Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Alex POV

Both James and I—or maybe it's better to say, all of us—were shocked by the revelations today. We discovered so many bombshells. The CEO of the company isn’t just anyone; he’s none other than Ana’s ex-boyfriend, the one our friend has been looking for for a long time. But the most surprising part is that he has two very cute twins with him.

“F***, I can’t believe Ana has kids—twins, no less! There’s no denying that the kids are Dave’s. They’re like carbon copies of him, especially the boy. He’s got all the traits of his father,” I whispered to myself as I quickly pulled out my phone. Casually, I opened the camera and snapped a picture of the kids.

“Hey, bro! What’s that?” James asked, so I quickly turned to him, grinning mischievously, and showed him the picture on my phone.

“I’m sending this to Dave. I’m sure he’ll be shocked when he sees this,” I told him.

“I thought I was the only one who noticed how much the kids look like Dave! They’re like twin geckos when they’re put together,” James laughed.

“You’re right,” I replied, glancing back at my phone. “Damn, he’s replying fast.”

My eyes widened when I suddenly heard Ana’s voice, “Mr. Alexander Smith and Mr. James Santos, are you two listening?”

James and I both stood up straight, equally surprised.

“We’re dead!” James whispered.

“Yes, madam!” we both answered, clearly nervous.

“Okay, any questions about the anniversary or suggestions?” Ana asked, but since we hadn’t heard anything earlier, we just nodded and followed the others who said "No."

“Okay, meeting’s closed. Thank you everyone for attending. Ms. Snow, can you please gather my things, and you two,” she pointed at James and me, “follow me to my office.”

I swallowed hard. ‘We’re so dead! She probably noticed I took a picture of the twins,’ I thought to myself.

As we walked to Ana’s office, James checked in with her. “How have you been, Ana? It’s been so long since we saw you.”

“I’m a single mom now, but I’m happy because my kids arrived. By the way, meet my babies, Princess Xenna Clinton and Prince Xenno Clinton. Babies, meet Tito James and Tito Alex,” Ana said as she introduced the twins.

“Hi po!” Xenna happily greeted, making me smile.

“Hello po,” Xenno said seriously, looking exactly like his father, even in his demeanor.

“Hi, babies!” James and I greeted together.

“Please have a seat,” Ana said, then introduced her friend Tanya Snow. “By the way, meet my friend Tanya—25, single, and available!” she joked, making both James and me laugh.

“Oh, shut up, Ana!” Tanya rolled her eyes, though it was clear from her smile that she was a bit embarrassed.

James asked, “Can I invite you to lunch?”

“Sure! Where?” Ana asked.

“At Alex’s restaurant,” James answered, which stopped me in my tracks. I immediately turned to look at him.

“Wow, you have a restaurant, Tito Alex! Can I cook there?” Xenna asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Sure! Why not?” I replied. Who was I to refuse such a request?

“Yes! Tito Alex, I’ll cook lunch! Hmm, it’s only 10 AM, so I still have time,” Xenna said excitedly, giving us puppy eyes we couldn’t resist.

“Hehe, sorry Alex. She’s been wanting to cook and share it with others for a while now,” Ana explained, smiling.

“Wait, what about little boy?” I asked, looking at Xenno.

“Hacking!” I almost fell off my chair.

“W-what?” I asked, stunned.

“Ahh, he loves computers,” Ana said, a small smile on her lips.

‘Wow, he really takes after his father,’ I thought. “Well, your Tito James also loves computers, but he doesn’t know anything about hacking!” I joked, grinning at James.

I saw James smile, though he was clearly annoyed by my joke.

While replying to Dave, I thought about how I needed to tell him what the kids were into. I knew that ever since Ana had left his life, Dave had been miserable. He had no desire to live—he was always sulking in the office or at home. But now that Ana was back, I hoped Dave would get a chance to explain himself. I hoped that for the kids’ sake, he’d be given the chance to right his wrongs and make up for the time he lost.

As James and I walked into Ana’s office, I couldn’t help but remember Dave’s last days before Ana left his life. He seemed like a flickering candle, slowly losing his light. Once, we visited him at his house for drinks, but even then, he couldn’t settle. Every drink he had was accompanied by sobs and apologies to Ana. He always said, “I love you so much, Ana, more than anything.”

Dave, once strong and brave, became quiet and deep in thought. We all felt sorry for him, especially since he had no idea he had kids he left behind. As his friends, we were always there to remind him he wasn’t alone. But still, we could feel the emptiness inside him.

Now, Ana was here—she didn’t just come back for herself, but she brought two kids, the fruits of their love. I looked at Xenna and Xenno, and even though we had just met, I could feel their resemblance to their father. It felt like destiny had brought them together again, and I hoped that this would be the beginning of their happy reunion.

When we finally sat down in Ana’s office, we immediately noticed how much more alive she seemed. She wasn’t the same Ana we knew back then—she had a newfound strength and confidence, perhaps because of her children.

As we discussed plans for lunch, I felt my phone vibrate again. It was a message from Dave, and his excitement was obvious in his words. I paused for a moment to read his reply:

"What’s this picture you sent? I thought I would never see her again? Who are these kids, Alex? Do they have something to do with Ana?"

I smiled as I read Dave’s messages. I knew this was his chance to meet his kids. But of course, we couldn’t tell him right away. Ana needed time to explain everything properly, and Dave also needed time to think about how he would handle the responsibilities that unexpectedly came his way.

When the meeting ended, James and I stood up and said our goodbyes to Ana. “See you later, Ana. Let’s meet at my restaurant,” I said with a nod. Ana nodded back and smiled.

Before we left the door, Xenna called out to me, “Tito Alex, I’m so excited to cook for everyone later!” She giggled like there was nothing to worry about.

I smiled at Xenna’s innocent happiness. “We’re excited to taste your cooking, Princess Xenna,” I said with a wink.

As James and I walked away, I couldn’t help but think about how Dave’s life would change after today. I knew it wouldn’t be easy for him, but I believed this was the beginning of a new chapter for him—a chance to fix his mistakes and start anew with his family.