《The Billionaire's Twins Play Matchmaker》


 Book Two: Chapter 1

    Book Two: Chapter 1


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much they paid you but this should be more than enough to keep your mouth shut. If


    you try to contact me¡­If I hear one word about this from anyone¡­It¡¯ll be thest thing anybody will


    ever hear from you.¡±


    m!


    * * *


    The echo of the mming door woke Lynn from her restless sleep. Ten years and it still affected her.


    Ten years and she recalled every detail as if it were yesterday no matter how she tried to forget. The


    day she finally faced her high school crush¡­the day he broke her heart and her world fell apart.


    Ten years ago Avalynn Carlisle was the younger of two daughters born to Emerson and Grace Carlisle.


    Her sister Marilynn was a true beauty queen: tall and confident. Avalynn meanwhile was in, petite


    and quiet. She could neverwork or socialize the way her sister could having only one close friend


    throughout primary school. There was only one area Avalynn truly shined and that was music.


    Since she was five and had her first piano lesson her instructors praised her as a rare genius, gifted.


    When she yed the rest of the world ceased to exist. It was just her and the music. She was hailed as


    a prodigy and every party her parents hosted she yed for their guests. Little did she realize this


    scant attention was enough to stoke her sister¡¯s jealousy.


    Shortly after graduation Avalynn won a coveted spot at Julliard. Her sister insisted they go out and


    celebrate despite the fact Avalynn never drank before. She didn¡¯t know what alcohol was supposed to


    be like and she never suspected her sister would drug her or that Marilynn would throw her into bed


    with an unknown man. But that is exactly what her sister did.


    Mercifully the event was blocked by a fog and Ava had no recollection of the act itself. The next


    morning was traumatic enough. She woke with a pounding headache, intense thirst and incredibly


    sore. Completely naked with a sticky wetness running between her legs Ava clutched the nket to her


    chest trying to piece together the events from the night before.


    ¡°Finally awake are you?¡±


    Ava froze at the deep, harsh voice. She recognized it instantly: Ss Prescott. Throughout middle and


    high school he reigned as the king. A track and field star he maintained impable attendance and


    perfect grades. He was his parents¡¯ pride and sole heir to their business empire.


    Girls flocked to him hoping to be noticed. If he said more than two words to any of them they would


    brag about it for a week. Every dance or social event he appeared with someone new. Even her sister


    attempted to pursue him for a short time but Ss had no interest in the daughters of his father¡¯s rival.


    A perpetual wallflower Ava watched him from a distance and quietly nursed her crush knowing full well


    nothing would evere of it. Thest ce she expected to see him was in a hotel room as she sat


    in his bed naked.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re satisfied because what happenedst night is never going to happen again¡­In factst


    night didn¡¯t happen.¡±


    Ava shivered at his rage and disgust unable to look him in the eye. She didn¡¯t even dare raise her


    head. If she exined it was all a misunderstanding, a cruel trick by her sister would he even listen?


    No. He would only be more disgusted if he knew she was a Carlisle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much they paid you but this should be more than enough to keep your mouth shut. If


    you try to contact me¡­If I hear one word about this from anyone¡­It¡¯ll be thest thing anybody will


    ever hear from you.¡±


    The door mmed with a finality she didn¡¯t dare breech. Tears she had been holding in flowed freely as


    she shuddered with sobs while her heart broke into more pieces than she dared count. Ava had always


    known her love for him was one-sided, that he didn¡¯t even know she existed but his utter disgust was


    not something she expected.


    When her tears finally slowed she looked to the bedside table to see he had written a check for a


    hundred thousand dors leaving the pay to line nk for her to fill in. The sight brought a fresh wave


    of tears to her eyes and it was several minutes before she calmed herself enough to get dressed.


    Unconcerned with her appearance Ava left in a rush bumping into the maid in the hallway. Muttering an


    apology Ava hurried away without pause. Somehow she managed to get home where she copsed


    into a fresh wave of sobs as she tried to wash away the memory in the shower.


    Surely that should have been enough for her sister¡¯s revenge but it wasn¡¯t. Anonymous photos soon


    sted gossip pages with headlines like: Golden Child Disgraced! Music Prodigy Out of Control! Her


    mother broke down in tears and her father raged. Neither wanted to hear her side of the story and they


    kicked her out without so much as a suitcase or even a jacket.


    With no money she did the only thing she could think of and called her best friend collect. Three hours


    campus apartment in Connecticut was more than enough to rte the details of her predicament.


