Chapter 7 Grandchildren

Jayden's POV

Zia recovered quickly. She dropped her hands, which were hanging in the air, and followed behind me before turning towards her chair. "It's only right that I have a cute pet name for my fiancée," she said once she was seated, a small, somewhat embarrassed smile on her face.

She was faking it. Trying to act cute in front of me.

And fiancé? The agreement was yet to be made known publicly. If I had known what my parents were up to, I would have been surprised.

And... She had been calling me names like this for the past three years... Ever since I saved her that day.

"Zia..." I warned.

"Okay, I'll stop." She immediately said before I could say anything else. "But it's no difference, we're going to get married soon." She muttered the latter part, but I heard it anyway.

She wanted me to hear it.

I could only sigh and shake my head.

Zia had always been like this, trying to act cute around me to curry my favor. But she was Jane's best friend... I couldn't turn her away.

But I had thought she would oppose the idea of our marriage just like I would.

Wouldn't that be a betrayal of her friend?

Our parents wanted us to get married.

They knew I wouldn't agree to it if they my personally, so he decided to ambush me with the news.

That was what this gathering was about.

My decision was the same. I wasn't agreeing to anything.

But Zia... She had already wrapped the idea around her head so much. She believed it would happen.

But how could I get married to another woman? How could I be with another woman? No one understood me the way she did. I wouldn't be able to love anyone the way I loved her.

It was better if I just stayed alone.

We stayed quietly for the next few minutes. I could tell Zia had a lot to say, but she didn't speak. This was one of the rare times she knew when not to say a word.

After almost ten minutes, her parents arrived. As though they were following behind them, my parents followed.

"You kids are quite punctual." My mother said with a chuckle as she walked into the private sector of the restaurant which had been cleared out only for the sake of this meeting.

Zia stood up to greet her. "Of course, I can't afford to keep any of you waiting." She said with a hug smile before tilting her head in a soft nod towards my father.

She always knew how to please them... She always wanted to please them.

"Dear, you're so sweet." My mother smiled, before taking her seat next to me. My father sat next to her, and the Ranviers sat next to Zia.

After everyone settled into their seats, the air grew strangely formal. The private dining sector was quiet, shielded from the rest of the restaurant by tall wooden partitions and dim golden lighting. Soft instrumental music drifted from unseen speakers, almost too gentle for the tension gathering around the table.

A waiter approached shortly after, dressed in a crisp black uniform. He bowed slightly, placing leather-bound menus in front of each of us. The faint clink of porcelain and silverware filled the silence as he poured water into our glasses.

Zia reached for her menu immediately, sitting upright, the picture of grace. My mother leaned slightly toward her, whispering something that made Zia laugh softly... a rehearsed, delicate sound.

She was indeed trying hard.

I barely glanced at the menu.

"Sir?" the waiter prompted politely when he noticed my lack of attention.

"Black coffee" I replied without looking up. "No, sugar."

The waiter nodded and turned to the others.

Zia ordered something light... a salmon dish she probably didn't even like but thought sounded refined. My parents followed, my father choosing something heavy, my mother opting for a salad. The Ranviers placed their orders last, occasionally glancing at me as though trying to read my mood.

When the waiter left, silence fell again.

The kind of silence that wasn't peaceful, it carried a sort of tension from waiting.

A few minutes later, the food arrived. Plates were set down carefully, steam curling upward in thin ribbons. The aroma of grilled meat and seasoned herbs filled the space, but no one touched their utensils immediately.

We all knew why we were here.

Everyone grabbed their cutlery and began to dig in when my mother, in all her smiles, began to speak. "Okay... Em, I have to say."

I didn't let her finish.

I had just taken a sip of the coffee, but then I pulled it from my lips.

"Save it. My answer is no."

The sound of metal lightly clinking against porcelain echoed as my mother's fork slipped from her fingers.

"Jayden!" She hated being interrupted, but I had to make this clear.

"I am not getting married to Zia, no matter what you say."

Zia stiffened beside me. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the tablecloth, but she kept her posture elegant, her expression carefully composed.

"Jayden you can't just put off my daughter like that. She has waited patiently for you all these years." Mr. Ranvier's voice carried restrained frustration.

I turned my gaze toward Zia.

"Zia... You knew this, you are well aware of my decision and why."

Her lips parted slightly. For a moment, the practiced smile faded, revealing something more vulnerable beneath.

"Jayden but..."

"That's all I came here to say, please... Enjoy your meal."

I pushed my chair back.

"Jayden!" My mother's voice rose.

"Jayden!"

"Jayden!"

Their calls followed me as I walked away, steady and unhurried. The restaurant staff pretended not to notice, though I could feel the weight of their eyes.

I stepped outside into the cool night air.

The city lights shimmered against the glass buildings, traffic humming softly in the distance. I loosened my tie and reached into my pocket, pulling out a cigarette.

I hadn't smoked in months.

The flame flickered as I lit it, the sharp scent filling my lungs as I inhaled. The burn steadied me.

Footsteps approached from behind.

"You still smoke?"

I didn't turn immediately. I exhaled slowly before answering.

"I picked it up again after her. It helps to clear my head."

My mother stepped beside me, folding her arms tightly as if warding off the night chill. The disappointment on her face was familiar.

"Jane had been gone for so long already. It's time you looked for someone else."

Her words were gentle, but there was pressure beneath them.

I kept my gaze ahead.

"Mother, I do not want anyone else. I'm fine the way I am."

"But I am not." Her voice trembled slightly now. "Do you even read the news and what they are saying about you? Jayden, they claim that you're gay. The death of your fiancée had somehow affected you to the point that you've changed your sexuality. If you don't do something soon..."

I let out a quiet breath of smoke.

"It won't affect anything. I've proven how capable I am to our business partners. I'm very sure they know that by now."

She turned fully toward me now, eyes sharp.

"What about me? Don't you want to give me any grandchildren?"

The question lingered longer than it should have.

Images flashed in my mind before I could stop them.

Two boys.

One observant, the other cheeky, and the overwhelming sense of familiarity.

"What would you say if you found out that you had two grandchildren?"

The cigarette paused halfway to my lips.

She froze.

"What? You got a woman pregnant? How? When? Who? Is it Zia? Is she pregnant? I'm going to be a grandmother?"

Her voice rose with every question, excitement replacing shock in seconds.

I crushed the cigarette beneath my shoe.

"Mother, I have something else to do. I'll talk to you later."

I wasn't sure about anything, I had spent my time in the car calculating the years of the children and the possibility.

My mother wanted grandchildren... What if she already had them?

I turned before she could grab my arm.

"Jayden! Jayden!! Come back here. You can't just drop something like this and leave."

"Good night mother," I yelled, leaving the

"Jayden!"

Her voice faded behind me as I walked toward my car.

"This damn kid," I heard her mutter faintly.

A pause.

Then, softer... almost to herself.

"I'm going to be a grandmother."

I opened the car door.

"Boss," Dion greeted as I slid inside.

The door shut with a muted thud, sealing me away from the night.

I leaned back against the seat, my expression returning to calm.

"Where is the information I asked?"

Dion adjusted his glasses, holding a tablet in his hands.

"It's almost ready, sir."

I looked out the window, the city lights reflecting faintly in the glass.

Almost.

For five years, she had disappeared without a trace.

Tonight, she walked back into my life with two children holding her hands.

And whether she liked it or not...

I was about to find out everything.

And God help her if those were my children.