The CEO Gets What He Wants

Avery awkwardly pointed in the right direction.

Jambalaya was not a dish every chef could cook to perfection, so to be safe, Avery had Cayden drive them to the place she used to stay.

She stayed there after she returned to the country, so she knew the neighborhood well. Naturally, that meant she also knew where the best restaurants were.

The black Land Rover screeched to a halt at the side of the road, and the residents in the area couldn't help staring at the people getting out of the car.

The father was tall and handsome, whereas the twins were cute and cuddly, so it's only natural that everyone stared at them.

They showed up at the peak hour, so the place was packed.

The owner hollered, “The jambalaya for number 23 is ready.”

A high school student in a uniform showed up with a tag that had the number 23 printed on it. After that, he picked up the tray with the jambalaya on it and left.

When the owner's wife saw the family of four entering the restaurant, her eyes glowed instantly.

She wasn't happy because more customers meant more income, though. She was delighted because the family of four was too beautiful and looked like celebrities.

Who knows? Maybe they actually are celebrities!

“Come, take a seat here,” said the lady as she gestured to the others patrons. “Please share tables. It's our peak hour, so the seats are limited.”

The student, who had just picked up the tray, nodded, then walked to the other table to join a couple, who were sitting at the side. He no longer took up a table for four.

The owner's wife cleaned the unoccupied table quickly so the family of four could take their seats. After that, she asked, “What would you like to have?”

Avery shot a look at Cayden and recalled how he had told her to decide for everyone. That made her nervous, but also gave her the courage to reply, “Four jambalayas, please. Two regular and two non-spicy.”

“We can handle spicy food,” said Rory and Zachary simultaneously.

Avery didn't quite buy that, so she turned her attention to Cayden.

Cayden was still standing when he answered, “Zach is okay with spicy food, but Rory is not allowed to have any. The doctor advised her against eating spicy food for the time being.”

Avery changed her orders, and the owner's wife made a mental note of everything before sharing that information with her husband, who was also the chef.

When she brought the cutleries to them, she whispered and asked Avery. “You guys are celebrities, aren't you?”

“No, we're not celebrities,” answered Avery before she explained, “I used to rent a place in the residential area close-by and came before.”

The owner's wife, however, behaved as though she had never heard a word Avery said. The former cleaned the table again, and as she did so, she murmured, “Awh, I thought you guys are celebrities who are here to experience the life of the poor. Err... what's the show called again? Uh, a reality show? Yeah, isn't that trending nowadays? We'll be famous after this...”

Avery understood that the reaction was all due to Cayden's presence there, so she said, “Honestly, we're not celebrities...”

In a way, it was true that Cayden was not a celebrity, but his presence would usually cause an even bigger ruckus than that of a celebrity.

Fortunately, most of the patrons there were folks from lower-middle-class families, while the others were farmers who worked in the area. They were all middle-aged and weren't interested in social media. Moreover, they didn't pay attention to financial news, so no one knew who Cayden was. That was great because it allowed Cayden to spend some quality time with his family. No one would bother them.

“The jambalayas are ready,” said the owner's wife as she served the dishes.

Rory and Zachary picked up their forks and ate away quickly. It was clear that they both enjoyed it.

Avery suddenly felt happy and content. Are the twins taking after me? Is that why they adapted to the taste so quickly and are enjoying themselves now?

At one o'clock in the afternoon...

Cayden drove the car and took Avery and the kids out of that place.

When his phone rang, he picked it up. “What's up, Grandpa?”

“Here's the thing, Cayden. Your aunt brought a team of medical experts to Ackleton because her husband is gravely ill and does not have much time left. He's also losing his mind, so your aunt wants to take Rory and Zach to the hospital to act as her grandchildren. She was hoping that your uncle will be happy after seeing them. That way, he'd be able to leave in peace,” said Jeffrey.

Cayden had turned on the speaker, so the kids, who were sitting in the backseat, heard what Jeffrey said.

So did Avery.

“Does that mean we can't go to the theater any more?” asked Rory who really wanted to go to the theater with her father and Avery.

Avery couldn't comment on the Moore family's drama, so she didn't say anything.

“We can go watch the play some other day,” said Cayden. His words pretty much settled the matter.

Forty minutes later, Xavier took Rory and Zachary away.

“You're not going?” asked Avery who was too afraid to get out of the car.

The car was parked right in front of her office, and countless eyes would be on her if she ever got out of the car.

Cayden drove away. “If I do, the old man will probably recall that they are my children.”

Rory and Zachary were pretending to be someone else's kids, and their white lie would bring peace to a dying man. Hence, it was not right for Cayden to be there.

“Please stop the car one hundred meters from here. I'll get off there and walk back,” said Avery.

Cayden ignored her and drove toward the theater. “I think we need to talk about the kids.”

Without the cheery kids around, the two adults were the only ones that remained, and the aura in the car changed quickly. It was as though every breath had an implicit message.

Avery was more than happy to talk about the kids, though, so any intention she had of returning to work had faded.