    Even though Tracy was a year older and a grade above hers in primary school the pair had hit it off


    immediately. Daughter of twowyers Tracy was a tall, athletic girl with dirty blonde hair. There had


    never been any doubt she would follow in her parents¡¯ footsteps and actively pursued academics to


    ensure her predestined future. Throughout high school she was Ava¡¯s only confidant and the only one


    she could rely on.


    After hearing the details Tracy was ready to return to New York fully prepared to punch Marilynn out.


    With a purple belt in Tae Kwon Do Ava had every reason to believe her friend was fully capable of


    carrying out the punishment but she begged her to avoid violence. Instead they bought two tubs of


    rocky road ice cream and watched romanticedies until four o¡¯clock in the morning.


    Ava thought the worst was over but Julliard rescinded her ce iming she was no longer a good fit


    for their image. A few weekster she realized her period which had always been like clockwork was


    Tracy demanded they return to New York to confront Ss but Ava refused. His warning still rang clear


    in her mind and she didn¡¯t have the courage to face him. After a long weekend of soul searching Ava


    finally made her decision. She would disappear.


    Avalynn Carlisle was dead. Lynn Carter was born. With Tracy¡¯s help she secured an apartment on the


    Lower East Side. It was a cramped two-bedroom far from the area¡¯s nightlife but it was clean. She


    found a job at a nearby diner that time had forgot. It looked as if it had been pulled directly from the


    fifties but the owner was kind and willing to work with her when the inevitable happened and she gave


    birth¡­to triplets.


    Little less than eight months after her sister¡¯s betrayal Lynn gave birth to a girl and two boys: Alexis,


    Sean and Theodore. All were seemingly healthy. When Alexis turned three Lynn noticed she had


    trouble seeing in the dim light of the apartment. Several check-upster she was handed down the


    verdict: retinitis pigmentosa. Her daughter was slowly losing her vision. They didn¡¯t know when but


    eventually Alexis would bepletely blind. There was no way to stop it. Maybe they could slow it


    down, maybe.


    It was the first time Lynn broke down and cried in almost four years but there was no way to help her


    daughter. Yet if she thought the news would cause Alexis distress she was mistaken. Alexis had a


    bright mind and an indomitable spirit refusing to give into despair.


    Despite Alexis¡¯s fortitude there was no beating the disease slowly robbing her of her sight. For a while


    she wore sses but eventually her world faded to gray. She imed she could still tell light from dark


    but in order to navigate the world Alexis now relied on a cane and her brothers.


    The trio had always been close but knowing their sister was losing her sight only made them more


    protective. They were inseparable now and no one dared pick on Alexis for fear of angering her


    dedicated guardians not that anyone would think to bully her. The kids attended Anna Silver Public


    School where the trio quickly made names for themselves.


    Their test scores were continually above average. Though someined they threw off the curve


    the triplets outgoing personalities made them popr. Both Sean and Theo were active basketball


    enthusiasts with Sean also having a tech-savvy mind. But Alexis was the real standout.


    Like her mother Alexis had rich chestnut hair and green eyes and she was also a musical prodigy.


    When the kids were younger Lynn used to y piano buying a rather expensive keyboard to practice


    but gradually she gave it up but not before teaching Alexis how to y. Like her mother before her


    Alexis drifted into her own world when she yed and everyone who heard it couldn¡¯t help but be


    touched.


    While her mother had been a wallflower Alexis was outgoing and friendly earning her quite a following.


    Lynn was happy her children were popr and well-adjusted. She couldn¡¯t hope for more, didn¡¯t dare


    to hope for more. Now they were in the fifth grade and would soon move on to a middle school. Lynn


    hoped they would adapt to therger school with their usual ease.


    * * *


    With a sigh Lynn pushed herself out of bed and hurried to the bathroom. It was five thirty and the kids


    would be waking up soon. It was best to get her morning ritualpleted before them or else they


    would bete.


    After a shower she dressed in the pastel pink shirt and skirt that made up the diner¡¯s uniform. Like the


    diner itself it was also right out of the fifties. Tying her natural wavy hair back in a half-up style Lynn


    headed for the kitchen microwaving sausage biscuits for breakfast. The boys would have two each


    while Lexi and her mother would be satisfied with one.


    Reaching for the milk Lynn scanned the scant contents of the fridge. Aside from staples like milk, eggs


    and butter the majority was stacked in Styrofoam takeout containers from the diner. Gretchen was a


    kind manager and Lynn felt enormously lucky.


