THE BADASS BILLIONAIRE'S SURROGATE

CHAPTER 53

Right about that time, Evangeline was driving angrily towards their home. She was hoping to meet them all at home and give them a bit of her mind. What Jason had told her yesterday was disturbing. How was she to move past their soiled past and explore her growing feelings for him? She drove into the compound and stormed out, only to be greeted by the twins. They ran to hug her. Evan stooped down to cuddle them fondly. Whatever anger she felt dissipated temporarily while she hugged them. Their mother came out too. The kids let go, and each went to get the backpack their mother came out with.

"Hey, sis." Adriana greeted her as she quietly closed the door. She hushed the children as she dragged Evangeline to the car.

"What's going on?" Evan asked, a little thrown off by the gesture. She was in no mood for quietness. Some noise is what she craved now.

"The kids?" She eyed her twins meaningfully as they arranged their lunch bags. Adriana then walked with Evan to her car, where she parked roughly, "Why don't you park your car properly and join me? I'm taking the kids to school. I also want a word with their teachers."

Before Evan agreed, she asked, "Are they having issues in class?"

"No." Adriana said, "We're running late. Would you mind getting in the car and letting's talk? I assume there's a reason you're here this morning looking disheveled and angry?"

Evangeline looked through the side windscreen and laughed at how her hair was a mess. Her pale skin a contrast to the blond color of the hair. She hadn't checked herself before stepping out. The instant Jason had left, she had dressed up hurriedly and driven down here. He had explicitly told her to stay put. That he was okay with what he just discovered, plus the threat on their lives, but she wasn't falling for that. She needed to hear it from her dad. "I'm so furious with dad." She whispered, trying to get her hair in a neat bun. Her sister moved closer to help her adjust it. "What's with the parents?"

"What?" Adriana asked, feigning ignorance.

"Don't you dare." She looked at her sister with disapproval, "Either you tell me or I go storming in there like I planned to."

"Hey, Thatcher, chill."

"So?" Her quirked eyebrows asking all the questions, "Yes?"

Sighing, she said, "I saw them kissing last night."

"Eeww!!!" Evangeline feigned displeasure

"I didn't want to tell you." She teased as Evan pretended to puke.

The twins were settled in the car by now. Elizabeth peered at the adults and screamed, "Mom, we'll miss the first class."

Adriana walked back to her car while Evan parked her vehicle properly in the garage and joined them. "Shall we?" she looked at her pregnant sister, "Belt up?" She said before looking at her stomach, "You're showing."

Evan rubbed her stomach through the sheer material she had on, "Jason noticed it first. Even I didn't know." She smiled brightly.

"Wow." Adriana said and started the car. "Kids?" she peered at them through the front mirror. They were well seated and on their seat belt. "Good."

"Linne?" Elizabeth called Evan, who turned to look at her. "Will you stay with us tonight?"

Evangeline gave her sister the eye before replying, "No, why?"

"You always stay with us any time you're in Miami. But mom said we would be staying at Grandmas awhile."

"Oh, right. I won't be staying with you guys. Okay? I have a place." She dragged the last word, smiling at the little girl, "But I'll come over every now and then."

"At grannies? Good. I missed those chocolate bars." Elizabeth said.

"Okay. I'll bring them when coming."

"Thanks, Linne." She said. Ethan, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly asked, "And why hasn't dad called?" He seemed upset. His mother looked at him through the mirror. He hadn't mentioned it, neither had his sister. But he obviously looked upset.

"We can call him tonight when you get back." She told him

"We will." The boy said, looking away. He was angry.

Adriana sighed as she steered the car into their school gate. A parent saw her and honked. She did the same even though she didn't see who it was. She was a little distracted. Evan noticed this and asked quietly if he was okay. "I don't know." She replied. When she parked the car, Ethan was the first to jump out. His mother followed him immediately.

Evangeline pulled Elizabeth aside and asked what was going on. The little girl fumbled with her dress as she explained what she knew of her brother's mood.

