Welcoming The New Neighbor

Chapter Five – Welcoming The New Neighbor

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"What?!" Nathaniel yelled at the top of his voice when he heard what Isabelle said. He felt a prick in his heart and the pain circulated all over his body. His mind was blank like a paper and he could not think properly at all. His face distorted as if his blood flowed in the reverse direction.

Isabelle confirmed without batting an eyelid, "Marriage is definitely the last thing on my mind. I have important issues to deal with." She said in a laidback manner, not bothering to take a look at the heartbroken man. Beatrice smiled like a dazed fool. Her pale face drastically metamorphosed to a cheery one and anyone could notice it no matter how hard she tried to conceal it.

"W-why haven't you changed your mind? After all these years? A-Am I not good enough for y-you, Isabelle?" Nathaniel asked in a trembling voice. "I-I-Is it because of your children? Is it because of Beatrice and me?" Anyone could feel the unhappiness in his voice and Beatrice's heart hemorrhaged when she heard what her husband said. Isabelle didn't reply to the questions. She had a hunch that Nathaniel was more than what he was, and her hunch was always accurate.

"I don't mind accepting you…even with your children. I just want to stand by you and grow old with you and make memories with you, just give me a chance to prove my love to you…" Nathaniel's confession was interrupted by Beatrice. Fortunately, Isabelle had told her chauffeur to take Deja and Joachim to their new house.

"Even if you accept her children, will your family accept them? Will the society approve of your relationship with her? The society with go off their rockers if they find out that Nathaniel Sinclair, one of their 'perfect gentlemen' cheated on his pregnant wife with a 'woman saddled with baggage', your reputation will be tarnished forever and would you want that to happen?" Beatrice shot these questions and Nathaniel couldn't suppress the urge to glare at her.

"I will convince my parents. And as for the society, I don't give a monkey's about what they do or say. It is my life and no one dictates how I should live it." He said in a husky voice and Beatrice shrunk in frustration. Despite the fact that they were married for seven years, Nathaniel never showed Beatrice an iota of affection. Seeing her husband confess to another woman in her presence made her blood boil.

'Nathaniel, why are you proving stubborn?' Beatrice thought in fear as she stared affectionately at Nathaniel who was at the verge of breakdown. 'Penelope clearly stated that she doesn't want you, what do you see in her that you don't see in me?' Her string of thoughts continued and she sighed inwardly.

On the other hand, Brinley was over the moon, she was happy that Penelope didn't change her mind. The next thing she needed to do was to hook up Lindsey with the nation's kingpin family's head and then watch her family status soar to a higher one.

"But…" Isabelle sluggishly drawled, gaining their attention. All eyes were on her, including the hurt Nathaniel.

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"Welcome to Tchotchke Estate." An amicable old man spoke as the twin children descended from the posh black car. Their big cute round eyes roved round the vast surroundings and then landed on the old man who wore a neat formal attire. His white receding hair was gelled backwards and there was a gentlemanly smile on his face.

"This place looks good." Giggled Deja as her eyes lingered on the colorful delicate flowers. They were the first thing that captured her attention.

"Good enough. This estate has fusions of homeliness and elegance which blends well," Commented Joachim who took a fleeting glance at the house at the house in front of him. "When will mommy return?" He asked the robots.

"Young master Joachim, your mommy will return soon…dinnertime, probably." A robot replied. It looked like a human and it could be mistaken to be one. It was dressed in a navy blue suit and was specially programmed by Isabelle to watch over Deja and Joachim.

"Okay." Joachim's head bobbed up and down when he saw the vast surroundings.

"Hmmm…!" Deja hummed when she caught sight of a little figure at the window of another house not too far away. Was that a child? And he looked like a kid within her age bracket. At the thought of making a new friend, Deja grinned.

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"But what?" Sullivan asked as he subtly glared at Isabelle. He could not believe that the lady who returned with a new identity was the same person that was kicked out of his house seven years ago. He thought that Penelope will regret her actions and come back looking tattered and unkempt and pleading for another chance but an entire different thing happened and he wasn't happy about that. Anger flowed through his blood vessels and his glare became deadlier.

"Huh? What are you going to do this time around? Seven years ago, you ran away and degraded yourself and you have the audacity to show your shitty face without an iota of shame!" He spat, trying to downgrade Isabelle in front of Nathaniel.

Isabelle wasn't shocked by what her fake father said, "Now you are beginning to create the impression of being a real father." She scoffed and chuckled while Sullivan's face reddened.

"Weren't you the one who called me the other day and begged me to come home? You told me that you were dying to know how I was faring. Earlier today, your wife called me, affronted me and mentioned about you dying to see my children. You guys are just…unbelievable. I could play the recordings of the calls if you doubt me…" She stared at them with disdain and played the recordings of the calls to everyone.

"You–" Brinley wanted to smack Isabelle but she was held back by her pregnant daughter.

"Me? What did I do?" Isabelle teased with obliviousness and stared at Brinley. "Did I say anything wrong? I just said the truth, do you want me to say more? Sure enough I will always say the truth."

"You–" Beatrice muttered when she heard Isabelle.

