Chapter 107 107: The zoo

Novie and the triplets have arrived in the apartment but, after the elevator door opened, she was surprised to see Selena standing next to their apartment.

Novie ran her eyes through the lady's body, unlike before, Selena had grown, her long hair was bleached and a light makeup was on her face, she was wearing jumper short paired with a crop top, showing her belly button and small waist.

Then she noticed her chest, even though Selena had grown, seems like her chest remained as it was five years ago.

She wanted to laugh, all of her friends had a bigger asset than her but, seems like Selena replaced her spot.

"Hi Selena" she greeted her warmly.

The woman who was leaning against the wall with a phone on her hand, lifted her face and smile, "Hi Novie. Anders is downstairs getting some of the triplets stuff. Ken was here earlier looking for you" Selena spoke and lowered her eyes to Alexa.

"Hi honey, Did it work?" Selena asked.

Alexa nodded and gave Selena a thumbs up.

"Yup got everything now. Thanks again" Alexa replied and plant a small peck on Selena's cheek.

Selena giggled and patted her head, "Good, If you need more help, don't hesitate to ask me all right?" Alexa nodded and walked beside her brother towards the door.

Selena got up from squatting on the floor and looked at her, "Ken is waiting for you in his office. I will look after the triplets" Selena spoke and pushed her body towards the elevator.

Novie was confused, wondering why Ken asked Selena instead of calling her.

(Weird people) she blurted instead and left the building.

–

When Novie arrived in Ken's office, the man was in his chair looking at his laptop with a serious expression.

"Hi," she greeted him but Ken didn't look at her.

Her brows creased in confusion and turned to Danny's table, she didn't notice it earlier, but Saina was also there, sitting on the couch, reading a health magazine.

"Hi Novie," Saina greeted her, Novie smiled and sat next to her.

"Hi, What are you doing here?" she asked.

Saina bit her lower lips and smiled shyly, "Danny and I will spend the weekend in my province." Novie could see Saina's cheek blushing as she speaks.

"Wow! that's nice" she replied and looked at Ken but the man was still busy looking at his laptop.

"What is he doing?" she asked Saina.

Saina shrugs a shoulder, "I don't know, he's been like that for some hours now"

Novie got up and walked to his desk, she stood behind him and looked at his laptop. She raised an eyebrow when she saw him looking for a weekend getaway.

"What are you doing" she whispered in his ear.

Ken was startled to hear Novie's voice, he was too focused that he didn't notice her presence.

"I am looking for someplace we can go for a weekend. I am thinking maybe the lake, is it all right?" Ken asked.

Novie twitched her lips and asked, "What about the triplets?"

Ken spaced out for a moment. When Novie called his name, he blinked and turned to Danny.

"Danny, can you bring the triplets?" Ken asked.

Danny got up from his chair and took Saina's hand. "Nope," then he walks towards the door.

"Ok, just Alexa and Leo. I will look after Ethan" Ken bargain. Danny stopped by the door and looked at him with a flat face.

"Saina and I just got back together. I want to spend a peaceful weekend with her so, no Ken, I am not taking any of the triplets" Danny refuse and left the office.

Ken slammed a fist on the table that made the paper jumped. Novie rolled her eyes while picking up the documents on the floor.

"It's fine Ken," she spoke while filing the papers on the table.

"This is unfair! I can't enjoy you because of the triplets, Daniella said we can't even kiss in front of them while her, she's probably somewhere enjoying her life" Ken gnashed his jaw in annoyance.

Novie sighed and, sat on his lap, "Daniella is helping us, so to pay her back we will take care of her kids." She untangled his tie while giving him a smile.

"I know but I really want us to spend a weekend together. And I know a place where we can put them" saying that, Ken lifted her body from his lap and let her sit on the desk. He opened the laptop and his finger started typing something while a playful smile was on his lips.

Novie narrowed her eyes in suspicion, she noticed that Daniella's family only smiled when they were about to do something wicked.

"What are you doing?" she asked and tried to peek.

"I know a place where we can put the triplets for two days" Ken spoke and grabbed his phone on the table.

"What is it?" she asked in curiosity, knowing Daniella, she will not leave her kids to a stranger.