"I think something about what grandma said got him angry." The little girl said as she started walking towards their class. Adriana and Ethan had turned a corner in the opposite direction. The two changed course, and they walked towards the place to join them. It wasn't the way to their classroom.

"What did grandma say?"

"She said dad is better off where he is. Ethan thinks he means dad shouldn't come home. Grandpa met him, I think."

Evangeline felt really angry now, "You must have heard it all wrong." She tried pacifying the little girl. "He'll call tonight. You can speak with him. Okay?"

They were with Adriana and Ethan now. The little boy was crying and, in between sobs, relayed what he had heard. Evan caught the last part. It was what his sister had said. "Shush. It's okay." his mother petted, "Grandma didn't mean that. She must have been talking about someone else."

"Yes." Evan put in, "She meant another Noah. My secretary. Not your dad."

"You're sure?" The little boy asked, rubbing his face.

"Yes." Both women said and exchanged looks. The bell for first-class rang, and Elizabeth started to fidget excitedly.

"We should go. I really don't want to miss first-class."

Worried, Adriana hugged her son. "Be good today for mommy." He smiled, and she visibly relaxed. Then she pecked Elizabeth, "You're okay?" She asked, wondering why the girl wasn't crying too.

"I'm fine." She assured her mother. "He heard it. I didn't. And I told him he couldn't have heard that right."

"Your sister is right, alright?" Evan said. The boy nodded, hugged his mother and aunt and started walking towards the class with his sister. "Bye." They waved. The adults waved back. Once they were out of earshot, Evan began to call Mrs. Swiss. Her sister snatched the phone away from her and disconnected the call.

Breathing heavily, she pouted, "She seriously needs to back off. What's with her and that attitude? Exactly why we you should have let me have that talk with her."

Adriana shrugged and pulled her sister towards the teachers' room, "I'll speak with her when I get the chance today."

"We should do it now."

"Before that, I need to speak with Ms. Thorn. The twins are always at each other's necks. I want to know if they do that in school too." she pulled her sister into towards the staff quarters. Evan was silent all the way there. At the entrance, she stood, not interested in seeing anyone right now. But her sister literally pulled her into the room. Six peers of eyes greeted them. "Hi." Adriana greeted them all. "Hi." Evan greeted them, too.

"Hello." the teachers smiled at them. Ms. Thorn recognized Adriana, and she immediately stepped out to speak with them. She ushered both women into the adjourning room so they could have some privacy.

"How may I help you?" She asked, "Did Ethan and Elizabeth do something wrong?"

"No. It's all good. I'm just worried about their performance and maybe their behavior too."

Mrs. Thorn smiled, "You have nothing to worry about those two. They are top of their classes. Both of them are exceptional. Academically, they keep making us proud. They represent us in inter-quiz competitions and debates." Looking at the mother, she smiled broadly, "Most of which you know already."

"Yes." Adriana replied, smiling.

"How about their morals?" Evan asked, seeing as her sister was busy blushing about her kids' academic prowess, "Like do they fight or something?"

"Not that I know of. Those two are well-behaved. Anyone who touches Elizabeth has to deal with Ethan. He protects her that much. I think that makes the pupils not to pick on them. So heroic." The teacher said.

It was precisely what she had wanted to know, "Thank you, Ms. Thorn." Adriana said.

"Anytime," the teacher replied. "That's it?" Both women nodded.

"Thank you for taking such great care of them." Evan said as they took their leave.

Walking them to the door, Mrs. Thorn greeted both women and returned to the larger office she shared with the others. Adriana and her sister walked by the twins' classroom to check on them. Ethan was seated in his chair reading. His teacher wasn't in class yet. He looked okay, and that was a relief. Adriana felt proud of him for taking good care of his sister. He mentally set up a treat for him sometime soon.

The next class to Ethan's was his sister's. Elizabeth was seated, listening with apt interest to the teacher. Adriana smiled. Now she knew why she had been eager to get to school on time. The first period was a French class. Elizabeth was one kid who loved saying the same word in a different language. At age five, she was able to pick up a couple of Japanese words simply by listening to the old Japanese women across their home. She loved Spanish too. French was another favorite for her.