    When the triplets were babies and up until they started preschool Gretchen allowed them to


    apany Lynn to work when she couldn¡¯t find a babysitter. Gretchen even purchased toys and


    games to keep them upied during their mother¡¯s long shifts. Quite often the older woman hovered


    over the toddlers like a protective grandma.


    Knowing how difficult it was to provide for three growing children Gretchen often gave her the leftover


    food at the end of the day. She imed Lynn was doing her a favor as the food would just be thrown


    out but Lynn asionally found whole meals: burgers, fries, hashbrowns and otherspletely


    untouched. Though Lynn could never bring herself to ask she suspected Gretchen made some meals


    with the expressed purpose of giving them to her and the kids. It was an incredible act of generosity


    and charity that only worked as long as both parties willfully ignored it.


    Lynn made use of every charity she could making regr trips to food pantries, thrift stores and


    endured the silent ridicule of Human Services to receive food stamps. To this day no one except Tracy


    knew the truth about the kids¡¯ parentage. Gretchen only knew their father was not in the picture and


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    even their birth certificates listed him as unknown.


    People drew their own conclusions. Mosty assumed she was some kind of working girl or extremely


    promiscuous to not know the triplet¡¯s father. Lynn didn¡¯t bother correcting them as it would mean


    revealing the truth. Instead she endured the shame.


    ¡°Morning mom,¡± Alexis always the first to rise greeted.


    ¡°Morning, sweetie,¡± Lynn said setting down a te with her breakfast on it along with a ss of orange


    juice.


    With practice ease Alexis reached the counter and sat down without the need of her cane. In familiar


    settings she could navigate by memory. As long as the furniture remained in ce she didn¡¯t have to


    worry about bumping things idently. Picking up her breakfast sandwich Alexis munched contentedly.


    The older she got the stronger her resemnce to her mother became. Even now Lynn was certain


    anyone would recognize her brown hair and green eyes. Luckily they were far from the circles Lynn


    used to inhabit when she still went by the name Carlisle.


    ¡°Morning mom! Morning Lexi!¡± Theo and Sean yawned as they finally emerged.


    Just as their sister resembled their mother the boys looked like miniature versions of their father. If she


    thought about it too much she sometimes felt pains of regret and loss. Never wanting to burden her


    children with her own struggles Lynn quickly squashed such thoughts. She would not let her genuine


    love for her babies be tarnished by the infatuation of her youth.


    If anyone from her past saw the boys they would certainly make the connection. Even knowing this she


    though the chance was remote their paths would ever cross. She was no longer part of society¡¯s elite


    and no one from that circle had reason to explore the dregs of society.


    ¡°Morning boys,¡± Lynn chuckled. ¡°Did you get all your homework done?¡±


    ¡°Yep. We¡¯re good to go.¡±


    ¡°Good. Oh Lexi, we have a doctor¡¯s appointment today. Don¡¯t forget. I¡¯ll pick you up from school.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, mom.¡±


    ¡°That means Tracy will get you boys, all right?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡± They answered with mouths full of sausage, egg, cheese and biscuit.

 Book One: Chapter One

    Book One: Chapter One


    p!


    Macey stumbled back touching her face as she stared wide-eyed at the man who had been her


    husband for the past two years: Julius DaLair. His sandy blonde hair crowned him like a halo but there


    was nothing angelic about his expression. He stood in front of her with his face zing with anger. His


    gray eyes were a storm of emotions.


    In the two years since their marriage he had grown cold and dismissive but never raised a hand to her


    before. His breath smelled heavily of alcohol and she could only guess how many drinks he imbibed


    since they arrived at his father¡¯s public birthday celebration.


    ¡°You¡¯re just like the rest of them aren¡¯t you?¡± Julius demanded. ¡°You¡¯re just a gold digging whore!¡±


    ¡°N¡ªno¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°What were you doing cuddling up to James? My money not good enough for you?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t. He came up to me! I told him¡­¡±


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to hear your lies!¡±


    Macey clenched her jaw rubbing her sore cheek. Tears welled in her normally bright green eyes. Two


    years and he still didn¡¯t believe a word she said especially not when he had been drinking. Two years?


    No. Actually, it was longer than that after all they had grown up together.


    ¡°You can go home first!¡± With a look of disgust he turned and walked out of the private corner where he


    had dragged her from the crowd.


    Macey stood trying topose herself. Their marriage had been one of convenience more or less. Her


    father was a veteran and served in Vietnam. There he met and saved the life of Augustus DaLair. After


    therapy and it worked. Slowly he pieced himself together, married and started a family.


