MY EX WANTS ME BACK

Chapter 8

Erika's Pov

I breathed a sigh of relief when Charles was gone. Earlier, while he was here in my office, it felt like my chest was tightening. I was afraid that Charles would feel the so-called blood connection while talking to Rose. I am also thankful that my child resembles me more than him, so he did not notice the similarities they have, such as their eyes and lips. But if Charles had continued talking to Rose, I am sure he would have noticed that.

I don't want Charles to know that Rose is his daughter. He has no right to my child because ever since he deceived me, he also forfeited his right to the kid.

"Mom? Are you mad at me?" I was startled when I heard my child's voice.

Smiling, I ruffled her hair after shaking my head three times. "Of course not, baby. But next time, don't talk to a stranger, okay? Especially to that man who just came out of my office."

"But why, Mom? Uncle Charles is so nice. He even helped me solve the Rubik's cube," Rose asked me curiously. "And I kind of like him," she added.

"He is not a nice guy, so just follow what I say. Do you understand?" I said firmly to her, although I wasn't angry. Rose nodded and didn't speak anymore.

I called my child's nanny and asked her to pick up Rose. It didn't take long before Rose's twenty-year-old nanny, Jen, arrived.

"Should I take Rose home now, Ma'am Erika?" Jen asked me as she entered my office.

"Yes, please. Just take a taxi home," I replied. I gave Jen money for the taxi fare so they wouldn't have a hard time commuting. It's three rides from David's company to our house so it's kind of a hassle to change vehicles three times.

"Bye, Mom. See you after work." Rose waved at me with a smile as she and Jen were leaving.

After the two left, I called my secretary and asked her to come to my office.

"Yes, Ma'am? Do you need anything?"

"Have you finished the draft of the contract for the Evans Industry? We need it so we can proceed with the contract signing," I asked my secretary. When it's time for the contract signing, David will be the one to face Charles. My presence is no longer needed since David is the CEO of the company.

"Don't worry, Ma'am Erika. The draft for the contract with Evans Industry is almost finished," my secretary Bea answered with a smile.

"Good. Hurry up with the contract. But make sure that the wording is well-constructed."

"Yes, Ma'am," Bea replied before leaving my office.

I focused my full attention all day on the tasks I needed to do. I made a PowerPoint presentation for our project. I'm sure Charles will look for other details of the project aside from the details sent by David's secretary to Charles' email.

I looked up when someone knocked on the door. "Come in."

David entered with a smile, carrying a snack he had delivered from an expensive shop.

"Hi. You're super busy. Your secretary said you didn't eat lunch, so I had your favorite blueberry cheesecake and cold coffee latte delivered." David placed the snack he brought in the pantry area and cut a slice of the blueberry cheesecake. He put the rest in the refrigerator and brought the sliced cake along with the cold coffee latte to my table.

"Thanks." I gave him a faint smile. David noticed this and furrowed his brow.

"What's wrong, Erika? You don't seem to be in the mood today?"

I sipped my coffee latte first before answering his question. "Charles came in the morning. He met and talked with Rose."

David's face suddenly turned serious when he heard what I said. "What did he need from you? Did he ask who Rose's father is? Did he notice that their eyes and lips have similarities?" he asked me consecutively.

I shook my head at him. "I don't think he noticed that thing. I think he hadn't been talking to my daughter for long when I entered my office. I immediately sent him away because I panicked when I saw him talking to Rose."

"I think you should not talk to him anymore. If there are things that need to be done or discussed about the project, I will be the one to talk to him," David said to me, which I immediately agreed to. "Alright. I won't stay long because I still have clients to talk to outside."

"Thanks for the snack," I said to him as he walked towards the door.

"Finish what I sliced for you or else I won't buy it for you again," he joked with a smile.

"Yes, Sir," I replied with a smile before he finally left my office.

I decided to finish the snack that David brought before continuing my work. I had just finished eating when someone knocked on the door again. I smiled at the thought that it might be David. He came back to make sure I finished the slice of cake he cut. But my smile quickly faded when I saw that it wasn't David who entered my office but Charles.

Charles was wearing the clothes he wore last night at the party. They were wrinkled and seemed to be in desperate need of an iron. It looked like Charles hadn't gone home since he came here this morning. His appearance was disheveled and far from the clean and fragrant Charles I knew before.

"Good afternoon, Erika," he greeted me with a smile even though there was no smile on my face.

"What do you need again, Mister Evans? If it's about the project, you should talk to David, not me."

My eyes focused on the plastic he was carrying. The plastic was transparent, so I could see the cherries inside. Are the cherries for me?

"You are the one I wanted to speak that's why I'm here, Erika. I just want to talk to you about Rose."

I suddenly froze in my seat when I heard what he said.

"W-What about my daughter?" I asked nervously.

"Is she your child with David?"

"Yes," I answered him without hesitation. It's better for him to think that Rose is David's child than to think that the child is his.

Suddenly, pain appeared on Charles' face. Why would he be hurt? I wouldn't believe it if he said he was hurt by what he found out because he loves me. If he loved me, he wouldn't have hurt me before. Maybe he never really loved me. He just planned everything to get my parents' shares from his company.

"I see." Charles' shoulders suddenly dropped. What did he expect me to answer him? That Rose is his child with me? No way. "By the way, Erika. I bought your favorite cherries."

Charles was about to approach me but I raised my hand to stop him. "Thanks, but no thanks. I haven't eaten cherries in a long time. I don't like them anymore. And I have no intention of eating that fruit again."

The pain reappeared on Charles' face, but I didn't pay much attention to it. I pressed the intercom and let Bea in.

"Yes, Ma'am?" Bea asked as she entered my office. She looked at Charles and frowned.

"Mister Evans brought some cherries. I don't eat those, so you can have them," I told Bea.

"Oh, my favorite!" Without asking, Bea took the plastic bag that Charles was carrying. "Thank you, Mister Evans," Bea said with a smile, and Charles just slightly nodded at my secretary.

"You may leave now if you have nothing important to say, Mister Evans. I have something important to tell my secretary," I suddenly dismissed Charles.

Charles took a deep breath before leaving my office without a word.

"Is he Rose's father, Ma'am Erika?" Bea immediately asked after Charles left.

I nodded in response to her question. "How did you guess? He is indeed the father of my child but he thought another man as Rose's father."

"He has a resemblance with Rose and Sir David is not Rose's father. Also, you treat him differently. It seems like there's something between the two of you, so I thought he was the father of your child."

"You're observant to notice their resemblance while he doesn't," I said to Bea, shaking my head. "Please tell Lorna that when Charles arrives, she shouldn't say that I'm in my office."

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll tell Lorna right away." The Lorna I was referring to is the front desk officer whom Charles always asks if I'm in my office or not.

When Bea left, I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh. I need to be careful. Charles and Rose should not meet again. I also don't want to meet him again. But how can I do that when his company is our new business partner?