"What do you mean I can't see him? I told you to tell him that I'm here and-"

"Miss, as you do not have an appointment, I am not be able help you. If you are able to get an appointment, I would be more than happy to let you in. But I doubt so as Mr Reynolds is a very busy man." The receptionists' tone was so condescending that it made Elena's teeth clench.

Looking at her from under her lashes, she knew she wouldn't be able to get any help. Lisa had always been stuck up, reveling in her position as the reception and, thus, being the first thing people saw when they visited. She had regaled Gail and Elena with stories of powerful men who became enamored with her when they came. Truthfully, the both of them found the encounters sleazy and had tried to go to lunch without her. However, she always looking out for them and Elena had been too nice to discourage her.

Clearly she needed to work on that. Especially since Lisa didn't even return the favor. She couldn't even be bothered to give her the benefit of the doubt. Elena didn't know whether she should push the issue, her mood swinging definitely into the stubborn spectrum. She even contemplated stomping her feet. But when Lisa's eyes moved to the side and connected with Security's, Elena knew that wasn't the best idea. The best thing to do right not was retreat and figure out another way to get in touch with Harry.

Giving her a sharp nod, Elena headed for the door, ignoring the mirth and pity in the eyes of her former colleagues going out for lunch and the suspicion from Security. Not allowing herself to react, she straightened her shoulders and back the best she could and walked out. She refused to give them any other fodder for gossip. The fact that she had demanded to see Harry was bad enough; it had slipped her mind that he was the CEO and she had never had any contact with him. Not until she had left.

Sighing softly, her head jerked up when she heard her name. Her feet slowing to a stop, she was about to turn around when a snicker reached her ears. Figuring out that it was a trick and fuming that grown adults could be so juvenile, she tightened her lips and continued on her way out. She was above such childishness. Or that was what she was trying to convince herself.

Deciding it was best if she distanced herself, she began heading to her favourite diner in the area. It was a distance away and she debated upon taking her car. But by the time she came to a decision, she realised her feet had taken over and was carrying her body to the promise of good food. Stopping when she perceived what happened, she let out a short shriek of frustration. This was happening entirely too often.

Ignoring the people looking at her and her melodious stomach, she made an about-turn and almost collided with another woman. A pregnant woman. Their equally compromised centers of gravity almost dropped them to their ass but for some reason, they stayed on their feet. About to apologize for her clumsiness, Elena realised she recognised the woman.

Looking up, way up, the familiar navy eyes and friendly smile, Elena couldn't help but return the smile. Unable to help herself, she threw herself into the woman's arms.

"April,"she cried out in happiness. Their individual bumps made the hug ungainly and awkward but they managed since April was much taller than her. Holding on to April's arms, Elena took her time to examine her. She looked the same, still tall and voluptuous. Her heart-shaped face was fuller than before but that could be attributed to the bump that she was carrying. Elena was disappointed that the bump was much smaller than hers. Maybe she was not as far along as Elena was. But Elena was still happy to see her. Her mind returned to the first time they met.

This woman and her partner had been her savior during the unfortunate auction. They had taken her out of the spotlight and saved her from eternal humiliation by bidding on her. Well, not them but her partner, Jason. However, she had been awkwardly sitting at the table until April began talking to her. Surprisingly, they found a multitude of similar topics and ideals. Elena hadn't expected that. Having grown up in the family that she had, she had seen the type of women who went after the rich men. None of them were anyone she would look up to. Having expected the same type clinging onto the arms of the businessman, she had been slightly taken aback by the sweetness that practically exuded from April. Thinking back now, she felt bad for her presumptions.

"Why did you run away? I was calling out for you,"April said, a slight whine in her voice. Elena was about to apologise when the twinkle in April's eyes clued her in that she was being teased. "I almost got you."

"You did,"she admitted with a sheepish smile. About to ask what she was doing in LA, she was forestalled when April twined their arms together and continued in the direction she had been going.

