CHAPTER 4

Since Elysia was the only family Nana had, Orion had made sure to hire nurses to take turns in looking after Nana in her absence.

"You seem a little cold today," the jolly old woman noticed her bubbly granddaughter was unusually quiet.

Elysia had asked the nurse on duty to take the day off when she arrived so she could keep herself a little busy and distracted while she was there.

"I can't find the pear," she ignored Nana's comment and continued to wash, cut and throw the fruits into the blender.

"Silly girl, they are where they always are." Nana knew her very well, she knew that she was avoiding the topic.

The kitchen was well furnished with an oven, a small table at the center with chairs round it that served as a dinning area.

Nana liked to sit in the kitchen and watch as her meal was being prepared, in her youthful days, she had been a chef so she spent most of her time in the kitchen but she was not willing to part with the thrill of the feeling even if she could no longer prepare the meals herself.

"What do you do right?" Nana took the knife from her and peeled the Avocado herself before adding it in the blender.

"It's just that—" the sound of the blender over shadowed Elysia's voice so she stopped talking.

Nana paused.

"Were you saying something?" She feigned ignorance as she listened to what her little girl had to share.

Leaning on the counter, the dark haired beauty sighed and continued her story. "A lot has—"

Nana turned on the blender again once again drowning her voice. "Oh I'm sorry my child, I'm listening now." The older woman sought for a means to brighten up her mood.

"I won't say a thing again," she folded her arms across her chest and pretended to be upset.

"No my darling, I'm serious now." Nana put her hand on her throat and she believed her.

"Well what if— arrrrrghhh" Elysia screamed and laughed when again Nana put on the blender and for some reason, the laughter made her heart lighter, she felt more comfortable, the chocking feeling she had carried into the house had dissipated.

"That's the sound I've been looking for," Nana smiled and sat back in one of the chairs at the table giving room for Elysia to bottle the well blended smoothie.

"Thanks Nana," she gave her a quick hug before returning to her activity. The space in the kitchen wasn't very big.

Since Nana lived alone and barely had guests, she had requested for something moderate in minimalist style so it was easy to maintain.

"Don't ever lose that beautiful smile of of yours, now tell me how's my boy doing?"

Just as quickly as Elysia had found a reason to smile, she lost it, replaced by the sad feeling of her failing marriage.

"He's well and sends his greetings too." She didn't turn to face Nana, she couldn't just tell her that they were getting divorced, she wasn't sure how it was going to affect her Nana's health.

"I like that you both are making a lot of progress, soon I'll request a grandchild." Elysia's heart skipped a beat.

Her palms became sweaty.

"Nana what if this doesn't work out and we end up getting a divorce?" She sat by her and tested her reaction to the idea of a divorce between them.

"My child," Nana cupped her face with her right hand and squeezed her joint hands lightly with her left.

"Don't think like that, I believe you two can make it work." Blue eyes stared into puppy brown eyes.

"What if he doesn't like me enough?" She whispered, the weight of her emotions weighing down on her making her voice break.

"Come,"

Nana held her close to her heart, gently patting her hair. Elysia contemplated for a while.

She wasn't sure if telling her about the pregnancy was the right thing to do at the time so she refrained. Either ways, Orion had asked for a divorce which meant he was no longer interested in a future with her.

Telling him about the baby was only going to jeopardize his happiness, a baby meant a future together and his point was clear enough already with his divorce proposal. She wasn't selfish.

The vibration of her phone made her pull away from their hug.

"I'll be on my way," her response was short and so was her stay with Nana.

"Orion needs something, I'll have to leave early Nana," she quickly packed up her things and got ready to leave.

"It will all work out well my child," Nana reassured her before she left.

She had left earlier than she planned because Orion had called to inform her that his assistant was on her way to their house with the papers, she knew her signature was required so she wasted no time in getting home.

"Good day ma'am, " she met the polite young lady dressed in a neat coffee brown skirt suit in the person of Guevara, Orion's assistant.

"Hi, you should have a seat." Elysia was shocked to have met her already at home, everything highlighted that Orion was really serious about the divorce.

"A drink?" She asked courteously.

"No please, I'll be required to return to the office as soon as possible. " she smiled.

Of course, the papers had to be registered and maybe Orion had plans to do that right away. Elysia bit down hard on her lower lip fighting back the tears that threatened to fall.

She endured the sting in her eyes and the weight in her chest.

"Here are the assets and financial compensations that—"

"One million?" Elysia was shocked to see the amount she was offered. That was the first thing that got her attention.

"No, no. Please don't be offended, that's a typographical error, the secretary skipped a zero Ma'am." The assistant immediately explained, her face turning pale with the thought that Elysia was upset with the amount.

She scoffed.

"So ten million dollars. Orion is offering me ten million dollars for a divorce." She frowned, she had thought that he would change his mind magically since Nana told her they would work out but his offer made it clear to her.

Her fairytale love story was over.

"Ma'am if you have any complaints you can—"

"Never mind, it's fine if that's his offer. Pen please." She dismissed the assistant almost immediately, her disapproval and displeasure written all over her face.

When Guevara left their home she called her Boss.

"Tell me," his masculine bass sounded over the phone.

"She didn't look very happy about the offer." She paused and he sighed.

"How do you mean?" He asked.

"I think she sees the ten million as too small an offer but she signed it."

"We'll modify it when you get back," he hung up.

In his office, Orion threw his head back on his chair and massaged it, he felt a kind of pressure that he didn't understand. He was willing to do anything to keep Elysia happy.

Anything, but all she wanted really was for him to stay with her but that information eluded him.