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CHAPTER 31 The next day Alexis is in her suite gathering a few things when there is a knock on the door. She walks over to the door and opens it as an angry Stefan comes barging in. He�s so mad that he walks right past her and over to the mini bar. Alexis bites her bottom lip as she knows it�s only a matter of time before he turns around and notices her condition. Stefan pours himself a cup of water and looks up. �I found out who is behind the destruction of Cassidine Industries.� �Stefan that�s great.� Alexis exclaims as she walks closer to him. �It�s easier to fight when you know who your enemy is.� �That it is.� He says sternly still not turning to look at her. Alexis just looked at him for a moment and waited. �Well are you going to tell me who it is or do I have to guess?� Stefan turned around and looked her straight in the eyes lunging a file at her. Alexis kept contact with Stefan� eyes for a few minutes and didn�t like what she saw. Slowly she took her eyes off of his and looked down at the file she held. Stefan looked right past her and walked over to the couch. �This can�t be.� Alexis said quietly as she read the name Ned Ashton in bold letters. �There is no way Ned would do something like this to me.� �Face it Alexis your husband is nothing more then a ............� Stefan stated till his words fell short on her ever growing stomach. Alexis looked terrified as the expression on his face changed. ~*~ ~Kelly�s ~ �Lucky I am so glad I found you.� Emily said as she sat down at the table across from him. �Is something the matter Emily?� �What? Emily asked �Oh no nothings wrong what could possible be wrong?� �You just seem to .......I don�t know� Lucky shot back. �Hyper!� Emily said finishing his incomplete thought. �Well ya.� �That�s because I am.� She yelled as she reached across the table and grabbed his hand. �I need your help.� �Okay with what?� Lucky asked �With Nikolas� surprise birthday party.� �Oh damn that�s right.� Lucky said as he sat back. �Today is Nikolas� birthday.� �Lucky Spencer how can you forget your own brothers birthday?� Emily asked shocked. Lucky didn�t say a word as he looked up at her. �Oh forget it.� She stated. �Just help me, will ya?� �Sure what do you need?� Emily stood up. �For starters I need you to help me find the perfect birthday present.� Lucky stood as well. �Okay but where do we start?� �Macy�s in New York City!� Emily yelled as she grabbed him and pulled him out the door. ~*~ �Hey Ned you got a minute?� Nikolas said as he walked into Ned�s office at L&B �Sure, what do you need?� Ned asked as he looked up at him from behind his desk. �If it�s about our plans to take over Cassidine Industries don�t worry everything is coming along swimmingly.� Nikolas sat down in the chair across from Ned�s desk. �Actually it�s about the state of L&B.� �Everything seems to be in order here as well.� Ned shot back as he noticed Nikolas� worried expression. �Usually of course you know something I don�t!� Nikolas looked up at Ned. �I really don�t know exactly how it happened but if we don�t turn L&B around soon and start taking in my talent L&B won�t be able to remain open.� Ned looked down. �I didn�t realize things have gotten that bad.� �I know I let you down and for that I�m so sorry.� �Nikolas you didn�t let me down.� Ned said cutting his words off. �You�ve done everything around here for months if anybody is to blame for letting L&B get so bad off it�s me for not being here when I should have been.� �But you left me in charge.� Nikolas yelled. �You trusted me enough to keep this company afloat.� �And you have!� Ned yelled as he stood up and walked over to the filing cabinets �Ned Ashton we need to talk now!� Alexis yelled as she flung his office door opened and walked in. Ned looked over at Nikolas who in turn looked back and walked out shutting the door behind him. �Sweetheart what�s wrong?� Ned asked almost afraid to. �Would you like to tell me why you�ve been stabbing me in the back for months?� Alexis screamed as she dropped the file she held on his desk. Ned looked down at the file and sighed before looking up at her. �This takeover had nothing to do with you Alexis.� �Had nothing to do with me!� She screamed �how on earth can you say that. Cassidine Industries belongs to my family.....to my nephew and you�ve gone out of your way to destroy his future.� Ned walked over to her and grabbed her hand. �Alexis there�s a lot you don�t know and if you calm down I�ll explain it to you.� �You�re right there is a lot I don�t know!� She yelled as she pulled her hands from his. �About my husband that is.� Ned grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to sit on the couch. �You need to calm down this isn�t good for you or the twins!� Ned stated in an angry yet concerned matter. Alexis looked him in the eyes. �How could you do this to me.......to Nikolas....to our children?� �Actually its Nikolas who is doing it to himself� Ned stated as Alexis continued to stare at him. �Nikolas came to me and asked me for my help.� �In destroying Cassidine Industries?� Alexis asked completely thrown off guard. �In ridding himself of the influence and power both Stefan and Helena hold over him.� Ned said as he watched Alexis slowly becoming more relaxed. �I don�t understand Ned, why would Nikolas go after a company that in 4 years will be his anyway?� Ned sat on the couch next to Alexis and placed his hand on her stomach. �It didn�t make much sense to me at first either. I thought he was out of his mind.� �So what changed your mind? What made you help him takeover the company?� �I guess it was the part of you that I saw in him as he spoke about what getting out from under Cassidine influence meant to him.� � I don�t understand how he thinks taking over the company now will save him anything. If anything it�s just going to give him that much more heartache sooner.� �He doesn�t plan on keeping the company.� �What�s does he plan on doing with it?� �I think that�s something that you need to ask him.� �I plan on it.� She said as she looked at him. �But you and I still have some unfinished business to deal with first. Like why you didn�t tell me about any of this in the first place!� �May I ask how you found out first?� �Stefan came by my suite earlier and was all too eager to let me know you were behind everything.� �He didn�t mention Nikolas at all then?� �No, I don�t think he knows that you and Nikolas are working together.� �That�s good to know.� A relived Ned replied. �Now how about you answering my question?� Alexis asked as tears began to form in her eyes. �I never meant to hurt you Alexis and I sure as hell didn�t want you find out about it this way.� �Then why did you lie to me?� �I never lied to you.� Ned yelled �I only kept you out of it to keep you and our children safe.� Ned said as a strange look took over his face. �What? What�s the matter?� Alexis asked �You said Stefan came by the suite.� He stated as he looked down at her stomach. �I�m fine he wasn�t very happy about the fact that I�m carrying your child but he didn�t hurt me if that�s what you�re thinking.� �With him I never know what to think.� �He�d never hurt me Ned.� �And what about our children Alexis, would he hurt them?� |
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