    Art remained an important part of her father¡¯s life. He tried to make it his livelihood. Though his


    paintings were praised for their innovativepositions and unique use of color the fact they always


    depicted war scenes and soldiers meant there was only a limited demand for them and her father never


    made much money. In contrast Augustus DaLair started a business empire.


    Despite the vast difference in their social standings, Augustus remained their steadfast supporter. Her


    father refused to take handouts and in order to support his friend Augustus became his most loyal


    patron buying most of her father¡¯s paintings thus ensuring they had an ie. They were never rich


    but they had what they needed. Though her father wouldn¡¯t take charity he was d to ept


    invitations to family gatherings and asionally family vacations. Macey grew up alongside the DaLair


    brothers: March and Julius. They were like the cousins she never had. March treated her like a younger


    sister and she secretly developed a crush on Julius when they were eight.


    Her father passed away from a heart attack when she was sixteen. Augustus became an even stronger


    supporter of her and her mother. In memory of his friend and the one who saved his life he vowed to


    help Macey and her mother in whatever capacity they needed even assisting her to attend the School


    of Visual Arts. Her college ns came to a sudden end when she turned twenty and dropped out to


    care for her ailing mother who passed away shortly after. Two yearster she and Julius married.


    It was Augustus who first proposed the idea of marriage to one of his sons. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was


    charity or his abiding desire to ensure her afortable future. March was over ten years her senior


    and already married which naturally left Julius as the groom of choice. Though she initially spoke out


    against it her secret crush on Julius had only grown over the years. It had taken some time for Julius to


    agree. Macey tried not to seem overeager but inwardly she was thrilled.


    At first their marriage seemed to work. Despite his earlier reluctance Julius was a model husband:


    attentive and sometimes even caring. It was her hope eventually he woulde to love her but it


    changed six months ago. Rumors started to circte. Her family had been poor and well below the


    DaLair family¡¯s means. People called her a gold-digger, a shameless tramp and a hundred other


    names. She tried not to let it bother her but it never urred to her Julius would believe them.


    She smoothed her dress and fiddled with her vibrant red hair that hade loose from its taming braid.


    Her naturally curly locks were hard topletely tame and she didn¡¯t have much skill in working with it.


    That had always been her mother¡¯s doing. Wiping away her tears she finally summoned the courage to


    leave the nook. Hugging herself she carefully made her way through the crowd that carefully avoided


    meeting her gaze. Nearing the bar she looked to see Julius surrounded by five gorgeous women.


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    Tears came unbidden and her hands dropped to her stomach. Why? Why now? Why here? How could


    he do this to her?


    ¡°Macey?¡±


    Turning toward the gruff yet gentle voice she saw her father-inw looking at her with concern. Shaking


    her head she whirled around and rushed off as if chased by hellhounds. Outside she had the valet


    summon a taxi to take her home.


    Letting herself into the condo she leaned against the door. The tears she tried so hard to control flowed


    freely. Stumbling through the silent suite she eventually made it to the study. She copsed in the chair


    bringing her knees to her chest and sobbed into her gown. Eventually she exhausted her tears and


    slowly reached for her purse. Silently she removed a folded paper and smoothed it out. On it were the


    tests from her hospital visit confirming her pregnancy.


    She stared at it before reaching into her purse again for the card she bought. Pulling it from the


    envelope she read the front: A Surprise for You, before opening it to reveal a copy of the ultrasound


    picture. A small arrow pointed out the baby¡¯s position. It was almost a month old and her morning


    sickness was beginning to set in.


    Macey smiled despite herself. Her day had started with such excitement. When the home pregnancy


    test came back positive she eagerly rushed to the hospital for confirmation. She nned to present the


    card and ultrasound to Julius during dinner but¡­


    Sighing she looked to the desk to see a stack of papers. It wasn¡¯t like Julius to bring work home with


    him. Her brow furrowed as she leaned forward and read the top page. It was a divorce settlement. The


    color drained from her face. He actually wanted a divorce. Her vision blurred and she touched the new


    wetness streaming down her cheeks.


    And here I thought I was out of tears.


    Macey didn¡¯t know how long she sat there before finallying to a decision. She flipped through the


    divorce papers until she came to thest page where it called for her signature. Using his favorite pen


    she signed with her neat scrawl. Then she grabbed a small paper pad writing a short note before


    setting down the pen. With a sigh she removed her wedding and engagement rings setting them on the


    stack of papers.


    Opening the drawer where Julius kept his cigars she grabbed a lighter and ashtray. Lifting up the


    hospital report she lit the corner on fire and watched it burn before dropping it into the tray. The paper


    burned quickly turning brown and crumbled to ash. Satisfied she clutched the ultrasound picture to her


    chest, tossed the card and left the study.


