15

This chapter is a special chapter. It is Liam's POV of chapters 5 when he meets Iris again and learns about Jace.

Enjoy 😊💕

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Liam Parker

I loosened my tie, hating how suffocating it felt. I unbuttoned the first button of my polo and laid my head momentarily against the headrest of my swivel chair.

Documents after documents. They never stop coming, damn it.

I've been stuck in this office for the past few days because with the many mergers that was going on. It was an overload of work, but it was necessary.

I turn around and pressed a button under my desk. The curtains automatically rolled up letting me see the view of the city in front of me. The glass floor to ceiling walls of my office let me enjoy the city view and take a break away from the tight grip of my work.

Cars drove by everywhere, looking like ants and people came and left looking like small dots from way up here.

I hadn't realized, but my mind went back to the same question that I've asked myself way too many times to count.

Don't go there, Liam.

I turn back to my paperworks and drown myself in it.

Don't think of anything else, do what you have to do.

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Hours passed on and I signed one of the last documents about the Coldplay Ent. merger. After this, I could go back to my condo.

As much of a workaholic I was, I still need to rest.

I grabbed another document and started reading it when I heard something from outside. My secretary seemed to be arguing with someone. Probably just someone trying to see me without an appointment.

I absolutely hated it when people did that. If they wanted to see me, they should do it professionally and book a meeting time, not just show up thinking like they're some big-shots.

However, minutes passed and my secretary still seemed to be in the same situation. Irritated, I stand up and walked towards the door. The muffled arguing started to become clearer and as I grabbed the handle of the door, pulling it open, I saw her.

Her.

I looked long and hard and moved my head in a way that I could see all of her. Is it really her?

And then she stared back at me and I knew she was real. It was really her.

But why? How?

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Parker. This lady was insisting to--"

"It's fine." I spoke out and closed the door behind me. Once she was out of sight, I took a deep breath and I hadn't realized that I was holding one out.

What is she doing here? Why would she be here?

However, I didn't have time to ask anymore questions. I saw on my chair and just moments after, she came in. It was really her.

I stared again, not minding that I was probably making her feel intimidated. She should feel that way. She should stay away from me, why in the world did she come back?

Everything was fine without her. I was fine without her. And now, out of nowhere she decides to come back?

I felt somewhat irritated and annoyed that she was here in front of me.

But another part of me wanted to run to her and embrace her. Of course, I pushed it aside.

I refuse to have her back in my life.

She looked different. Though she still had those same chocolate eyes that matched her hair and though her lips were still the cherry red they were, she looked different. Though she had a perfect femme-fatale look, her long wavy hair hang loosely by on both her shoulders, she seemed dejected.

Was seeing me again that bad?

I could say the same.

The look in her eyes didn't seem to incite any happiness either. Instead, they were cloudy and filled with thoughts. I observed as she looked around the room, probably noticing the changes in the office.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise." I say sarcastically.

"It's been quite a while." she replies and looks around some more. More irritation. Why is she here?

"Thing have changed ever since you left." I remind her and she finally meets my eyes. "Now, why don't you take a seat first, love." I tease. Instead of following what I said, she stayed in place and did something that I absolutely hated. She freakin bit her lower lip.

Was she crazy?

"You're right. Things have changed for the better." Strike one. I couldn't help the smirk that displayed on my lips.

"And that's why you're here?"

She stopped for a while and that sad look in her eyes deepened. Who made her that down?

"The reason I'm here... is not for me." Tears I hadn't noticed started falling off her eyes and my fists clench angrily. "It's for Jace."

At the sound of the name, I almost punched myself, flip my table, destroy everything, feel disappointed. Of course she's here to some sort of help for her new lover.

Though, I must say. She had some nerves saying that straight to my face. Did she forget that she was my wife? I wasn't irritated anymore, I was angry. My heart pumped faster at the emotion and made me to stand up and go towards her.

