracted. Evan noticed this and asked quietly if he was okay. "I don't know." She replied. When she parked the car, Ethan was the first to jump out. His mother followed him immediately.

Evangeline pulled Elizabeth aside and asked what was going on. The little girl fumbled with her dress as she explained what she knew of her brother's mood.

"I think something about what grandma said got him angry." The little girl said as she started walking towards their class. Adriana and Ethan had turned a corner in the opposite direction. The two changed course, and they walked towards the place to join them. It wasn't the way to their classroom.

"What did grandma say?"

"She said dad is better off where he is. Ethan thinks he means dad shouldn't come home. Grandpa met him, I think."

Evangeline felt really angry now, "You must have heard it all wrong." She tried pacifying the little girl. "He'll call tonight. You can speak with him. Okay?"

They were with Adriana and Ethan now. The little boy was crying and, in between sobs, relayed what he had heard. Evan caught the last part. It was what his sister had said. "Shush. It's okay." his mother petted, "Grandma didn't mean that. She must have been talking about someone else."

"Yes." Evan put in, "She meant another Noah. My secretary. Not your dad."

"You're sure?" The little boy asked, rubbing his face.

"Yes." Both women said and exchanged looks. The bell for first-class rang, and Elizabeth started to fidget excitedly.

"We should go. I really don't want to miss first-class."

Worried, Adriana hugged her son. "Be good today for mommy." He smiled, and she visibly relaxed. Then she pecked Elizabeth, "You're okay?" She asked, wondering why the girl wasn't crying too.

"I'm fine." She assured her mother. "He heard it. I didn't. And I told him he couldn't have heard that right."

"Your sister is right, alright?" Evan said. The boy nodded, hugged his mother and aunt and started walking towards the class with his sister. "Bye." They waved. The adults waved back. Once they were out of earshot, Evan began to call Mrs. Swiss. Her sister snatched the phone away from her and disconnected the call.

Breathing heavily, she pouted, "She seriously needs to back off. What's with her and that attitude? Exactly why we you should have let me have that talk with her."

Adriana shrugged and pulled her sister towards the teachers' room, "I'll speak with her when I get the chance today."

"We should do it now."

"Before that, I need to speak with Ms. Thorn. The twins are always at each other's necks. I want to know if they do that in school too." she pulled her sister into towards the staff quarters. Evan was silent all the way there. At the entrance, she stood, not interested in seeing anyone right now. But her sister literally pulled her into the room. Six peers of eyes greeted them. "Hi." Adriana greeted them all. "Hi." Evan greeted them, too.

"Hello." the teachers smiled at them. Ms. Thorn recognized Adriana, and she immediately stepped out to speak with them. She ushered both women into the adjourning room so they could have some privacy.

"How may I help you?" She asked, "Did Ethan and Elizabeth do something wrong?"

"No. It's all good. I'm just worried about their performance and maybe their behavior too."

Mrs. Thorn smiled, "You have nothing to worry about those two. They are top of their classes. Both of them are exceptional. Academically, they keep making us proud. They represent us in inter-quiz competitions and debates." Looking at the mother, she smiled broadly, "Most of which you know already."

"Yes." Adriana replied, smiling.

"How about their morals?" Evan asked, seeing as her sister was busy blushing about her kids' academic prowess, "Like do they fight or something?"

"Not that I know of. Those two are well-behaved. Anyone who touches Elizabeth has to deal with Ethan. He protects her that much. I think that makes the pupils not to pick on them. So heroic." The teacher said.

It was precisely what she had wanted to know, "Thank you, Ms. Thorn." Adriana said.

"Anytime," the teacher replied. "That's it?" Both women nodded.

"Thank you for taking such great care of them." Evan said as they took their leave.

Walking them to the door, Mrs. Thorn greeted both women and returned to the larger office she shared with the others. Adriana and her sister walked by the twins' classroom to check on them. Ethan was seated in his chair reading. His teacher wasn't in class yet. He looked okay, and that was a relief. Adriana felt proud of him for taking good care of his sister. He mentally set up a treat for him sometime soon.

The next class to Ethan's was his sister's. Elizabeth was seated, listening with apt interest to the teacher. Adriana smiled. Now she knew why she had been eager to get to school on time. The first period was a French class. Elizabeth was one kid who loved saying the same word in a different language. At age five, she was able to pick up a couple of Japanese words simply by listening to the old Japanese women across their home. She loved Spanish too. French was another favorite for her.

The instant the French teacher was done explaining, her hand went up. "Mademoiselle?"

"Qui." The teacher responded.

"How do I introduce my friend in French?"

"For one, you started wrong. How do we ask questions in French?" the teacher chastised gently.

"Je Suis désóle." She apologized and switched to French.

Evangeline smiled as they walked away from the class, "She's a brainier, that one."

"Indeed, she is." Adriana replied as they got in the car. Turning to her sister, she asked, "Now, baby sis, why are you so mad at the parents?"

"They are keeping things from us. Did you hear what Elizabeth said? They met with Noah and didn't tell us. I thought we're in this together."

"Wait, what?"

"Yes. She said it. You were with Ethan then."

"Really." She sighs heavily, then sighed, "I get why he'd keep it away from me, though." she scoffed, "So, he's in town and didn't call or text."

"It's a difficult phase for you both. I'm sure there's a reason he went to them." She explained, "Like how they didn't tell me Jason's parents were murdered during the war too."

"Again?" She looked tired, "Okay, that's bad."

"I know, right" She leaned on the car seat. "And to think I just slept with him."

"Wait? You did what?"

"I know." She covered her face, "I couldn't help it."

"You're getting me wrong, Evan. I mean, it's good you guys are getting along. There's nothing wrong with having feelings for your baby daddy. And he's single, handsome. Why not?" She shrugged

Peering at her sister through her fingers, which remained glued to her face, she asked, "Even when my parents may have played a key role in his parents' death?"

"They didn't kill them!" She said, shaking her sister. "Come on." She pulled her hands away from her face.

"I know. I just feel weird about it. He's totally cool with it. But I can't wrap my head around it." She looked at Adriana seriously, "It's...."

"How was it?" Adriana asked, distracting her.

"Like, I don't know you just want me distracted." She rolled her eyes.

Starting the car, her sister insisted, "Start with the juicy part. Tell me all about it."