The instant the French teacher was done explaining, her hand went up. "Mademoiselle?"

"Qui." The teacher responded.

"How do I introduce my friend in French?"

"For one, you started wrong. How do we ask questions in French?" the teacher chastised gently.

"Je Suis désóle." She apologized and switched to French.

Evangeline smiled as they walked away from the class, "She's a brainier, that one."

"Indeed, she is." Adriana replied as they got in the car. Turning to her sister, she asked, "Now, baby sis, why are you so mad at the parents?"

"They are keeping things from us. Did you hear what Elizabeth said? They met with Noah and didn't tell us. I thought we're in this together."

"Wait, what?"

"Yes. She said it. You were with Ethan then."

"Really." She sighs heavily, then sighed, "I get why he'd keep it away from me, though." she scoffed, "So, he's in town and didn't call or text."

"It's a difficult phase for you both. I'm sure there's a reason he went to them." She explained, "Like how they didn't tell me Jason's parents were murdered during the war too."

"Again?" She looked tired, "Okay, that's bad."

"I know, right" She leaned on the car seat. "And to think I just slept with him."

"Wait? You did what?"

"I know." She covered her face, "I couldn't help it."

"You're getting me wrong, Evan. I mean, it's good you guys are getting along. There's nothing wrong with having feelings for your baby daddy. And he's single, handsome. Why not?" She shrugged

Peering at her sister through her fingers, which remained glued to her face, she asked, "Even when my parents may have played a key role in his parents' death?"

"They didn't kill them!" She said, shaking her sister. "Come on." She pulled her hands away from her face.

"I know. I just feel weird about it. He's totally cool with it. But I can't wrap my head around it." She looked at Adriana seriously, "It's...."

"How was it?" Adriana asked, distracting her.

"Like, I don't know you just want me distracted." She rolled her eyes.

Starting the car, her sister insisted, "Start with the juicy part. Tell me all about it."

CHAPTER 54

Logan Thames sipped his coffee and gently put the cup down. He looked at Jason seated across from him and grinned, "You might be interested to know that I now have our money."

Jason looked at the man on the other end of the table as grimly as he could be. He wasn't about to let the man see how ridiculous what he just said sounded. He raised his black coffee and drank it in one gulp. Done, he signaled James to come closer. The man went intimidatingly closer to Logan, who didn't as much as flinch.

"You have my money," Jason repeated to him

"Yes. Not that I have it, though. I have an idea who does. Or better phrased, we can find out who does." Logan pointed at Anderson, "He bugged the account that the money was paid into..."

Cutting into his story, Jason asked, "I take it you are talking about the deal we worked on?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, he said, "Which other one is there?" He adjusted himself to sit more comfortably. A gesture that made Jason scoff. "You mind?" He wanted permission to continue the story uninterrupted.

"How do I believe you didn't take the money all these years and just want to bull shit me now?"

"And what would I gain by that?"

Jason agreed with that. The man had nothing to gain from running to him now with a made-up story after all these years. Left to everyone, it would simply be easier to let things be. He nodded, "Go on."

Logan smirked and continued, "As I was saying, he bugged the account. Since we couldn't get any other proof as to where the money went. When you had been released" he eyed Jason viciously, trying not to recount that particular episode of his life, "I wanted to find that damn money for all the pain it caused me. Countless times I tapped your accounts to get it."

"We noticed."

"Yes, and you kept throwing me out." He grinned sourly, "Anyways, I found the money in an offshore account. It was the only clue, and I followed it vehemently. But the instant I found it, the account became nonexistent." He said and reached for his coffee again.

