Chapter 143


    Chapter 143: New Friends, Old Enemies


    Moana


    I felt my heart sink as I saw my ex-boyfriend, Sam, staring up at me from the crowd. His eyes were


    wide and disbelieving; of course he knew that I wasn’t E’s mother. And of course he knew that I


    wasn’t Edrick’s real fiancee, as Sam and I had only broken up a few months prior. I could spin the story


    to make it seem as though Edrick and I quickly got engaged after I found out that I was pregnant, but if


    Sam said anything publicly about how I wasn’t really E’s mother, there was no way I could possibly


    hide that.


    Although I wanted to run away and hide from embarrassment, I put on a brave face, continued smiling


    as Edrick asked me to, and went back to staring above the crowd just like I had been doing before. And


    soon, Edrick’s speech was over. We stepped down off of the gazebo as the crowd stood and made


    their way over to the pic area for brunch, and now that I wasn’t standing in front of everyone, I felt a


    lot less anxious about Sam being here. I just hoped that he wouldn’t say anything to anyone about his


    past rtionship with me, but at the same time, I had to have faith that Edrick would handle it if he did


    say something.


    “See? That wasn’t so bad,” Edrick said, shooting me a smile and patting E’s head. We then turned to


    see a group of other kids who were already on the yground. A few of them had gathered at the edge


    of the yground area and were staring at E curiously. One of them waved at her, and E waved


    back.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    “Can I go and y?” E asked, looking back and forth between Edrick and myself with wide, hopeful


    eyes.


    Edrick nodded. “Go ahead. Come find me or Moana if you get hungry.”


    E took off running to meet the other children, who immediately swarmed her and began asking all


    sorts of questions. She seemed to handle it well, which made me proud.


    “She’s so good with other kids,” I said to Edrick as we watched E y. “She has no trouble


    whatsoever making friends.”


    Edrick nodded. “Well, she didn’t get that trait from me, I’ll say that much,” he said with augh.


    Suddenly, a female voice came from behind us.


    “That’s a lie,” the voice said. Edrick and I both spun around to see a gorgeous woman standing behind


    us. She had long, ck hair, tanned skin, and was tall and athletic-looking. She had on dark red lipstick


    and an attractive matching top and bottom set that made her look powerful and intelligent. As she


    spoke, she looked over at me with shining brown eyes that looked like caramel in the sunlight. “Edrick


    never had any trouble making friends when we were kids.”


    “Well, I’ll be damned!” Edrick said with augh. “If it isn’t my old friend Mia. I didn’t think you would be


    here today.”


    The woman, Mia, shrugged and smiled. “I got a little homesick. Decided toe home until I get sick


    of being here and get the itch to travel again.”


    “And how long will that be?” Edrick asked. “A week?”


    “Maybe less.” Mia’s smile widened, and then she turned to face me. She held her hand out for a


    handshake, and when I took it, her hand was warm. “I’m Mia. Edrick and I were friends growing up. I


    manage a few of his overseas branches.”


    Much unlike Kelly, Mia was warm and inviting, and I immediately feltfortable with her; although she


    was stunningly gorgeous, which made me a little jealous that she knew Edrick so well for so long.


    “It’s nice to meet you,” I replied. “I’m Moana. Edrick’s…”


    “Fiancee. I heard,” Mia interrupted with a warm smile. She then turned to look at Edrick and shot him a


    mischievous look, lowering her voice so no one could overhear. “I’m d you picked her over Kelly.


    She’s gorgeous.”


    I felt my face go red at Mia’spliment. To hear that such a gorgeous woman also thought that I was


    pretty was more ttering than anypliment any man had ever given me, and it instantly made my


    tinge of jealousy melt away.


    Edrick, however, said nothing. It seemed that even the mention of Kelly turned him cold.


    “Well, it’s great seeing you, Mia,” he said. “Have a drink and something to eat. I have to speak to one of


    my business partners about something.” And with that, he turned on his heel and headed over to the


    pic area, leaving Mia and I alone together. As I followed Edrick with my eyes, I could also see that


    there was a gaggle of the other wives that had formed at one of the tables, and they were all staring


    over their sunsses at me like I was aplete outcast.


    Mia must have seen this, because she turned to look at me and made a disgusted face.


    “They’re all a bunch of bitches,” Mia said.


    My eyes widened, but I couldn’t help butugh at her candidness. They were, in fact, a bunch of


    bitches. I was liking Mia more and more now.


    “So…” I said, clearing my throat. “You and Edrick grew up together?”


    Mia nodded. “Sort of. We were in the same training program. We kind of fell off after high school, but it


    happens.”


    I nced over Mia’s shoulder to see Edrick talking to one of his business partners with what looked like


    a mimosa in his hand, then looked back at Mia. “If you don’t mind me asking, what was he like as a


    kid? I’ve always been curious. He’s not exactly…”


    “Not exactly an open book?” Mia interrupted. I nodded. “He was a lot different then,” she continued. “He


    was fun. We all had a lot of fun— even Kelly. But, with a father like his, I think the pressure got to him.


    He went from being a little scamp who liked running around in the woods and turned into a full-grown


    man whose entire personality revolves around WereCorp. I don’t me him, though. I me his father.


    That man’s a jackass.”


    I liked Mia’s straightforward thinking. She seemed to be the type to always say what was on her mind,


    and I respected that.


    “It’s not just his father, though,” she continued. “Ever since his half-brother, Ethan, came into his life, I


    could tell that it bothered Edrick a lot. I still don’t know if it was that he felt like he hadpetition, or if


    it was something else.”


    I wanted to tell Mia what Ethan had told me before: that his father’s cheating turned Edrick cold and


    made him lose faith in love and the power of the mate bond. But that wasn’t my ce, and by that


    point, someone else was waving Mia over anyway.


    “I should go and mingle a bit, just for business reasons,” Mia said with a smile. “It was nice meeting


    you, Moana. I hope we can be friends.”


    I smiled as I watched Mia go. I hoped we could be friends, too. I liked her. And between her and Tyrus,


    I felt as though I knew a little bit more about the Alpha billionaire.


    But my smile quickly faded when I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Sam standing


    behind me with a frown on his face.