    Retreating to the bedroom she moved to the walk-in closet and stared down her side filled with


    dresses, skirts, blouses and shoes of every kind and style, none of them hers. Going to the dresser she


    opened the bottom drawer removing a pair of jeans and a hoodie. Casting aside her ck gown she


    changed immediately feeling better. Tying on her sneakers she stood leaving everything else.


    Retrieving her purse she returned to the kitchen. Digging through it she imed her wallet but


    hesitated. Every credit card belonged to Julius. It was all his money. He¡¯d probably cancel them all


    tomorrow once he learned she was gone. In the end she only took her driver¡¯s license, fifty-three


    dors in cash and her phone.


    Taking onest look around the condo letting two years of memories run through her mind she headed


    to the door. She opened it, locked it and stepped out closing it firmly behind her. There was no going


    back now as she had left her keys on the counter as well. With a sigh she marched to the elevator and


    took it to the ground floor. If the doorman thought her sudden departure or new attire strange he said


    nothing as she exited the building.


    Reaching the street she turned and continued on her way. Every step that took her farther from her life


    made it all more real and surreal than before. There would be no more crying. She had lived her life


    trying to please a man who never wanted her but not anymore. This was her life and only hers. Her


    hand involuntarily drifted to her stomach: our life. She had responsibilities now to the growing life


    within.


    The idea of starting over with nothing was frightening, but her parents had done it. She would too.


    We¡¯ll get through this, baby. Promise.


    She was several blocks away when her phone suddenly lit up and yed Beethoven¡¯s Fifth Symphony.


    Startled she took it out of her pocket to see Julius was calling. Macey chewed her lip. He was probably


    calling her for a sober ride¡­or to yell at her again. Shaking her head she tapped the dismiss button


    before tossing it into the trash. There was no one she wanted to call anyway. A few more blocks


    brought her to a bus stop.


    Fifteen minutes after her arrival thest bus of the night pulled up. Determined she stepped on board,


    slipped a five into its collection bin before finding an empty seat. Silently she watched the city through


    the window as the bus disappeared into the night.

 Book One: Chapter Two

    Book One: Chapter Two


    Six Years Later


    ¡°Julius!¡±


    Julius sighed as he looked up from his paperwork to see his self-proimed fianc¨¦e stride into his


    office. The woman didn¡¯t know the meaning of the word knock among many others.


    Katherine Trent was everything one expected of an heiress: blonde, tall and well-endowed. Her parents


    were hotel moguls worth several million but still far short of the DaLair family. Yet with their support


    Katherine had never needed to work a day in her life. Instead she spent her time traveling the best


    social circles looking for her perfect groom. She found it in Julius. He was everything she wanted: rich,


    powerful and handsome.


    ¡°Julius! Look I have found the perfect venue for our wedding!¡±


    Scowling he epted the brochure seeing it was for Twin Peaks Country Club. Even for members the


    reception hall would cost a million to reserve at such short notice. He grunted.


    ¡°I thought you decided on Tribeca,¡± Julius said.


    He knew her family had already made the down payment for the reservation which was non-


    refundable. Despite being a prominent family they still had limited means and certainly couldn¡¯t afford


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    to throw it around even for their daughter.


    ¡°That one was fine but this one will take the wedding to the next level!¡± Katherine squealed.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said no,¡± Julius red not likely to repeat himself. ¡°The other hall is already reserved.¡±


    ¡°But Julius, don¡¯t you want¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He snapped.


    Katherine brought her lip forward, quivering it as she pouted. Julius red at her, unyielding. The


    stand-off continued for several moments before she finally gave in.


    ¡°All right, but mommy will be so disappointed.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll live.¡±


    ¡°Well I already know how you can make it up to me,¡± she smiled. ¡°I want M. Gray to be our


    photographer.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Really, Julius sometimes I think you were born under a rock,¡± Katherine gave him another brochure.


    This one was for an art exhibit. Apparently M. Gray was a photographer and quite famous. The


    brochure announced the opening of the new gallery and its exclusive contract to disy M. Gray¡¯s work


    in America. Julius knew very little about art so he only gave it a cursory nce.


    ¡°M. Gray is only the most famous photographer of this decade! Everyone praises his work as genius.


    Can you just imagine what our wedding will look like through his vision!¡±


    Julius gave a nomittal grunt as his phone rang. Picking it up the receiver he answered, ¡°Prescott,


    to what do I owe this call?¡±


    Katherine waited impatiently as he listened to the man on the other end of the line. Julius hoped she


    would take the hint and go but she remained as if determined to get thest word in.


