Divorced Heiress
Chapter 86

The last details with public relations were resolved, only waiting for the launch date of the new brand and working hard on my new project as soon as possible, it was hard for me to believe that everything was progressing so quickly. Sofia, the head of public relations at L&J, left the office after giving me kind words about her affection for my parents. I returned to my seat, once again observing the documents of the new company, and a knock on the door interrupted me. I left each document in order on the desk and approached the door to open it, Alexander's smiling face appeared before my eyes and I worried when I saw that he was not with Tristan.

-Where is...- I didn't even have a chance to finish formulating the question when I received a nonchalant response from him.

-Tristan was exhausted after playing some baseball, but I gave him a bath before, so don't worry about anything, Maga will let me know if he wakes up. He informed me, leaving me surprised by how much he has progressed with our son and I was overjoyed because I never imagined Alexander taking on his role as a father so well, how responsible and dedicated he would be. I blamed myself infinitely for the time I denied them of enjoying each other's company, I was so selfish.

-Hey, no, I don't want to see that sad face, I know what you're thinking and believe me, that no longer matters, it's in the past with all the bad things, what matters is now, the time I'm recovering with Tristan.- He said, surprising me with how he knew what was going through my mind and tried to make me feel better.

He succeeded when he put his hands on my back and pressed his body against mine, enveloping me with his warmth and his intoxicating perfume. I looked up to see his honey-colored eyes looking at me with a special sparkle.

-Tristan loves you very much.- I admitted directly and remembered Tristan's first impression, he was afraid of the bad man and now he adored him.

-And you? Do you love me too?- His sudden question caught me off guard and I didn't want to answer, we were talking about our son.

-Don't answer me, you will tell me at some point without me asking. Now, I want to talk about something important, and it's that I don't like the idea of you being alone in this house. I know you're with Abby, Maga, the driver, and the guards I hired, but remember that things are hot right now and your parents haven't returned yet, so I've been thinking about staying here for a few days to take care of you and my son, only then can I be more at ease.- He said.

I opened my eyes widely, at the same time a chill ran down my spine, and I shook my head in response.

-Definitely not.- I immediately replied, refusing such an absurdity. I didn't know exactly why I didn't want him to stay, although it was logical that he worried about the safety of his son. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again when he was interrupted by knocks on the door.

Without waiting for a response from me, the door was opened, revealing Vincent who was serious with no trace of my friend, but accompanied by Julian. I automatically separated from Alexander and looked at the visitor with surprise.

-Julian, welcome.- I greeted him from where I was and heard a slight snort of irritation behind me.

-I'm very glad to see you, Sarah. I apologize for coming unannounced, but I was worried about you and until now I've had some free time with all these new changes in Doinel... He stopped his words when he realized he was talking about the company that was taken from me through deceit because, even though Vincent's investigations indicated that the transfer papers were legal, as my father signed them in his right mind, I knew it was a trick from that family.

-I'm sorry. How have you been?- Julian reflected his words on his face, he genuinely seemed concerned about me and that surprised me. I mean, I'd known him for a short time and I hadn't seen him since the last time I was in Doinel.

-That's kind of you. Things are going well, all things considered. My parents still haven't shown up, but I leave that matter in the hands of professionals. I know they will come back safe and sound at some point.- I responded sincerely, without showing how sad it made me that they weren't here to see what I'm slowly building.

-Of course they will come back and surely they will recover the company.- Julian's positive words made me want to think that there was at least the slightest possibility of recovering the company, but without my father here to explain what happened, it would be almost impossible.

-He won't even need it. Now with Sarah's new company that will directly compete with Doinel, they will surely leave them at a disadvantage.- Vincent intervened with obvious annoyance in his voice and I gave him a unfriendly look for revealing that information that I wanted to keep low profile until the last moment, without consulting me first. It was obvious that he was still hurt for having kept it a secret from him, but I had my reasons and of course he would be a key piece for L&J. Julian couldn't hide his surprise and looked at me in disbelief.

-Do you have a new company? Really? Congratulations. I was actually thinking about partnering with a fashion company in Paris, that wasn't Doinel, of course. If you agree, we can talk business, it would be an honor for me to continue working with Sarah Doinel.- Julian's proposal sounded very good, his company had come a long way in such a short time, with a lot of effort on his part and hard work. At this moment, I was identifying myself with him, it wasn't a bad idea to partner with such a focused and serious businessman.

I could feel the curious looks of the pair of men, especially Vincent, who was glaring at me, waiting for my response.

-Of course I agree, I just have to polish some details, but after that we can have a meeting.- I replied with a half-smile and Vincent's expression was a poem.

-What? You consider him before your family, you're unbelievable. Alexander, this is your fault.- Vincent pointed his index finger at Alexander and I felt so embarrassed for what Julian had to witness.

-My fault? What did I do? I should also be upset, I'm the father of your child and I wasn't taken into account either.-

I squeezed the bridge of my nose in annoyance at the sudden argument between "the cousins" and looked apologetically at Julian who seemed to want to disappear with a snap.

-Of course it's your fault, thanks to you she became a cold and heartless woman.- Vincent was taking everything to the maximum point of drama, he was so blinded by indignation that he didn't think before speaking.

-She might be cold with others, but with me...-

-You can both stop arguing as if I weren't present.- I interrupted their double entendre and the argument of that couple as if they were children.

