The Empire Grows

I had just arrived to the arena after signing all of my necessary papers with Jax Management and IWF to be Lya's Executuve Assistant. Even with just being an assistant, I was more than happy to be in the position since I'd be helping a friend and could still help Lluvia with her career as well. I wasn't sure if Lya had wanted me to find her or someone else in The Empire, but I had brought my purse with me and a backpack that had drinks and snacks for the kids as well as diapers and Pull-Ups for the twins since I had them with me. I looked around the hallway when Lucy gently tugged on my pants leg.

"Mommy, can we sit down and have a snack? I'm hungry and thirsty."

"Sure sweetie, lets find a table kids."

I led the kids down the hallway a little ways more, looking for a table to sit them at so they could have their snack. It didn't take me long to find a small table that was big enough for all of them. Luckily I didn't have to find any chairs, and they got right to their snack. I sat down as well and leaned my head back in the chair, taking a deep breath while I was able to.

Bella lifted her head when she heard a guy talking to her and the kids, and she sat up fully when she saw that it was one of the guys from The Empire. She glanced over at the kids and smiled when she saw them wave at the guy before they went back to their snacks. She turned her gaze back to Philip and sent a light grin towards him before she responded.

"Hey...Philip, right? I'm still learning who's who since Lya gave me a list of the people in The Empire but didn't give me good descriptions of them. And it's going alright, the munchkins just wanted a snack before we could find the locker room, so here we are."

Bella nodded lightly before she glanced over at the kids and saw that they were almost done with their snacks and drinks. She looked back towards Philip and nodded lightly before she spoke.

"Kids just sit quietly when you're done with your drinks and snacks so I can talk with Mr. Philip, okay?"

Bella watched all of the kids for a minute and smiled when they all nodded. She turned her gaze back to Philip to speak with him.

"That would be me. I'm Lya's executive assistant which automatically put me in The Empire when I signed a contract with IWF to join her here in order to help her out and do my job...not that I mind being aligned with y'all. The group looks pretty kick ass to me."

I am walking down the hallway when I see an incredibly attractive woman standing and talking to Philip Joseph. I half smile as I see two little kids, playing around the woman's feet. They reminded me so much of my own two kids. I pause briefly as a smirk appears on my face

"She is WAY too hot to be Philip's girlfriend"

I quickly turn and walk over to Philip Joseph and Isabella Luna, smiling charmingly as Isabella Luna turns and sees me

Corey Casey
Hello. I don't believe we've been formally introduced...

I smile and shake Philip Joseph's hand. The kid was good...real good. He had quite a bit of potential that he had been showing over recent weeks ever since signing with IWF. I make a mental note to see about involving him in a possible title match or something later on down the road

Corey Casey
Nothing much, Philip.

I turn and look at Isabella Luna, smiling warmly

Corey Casey
My name is Corey Casey. I am the Chairman of the IWF Board of Directors here in IWF. I am also an IWF Legend...in my own right at least

I looked down and saw the twins playing around my feet which brought a smile to my face. They weren't being rambunctious or anything like that, but they just didn't have the patience to sit quietly yet. I looked up to the man that had joined Philip and I, and I noticed that it was Corey Casey. I gave him a smile and then spoke.

"Hi, I'm Isabella Luna...I'm the new chick that came aboard to be Lya's executive assistant...which I guess automatically made me a member of The Empire as well."

I leaned down and grabbed Amelia and Anthony, holding one of them in each arm. I kissed their cheeks which made them giggle and then looked at Corey and Philip since I hadn't really introduced the kids.

"This two are my grandchildren, Amelia and Anthony. I'm helping my daughter with her wrestling career by watching them while she's on the road. The three kids at the table are mine that I adopted a couple of years ago. The boy is Eddie, the smallest girl is Lucy, and the other girl is Nadine; Nadine and Eddie are twins. Since I'm a single mom, I had to bring them with me."

My smile widens as I look at the set of twins sitting at the table. I meet Isabella's gaze and nod at the twins

Corey Casey
A boy and a girl set of twins? Reminds me of my own kids back in Chicago. I got a boy and a girl who are a year old now.

I see the smiling faces of Raylyn and Gavin, making me smile grown wider. And yet, I can feel a slight twinge of sadness somewhere deep inside of me

Corey Casey
I don't get to see them much though, what with being on the road and trying to keep IWF going and Board Meetings in Boston and such...

I sigh slightly and shake my head, trying to rid myself of the feeling of guilt and sadness

"I'll see you later, Philip. It was nice meeting you and talking with you. Maybe we can talk more later."

Bella gave Philip a smile and then turned her gaze back to Corey. Even though she knew that she shouldn't, she couldn't help but look him over a moment. She made her gaze meet his before she spoke to him again.

"It's sad that you don't get to see them that often because of work. And actually, it's two sets of boy and girl twins. There's my set of twins and my daughter's twins here. They're all still sort of young...Eddie and Nadine are the oldest at 9, Lucy's the second oldest at 7, and these two cuties are 3. And I'm sure that your kids understand why you're not around more."

I try to contain a smirk as I see Isabella's eyes quickly race up and down, starting at my toes and working their way back to my hair. She probably didn't even know I had caught her checking me out...i suddenly chuckle softly to myself

"When was the last time any woman truly checked you out?"

It was a sad fact. Every single day I felt as though women kind of looked through me. Things had begun to kind of settle down at home after the wedding. Jess and I were trying to plan a sort of honeymoon but IWF seemed to always come in between us, almost like the business I had helped to create...the business I had sacrificed my blood, sweat, tears, and sanity for was destined to control every single aspect of my life forever...

I suddenly snap back into the moment and catch my gaze lingering on her face. She was beautiful...that much was painfully obvious. From her stunning brown eyes to her agonizingly perfect figure, Isabella Luna was a drop dead smoke show. I suddenly as though the titanium wedding ring I had on was dragging me down to the floor...

Corey Casey
My twins are only one so I don't even think that they notice i'm not around. It just kind of sucks having to be here all the time while still trying to be with my family...

"Then why don't you just quit one or the other dumbass?"

I shake my head as the question echoes around my head. I look back up at Isabella Luna, who has a bemused smirk on her face

Corey Casey
I'm sure you're wondering why I don't just walk away...why I don't just leave this place behind. It's just that I have given too much for IWF...I have bled for this company and sacrificed so much that I just can't seem to pull myself away. It's almost like IWF is my kid too, ya know?

I shake my head again, laughing softly

Corey Casey
You probably think i'm bat shit insane...

I nodded lightly as I listened to what Corey said. I understood where he was coming from since wrestling in general was like that for me. I had been wrestling or affiliated with it for 13 years now, and I could never seem to stay away from it for long. I shrugged lightly before I put the two youngest ones down at the table again. I turned back to Corey with a light smile on my face and spoke.

"I understand where you're coming from, trust me. I can't seem to stay away from wrestling after 13 years. I've never let it come between me and my kids though. There comes a time where your family should come before all of this though. You never know what tomorrow may bring, and it's like that saying goes...you never know what you've got until it's gone."