A Trade Of Hearts |✔

|Epilogue-2: Birthday Surprise|

A/N: Hey guys, I know it has been a long time and to be honest, I was at a lack of ideas. I didn't want to make it too cheesy but I wanted to do right by some plot lines too. Trying to find a balance between things took up more time than I expected.

I know some of you have been worried that that this is an incomplete story and yet put under complete. I did it as the story was supposed to end at CHAPTER 66: I Promise with a short epilogue but on popular demand for one shots and sequels, I felt that I'd cover it all in a long three part epilogue.

Thanks for the patience and support.

VANESSA

I steeled myself, my gaze ice cold as it followed his walk up my stairs.

Raw emotions threatened to break out of the cage I had imprisoned them in for the past two months.

I couldn't let myself feel anything, I had to show him I didn't care...atleast I could pretend.

I gave him a perfunctory smile as I welcomed my parents inside," Oh hi dad! We were just making breakfast, you both should join us. I hope you like waffles."

Dad frowned but said nothing.

I moved away from the door to allow them both in and they quietly did so.

Kate had been to my house several times but for dad, this was his first. He curiously examined my house, his eyes travelling from my Tv screen to my dining table to my sofa and finally settling on the huge, framed poster hung on the wall above the sofa.

It was the one I had received on being chosen to be on the cover of Eccentric at the party in Cairo, back in December...the one with Adrian, where we were dancing. Now that we were together, I found a new admiration for the poster.

Dad's eyes snapped back to me and then to Adrian as he asked," You both? Since how long?"

Oh right! He was too busy golfing alone to know the news that had broken so many girls hearts and which was going viral over the tabloids...even though it involved his own daughter.

"Two months, today.",Adrian stated.

He nodded and went over to take a closer look at the poster.

With his back facing towards me, he asked," Is the board okay with it?"

"With what?", I asked, too caught up in my inner turmoil to really pay attention to what he was saying.

"You both being in a relationship. Fraternizing is seriously looked down upon because, it is only good for the tabloids, and when you two...if you two eventually break up, it might affect the work atmosphere and..."

Kate placed her hand on dad's arm to stop him from saying anything else.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Adrian clench his jaw.

Dad turned towards her and then looked at me, "Forget it. It isn't my place to speak."

Since when is my father this humble?

"How is everything at the office?",he asked.

We both new he wanted me to tell him the details but he had shown how much he cared about the status of the company by not showing up at the party on second January.

It had surely raised several questions but they were quickly overshadowed by the news of my relationship with Adrian, thankfully.

"We have closed a few deals.", I replied curtly.