"If I remember it correctly, there's an orphanage next to the triplets school. I will call and inform them that the triplets will stay-"

Ken stopped when Novie slammed his tie on the table and tugged his collar, "Orphanage? Are you out of your mind" she yelled in anger.

Ken tried to push his swivel chair away but Novie pulled his collar closer, "I – I was just kidding" he strumbled.

The anger he saw in Novie's eyes was making her face flushed, he had never seen her fuming like this before. Her small eyes went round as she glared at him while her lips were pressed in anger.

Novie sighed and let his shirt off, "Look Ken. We owe Daniella so much and all we can do is to look after her kids." she spoke in a soft tone.

"Fine!" Ken replied and emitted a long sigh.

Novie got down from the table and sat back to his lap, her hand reached on the button of his shirt and slowly unbuttoned it.

"Novie. I am not in a mood" Ken spoke. Novie wanted to laugh after seeing him sulking like Alexa.

"Ok," she got up and hide her smile. She put his tie on the table and slowly walked towards the door.

"I just wanted to remind you that the office is closed during the weekends and the triplets will be in the house for 24 hours." She whispered. When she turned her back to look at Ken, the man was no longer in his chair, instead, he was standing beside her, looking at her with deep eyes.

"I just love how your brain works" Ken spoke in a deep voice and leaned closer. As their lips are about to touch, the door opened and bumped on Novie's head.

"Ouch!" she grunted and rubbed her head.

"Oops! Sorry I didn't know you two were making out!" Novie blushed when she heard Danny's teasing voice.

She buried her face on Ken's chest while the man glared at Danny.

"Don't you know how to knock?"

She could hear Danny's laughed "Get a room people, Oh! Wait, you don't have a room" Danny exploded.

Ken hardened his face and slammed the door closed and locked it.

They heard a knocked on the door followed by Danny's voice.

"If I were you, you better do it quick. The triplets had their stuff delivered in your apartment today, if you don't rush, you will find your apartment filled with animals" Danny spoke and laughed.

Novie looked at Ken in confusion, wondering what Danny meant. When Ken opened the door, Danny was no longer in the hallway while his secretary was sitting behind her desk with a metal box in her hand.

"Mr. Chen said this is for you." the old woman got up and handed him the box.

"What is this?" the box was not heavy so he doubted that it's one of Danny's prank.

The secretary rubbed her forehead in anxious, "I am not really sure but Mr. Chen said that you will need it of ever you get bitten by a snake" saying that, the secretary went back to her chair.

Ken clicked his tongue and put the box on his table and turned around to face Novie.

"Let's go home" Novie held his hand and lead the way.

He looked at Novie with his nose wrinkled in confusion, "Wait. Why do we need to leave?"

Novie was speechless, she was worried about the triplets but Ken was urging her to stay.

"Ken we are leaving" she went behind him and pushed his body towards the elevator.

"But, I thought we will...You - you already unbuttoned my shirt so be responsible Novie!"

"Stop it, Ken. We don't have time" she pressed the ground floor button and wait for the elevator to close. When she looked at Ken's face, the man had his serious face while closing the button of his shirt. She wanted to laugh but afraid that Ken might change his mind and drag her back to his office.

On the way to the apartment, Ken keeps on sighing and snubs the employee's greetings.

When they reached the apartment, Ken slowly opened the door.

Novie jumped on Ken's arm when she saw a huge yellow python on the floor, when she looked around, her eyes widened in shock.

Aside from the phyton on the floor, there are two other black snakes on the couch sleeping as if they own it while Leo was sitting on the floor playing a PlayStation. When she heard a giggle, she turned to her right and found Alexa sitting on the dining chair feeding a monkey while Ethan who just came out from his room was holding a transparent box full of frogs.

With her lips shivered in fear, Novie shifted her eyes to Ken and found him smiling.

"What's funny?" she asked in confusion while tightening her grip around his neck, afraid to fall down and be consumed by the python.

"I guess we can't stay here. Animal control is closed during the weekend" the evil grin on Ken's lips made her realized that he already know what was happening.

(This must be the reason why he went here earlier.) She sighed and loosen her grip to his neck and ask him to put her down.

"Are you not scared of the snakes?" Ken asked.

