Sweet Surrender: The CEO's Second Wife

Allison grinned after seeing her brother's dejected look. "Oh, you failed Mr. X?"

Alex glared at his sister.

Allison was eyeing her brother's pensive expression. He won't come running to her if all his plan works. This time he failed and maybe he's here to ask for her help. She was pouring him his favorite wine in a glass and handed it to him. "Here, have some wine..."

"Stop calling me that stupid name, I have a name, right?" he scolded her. Alex gladly accepted the wine glass. Mr. X was the name he used when he was actively seeking different women's company in bed during his wild days. When he got married to his wife Nicole, he thought he'd found the one, he's wrong!

His sister loves to call him Mr. X to annoy him or call him Daniel ~ the name that his adoptive father had given him. His adoptive father's only son named Daniel died on a plane crash together with his mother.

Twenty years later, his adoptive father also passed away due to a terminal illness, he inherited his father's fortune.

His real name was Alex Santos. When his deceased father adopted him, his name and surname were changed to Daniel Lopez. Sometimes he felt that he was carrying a dead person's name on his back and he doesn't like it. But he can no longer change his name back to the original since all the inheritance he was enjoying right now was under his new name Daniel Lopez.

Allison smirked. "Why did you give me that angry look in your eyes, bro Alex? Did something happened that destroy your mood?"

Alex runs his fingers through his hair in exasperation. "Brenda stormed inside Annabel's and pour drinks on Caroline's head," he said sighing, summing up in one sentence what happened the last time he and Caroline met.

Allison erupted in peals of laughter. "That's pretty epic! How I wish I was there when Brenda did it, it will look hilarious and comedic for sure!" her body was shaking in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"What the f.u.c.k are you laughing at, Allison?" he glowered at his sister.

Allison shut her mouth in an instant and her face turned serious. "Sorry bro, I'm serious now," she sat on the sofa and pretended to look serious while inside she was amused.

When his brother was still not saying anything, she decided to open her mouth and do the talking. Maybe, this time, he's ashamed of asking for her help. "Why don't you set another meet up with, Caroline?" she suggested casually, for her it's not a hard problem, to begin with.

"I already did. I asked and apologize to her for what Brenda had done to her in the bar. But she never replied to my text and my calls. I think she already blocked my number. After the incident in the bar, I think she lost interest in seeing me again," Alex said sadly.

Oh, so, Caroline ignores her brother, eh?

Allison rose from the sofa and began pacing back and forth on the floor, she is a genius after all. Sad to say, his brother wasn't convinced with the way how her genius mind works, she smirked.

"So, are you here to ask my opinion?" she glanced at him and asked.

He nodded his head. "If you are in my shoes, what will you do to convince Caroline to see me again?"

"Give me a few minutes to analyze things over," Allison responded.

Alex was also taking his time, sipping the wine, thinking about how to bring back Caroline on the drawing board.

Every circuit of Allison's brain was working rapidly. How to take control of Caroline's life like what she did with Catherine's life way back then?

In the present times, Caroline had a nice life of her own, she got a house and car to her name, she also had a daughter and a rich boyfriend. Her life is perfect!

She isn't someone who would jump in the gutter if someone will offer her money just to accomplish some task. Something needs to be done, a huge spectacle is required to make Caroline herself submit to them on her own free will.

Hmm, what could it be?

"Aha, I got a brilliant idea. Let's kidnap her just like I did with her twin sister Catherine!" Allison exclaimed.

"No way! Not again!" Alex barked.

"But there is no other way—!" Allison insisted.

"I thought you're a genius, Ali?" he scowled at her. "Think of something not so brutal," he requested. "You nearly destroyed Catherine's life before. I can't believe you will resort to that despicable thing again!" Alex berated her.

Allison huffed. "You would think that she will come to her own will and stay with you and for Lucas's benefit for months if we don't force her? No, she won't!"

She crossed her arms defiantly.

Alex rubbed his neck, his hunched posture signals that of someone who was in extreme anxiety.

"How many months left of Lucas' life?" asked Allison.

"The doctor says six or seven months, he will be lucky if he will last for another twelve months," Alex answered sadly.

The look on Allison's face was sorrowful. "It's sad that we only recently found him yet he was going to die soon..."

Alex released a deep sigh. "That's why we need to get Caroline fast, she is the only one who can make Lucas happy. We have to give our brother the happiness that he craves before he dies. But I don't want to force or impose on Caroline. It's not morally right," his conscience cannot allow him.

Allison stared hard at her brother's face feeling the weight hung heavily on his shoulder. "What other choice do we have?"

"Nothing so far," Alex replied. He shrugged his shoulders, his plan failed. He only needs to see Caroline again one more time, it's now or never.

"All I wanted is to establish a connection with Caroline gradually. I don't want to rush her. Unfortunately, based on how things went the last time in the bar, it would be hard to convince her to see me again. And I don't want to stalk her on her phone using another number, that would be troublesome," he said dejectedly.

The siblings were submerged in a thick silence for a moment.

Allison was busy thinking of many possible ways to pull Caroline into their fold. Of all people in the world, why does it have to be Caroline? It would have been much better if it's some poor random woman so that they can just buy that woman's time with money. She can always hire other women to accompany Lucas until his dying days, but her younger brother always refused.

It's not that they didn't try everything. They did hire a pretty woman to live with Lucas, unfortunately, the girl quit within just two weeks because Lucas shunned her company. He specifically wanted Caroline.

They sent another woman one after another into his place in almost one year hoping that he can finally learn to forget Caroline but he never did. He kept refusing the women and demanded Caroline's presence.

And they know the reason why.

"Why it has to be her?" Alex said aloud.

"Why indeed—?" Allison sighed.

They returned to silence mode once again.

"By the way, what happened to Brenda?" Allison spoke.

"I already broke up with her, that bitch destroyed my plan!" he gritted his teeth in anger.

Allison raised her brows. "Don't you think you are too harsh on her?"

Alex snorted. "She deserves it! I hate it when women turned overly clingy after I've been clear with the rules from the very start. Let's not talk about her, the thoughts of her infuriates me," he replied annoyed.

"Why won't you agree with my idea of kidnapping Caroline this time?" she asked him.

"Ali, not again!" he sighed. "Why are you so adamant in insisting that dangerous plan of yours? Why? Previously, you get away with Catherine's kidnapping, you're damn lucky. This time I won't let something like that happened again. Kidnapping Caroline is out of the table, let's just think of something else," Alex stated.

One hour later.

They nearly finished consuming the bottle of wine and still wasn't able to come up with anything.

Alex got bored, he stood up and ambled towards the door. "I'm leaving now. Let me know if you come up with a brilliant idea," he muttered and proceed to open the door. But before he can step out of the room, he heard his sister uttered Caroline's name.

"Hello, Caroline..."

He instantly turned around and saw his sister talking to someone on the phone, his steps faltered. C-could she be talking to Caroline?

Allison looked at her brother, she put her index finger on her mouth and motioned him to stay silent.

******

Author's Note:

Mr. X's real name is Alex Santos~~~His named was changed to Daniel Lopez when he was adopted by a rich businessman.

If Daniel and Alex are mentioned alternately in every chapter don't be confused because they are of the same person.

For Allison and Lucas~~Mr. X's sibling~~they will always call him Alex.

As for other people especially in the business world Alex will always be known as Daniel Lopez.

I will be detailing Allison, Alex, and Lucas back story...bit by bit...so...stay tuned.

Hope everything is clear now.