    ¡°No. I told you before we weren¡¯t interested. Yeah, maybe next time.¡±


    The moment Julius set the receiver down Katherine began exactly where she left off, ¡°The gallery¡¯s


    grand opening is next week and will have M. Gray¡¯s newest show on disy for the first time anywhere!


    It will be the perfect opportunity to contact the artist, you know face-to-face. It¡¯s supposedly really


    difficult to contact them. I guess he¡¯s a bit of a recluse or something but there is no way he would deny


    seeing us.¡±


    Julius shrugged. An outing to an art gallery was the least offensive of her usual appeals. Though his


    answer was less than enthusiastic she was satisfied. Pecking a kiss on his cheek she breezed out as


    quickly as she entered finally leaving him to his work. Scowling Julius grabbed a handkerchief and


    wiped away the lingering wetness Katherine left on his skin. Her touch was nauseating. ncing at the


    brochure again he realized the gallery looked familiar.


    Opening a drawer he removed an invitation that had arrived a few days ago for the grand opening of


    the same gallery. He remembered it because it was an invitation sent by his father. Augustus DaLair


    was not much of an art aficionado and yet he now somehow owned a gallery and wanted to disy the


    photographs of this artist? Were they also war buddies just as he was with Macey¡¯s father?


    And now Katherine wanted to go to the gallery to appeal to this photographer too? What was so special


    about M. Gray? Not for the first time he wondered how he got himself roped into this situation. Angrily


    he stood and went to his liquor cab pouring himself a ss of whiskey.


    He knew exactly how he got here. Two years ago he got drunk like he did most nights since Macey¡¯s


    disappearance. Katherine came up to him and aggressively started making out with him right at the bar.


    His mind had been elsewhere. His inhibitions and standards were lower. So low in fact he was


    beginning to wonder if something had been slipped into his drink.


    Luckily his brother was at the same party, pealed her off of him and took Julius home to sleep it off.


    Shortly after that Katherine started to im he was her fianc¨¦e even going as far as buying herself an


    engagement ring. He hadn¡¯t cared in the beginning but now she was nning their wedding.


    One moment of weakness and his life was sliding out from under him. Pouring himself another drink


    Julius returned to his desk. But really it started falling apart long before that. Hesitating he unlocked the


    bottom drawer to remove a small velvet lined box and a folder. Taking another sip of his drink he


    opened the folder. On top was a pack of papers: divorce papers. Lying on top of that was a short note


    written in a careful scrawl. In moments he was taken back to that night six years ago.


    * * *


    m!


    ¡°Macey! How dare you ignore my calls!¡± Julius shouted as he stumbled into the apartment. ¡°Macey!


    Don¡¯t ignore me! We¡¯re not done talking!¡±


    He made it through the entry, past the kitchen tossing his keys and phone on the counter without really


    seeing it or the items left on it and skirted the living room as he headed toward the bedroom. If he had


    been sober he might have realized it was too quiet and no one would be able to ignore his drunken


    ranting.


    ¡°Macey!¡±


    He burst into the bedroom only to find it empty. Undeterred he headed for the master bath intent on


    finding his wayward wife. Throwing open the door he stumbled all the way into the luxury shower


    before he realized she wasn¡¯t there. Turning he staggered toward the door kicking over the garbage


    can and tripping on the trash that spewed across the floor. Sprawling on the bedroom floor he passed


    outpletely.


    A splitting headache woke him the next morning. Rising from the floor he shuffled through the trash to


    reach the toilet and relieved himself. He groaned as he head slowly woke from its fog and a thought


    suddenly urred to him.


    ¡°Macey! Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten aboutst night!¡± he called.


    Quickly washing his hands he kicked his way through the garbage again. Growling in anger he righted


    the trash can and began throwing the refuse away. He hated messes.


    ¡°Macey, get in here the clean this up! I wasn¡¯t put on this earth to clean up after a woman!¡±


    A small, stic piece caught his eye. It almost looked like a toothbrush but with no bristles. Turning it


    over he read the digital disy: pregnant. Julius¡¯s hangover was instantly forgotten as the single word


    sank in.


    Pregnant.


    ¡°Macey!¡±


    Julius rushed into the bedroom to find it empty. The bed was unused and no sign of the redhead who


    shared it with him for thest two years. Suddenly panicked he darted out of the bedroom heading to


    the kitchen.


