CEO's Dilemma

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

ACE'S POV

It's been a while since Alaric and last saw each other so we decided to meet today at Monte plaza to have lunch together. Kyle was supposed to join us but he got tied up at work.

Yeah, ever since that man to man talk we had at that suite, we have been meeting up time an again to share a drink or two. I hope that one day we become very good friends again.

I get a massage notification and when I tap on it, I smile foolishly when I see a photo of Luna and another girl. A text follows and I read in my mind.

"Asher's spoiling Alora and I today, it's his day of" I chuckle as I read again.

"Have you lost it already?" Alaric asks with a frown. "What's with the foolish smile?"

"Check this Out " I give him my phone to look at the photo.

"Whoa, this is Alora!" He exclaims I astonishment and that surprises me.

"Alora your girlfriend?"

"Yeah"

"She's Luna's best friend" I explain.

"Whoa! This is amazing two male best friends in love with two female best friends. Destiny is at it again"

"You can say that again"

"Why don't we plan an outing? Like we could. Somewhere just the four of us, somewhere really private and a good time together"

"That sounds like a brilliant idea Alaric, with that I get to spend some quality time with Luna, really cool idea" I say nodding my head. Luna and I have never really gone out to have fun or spend some quality time together. Its always about hospital appointments. Talking about relationship, what exactly is my relationship with Luna?

I take a cold shower and put on my clothes and go downstairs to meet Sophia at the diner. I came back home and found her cooking dinner herself and I have decided to eat dinner with her. It we are going to get married and spend the rest of our lives together, then eating together on the same shouldn't be so hard. I walk into the diner and meet her already seated and waiting for me. She looks gorgeous just sitting there acting so innocent, but I will not be moved. There's nothing innocent running on Sophia's mind right now.

"So what's there for dinner?" I ask softly as I take the head seat. Her face immediately lights up with a smile.

"Creamy chicken Lasagna Roll-ups, honey garlic shrimp and some grilled pineapples for dessert" She lists excitedly.

"They all look very delicious, did you actually make them?" I ask in doubt, Sophia can't cook. That is one thing for sure.

"Um... actually, Grace directed me on every step to take"

"I'm glad you have learning" I say as I serve myself some Lasagna roll-ups and start to eat and it's not bad at all.

"Ace" she calls

"Yes Sophia" I answer with my attention on my plate of food.

" I want us to discuss something"

"And what could that be?" I ask as I raise up my head to look at her, preparing myself for the bomb that's about to come out of her mouth.

"Its been about three years since you started requesting that I carry your child".

"That's true" I say as I put a scoop of food in my mouth

"And I have done nothing but ignore your request all these years."

" Yes, you have and I totally understand, I am willing to wait until you are ready"

"What if I told you that I'm ready? As in right now, I am ready to carry your child" she explained and I drop my cutleries on my plate and looked at her in awe.

I know where all this is coming from. I know she just wants to use this to get my time and attention.

Sophia the strategizing Diva.

"Then I'd say no, I don't want that to happen"

"Why not? This is what you've always wanted right? For me to bear you a child"

"Sophia, as it is now, I already have a pregnant woman to deal with and it's making me loose my mind, if I have two of you, I will go insane. Please Sophia, we are going to have babies, just not now!"

"But I want to get pregnant now!" she scolds.

"And I say no! , I am not going to get you pregnant now!" I say raising my voice equally.

"This is all because of Luna right?"

I knew it.

I knew she was going to bring lunch name in this argument.

"You only want her to have all your attention that's why you don't want to get me pregnant" she screams and I drop my cutleries and push the plate aside.

She always does this.

"We are not doing this tonight" I push my seat behind and rise up from it.

"Ace you will not dismiss this to pic neither will walk away from me!"

"Topic already dismissed and right now I'm walking away from all the drama you're about to create"

"What is so special about that girl anyway?" She asks banging the table as she stands up "What is it that she has got that I do not have? For heaven's sake, she's the imposter here!"

"The things Luna has got that you don't cannot be seen with eyes and cannot be explained with words, but there is one thing I'll let you know, you think all this. Schemes of yours will make me come closer to you, but they do nothing but push me away instead. So if things aren't going the way you want them to, blame yourself, not Luna" I say as I turn around to walk out, halfway I turn back to look at. "And until we're married, my bedroom is out of bounds for you, use any of the guestrooms anytime you come here." Then I make my way out of the dinner.

Whenever I'm with Sophia, it's always from one crazy drama to the next.

LUNA'S POV

"Go in , I'll wait out here" Alora commands.

"You really didn't have to follow me all the way here" I say rolling my eyes.

"I received strict orders from Asher not to let you out of my sight for a single second, so go inside before I change my mind and decide to follow you in and watch you pee"

"You're such a bully"

"I love you too" She says with a sickening smile and I roll my eyes and open the door to the female restroom and enter. There are over five doors side by side and I open the first on my right and do my business.

This is the second time I'm using the restroom since I came this mall. This pregnancy is getting more intense as the days go by. These past days, all I want to do is eat, sleep and pee. I'm almost four months gone and my bump is now visible. Anyone who looks at me can tell that I am pregnant and I kind of like being pregnant. Everyone treats me special with so much caution.

It's over whelming.