She presses further away only to realize that she was trapped. I wanted to smile and chuckle at her misfortune, but the tears in her eyes annoyed me, slowly infuriating me.

Being this close to her after a long time was hell. It was taking all of me not to put my hand up and pull her to me. Tell her I was sorry. Tell her the tr-- stop.

Don't go there, Liam.

Before I spoke, I make sure I brought out enough spite and hate, I made sure she felt it. "So you come back here, seeking help for your boyfriend? May I remind you th--"

"Stop. He's not my boyfriend, he's our son."

Blank.

And then the heavy feeling in my chest and shoulders. I felt like a giant boulder a million times my weight was dropped on me. My eyes widened more and more as I was realizing what Iris was saying.

I ask her again to be sure.

"J-Jace is the oldest... Then th-there's Jamie and Ja-Jacob's the youngest. "

Another bomb.

This time, I swear my heart had stopped beating. All of a sudden, a huge hole was dug in my heart. And then I felt it.

Hurt.

What the actual fu--

"Where are they?" I ask suddenly remembering her reason of being here.

"A-at my friend's house."

"And Jace?"

I wait for an answer. I wait for a reassuring answer that would tell me he was safe. Bur Iris cried some more and I was hurting some more.

Everything inside of me was crumbling. Questions started rotating in my head. I felt more and more uneasy as I waited for her answer.

"Iris. What happened to Jace?" I ask again, almost pleading her to tell me.

"He was kidnapped."

Iris Parker

I was getting the triplets ready for bed when a maid informed me that I had visitors.

My gaze immediately met Liam's who seemed just as shock as I was.

"Who is it?" Liam asked in my stead. The triplets stopped playing at were silenced too.

"It's Ms. Cassandra, Andrea and Xenia, sir." the maid said and kept her head down.

I immediately smiled as I heard their names. Of course, my best friends!

"I got it." I told Liam and I planted a kiss on each of the three. "Sleep now, okay?" I said sternly before I quickly left the room.

Cassandra, Andrea and Xenia were my best friends from childhood. Well, Andrea came in the group in high school, but still. I absolutely missed them.

Although I had Haley with me these last 3 years, and for that, I am eternally grateful to her, there were times when I was so tempted to call them.

We've known each other for so long and we depended on each other a lot so when they weren't by my side, it was extra hard.

As I strode down the stairs, a maid informed me that they were led to the living room. I thanked her and made my way towards the living room.

Sure enough, the three of them were here. Andrea and Xenia were sitting down as Cassandra was pacing back and forth.

All of their heads turned towards me and for what seems like eternity, we stare at each other like we couldn't believe that we were all here. Together.

I noticed how Andrea's black hair was short making her look more mature and sexy. Paired with her emerald eyes and pale skin, she was stunning.

On the other hand, Xenia's long curly brown hair reminded me of the sweet girl she was. But be warned. She was sweet and elegant, but she could turn to be your worst enemy if you make her hate you.

Cassie looked beautiful as ever with her blonde wavy hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Iris!" Xenia screamed as she ran towards me and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back of course.

"Oh my gosh, I missed you all so bad." Emotions surged through me. Longing, sadness, but most of all, joy that they were here now. That I was here now.

Although I wasn't planning to cry, when Cassie and Andrea hugged me, our tears started to fall. No words were said and for a while we were just there crying.

I hugged them tight because no words could ever express how much I missed them.

And then I felt a punch on my arm.

"Ow!" I complained. I let go of the person I was hugging to look at my attacked when I saw Xenia. Although she was crying, she still looked pretty.

"That's for disappearing for five years." she says and I smile through the tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I apologized. Andrea started wiping my tears, but hers were still pouring.

"That was very stupid and mean of you. I will never forgive you." she starts saying and I could only laugh.

I pouted and push her away. "I won't cook you food anymore." I taunted. That seemed to work because she immediately gasped, feigning hurt.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady." I hear Cassie say from beside me.