"The account was closed, or so we thought, and the money, gone. Until, boom, some days ago when it became active again. Only for a few minutes." Jason didn't look impressed. Logan gave it to him. The man could make his face as blank as anything. He was utterly unreadable. His reason for coming here hadn't entirely been to let the other man know about the account and the recent activity. He had come partly to watch Jason Valdez' reaction. Just as he was certain, the man was gauging him now. He wanted to be sure Jason didn't own the account. Grinning, he turned to Anderson, who was whispering across the table to Jason's man. He scowled at him, and Anderson leaned back in his chair. "Anders, it's best you show your friend here what you found"

Key was up the instant Logan offered. He went to peer at the computer as Anderson explained what he had done to get into the account. "I introduced a virus into the system. It was totally untraceable. They wouldn't suspect a thing." He said.

While the two men were bent over their computer, talking computer languages, James circled back and forth, stealing glances their way. The two bosses on the other end were engaged in an open contest. "I still don't see how this helps?" Jason finally asked as Logan looked away.

"This is proof that I didn't do it. And I don't think you did either. Anders here seems to think so."

Anderson shrugged at that statement and said to Key, "I know some of your tricks. I'd have picked something if it was you."

Key's laugh was croaky. Jason stopped to give him a stern look. "Yes. Yes." He stuttered, "I mean, I know yours too." He said, looking serious. He looked at the page Anderson had opened and studied it. The whole room was tensed as everyone waited for him to confirm the theory. Anderson explained some things to him and directed them to another page which he also explained.

Finally, Key looked up. Satisfied, he turned to Jason, "They are logged in, really. The account was active but now is almost non-operational. Meaning we are blind right now. Until the account is active again, nothing can be done or confirmed. But I could work up something. See if there's a way to keep the account open to us the next time it's active" He looked at Anderson like he was going to suggest something but thought better of it. Let the bosses call the shot.

"Great. I thought we could work this together." Logan put in, "Find a way to make this work, you both?" he directed the last part to the two nerds. They nodded sheepishly, glad to work together but said nothing.

"I'll think about this. See you later?" Jason answered; instead, he stood up, and Logan did too. "Thanks for bringing this to my notice" he stretched his hand for a shake which Logan took and shook firmly

Turning to take his leave, he said, "Perhaps we can have a chance to get our money."

"And put this ghost to rest forever." Jason said. He walked them to the door. Anderson and Key were whispering to each other behind them. James egged them on slightly with a click of his side stick. The men immediately found their way ahead of Jason and Logan. At the door, Key bade his friend farewell, and James closed the door firmly. They were to hold their private meeting without any stranger looking over their shoulder.

"What do you think?" Jason asked his analyst

"He's legit, boss. Trust me on this, we can get those bitches now."

"Good. I need you to get into that account ASAP." Jason relaxed as he watched a replay of everything that had happened. His attention mostly was on Anderson's screen. There was nothing shady there. It means Logan could be trusted. He had found their money!

And while the wall between these two seems to have mended, another wall was just about opening up in the Swiss family as Evangeline and her sister stormed their home angrily.

CHAPTER 55

To understand the Swiss family, you'd have to know much about how this family came to be. First, their marriage wasn't always this sweet and lovey-dovey. It had been one hell of a ride. The journey had actually started with the great-granddad, Robinson Swiss, and his wife, Margret, who decided to find a bride for their son, Robert. Eleanor was chosen as the honorable woman who deserved their son, mostly because she came from a family of lawyers herself, aside being a lawyer too. So, yes, there's had been an arranged marriage.

The first time Robert met Eleanor, his first thought was, 'She's pretty and proud as hell.' Of course, what did he expect from a woman who became the youngest lawyer ever in Miami at age 19? Eleanor was used to having her way and didn't see any reason why any man needed to be respected. She could also argue her way out of any situation. All of this made Robert want to run away as much as possible. Eleanor also had her reservations. The man pitched with her didn't seem like someone she could stand. Fine, he was good-looking and smarter than most men she had dated. Still, she believed she could do better. Moreover, she didn't fancy the idea of a lawyer dating another lawyer. What was the fun in that?

