CHAPTER 39 – HAVE IT ALL
Mackenzie, in her drunken stupor, placed a hand against her ears, realizing that she had left her earrings back in Chase’s VIP room. She had taken them off first before sliding out of her dress.
“How could I let this happen?” She muttered grumpily to herself, oblivious to the fact that Chase was watching her closely as they got closer to Maverick’s car.
Charlotte and Felicity perked up immediately they spotted them, and they hurried forward.
“Is she okay?” Felicity asked, worriedly.
“I found her on time, thankfully.” Uncle Maverick answered, shooting a cold look in Chase’s direction. “She’s just soaking drunk.”
“She had too much tequila. I should have stopped her.” Felicity frowned.
Chase was distracted from the conversation when Charlotte planted herself in front of him, with her eyes wide in awe and disbelief. She could not believe the fact that she was standing in front of The Chase Axford in person.
She eagerly noted that he looked even more gorgeous in person than in the pictures. Even with the black face cap casting shadows over his features.
“Thank you for bringing Mackenzie back. I’m Charlotte, Mackenzie’s friend. It’s an honor to meet you.” She said in one breath, extending her hand.
He took her hand, “Nice to meet you.”
Chase’s eyes strayed from Charlotte again, to Mackenzie. He saw that Maverick was trying to maneuver her into the passenger seat. He broke the handshake and moved closer, glaring at Uncle Maverick.
“She’s not sitting there.”
Maverick glanced at Chase, already ready to respond with his own defiant words when Felicity intervened.
“I’ll sit in the passenger seat, Uncle Maverick. Mackenzie can stay in the backseat with Charlotte.” She smiled softly and glanced at Chase, “Hello. I’m Felicity. It’s nice to meet you.”
Chase nodded, then glanced back at Charlotte who was still glued to his side. She was staring at him with excitement in her eyes. To her, his sudden appearance completely made the night worth it.
“I’m putting Mackenzie in your care, Charlotte.” He said to her, she eagerly nodded, with a wide smile. “She’s in safe hands.”
Charlotte moved to take Mackenzie from Uncle Maverick and guided her towards the door to the backseat. Maverick threw one last unfriendly glance at Chase, which was duly reciprocated, and moved around the car to get into the driver’s seat.
Chase caught one last glimpse of Mackenzie slumping into her sleepily, beautiful long curls spread all around her shoulders, before Felicity slammed the car door shut. The car slowly eased out of the parking lot.
As soon as it turned into the road, his security guards walked up to stand behind him respectfully.
“Sir. Your orders?”
“Follow that car.” Chase responded, turning around.
With brisk nods, they turned around and walked over to the sleek back Tesla concealed in the shadows in another area of the parking lot. One of them opened the door to the luxury backseat, and Chase got in.
In the next moment, the car was speeding down the road, a safe distance behind Maverick’s car.
Chase watched the taillights of the car through the windshield with narrowed eyes. He felt something really off about the man with Mackenzie and her friends. They called him “Uncle” Maverick. Including Mackenzie. But the way he had been acting was nothing like an uncle.
He had been hovering around Mackenzie like a man around his love interest. And Chase did not like that. One bit.
He had to make sure Mackenzie got home safe. Chase could definitely not let that man around his woman while she was so drunk and vulnerable. The only reason he conceded to letting Mackenzie go, was because her friends would be with her. She would not be alone with him.
When Maverick’s car finally rolled to a stop in front of the building Mackenzie lived in, Chase’s security parked their car in the shadows two blocks away, with the headlights off.
Chase watched Maverick step out of the car and hurry over to the back, but Charlotte was already helping Mackenzie out of the car. They both went into the building, followed by Felicity. He saw Maverick move over to the side of the building and was out of sight for a long moment.
When he finally got back, he was carrying two kids.
Chase straightened up, watching the scene with renewed interest. It looked like a little boy and girl, around ages four or five, clinging to Maverick’s body. He could not see any of their features, but he found himself wondering if those were Maverick’s kids.
If those were his kids, then he had those kids with who? One of Mackenzie’s friends?
That seemed highly unlikely. It did not look like he was in a relationship with either of them. Besides, they called him uncle, like he was part of one of their families.
Chase could only come to the next conclusion. That the ladies were helping him take care of his little kids. Quickly, his attention moved away from that as Maverick disappeared into the building with the kids.
Satisfied that Mackenzie had gotten home safe, he ordered the security to drive away.
*******************
“Welcome, sir. How may we be of service to you, sir?” A soft feminine voice asked.
“Show me the most beautiful earrings you have here. One of each kind.” Chase said, leisurely glancing down at the jewelry displayed in the glass in front of him.
The worker standing beside him blinked, in awe and surprise. “Pardon me, sir? But you said, one of each kind? We have many kinds of earrings here, sir. Sapphire, emerald, onyx, diamond, gold-”
“I do not intend to waste my morning repeating myself.” Chase glanced at her sideways. “Make the picks and show them to me.”
She flinched at the raw power in his tone. “Of course, sir. Right away, sir!”
Chase had remembered that Mackenzie was complaining about losing her earrings at the Nightshade Club and Bar, last night. This morning, he decided he was going to get her a replacement.
The worker returned shortly with a large velvet case which held rows upon rows of earrings of different kinds. Chase glanced over it, making sure none of them were unnecessarily huge or extravagant, since that didn’t seem to be Mackenzie’s style.
Satisfied, he made arrangements with the jewelry store. They eagerly gave the platter of luxury earrings to Chase’s security guards, who would take it to Mackenzie’s house and let her make her pick her choice or have all of it.
********************Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.
Axford Medicals, the largest hospital in the whole of Greenville, towered towards the sky in an assembly of steel and glass. This was one of the few places the paparazzi could not infiltrate. So Chase had no problem stepping out of his car, and going into the building, for once.
The director of the hospital was waiting in the large reception, with his assistant flanking his side. These two people, in addition to Richard Axford’s team of doctors, were the only ones that knew of his condition.
“Good morning, Mr. Axford.” He lowered his head politely as Chase stopped in front of them.
“Director Liane” Chase nodded back. “Take me to him.”
“Of course, sir.”
They led him through the large and sterile hallways of the hospital, as the director rattled off on some reports concerning the hospital which Chase was barely listening to. After all, the director was most likely talking too much out of nervousness.
Chase always had that effect on people.
In the next moment, the director opened the door to a VIP ward and ushered Chase in.
“Please inform me if you need anything, sir.” He said politely and moved out of the ward, closing the door behind him.
Chase turned to the bed, where his father sat, propped up by the bed and a couple of pillows. The ward in itself looked so luxurious that Chase was sure the hospital staff were sweating buckets while putting this place together for Richard Axford.
It showed that they were desperate to impress.
“Son.” Richard looked up from his magazine. “How good it is to see you.”
Chase walked forward and sat on the chair near the bed. His observant eyes took in his father’s appearance, noting how pale and frail he seemed in that hospital gown.
“How are you feeling?” He asked.
Richard chuckled. “Come on, Chase. I know my doctors gave you minute by minute reports on my health.”
Chase let out a slight huff. “Of course. I still would like to know how you’re feeling. You have to be in top shape for your surgery.”
“I know. I know. Everything is under control, and I feel great. The atmosphere here is very relaxing.”
“Eleanor and Jeffrey had to have been asking questions about you being in the hospital.” Chase said. “Have you told them about your condition?”
“I simply told them I’m here for medical checkups. All my doctors have their lips sealed, so that excuse should be enough for them.” There was an ominous silence, before Richard added, “Whatever happens, my lawyers and I have gone over my will.”