"Five years of explaining to be exact." Xenia butts in.

"You guys know that I will tell you all everything." They all smile immediately and my heart flutters at that. "But not today. It's already 10pm for goodness' sake! Who even told you that I was here?" I question. I tell them all to sit and we do.

"Mace slipped and Andrea called us all immediately." Cassie says. Andrea and Mace were cousins, you see. I playfully rolled my eyes and laughed.

Count on Mace to hide secrets. Not that my being back would cause much difference. It was the triplets that we wanted to keep safe.

"I missed you guys so much." I say again and I hug Cassie who was seated right next to me.

"It's your fault we got separated. Running off without a trace and without telling us, what were you thinking?!" Andrea says.

The other two nodded in agreement.

"We need to go out. Tomorrow. You'll tell us everythi--"

"Cassie, don't pressure Iris. She might not be ready to talk about it." Xenia hisses and Cassie stopped to think.

I shook my head as I chuckled. "No, I want you guys to know. Let's go tomorrow. Girl's night out?" I suggest.

At first, they looked unsure, save for Cassie, but then they grinned and started smiling.

"Tomorrow night it is."

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Liam stayed home with the triplets while I went out. Xenia picked me up and soon, we met up with Cassie and Andrea to our favourite restaurant ever since high school, Monroe's.

This was the place we came to to talk, reconcile when we had fights, gossip and if we just want to have a good time. We always took the table by the corner, right beside the window where we could see people passing by.

We ordered the same things and thank goodness the taste hasn't changed.

And that's where I tell them everything. From the time when I found out about Liam's schemes and his reason for getting to know me, for dating and for even marrying me. But it seems that they already knew all of that.

And then I told them about the triplets. Andrea, who was drinking, almost choked.

"You, what?!" Xenia exclaimed.

"You got pregnant?!" Cassie seconded.

"Who's the dad?" Is Andrea even serious with that question?

I laughed silently and Andrea slaps my hand.

"Tell us!"

"Of course, it's Liam. Anyways, they came out as triplets and--" but before I could even finish my sentence, they reacted once again.

"WHAT?!"

So I tell them everything. We were probably at the restaurant for hours because they kept interrupting whenever I continued with my narrative.

I tell them about my times alone with the triplets, how I was able to survive up till when Jace was kidnapped and how I asked Liam's help. And finally, on how we were here now.

There were some times when we shed a few tears, but in the end, we were all laughing. Just like the good old days.

It was then my turn to ask them about what they've been doing these past five years. Although I still kept track of their lives through the media, I still wanted to hear from them.

Andrea was a lawyer and she's been as busy as ever. I knew that she was very successful because I would often see her cases being published in news articles or being news report.

Xenia was a famous wedding-dress fashion designer. However, last that I heard, she was expanding to making gowns of any sorts because her dresses were much in demand although her clients weren't even getting married.

As for Cassie, she was an actress. I watched her movies and her TV shows as much as I could. Even the triplets know about her because I watched her so much. She had a huge fanbase, especially after she was cast as Athena, a famous superhero character from a comic book.

I was happy for them. They were successful, they got what they wanted and they've achieved their dreams. As for me, I don't really know. I always thought that I was gonna inherit my parents' business, but all that changed when I met Liam.

We talked the night away and some of the staff informed us that they were closing soon and that was when I noticed that it was already 11.

"I don't want to go home yet, I still want to spend time with you all before I go back to London." Xenia frowns.

"Ouh, I know! Let's go grab a few drinks!" Cassie suggests. Of course Cassie would suggest something like that.

"I'll have to say no to that, Cassie. I don't want my kids seeing me drunk."

"I agree with Cassie. Let's go have a few rounds. Plus, Iris. Liam's there to take care of them. They're asleep." Andrea reasons.

"I don't mind getting drunk with you all." Xenia says and I can't help but sigh.

"Sure, sure. Whatever."

But somehow, I had a bad feeling.

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