Back at the mansion
Claire and her mother were sitting in the drawing room, both lost in thought as they sipped their cinnamon tea. They had been deep in conversation, celebrating their victory but had paused as they contemplated what the other would say next.
One could see the joy and sparkle in Claire's eyes.
Claire was a beautiful young woman with a petite hourglass figure, flawless caramel skin, hazel eyes, and thick brown curly hair that framed her face in ringlets. She had a more sophisticated personality than Layla but was always jealous because Layla attracted more people because of her welcoming personality.She always took great pride in her appearance, and it certainly showed, as she turned heads wherever she went.
"You have my full support, honey," Mrs. Taylor said to Claire. "If you want to get your man back, I'm here for you 100%."
Claire smiled, "Thanks, mom," she said as they sipped their tea.
Mrs. Taylor felt a sense of pride as she looked at her daughter, a beautiful young woman with a mind of her own and a determination to get what she wanted.Claire reminded her about herself when she was younger.She thrived hard to get married to one of the most wealthy and influential man and she wanted the same for her daughter.
"Since you have Josh all to yourself,why don't we send that rascal out of this house before your father gets back from his business trip" Mrs Taylor said
"I agree," Claire replied to her mom. "Layla is nothing but trouble, and I can't stand seeing her around Josh. You're right, we need to chase her out of the house."
Mrs. Taylor nodded, "It's settled then. Let's get rid of Layla once and for all."
"Where's that scumbag by the way?" Mrs Taylor said while twisting her face like she said something disgusting.
" I don't know where she is but I think she went to visit her mother"
" Where are the servants?" Tell them to pack her outside. I don't want to see any properties belonging to that girl" Mrs Taylor said
" And go dress up,this calls for celebration" she added
*********************
Alexander's POV
I was sitting at my desk, working intently on an important project. I was so engrossed that I hadn't noticed or heard the ringing of the telephone, so I continued to type away on my computer, my focus entirely on the task at hand.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and my assistant, Maria, came in. "Excuse me, Mr. Alexander," she said, "but your mother is on the phone."
I sighed irritatedly, there's only one reason my mom could have called for. She has been bugging me over getting married and she gave me 2 weeks for that. I looked up and paused
what I was doing. "Thank you Maria," I said as I picked up the phone, his expression full of irritation
"Hello, Mom."
"You don't sound happy to hear your mother's voice, why's that Lexy?, My mom said over the phone
"Ah, mother, you caught me off guard, and please don't call me that again" I said, my voice full of irritation. "This is a rather inconvenient time, I'm afraid, I'm in a hurry and can't talk right now." "Oh? What could be more important than talking to your mother, Alexander?" She asked.
"Just some work, mother, it can't wait, you know how it is," I replied. "Please excuse me for now, I hope we can talk after work."
" I'll call you in an hour time, Lexy and we'll meet up in the new restaurant down the street honey"
"Very well, mother, I will talk to you later then," I said, reluctantly complying with my mother's demand. I hung up the phone and called my assistant, Maria, on the office telephone. "Maria, please cancel the rest of my appointments for today and let my team know that I won't be coming in this afternoon."
" Yes , Mr Romanov" she said
An hour later
I was sipping on a glass of wine as I waited for my mother to arrive at the restaurant where we had arranged to meet for dinner. I looked around the room and noticed a couple of people staring at me, clearly recognizing me.
I leaned over to the waiter and asked in a whisper, "Do we have any paparazzi tonight?"
The waiter nodded, "I'm afraid so, sir," he said, "they've been circling the restaurant for the past hour, hoping to catch a glimpse of you."
I looked up as the waiter opened the door and led my mother inside. She was dressed in a stunning gown that highlighted her long legs, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she walked towards the table. She's a beautiful woman in her mid fifties.
I stood up to greet her and leaned in to kiss her cheek, "Mother, you look beautiful," I said, "you're going to break many hearts in that dress."
She smiled affectionately and took her seat, "Thank you, Alexander," she said, "you look quite handsome yourself."
"I took the liberty of ordering some appetizers for us," I said to my mother. "I wasn't sure what you might be in the mood for, so I just went for a bit of everything."
"Oh, that's perfect, dear," she said as she took in her surroundings. "I'm starving and could do with a good meal. Thank you for taking charge."
I smiled and leaned back in my chair as we waited for the waiter to bring over the appetizers.
"So mom,why have you called me here today?"
"Alexander, please don't pretend that you don't know why I called you here tonight," mother said, "you know full well why I called you here? Why else would I ask to have dinner with you?" I rolled my eyes in annoyance, "Fine, mother, cut to the chase then," I said. "What is it that you wanted to tell me?"
She looked at me sternly, her expression serious, "Alexander, your father and I have decided that it's finally time for you to get married."
" I don't have the time for this mom" I sighed
"Lexy Darling," Mom started, "you're not getting any younger, and your father and I are
tired of waiting around for you to find a wife. You have one week, that's all the time
you're getting. Your father wants a granddaughter, and I want to attend a wedding
before I'm in the grave."
I raised an eyebrow at my mother, "Are you serious?"
"I've never been more serious in my life," she said, "I won't take no for an answer."
"Mother, I'm working on the biggest project of my life," I protested. "I don't have time to find a wife right now, I'm just too busy."
"Sorry, darling, but that just isn't good enough,"mother replied. "You're the only son I have, and it's high time you settled down. I refuse to let you ruin our family's reputation by being single and without children."
I sighed, "Mother, please, you know I have a lot on my plate right now. I can't just drop everything to meet your demands."
"Very well, mother," I sighed as I looked at the waitress bringing over our food. "I'll find a wife and bring her to you. But it won't be easy, I'm not exactly a social butterfly."
"Thank you, dear,"mother replied, "that's all I ask."
Soon after, we began eating our meal in silence. I was thinking about how to find a wife in such a short amount of time, while my mother simply enjoyed my company and the delicious food in front of her.