"So where were you going? You were moving quite fast for a woman carrying twins."

"Hold up,"Elena said, pulling the other woman to a stop. "How do you know about that?" Elena was stupefied. They have not been in contact for the past few months; Elena had, regrettably, forgotten to get her phone number even though she had agreed to babysit their twins. Thinking about it when April stayed silent with a distinctly guilty look, it felt like a lightbulb suddenly lit up in her mind. "It was Harry, wasn't it?"

"Yeah,"April said, mirth replacing the guilt. The amount of mirth in her eyes was suspicious, making Elena narrow her eyes. "So where are we going again? Is it food? I want food."

"I'm getting lunch actually. The place down the next block,"Elena said, guiding April gently when she was about to go the wrong direction. "So tell me. Why are you here? Here for a holiday with your family?"

"We're here for some dinner. Jason said that Harry is being ambushed. Or something along that line. This place looks awesome. And delicious. I wished I had discovered this earlier." They had finally arrived at the diner. And Elena had to admit that the smell was making her mouth water. This surprised her since the last time she had been there, she hadn't even been able to get through the front door. She was glad that her morning sickness was getting better. As this was her favourite place to eat, she really missed the food.

Finding an empty booth in the busy establishment, they perused the menu and made their orders. Elena hadn't realised how hungry she was until the waitress had left. Blaming it on the twins, April and her began talking and Elena seeked her opinions on taking care of twins. She had better be prepared for the hassles of handling two babies.

"Oh, they are a lot of work. Now, I didn't take care of them when they were infants so I don't know how that period is like. But I've been around Sharon a lot since they had their daughter, Dawn. I've even stayed over when she didn't want to go out. And that was an eye-opener."

"How?" Elena was fascinated. This was her first, close encounter with someone who was going through this phase of life. Even though she liked and appreciated Gail's presence in her life, she had been hiding the fact that she was apprehensive about her life after giving birth. Especially after the confirmation of twins.

"So you know she already has two boys right?" Elena nodded, her eyes fixed on the other woman as she waited for April to swallow her bite of burger even as she took a bite of her mozzarella stick. "Well, let's just say I caught a glimpse of the hell that will become of my life once this little one is here. We were literally running around like headless chickens, chasing the boys around. Lucky for us, Cynthia was content to play with her dolls in her room. Even then, we had to make sure she's not consuming the small accessories that came with the dolls. And while we checked on her, the boys took it as permission to run amok in the living area and wherever is the most dangerous and they can make the most mess."

"That sounds hectic. How did you guys get them? I'm sure it was difficult, with Dawn and your pregnancy." Honestly, Elena was quite distressed from April's account. How was she going to handle her own set of terrors? She had no experience with rowdy children, especially boys, having grown up around the company of adults and nannies. And, yet, she couldn't help but continue listenjng.

"We were lucky. Jason and Cameron came before it got too out of hand. They managed to corral the boys to their room and get them ready for bedtime."

"Wow. That sounds scary. Are all boys that scary?" She had to take a bite of the fried chicken to settle her nerves. What was she going to do with two boys? She only had one pair of hands and there would be two of them. Was it really a good idea not to move in with Harry? But what if he continued as he was? That would make the move pointless.

Before April could answer though, two male figures suddenly stopped at their table. Startled by the suddenness of their presence, the both of them turned to the end and shrank back into their seats slightly. Because the men were not just any men.

They were the very angry, practically vibrating with fury cousins: Harry and Jason.

AN: Hey guys. How you doing? And what do you think about April being here? I feel that it's so cute she can give Elena some advice.

Just to clear something up, I have a very strict updating schedule. As I'm also posting these chapters on Radish, there's a guideline to follow. So from now on, I'll let you know when I'm going to next upload at the end.

Anyways, please VOTE and COMMENT if you like the chapter. Follow me on Wattpad and Twitter, sai_rahman2017, for more updates.

THANKS

next upload: 3 Sept