"How was your date?" a voice sounded in the empty office, startling Xander as he entered his office.
"Gosh, Hunter, you scared me. What are you still doing here? I thought you've gone home" Xander said and slide into the closest couch.
"I was waiting for you, so how was your date?" Xander groan at the question and briefly narrated the date.
"She asked to live with you! I didn't expect it coming this early" Hunter said, causing Xander to raise an eyebrow. "I expected her to move in with you but not this early"
"Move in with me? Why would you expect that, it isn't like we are married" Xander said and rubbed on his temple.
"You are so ancient, couples live together without getting married thes days, so what did you tell her?" Hunter said. Xander noticed that the difference in the way his assistant talked to him, like they were old friends.
"I told her I would call her tomorrow about it" Xander said and sighed
"Why?" Xander raised an eyebrow at that, was that a question or a stupid question, he thought.
"I needed to talk to someone about it" he said in a low voice, almost embarrassed.
"And who is that?" Hunter asked again, this time with playful smirk.
"You" Xander mumbled embrassed
"What did you say? I didn't hear you" Hunter teased as he leaner closer from where he sat across his boss.
"I was going to talk about it with you, happy?" Xander said louder.
"Very happy" Hunter smiled happily at the fact his boss consider him as a confidant.
"So what do you think I should do"
"Let her live with you that way it would be easier to portray you both are together and it is safe for her" Hunter said. Xander wanted wanted to ask what he meant but swallow his question when he remembered his mother. He nodded in agreement to him.
At that moment, his phone rang, it was his little brother calling again.
"Hello, Trente for the last time I'm alright and I would soon be home, stop worrying"
"I know, I would tell you about it when I get back, I preparing dinner tonight" Xander said into his phone and pulled his phone away from his ear as Trente shouted as happy "yes"
"Alright, bye, I said I would be back soon, it just five pm, bye" Xander said and hung up.
"Trente?" Hunter asked and he nodded and grunted as he stretched his arm.
"He easily get worried nowadays" Xander complained
"I think your incident triggered a similar trauma in him" Hunter explained briefly and Xander wondered how this man always have an answer for every question.
"We haven't talked about how things were before I came along"
"You two need some brother time" Hunter said with a smile and Xander groaned as he stood.
"Looks like we are having one tonight, seeing how he is hung up on Randy like I'm actually dating her" Xander said and left the office to the elevator with Hunter behind him as usual.
"But do you want to date her, like actually date her?" Hunter said and Xander thought for a minute.
"I don't think I'm ready for another woman so soon, I just want to focus on my daughter for now" he responded and Hunter hummed.
The elevator dinged and they walked to the entrance where his driver was waiting for him. He sat in the backseat while Hunter waited for him to drive off.
"Less I forget tell Max to ready to the first floor suite for living" he said to his assistant and signal the driver to start the engine.
*
It wasn't until late in the afternoon did Hermia get home since her morning encounter with Xander and the police. She had threatened them so she could call someone to bail her out. It wasn't until the video went viral and reached Mike was she let out because she bailed her.
The video posted didn't clearly show Xander face because he was crowded by people who were "trying to catch the thief".
Their drive home was quiet because Hermia doesn't know how to react to his calm attitude seeing the viral video. She sighed as she remembered that this would cost their sales to drop more. Their company needed help and it was close to being bankrupt.
"Go take a shower, I'm waiting for you here" Mike said with a smile that made Hermia doubted if it was real. She had expected him to explode at her shouting about their companies reputation.
Like he promised he was sitting in the sitting room waiting for her only this time her daughter sat across him and they were silently staring at each other.
"I hope you didn't get hurt anywhere" Mike asked with care as she sat beside him. She shook her head meekly and smiled.
"I'm alright" she replied.
"If that's so, I have something for you" at moment her eyes glint. This her new husband was absolutely different from the former. Mike spoilt her with many things that she doesn't feel the pain of her company's loss.
"What is it?" she sounded excited
"wait and listen" he said in a dominant tone and she calm down a little bit. She had long forgetten about the little girl that sat across her.
"I met the new Chairman of XL yesterday" he started and she gasped. "He apologized for missing your appointment because he was busy and wanted to give you a gift of apology" Mike concluded and dangled the small bag Xander had given him the previous day.
Hermia wasted no time snatching and emptying the bag. A small blue box fell out and her eyes had those light it does when she sees expensive things.
She curiously opened the box and saw a shiny expensive necklace in it. It wasn't the most expensive she had wore but it was special because it was gifted to her by a multi billionaire.
"Do you want to try it on?" Mike asked and she happily nodded. He took the necklace from the box and wore it around her neck.
"How do I look?" she asked expectantly
"Gorgeous, it suits you, Mr. Cage have a nice taste" Mike said and Hermia smile grew.
This was the kind of husband she wanted someone she could benefit from not a freeloader.
Mike watched her beautiful smile in love but the smile soon changed to a glare as his fiancé was looking at someone behind him.
He turned and saw that it was Nancy, Emily's nanny.
It wasn't her presence that caused Hermia to glare, it was the necklace around her neck, it was identical to the one around Hermia's.