-Julian, I apologize for this, can we talk about the partnership another time? Right now, I need to talk to Vincent and Alexander.-

-No need to apologize. I didn't think they would react that way. I'll be available for you anytime, whether it's about business or if you need a friend, you can count on me for whatever. I hope everything improves for you, you don't deserve what's happening to you.- Julian took a step closer to say goodbye to me, but he stopped completely when he looked behind, I knew that he didn't dare because of Alexander, so it was me who approached to say goodbye with a kiss on the cheek, I didn't owe anyone any explanations. -Thank you very much, Julian.-

-Well then, I'll leave. See you later.- Without saying anything else, Julian left the office under the glaring looks of both men, who soon turned to me, waiting for me to say something.

I couldn't bear being in the middle of the tension they had created due to the unexpected visit and Julian's proposal, so without looking at them, I walked to the chair behind the desk and waited for either of them to break the silence.

-I can't believe you prefer to work with a newly acquainted person.- And Vincent was the first to speak with indignation, earning a amused look from me that only made his anger increase.

Before he kept on speaking without being aware of anything, I decided to clarify it for him.

-You will be the vice president of L&J, how could you think that I would leave you out of this? You have been by my side unconditionally and together we make a great team, will you stop with the drama now? You have ruined the surprise.- I informed immediately and his expression changed drastically to a more relaxed one, even a smile appeared on his face, although it was almost nonexistent.

-Oh, really?- He asked calmly, as if a few seconds ago he wasn't about to make a big deal out of something insignificant.

-In that case, I don't see any problem with Mr. Ferrer being part of L&J. He's a good businessman and his company is quickly gaining recognition. It would be very helpful for us if we're starting from scratch.- He soon spoke about Julian's proposal, and I playfully shook my head at his change in mood. The only one who didn't seem very happy was Alexander, who looked at us as if this were all a joke.

-Okay, I'm a little confused and puzzled. Let me see if I understand better. You have everyone's support and you didn't think about me, Sarah, did you not take me into account? The prestige of my company would be beneficial for L&J. We can also talk business, give me a date, the same as Julian's, I also want to be a shareholder.-

Alexander didn't hold back, and although he hadn't mentioned a word to me before, I knew he was dying to be a part of my new project and he only felt motivated to speak thanks to Vincent and Julian's offer.

-Alexander, the last thing I want is for my company to be associated with my ex-husband. If I succeed in the future, I want credit to be given to my effort and that of every worker in my company, not to the big influences like Lancaster Collection. I'm sorry, but I can't accept you as a shareholder.- I said honestly, even though I might need help in the future, I wouldn't turn to Alexander. It would give rise to malicious rumors, and that was the last thing I wanted, as there were already many articles linking us together in not the best way.

-Are you serious? Do you think they won't do that with Innova? Do you think they won't relate your success to Mr. Ferrer?-

I confidently shook my head, as there was a big difference between the two.

-Between you and me, there's a history. Many believed that I married you for interest, plus LC is in a good position. Any company you associate with is a guaranteed success, but I don't want to take advantage of that. Julian and I have no relationship other than professional, despite his brand not being as recognized, he's an entrepreneur who's making great strides on his own, with his business skills and well-established company. I don't want to have an unfair advantage, I just need to do this by my own merits.- My response left him silent and pensive.

After exchanging a few glances with Vincent, who nodded in agreement, he raised his hands as if surrendering prematurely.

-Alright, I won't meddle in your affairs. Even though I'm not satisfied, I'll let you achieve your goals on your own. I know you're capable and that's what makes me feel at ease.-

I let out a sigh of relief at how easily he accepted my decisions, without needing to create drama like my cousin.

-But know that Alexander Lancaster is at your disposal whenever you see fit, just keep that in mind. I won't say anything else.-

I nodded my head, and before I could respond, the door was opened by Abby who looked nervous. She entered the office ignoring the two men standing in front of the desk and placed a white envelope on the desk. I looked at her confused, not having the slightest idea of what it was.

-Today everyone is acting strange.- I commented.

-A letter has arrived for you. She said, her voice trembling with obvious nervousness. I fixed my gaze on the sealed envelope, which I took in my hands to examine from all sides, but it was blank. There was no sender's name or seal, nothing. -Who sent it? How do you know it's for me?- I asked, starting to worry about the mysterious envelope. With the events of the past few weeks, I didn't know if it was an explosive or a trap.

-I saw a man lurking in the garden. When I went to confront him, he dropped the envelope in the garden and ran off without saying anything other than that it was for Sarah Doinel.- Abby responded, her nerves on edge. When Vincent approached to calm her down, she distanced herself and showed indifference towards him, indicating that their conversation hadn't been successful.

Alexander took the envelope from my hands, and as he moved to a corner of the office, he carefully opened it. My nerves started to bubble up, but I calmed down when I realized that absolutely nothing happened and that there was a folded piece of paper inside with some unknown writing.

-It's not serious, it's just a letter from an anonymous person, read it.- Alexander said, making sure we weren't in any danger with that envelope, and he returned it to me for me to take a look at it.

When I unfolded the letter, I found a short text handwritten and I had to sit back in my chair with my heart about to jump out of my chest, my breathing heavy, and my hands trembling, as I recognized the handwriting on the paper, but even more so, with what was written.

"The Dubois' days are numbered, hold on a little longer.

An anonymous, not so anonymous."