CHAPTER 15
Jason Valdez watched the stubborn, blond woman walk away from him. He wanted to reach out, explain why he wanted all these. But he didn't know how. With instructions to wait, his driver didn't drive. He stayed in the car for a few minutes before telling him to drive him home.
At home, he decided to call Evan. She wasn't picking up. He mentally went through the conversation in the car. There wasn't anything wrong in wanting her in Miami. If she was carrying his child, he wanted no stress. The procedure needed to be successful. He wasn't going to go through another tough episode like he did with his late wife. Pregnant women were delicate. Any little mistake can cause miscarriage. It would appear though that Evan was too young and naïve to see why he was insisting on this. He called her again.
"Are you okay?" He asked when she didn't say anything.
"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"
"About the contract, can we reach some sort of compromise? Did you read it?"
"I did." She turned on the bedside light and sat up. "Aside the two we discussed, I think others are okay."
"I know I sound absurd but trust me, pregnant women are delicate things. I want nothing happening to cause a mis..."
"Miscarriage." She breathed, getting that he was scared of her losing their child. She relaxed. Jason didn't scare easily. The experience with his wife must have edged so deep. "Okay, how about we have the procedure in Miami. Doctor Tom should do it. I'll stay the first trimester. I hear those are the danger period. After that, I'm back in LA."
He considered it and decided it was probably the best he could get, "Fine." He sighed. "You drive hard bargain Evan." He said, smiling.
"It's what's keeping me I business." She replied too, happy they had this settled. Then she remembered the payment part, "And I want no payment."
Jason didn't reply immediately, "Gifts are allowed then."
"Yes.... But."
"I give big gifts." He told her, "There's no saying no to this."
*******
Logan poured himself a drink and served his security team head one too. "Sit." He told him.
Seated, he offered him the second glass and drank his in a gulp. James didn't drink. He let the drink swirl as he watched his boss read the documents he had pulled up on Evangeline Swiss and Jason Valdez. "I can believe this man is so clean. But then again, he hires the best developer. How he pulls that off, I don't know."
"Money and power." James replied, "Like the Swiss, the Valdez are another powerful force in Miami. They are feared."
Logan studied the charts again. "He has an estranged sister?"
"Yes. Jennifer Valdez. She's rumoured to be into importing goods, most of which may not be legit but no paper trail on that either."
"Damn." He closed the folder on Valdez, "Another time, my man." He swore then he proceeded to read Evangeline's.
"So you think our best chance is to let her mother in on this?"
"Yes. Both women haven't been on good terms ever since she moved here. In a way, she'd be able to get through to her. She also has the resources to pull it off."
Good. If paying a visit to his future mother-in-law would stop Evan, he was going to take the chance and hopes she sees how she meant to him. He wasn't going to let her be tangled with a man who couldn't be trusted not to go back on his word.
"Get the jet ready. We're going to Miami."
"Now?"
Logan stared at the man.
*******
Mrs Swiss couldn't believe what the man seated across her had just told her. It had to be some sort of joke. Why would Evangeline be a surrogate mother? She picked her phone immediately to call her daughter right in his presence.
"Of course, she wouldn't pick." Then she called her other daughter. Adriana told her she was on her way to her office.
"I want you to meet my other daughter." she told Logan. The two chatted back and forth till Adriana joined them.
Though Adriana hadn't met Logan, Evan had told her a lot about him. She had also shown her his picture at one of her visit. She knew immediately who was seated with her mother. Something about them having any sort of conversation didn't look good. It would be destructive if he was here to gossip about the surrogacy. Evangeline would never forgive him. If this was the move he came up with to win her back, it was a terrible move.
"Here's Logan, Evan's man."
Adriana scoffed, "Okay?"
"He just shared a preposterous information."
Her mother was staring at her strangely. Of course I know mother, she told me. Now say it, she rolled her eyes.
"Which is mother?" she asked bent on not saying anything, she had a promise to keep.
"She wants to be a surrogate." Her mother blurted out making it sound disgusting.
The look on her face was spectacular. Evan would want to see this. She gave it to her though, her mother was taking it strongly. She had expected her to faint.
Adriana didn't try to pretend or deny the statement, instead she turned to Logan in irritation, and "I assume you came here to tell her this? Does Evan know you're here?" she glared at him, "You just made a terrible mistake."
Logan didn't dignify her with a response. He smiled at her, then at her mother and begged to take her leave. This was a family affair now. He would let the Swiss handle this situation for him. At least, one Swiss found the idea very appalling too. That done, he got off the chair and took his leave as the two Swiss bickered back and forth. He would wait for Evangeline to come for him. That shouldn't take long.