    ¡°Macey!¡±


    She always woke early to start the coffeemaker knowing he couldn¡¯t get his day started without his


    morning cup. There was no sign of her and none of the usual breakfast smells. The living room was


    likewise absent of life. He continued to check every room of the condo refusing to believe she was


    really gone.


    The faint smell of burnt paper eventually led him to the study. Here atst was something she had


    touched. Stepping up to the desk his eyes fell on the stack of papers: the divorce papers he requested


    from hiswyer in a moment of impulse after hearing the rumors circting about her. He had been


    enraged that she thought she could y him for a fool. But he was a fool.


    Resting on top was her engagement and wedding rings. It was a simple, understated set. Her


    engagement ring was a smooth band with five small stones: three diamonds and two emeralds. The


    wedding band it was made to attach to was likewise a simple band with three stones: two diamonds


    and a slightly bigger emerald in the center. Underneath the rings was a note. With a shaking hand he


    reached for it.


    You win. I officially want nothing from you.


    No. No-no-no-no.


    Panic sent his heart racing as he spun around and headed to the kitchen again. Her purse, wallet and


    keys sat on the counter. He ignored them reaching for his phone and dialing her number. Julius listened


    to the ring until it finally went to voicemail.


    ¡°Macey! Pick up the phone! Please!¡±


    Hanging up, he dialed again only to receive the same results. He tried again. Julius was ready to try a


    fourth time before a thought urred to him. Checking to see the time was past eight he searched his


    contacts for a new name and hit send. It rang twice before a chipper voice answered.


    ¡°You¡¯ve reached the Lord of the Underworld¡­¡±


    ¡°Chris shut up!¡± Julius snapped. He was not in the mood for the usual antics of the director of his


    ¡°Okay geez. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.¡±


    ¡°Just shut it. I need you to track Macey¡¯s phone and tell me where she is.¡±


    ¡°¡­You realize that is illegal, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! She¡¯s not answering and I need to find her. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s the number?¡±


    ¡°646-555-4547.¡± Julius ran a hand through his hair.


    ¡°Just so you know I¡¯m doing this because she might be in the gutter somewhere because that will hold


    up in court.¡±


    Julius let out an audible groan. She couldn¡¯t be injured. Dear God, let her be okay. Out loud he


    demanded, ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Hold on. This takes a little time even if you do it legally. Do you know if her phone is on?¡±


    ¡°It rang before going to voicemail,¡± Julius headed to the bedroom to change switching his phone to


    speaker.


    ¡°Good. If it was off it would go directly to voicemail.¡±


    Julius pulled on a pair of jeans and a clean polo before returning to the entry for a jacket and shoes all


    the while watching his phone and waiting for Chris¡¯s verdict. Just as he reached for his keys he got his


    answer.


    ¡°Got her.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s about six blocks from you. Just down the street.¡±


    Julius rushed out the door and down to the underground parking. Leaping into his favorite car; a blue


    Shelby GT, he raced out onto the street following Chris¡¯s directions. He suddenly screeched to a stop at


    a quiet intersection. Climbing out phone in hand Julius searched for any sh of red hair.


    ¡°Where is she, Chris?¡±


    ¡°She should be right there. You¡¯re practically on top of her.¡±


    ¡°Chris there is nothing here¡­¡± Julius cut himself off as his eyes fell on the garbage can on the corner.


    ¡°Chris, call her phone.¡±


    The spirited sound of Beethoven began to y. Blood drained from his face as his fears crept in.


    Clenching his jaw he approached the can shoving off the cover. Reaching inside he rifled through the


    trash before straightening with her phone in hand. Julius began to shake: trembling with rage and fear.


    It couldn¡¯t end like this.


    Please.


    ¡°Boss?¡± Chris asked over the phone.


    ¡°She threw it in the trash.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Okay. So what now?¡±


    ¡°We have a route. She obviously came this way. There have to be cameras.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you get it done. Find her!¡±


    * * *


    Setting aside the papers he picked up the stack of five photos underneath. Their resolutions were poor.


    Only one was in color. They were retrieved from various sources: a neighbor¡¯s Ring, an ATM,


    surveince and security cameras. One thing they all shared was the subject: a woman dressed in


    jeans and a hoodie as she walked down the street hugging herself.


    Only one gave him a proper view of her face as she walked under a street light. Despite the poor


    resolution it was clear she was upset and had been crying. Her normally sparkling eyes were clouded


    with sorrow and fear. Macey had always been a vibrant woman but in the image she was pale and


    listless. She looked broken, abandoned. He had done that. It was his fault.