There was no response from the couple and the living room became silent.

"You want me to say the truth? This is the DNA test report which prove that Mr. Sullivan Everhart is not my biological father." She announced as she threw the test report to her fake parents. She saw astonishment flash through their faces.

"What did you do? How did you…?" Sullivan became agitated. This was a secret he kept with him throughout these years, even Brinley never knew a thing about it. How did Isabelle know about it? How did she get his samples for the DNA test?

Nathaniel saw the test report and what Isabelle said was hundred percent accurate. The DNA test was carried out in a renowned hospital so the result was not fabricated.

"The Sinclair family asked for a daughter of the Everhart family to be married to their eldest son. However, Mrs. Everhart tried to play smart. She planned to marry me off so that the Everhart family would be free from debts and her daughter and relative wouldn't be sacrificed in the process. She also planned to use me as a puppet to satisfy her selfish desires once I am married into the Sinclair family. Mr. Sinclair, do you think marriage between you and I is possible?"

Nathaniel became dumbfounded and low-spirited at the same time.

"The right person for you is Beatrice, she is a true daughter of the Everhart family. She already has a son for you and she is even pregnant with your second child. How can I be married to you when Beatrice is already in your life? Furthermore, she has been in love with you for a very long time so just focus on your family and forget about me." Isabelle explained.

Isabelle turned to Beatrice who suddenly forgot to breathe. Was she planning to expose Beatrice in front of everybody? That wasn't part of the business deal, right?

"I have done my part of the business deal. I wrote the note and you gave me my children. Now, I have persuaded Nathaniel into focusing on you and your children so you are owing me a favor. But here's a warning: never ever disturb my children and I in any way. If you do, I will have no other option than to be pleasanter." Isabelle whispered to Beatrice's ears and she gave a spine-chilling smile to ease the awkwardness in the air. "Congratulations, dear ex-stepsister."

Huh? Ex-stepsister?

Isabelle was about to leave when she remembered something.

"I almost forgot," She whispered and turned around, greeted with pairs of dilated eyes. "Here," She plopped some gifts into her fake stepsister's hands and headed for the door.

Beatrice let out her breath and her mother angrily quickly tossed the gifts away.

"They are gifts. It is not Christmas yet and no one is celebrating his or her birthday." Beatrice murmured and Brinley sneered.

"G-Gifts?" Brinley sneered and scrunched her nose in an unladylike manner. "What useless gifts! What can she possibly offer to us? Paltry sums and chicken feeds she earns from her shoddy honeypot business?" She mocked Isabelle and that merited a glare from Nathaniel.

"No, it is not!" Beatrice said in a dismissive tone. "She bought some attires for my children and accessories for you guys!" She announced to everybody in the living room and her misty eyes stared at the gift boxes. "From Isabelle White…" She read the label tags on the gift boxes.

'Just who the hell is Isabelle White?' Beatrice asked herself as she was overwhelmed by the expensiveness of the gift boxes. She was seething in bitterness and her hands were trembling. The boxes were snatched from her. It was her ambitious mother, Brinley, who snatched it.

'Is that so? Who said I have feelings for the man in question? I don't have feelings for Nathaniel and I dislike his family.' Beatrice remembered those words said by Isabelle and her brows tugged together. Those words replayed in her head and she finally believed that Isabelle was not just a measly person who got paltry sums and chicken feeds from any shoddy honeypot business. 'Do you think I want to marry him because of his wealth or because of the Everhart family's despondent condition? I am richer and better than the Sinclair family.' Beatrice's jaw clenched when those words replayed again in her head.

"These are expensive clothes and jewelries…from the top-class boutiques…whoa, the latest and trendiest boutiques in the nation. Oh my gosh! There are bags too…posh handbags…and shoes too! Oh my gosh! Look at these gold wristwatches…they are expensive!" Brinley was taken by surprise and her bright beady eyes narrowed at the boutiques' icons.

"She must have amassed wealth to buy these expensive stuffs for us. Wow, she wants to slap us in the face by using her wealth." Sullivan jeered aloud but Brinley took his words seriously.

"Yeah, she was a must have seduced a big shot with that vixen face of hers and secretly got married to him. Also, there are chances of her having a rich old man who spends tons of fortunes on her and her children…ugh! And she must have bought these gifts to curry favor with us…now that our dear Beatrice has become Nathaniel's wife." Brinley explained and the others bought her story except Nathaniel Sinclair. Nathaniel was having a hard time believing what Brinley said. There was no news about any big shots marrying any lady named 'Isabelle' or 'White'. And he was left with the second option to believe. Did Isabelle really have a rich old man? And did she have children with the rich old man?

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"I want you to check out something for me." Isabelle said to the person on her phone. The geniality in her almond-shaped eyes vanished and was replaced with iciness.

"What is it, ma'am? Just say it and it will be done in the possible briefest time."

"There is something shady about the Everhart family, especially Beatrice Sinclair." Said Isabelle in a laidback tone and the other caller deduced what Isabelle wanted.

"You want information about her secret activities, consider it done!"

