The Royal Contract

Dani was glad that Alex had friends like him back in college. She believed he was a good influence on him. Or, maybe it could also be the other way around. Anyway, so far, she thought that Alex had a good deal, having met great friends.

“Anyway, as much as I enjoyed this trip to memory lane. I think you need to go to your actual work.” She had felt his phone vibrating silently in his pocket several times as he sat next closely to her. But he had been ignoring it.

She could tell that it was either his secretary calling or Marcus. He had been late numerous times because he always wanted assurance that she was ok. Or sometimes, he came home early to be with her.

It needed to stop before he lost his company because of negligence. Many people were also counting on his fast-growing company. She did not want to be the cause of his downfall. He had worked hard to build his dream, and she would be damn if she would let anything harm it.

“But...” Alex stopped when he saw her face. She meant business. “Fine, but I will be back before you know it.” He finally conceded, standing up but giving her a swift kiss. “It was good to see you, Adam.”

Then, after a few more goodbyes, Alex finally walked out of the door. She loved him, but somebody had to put them in line. They had obligations not only to themselves but also to the people depending on them.

.....

Not just their families but their employees and everybody whose lives were affected by what they did. She was also thinking of the legacy her father left her and the legacy their children would inherit after them.

“If I had known of your condition, I would have brought you a different gift.” Adam pulled out a gift box from his pocket and handed it to her. “Before you decline it, it is just a thank you for the last case you helped me with.”

She did remember that case. It was a tricky one, but they still managed to win it. She hardly did much for that case. Adam worked hard for it, but she acknowledged that she contributed some to it.

Then, he suddenly left, just saying goodbye with a short explanation. But, of course, Dani understood. They had different paths to trek, and she was happy that, at some point, they had crossed paths.

When she opened the box, it was an exquisite pair of gold earrings with tiny gems. It did not look cheap. Of course, she could not accept such a gift. A free meal would have been enough but not this.

“I am sorry, but I think this is too much. I hardly did anything to earn this.” She shoved the box towards him, not wanting to offend him but unable to take the gift.

“I still believe you earned it after all the help you gave me. But I could not force you to take it.” His brows raised, still trying to convince her, but she shook her head no.

She only accepted presents from her husband. Even before she had met Alex, she had never liked taking gifts from anyone else. She did not need much anyway. She was more than content with whatever she had.

“Give it to your girlfriend.” She suggested as she smiled at his beautiful gesture. She still appreciated he thought of her assistance as valuable to merit a reward.

“Unfortunately, we broke off a long time ago.” He admitted with a frown, but he quickly erased it and smiled. “Anyway, enough of my sorry ass. I came here to ask if you are still willing to continue what we already started.”

It seemed that now that he was back, he wished to continue with his pro bono cases. He was asking if Dani would like to join him in his crusade. Of course, she was excited and ecstatic to be a part of it.

“But I can only do so much.” She pointed at her swollen belly, limited by her health condition. “But I will try to help out any way I can.” That was the best she could offer at the moment.

Suddenly, she remembered her husband’s words. Cut down and not add up to her responsibility. Then, an idea came to her mind. What if she came up with a different solution?

She believed it was worth thinking about and discussing. It could be a solution to both their situation. It was a farfetched idea, but sometimes thinking outside the box was the only way to achieve something.

“I will love any form of help coming from you.” He told her that he understood her condition. But he more than appreciated any help she could provide him.

She finally moved to stand up to return to her desk when she had some difficulty. Adam probably noticed it as he quickly stepped beside her, placing his hands underneath her elbow to assist her.

“Are you alright?” He worriedly asked as he looked down to check on her.

“Yes, just been having some dizzy spells when I make sudden movements.” Suddenly, she felt a little concerned, thinking she should probably listen to her husband and have herself checked.

The last thing she wanted was to have a complication in her pregnancy, not only endangering herself but her baby as well. She did not want anything to happen to her and her baby.

She wanted to see her child be born in this world and take care of her baby until she grew old. An ambitious dream, but it was something she would like to do with her husband beside her.

“Maybe you should take Alex’s advice and rest. Take a vacation.” He told her as he assisted her back to the sofa. “Do you wish me to call a doctor or Alex?” He offered as worried lines showed on his face.

“No, I think I am getting better. But I will Alex to accompany for a check-up tomorrow.” She decided, knowing she was not thinking about herself but her baby.

“Ok. Just take it easy for today.” He reminded her after she settled on her seat behind her desk.

“For now, I hope you will be patient because I have something else I wish to discuss with you.” She asked him as she closed her eyes and rested to stop her world from spinning. “Just give me a minute.”

She believed it would be a solution for everyone, but she needed a few minutes to fix herself. It would be a win-win solution.