"Do you really think I will not figure it out? I know you sent this animal here" she slowly walked towards Alexa's bedroom and hoped that there are no animals inside.

Her spirit jumped out of her body when the phyton moves and swirled around her neck.

Her body turned statue when she felt its skin, she shut her eyes and prepared herself to be engulfed by the snake.

"Don't worry aunt Novie. Her name is Spike, she will not eat you" A small voice spoke when she opened her eyes, her face went pale.

The snake had its whole body wrapped around her body, while its face was too close to her face, she could see its pinkish tongue and the hissed noise its making was making her heart to stop beating.

"Ethan – can you – please take this snake away from me?" she stuttered.

Ethan lowered the box he had on the floor and took the snake from her body, "Hey Spike, don't scare Aunt Novie" Ethan spoke while rubbing the head of the snake as if it was a dog.

Novie was speechless, the triplets were acting normal even though their house looks like a zoo.

When she saw the frog jumping out of the box, she ran towards the bathroom and closed the door. Her whole body was convulsing but she will not give Ken satisfaction by leaving the apartment. She knows why he's doing this, he wanted her to realize how her life will be if she stays with the triplets.

She sighed and clenched her heart, she will call Daniella and ask her to send someone to remove the animals away.

She opened her eyes and about to leave when she detected something behind the shower curtain, she covered her lips with a hand while the other reached the curtain. When she swayed it, a loud scream let out from her throat.

–

In the living room, the triplets gathered in front of Ken and waited for him to hand them their rewards.

Ken opened his suitcase and took three chocolate bars out of his suitcase and handed it to them.

"Here, you did a great job with snake Ethan, but don't tell your mother that I gave you this chocolate. That woman will pull my teeth one by one" Ken patted their head slowly.

The triplets excitedly open it and eat it in just a second.

"We want more" the triplets spoke in rhythm.

Ken rose an eyebrow in disbelief, "But our deal is only one chocolate" he replied.

"No Uncle Ken, you said 'if you bring your animals in the apartment I will give you chocolates', you said chocolates, not chocolate" Ethan replied.

Ken poker his face, "I – I don't have anymore chocolates" he showed them his suitcase to inform them that he was telling the truth.

Ken was about to continue when they heard Novie's scream followed by her body storming out of the bathroom.

"We are going to that lake for a weekend at the same time I want all of this animal gone by Monday" she shouted and walked out of the door.

Ken bites his lips to hold his smile, Novie's face was so red that it looked like a ripe apple.

"Uncle Ken your plan is working" Leo spoke.

Ken plastered a victorious smile and got up. "Good! Selena will be here soon to bring you to the orphanage. Remember you can't tell anyone about this all right?" Ken reminded them.

The three nodded in response, "Uncle Ken, don't forget to pick us up on Sunday ok?" Alexa spoke while hugging his leg.

He squatted on the floor and patted her head, "Don't worry, I won't. So about the chocolates. I will ask Selena to stop in the store" he took out his wallet and gave them his card but, Alexa didn't accept it.

"Uncle Ken, we need cash. The cashier will not allow us to pay thru the card we tried it before" Ken sighed and took a bundle of cash and put it inside of Alexa's sling bag .

"Here, don't forget to brush your teeth, ok?" the three nodded and waved a hand to bid their goodbye.

When Ken left the apartment, he met Selena in the hallway.

"Hi Ken" he gave her a faint smile and walked towards the elevator when it was about to close, Selena stopped it from closing using a hand and gave him a warning.

"You should know that once Daniella finds out that you sent her kids to the orphanage, she will beat you up" Selena warned him.

Ken shrug a shoulder, not bother by her warning, "That's fine, at least I get to stay with Novie for a weekend" He winked at her and pressed the close button.

–

When he went to the parking space, Novie was already in the car, sitting in the passenger seat.

"Where're the triplets?" she asked in confusion. Ken gulped and gave her a faint smile.

"Someone will look after them" saying that, Ken speed out of the parking space.

"Who?" Novie asked.

"i dont know her name but Daniella knows this woman, it's the same woman that took care of her when her mother died," Ken replied.

Novie sighed and looked at the road, she wanted to call Daniella but she left her phone in her bag. Even though Ken told her that someone will look after the triplets, somehow, she feels anxious.