But fate is a bitch. Fate kept throwing him right back in her arms. They had run ins severally after their first meeting. It was like life kept throwing them together. Nevertheless, they fought it. They soon turned it into a game of see-and-dodge. It was the only solution. If only these two knew the meetings weren't fate but family. The strong forces of their individual families kept them in close range. They were forces too strong to shake off. The mothers kept tab on their kids and update each other. Which was why Robert was almost always in the same place as Eleanor.

Eventually, after series of fights back and forth, the kids succumb to their families wish. The marriage ceremony was without much enthusiasm. The couple themselves played no serious role in the planning aside picking their clothes. The mothers, overjoyed to have so much interference went overboard. From the numerous guests list, down to food, venue, everything. It was all these two.

The new couple stayed their separate rooms. For weeks, they pretended not to acknowledge their union. Robert let his wife do her bidding. He would dress up early, get his breakfast from the maid and leave the house while she did whatever she wanted with hers. He wasn't curious how she spent her day. Neither was she. He continued instead to go to the court, handle cases and study more. Some nights, he went clubbing and have some ladies over. After all, a man got to let go.

But while Robert seemed to have find his rhythm, Eleanor hadn't. She had been warned by her parents to leave her firm to join her husband's which was far promising. Indeed, she resigned, although forced, with no backup plan. She refused to tell her parents that she didn't tell her betrothed her family's plan of establishing her in his firm. They spoke of nothing. No plan, at all. Most of their outings, they simply are in silence after which he would drop her and drive off hurriedly as if happy to be free of the torture moments with her. Her days were so boring she slept almost all day. Finally, one day she followed her husband to court.

Of course, she waited till he was gone before driving there. She watched him handle a case and was impressed. The next day, she went back. Then the next. She soon found herself in his courtroom watching him and noting how passionate he was about the law. It was like seeing a shadow of herself in him. This became something to talk about. From just that spark of light, the couple began to communicate and hence found that they had a lot in common. The rest was love all through.

Like every marriage, there's had survived lots of ups and downs. In fact, as Mrs. Swiss will always point out, her marriage had survived more downs than up. For instance, their first few months as a married couple had been hell. She always recounts the scenario she had witnessed from trailing behind her husband. It had started with a simple case of checking him in the courtroom. Then she began to check his after work movements. Imagine her surprise when she found out the man she had assumed too innocent and boring parties most weekends. And then came the day she walked in on him with a girl in the club, butt naked. She had suspected he had girls going his bidding which was why he hadn't touched her months after their marriage. With her suspicions confirmed and her husband sighting her, she left.

Guilt had made Robert sober for days. He came home with gifts and love letters. His wife would hiss and walk away. Sometimes, she thrashed the gifts. But of course, Robert was angry one night and spoke about how their relationship would end before it began since they both didn't want it to. And she kissed him. Who said they didn't want it when she had been craving him in bed for weeks now? And that had ended his frolicking. Mrs. Swiss was sure now that her husband of close to 45years would never treat her respectfully by cheating on her.

When the kids started coming, the couple had another challenge. Mrs. Swiss learnt in a hard way that career and kids better be kept separate or one suffers terribly from the load of the other. Even though she was getting sucked into the Swiss' courtrooms, she had to slow down especially after her husband became a judge. For a career woman, it had been the worst decision she would ever make. Robert had been forced to come to a compromise with her. So, he let have just one case a month. That way, she could spend ample time with the kids. And most times, when the court could do without him, Robert stayed home with the kids, talking and playing. Which was why till date, Evangeline took a shine to him even if recent events seemed to have forced them apart. She was confident they would find their way back to each other somehow.

Like most mothers who knows their family well, Eleanor Swiss became intuitive to certain circumstances. She was one of the women who knew their husband so well they could predict to an extent their reaction to certain things. Robert may act tough and scary in the courtroom, but deep down, his wife knew he hated to see the innocents suffering a fate that wasn't theirs. He hated people in power molesting the poor. It was one secret to his fair rulings in court, a contrast to people's opinion of him following in the footstep of their family. The same passion that would later land his family in danger.