"Especially her call logs, letters and packages sent and received." Isabelle particularized. "Not only Beatrice Sinclair, the entire family members…and Nathaniel Sinclair as well." Isabelle said as her eyes narrowed. Her fake father, Sullivan, was acting suspiciously. Usually in the past, he wasn't a belligerent person but he drastically changed after borrowing money from the Sinclair family. And as for Nathaniel, she felt that Nathaniel was more than what he was and he might have dark secrets.

"Okay ma'am. Feedback will be given to you before daytime." The other caller synopsized and ended the call. Isabelle stared at her phone and sighed. She had always wondered how she gave birth to Deja and Joachim. Who was their father? And which family was she from? Though those questions looked simple to the eyes, delving into them to dig out the answers was nerve-wracking. Once again, she ransacked her memories for any hint but she still came up with nothing. Her friend, Floyd, gave her some assumptions considering the birth of her children and the one that intrigued her the most was 'wiping off memories of the pregnancy and childbirth'. The possibility that her memories were tampered was high and she was yet to look into the matter.

Thinking about her children, she promised to meet up with them at their new house before dinnertime. They must be waiting for her. Without further hesitation, she put on her helmet and rode on her fiery sports bike.

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"Miss. White, welcome home." One of the robots greeted the young lady who hopped down from her bike. She casually threw her helmet to the robot who caught it with ease.

"Where are my kids?" She inquired. She didn't bother to look at the surroundings or admire its beauty, the only thing in her mind was to meet her kids and be sure of their wellbeing.

"They just arrived at the dining room and dinner is being served." The robot reported and offered to take care of the sports bike.

She entered the house and the aroma of freshly prepared foods hit her nostrils. The giggles of two seven-year-old kids resonated in the air and that warmed her heart.

"Joachim?" Deja called out to her twin brother who was civilly waiting for dinner to be served.

"If a fairy godmother should appear to you and tells you to make a wish, what will you wish for?" Deja asked as she supported her jaw with her palm.

"Deja, you take these fairytales seriously. Do fairy godmothers even exist?" Joachim exhaled, talking as if he was a big brother reminding his younger sibling of a chore that needs to be done ASAP. "If you insist on knowing my wish…I just wish that mommy will find daddy and we will be a complete happy family. What is your wish?"

"You know that is not possible. Mommy told us that daddy is very far away so your wish is not a wish." Deja countered. "Anyways, my wish…is for Ace and K to be…"

"That is impossible because K's whereabouts are unknown. Mommy doesn't even know his whereabouts," Joachim said. "I believe that daddy is still out there looking for us. Every child has a father so we definitely have a father and I am sure that we will find him in the future."

"How is that possible? We don't even know who he is or what he looks like. Do you even know his name and his occupation?"

"It is not difficult. You look like mommy so I should look like daddy." Joachim answered with a grave expression. The warm atmosphere metamorphosed to a heavy one. Isabelle who heard her children's discussion suddenly felt hollow. Her daughter, Deja, was hell-bent on Ace and K getting married while her son, Joachim believed that he had a father who was looking for them. Isabelle felt a strong desire to find out who the father of her children was.

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AT THE HOUSE BEFORE ISABELLE'S NEW HOUSE

"Any news?" A guttural voice was heard in a poorly lit bedroom. There were two men in the room, one who was the master was sitting in a comfy sofa with a leg crossed over the other while the other man who was the informant stood at least a meter behind him.

"Yes sir. All your instructions concerning meeting with the HMX's new COO have been carried out." The informant cum personal assistant said with no shakes and the master's lips slightly twitched. His right hand was twirling a glass of red wine and the other hand was holding a tablet. The gentle glow from the lit candles of the luxurious chandeliers in the bedroom fell on him, giving him the appropriate shades and lights where necessary thereby causing a picture-perfect three-dimensional appearance of the man. He was the personification of manly grace and godlike beauty.

"Is that all?" The master inquired and the informant murmured a 'no'.

"Sir, you have a new neighbor…living next to you."

The man's twitched lips curled into a cunning smile. Finally, there was something interesting for him to hear, he was tired of listening to the boring 'business' and 'every day' news. A new neighbor, huh? Everyone knew that Lucian Emmett hates sharing his personal space with other people. He was very territorial in nature.

Yes, he was Lucian Emmett, the top eligible bachelor in the whole nation. Handsome, coldhearted, ultra-wealthy and sexy, Lucian was just like the hero of a billionaire CEO romance novel. He had enough money to take care of his next hundred thousands of generations. 'Gorgeous' was just an understatement used to describe his charm and grace because ladies from highborn families in and out of the nation sang his praises and fought against each other to make him look their ways. His smirk could make companies and organizations go haywire. He was more than everything needed in a perfect Mr. Right.

"Interesting." He commented, eager to see the person that encroached into his personal space. "We shall welcome this new neighbor of mine…in a very grand style." He said to no one in particular and his smile broadened.

"Declan,"

"Yes sir." The informant answered immediately he heard his name.

"Tell the butlers to arrange some gifts for our new neighbor." Lucian said and took a long sip from his red wine. Declan couldn't help but feel sorry for the new neighbor who was unaware of the existence of Lucian Emmett in Tchotchke Estate.