Once I step out of the restroom, the door opposite opens up and I almost faint when my eyes meet with Sophia's. I can see her expression change the moment she sees me. I am dead meat.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here. The famous baby mama!" She says with a sinister smile plastered on her face and I take a step backwards the moment she steps closer to me.

"Sophia I don't want any trouble". I try to walk to the main door but she blocks my way.

"No, no, no, not so fast I want us to have a little chit chat"

"I don't have anything to say to you."

"Well I do!" She says as she closes the gap between us, I nervously walk backwards until I feel my back touch the door, she still closes the gap between us. I nervously place my hand on my tummy as I swallow dryly, Ace had once told me that Sophia could get physical with me and right now I'm so scared of what she might do to me and my baby. I'm actually sweating out of fear right now.

"Aww you look scared, Ace isn't here defend you today" She says in a mocking tine and I can see the satisfaction in her eyes.

She's enjoying what she's making me go through right now.

"Sophia back off" I try to push her away but she holds my arm and pushes me hard against the door.

"Stay back there you whining fiancé snatcher. Get this straight into that thick skull of yours, Ace is mine alone, nothing, not even this bastard child you're carrying will make him leave me because l will make sure to do all I can to get him to marry me. Even if I have to get you out of the picture, I will, so watch it".

"I've heard you, can I go now? Please" I plead in fear. All I want is to leave her presence this instant. I might have a miscarriage if I keep listening to her threatening words.

"The nerve of this bitch" She says as she hits me hard across the cheek. "How dare you show up out of nowhere and try to snatch my man away from me?" She grips my hair firmly and yanks me on the floor and I fall on my butt.

"Sophia please!" I plead in tears as she walks towards me. I start crawling backwards in tears as she advances towards me with a satisfactory smile plastered on her face.

"I'm going to make you feel all the pain you've made me go through this past months Luna" she bends forward and grips my hair and I scream hoping that Alora will hear my voice and come to my rescue

And she does.

The door to the restroom flies open and Alora rushes in, towards us.

"Get off her you skanky harridan" Alora screams as she holds Sophia by the hair and yanks her off me. "How dare you!" she gives Sophia a solid slap across her cheek.

"Alora?" Sophia calls with a bewildered expression.

This entire scene feels like a déjà vu. This is exactly what used to happen when we were in high school, Sophia would attack me and Alora will come to my rescue.

"Yes it's Alora, I am so underwhelmed that you recognize me." Now, get your whining ass out of here" she says she holds Sophia's arm and shoves her out of the rest room. I slowly rise from the floor and she rushes to support me. " Are you alright? Should we go see the doctor?" She panics.

"Alora, I'm fine, I promise"

"Are you sure?" She asks trying to smoothen my hair

"Yes, I am. I promise"

"I'll Just call Asher right away, that bitch has to be put behind bars" she says taking out her phone from her hand bag.

"Don't" I interject and she looks at me with a frown that makes me understand that she has no plans of listening to my opinion about her decision of calling Asher.

"I'm not going to buy that *ignore her* saga of yours this time around, that girl has to be sued for battering a pregnant woman. That is a solid case"

" I know Alora, and I very much want that but I want to handle this in a different way". I explain and she focuses her gaze on me.

"I'm listening"

"So, she sent me threat messages and I decided not to react but now she has gone too far"

" I'm glad you know that"

"Putting her behind bars will not satisfy me enough. I want her to cry just the way I did when she attacked me, I want make her pay for hurting my baby and I"

"And how are you going to do that?" Alora asks as she crosses her arms over her breast and gives me an unsure look.

"By taking Ace away from her" I drop the bomb and Alora gives me a fascinated look.

"Now that has got my attention" she slides her phone in her hand bag an zips it up.

"These past months I've tried my best to be considerate, I've tried my best look at this situation from Sophia's point of view, but she has just proved a very important point, She wants me out of the picture and she will do anything to achieve that. I can't let her win, that's why I'm going to make sure that Ace cancels that wedding, I will make her regret ever raising her filthy hand against me. I will make her pay for hurting me"

"Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?" Alora asks shocked.

"Girl I'm serious "

"And this is the seriousness I've been waiting for, you know I've always been team *LACE*. So, go girl, I'll be with you every step of the way" She encourages with a genuine smile.

"Thank you Alora" I just say as I hug her.

"Any time sweetie. So, a for a start, you're going to call Ace and tell him you'll be spending the night at his place"

"So soon?" I ask in utter surprise.

"This is the perfect time" She says with a sister smile "Oh my God!" she suddenly explains as she touches my face.

"What?" I ask frightened.

"You've got fingerprints on your cheeks, Asher is going to kill me!" She laments. "Question is, how are we going to convince him that they are not fingerprints? Because the moment he finds out these fingerprints belong to Sophia, nothing will stop him from taking action"

"Then I'll leave for Ace's house before he comes back home so he wont see them"

"Brilliant idea now come on, I want to get you some very sexy lingerie's and bras" she says excitedly.

She's always thinking about the most outrageous things.

"With this baby bump?" I ask disgusted.

"Yeah"

"There's no way on this planet I'm going to wear a lingerie and a bra in my Present condition. I look like a potato!" I cry and she smiles.

She fucking smiles.

"A very sexy potato. Now come on"

"Alora" I whine as she drags me out of the restroom all the way to the mall. Alora is the craziest human on this planet earth.