Her kids were another attachment she learned to understand. Adriana was the quiet, determined woman. As a young girl, she had chosen the family business of defending the helpless. While in school, countless times, Adriana would come home with series of letters from kids in school who wanted her to tell her dad about their situation. How this started, nobody knew. But Mrs. Swiss could picture her daughter climbing a chair in the center of the class to shout her thoughts to the class. She would have done this when someone in her class complained about a misdeed at home or perhaps a teacher was too harsh on a pupil and Adriana saw the need to speak out. As a child, she knew the law and how to twist it to soothe her needs. It was a quality that made her one of the best lawyer in town.

Evangeline on the other hand was stubborn and very inquisitive. Though she felt shielded by her sister, she wasn't relegated to the back. Matter of fact, most of the courage Adriana had to stand up to situations were festered by her. Mrs. Swiss could always tell when Adriana's outburst was really Evangeline's and not her. This mostly made the two never in agreement. Evangeline had found herself being punished by her mother for things done by her sister all for the poor excuse that she had pushed her sister into doing it. A particular incident had stood out among other incidents.

That day, Adriana as usual had come home with a letter written by her classmate. It wasn't like the typical childish scribbling. This was nothing a child could have made up. Of course, Adriana had no idea it was something real. She had simply done what she did with the others; try to defend the innocent in court while her sister watch her prove the innocent man free. As she was presenting the case of a violent father beating up his ten-year-old each time he got drunk, Evangeline had a sudden idea. "Why don't we go over to Vicki's house and try to talk her out of this violence?" Evangeline suggested.

"But it's all made up." Adriana laughed, almost hysterical. Her sister had a funny way of suggesting the most absurd of ideas.

"It wouldn't hurt anyone to try." Evangeline pushed further.

Adriana decided her sister was right. Later that day, towards the evening, the two siblings found themselves skedaddling along Vicki's house. It wasn't a good time. They were barely feet in the house when they heard a glass crashed to the floor followed by a loud scream. The two kids stood frozen in the compound. Soon, Vicki ran out of the house covered in blood, shouting and crying. Adriana and her sister seeing this sight started to cry too.

Neighbors came to see what was going on. They found the three kids. Vicki could only point in the house. There her father was found, lying face down in the pool of blood, unconscious and his wife beside him, crying profusely. It turns out the man had always been molesting his step daughter, Vicki each time he got drunk. As the girl herself would later explain, Adriana had said something about how one could escape dangerous men like that the next day after reading her letter by hitting the man with something hard which was exactly what she had done.

The man was jailed and the girl freed, but Mrs. Swiss was worried. What could have happened when her kids got there and the man was too drunk for any good? Would one of the girls be the one in the pool, unconscious? All these got her worked up. Then the vital question, who told the girl to hit her step dad? Was it really Adriana? So, like every mother, Mrs. Swiss interrogated her daughters in a very free and fair way, separately too. She wasn't surprised to know that her first daughter had discussed the letter with her sister that day before going to school the next day. Needless to say, Mrs. Swiss knew where the idea had spring out from.

Evangeline was grounded the next day, including her sister. But Evan felt unjustly punished. She started acting out after then.

Marriage had been full of its ups and downs. Hers had survived a lot, but it had helped her know each of her family members better. She knew the tone they used when they were upset. She could tell when they were trying to hide things from her. She knew when they were angry about something or about a thing she did. She knew them that well. Which was why when she woke up this morning and found herself wrapped in her husband's arm, she whispered, "Oh my God." They were back to being the married couple they once were. Robert was becoming attached again. And she didn't want that. He had left his family in the midst of a raging war. Now, he walks back and she was back in his arms? Things didn't work that way. She was supposed to make him sweat it, regret walking out on her and her kids. She sighed heavily and rolled away from him. Just as she was about getting off bed, she heard someone drive in and then,

"Mother?" Evangeline and Adriana yelled.

Mrs. Swiss knew something terribly was up. Her kids called her mom. They used 'Mother' only when they were upset. Turning to her husband, who yawned tiredly and smiled at her, she said, "I hate to burst this bubble, honey. Those kids are angry."