    Numbly he flipped through the photos as guilt gnawed on him. They tracked her to a bus stop and then


    she simply disappeared without a trace. He spent thest six years trying to find her but always he


    came up empty. Finally he came to the end of the folder andst two items. He hadbed the


    hospitals to find the one she visited. He now had a copy of her tests confirming her pregnancy as well


    as a picture of the ultrasound estimating the baby¡¯s development.


    Julius stared at them for a long, quiet moment. He had people stake out several hospitals hoping to


    catch her. Babies required careful monitoring even before they were born but she never appeared and


    no one recalled a woman matching her description. He refused to believe she was gone. She had to be


    out there¡­somewhere.


    His shoulders shook with pent up emotion. Slowly he opened the small box to reveal both of their


    wedding rings. Next to hers was his own: a silver colored band iid with a green strip through the


    center. He had worn his for four years after her disappearance refusing to give up hope. Julius fingered


    the tiny diamonds and emeralds, btedly recalling they were in fact their birthstones. With a sigh he


    once again found himself silently rehearsing his nned speech for when he found her again.


    Would he ever be able to say it? Would she even listen?


    Macey, where did you go? Come home¡­please.

 Book One: Chapter Three

    Book One: Chapter Three


    ¡°Julius, you look like hell.¡±


    With a sigh he turned to face an older version of himself. March was ten years his senior and growing


    up the brothers had been quite close. Their connection remained to this day. Standing next to each


    other it was not difficult to see the family resemnce: sandy blonde hair, gray eyes, prominent nose,


    chin and jaw. They could almost be twins.


    Julius gave his brother a warning look before sipping his whiskey. All around them were people


    dressed in fine suits and summer dresses despite the lingering chill of spring. The air had a party feel


    with balloons and even a DJ as they crowded the wide, stone patio surrounding the pool of the DaLair


    family estate. Arge sign dered: Happy Birthday, Augustus!


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Augustus DaLair was the reigning patriarch of their family empire. At sixty-five he was as domineering


    as ever and despite losing his much loved wife to cancer thirty years prior he soldiered on with a sharp


    mind and cutting wit. He was known to be ruthless to his enemies but exceptionally generous to his


    friends. Everyone strived to be on his good side hence the dedicated attendance for the day¡¯s


    festivities.


    ¡°Dad! Uncle Jules!¡±


    The brothers turned smiling as a much younger version of themselves approached. Jude DaLair was


    neen. The only son of March and his loving wife Rose he was something of a miracle. March and


    Rose had struggled to conceive and the pregnancy had been fraught with difficulties throughout. Jude


    was born four weeks premature and struggled to survive even with thetest technology and


    techniques.


    Yet all that was hard to imagine now. His height rivaled his father and he was an open, charismatic


    young man with a bright future. There had been no doubt in his mind about following his father¡¯s


    footsteps as the only heir to the DaLair business empire and was currently enrolled at Southern New


    Hampshire.


    ¡°Jude!¡± March eximed wrapping his son in a bear hug.


    Like their father, March always wanted arge family. Given the difficulty of Jude¡¯s birth he was


    resigned to one progeny but March would never give up the happy years with his son and wife.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Jude chuckled hugging him back.


    There was no embarrassment from his father¡¯s affections. Like his father and uncle Jude had been


    raised to cherish close filial ties.


    ¡°Hey nephew,¡± Julius ruffed his hair.


    ¡°Uncle Jules!¡± Jude mockingly whined about his hair being messed up.


    ¡°How¡¯s school?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Jude shrugged. ¡°Honestly the stuff they¡¯re covering is pretty basic. I learned more on


    bring-your-son-to-work day.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s only your first year,¡± March chuckled. ¡°And not everyone has your advantages.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Jude agreed. He knew he was exceptionally lucky. ¡°What¡¯s the matter Uncle? You look like you


    haven¡¯t slept in days.¡±


    ¡°Just a little stressed at work,¡± Julius made an excuse.


    ¡°There¡¯s your mom,¡± March said changing the subject, ¡°make sure you say hi before you disappear.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Sure.¡± Judeughed but obediently went search of his mother.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Macey, isn¡¯t it?¡± March said quietly when they were alone again.


    The anniversary of her disappearance was around the corner. Every year Julius¡¯s mood got worse and


    his drinking increased to dull the depression and guilt but it never worked. The copse of Julius¡¯s


    marriage made news six years ago yet was all but forgotten now. Still not even March knew the whole


    truth: that she had been pregnant at the time. It was a secret Julius simply couldn¡¯t bear to tell.


    Julius scowled.


    ¡°Brother, I know how you feel but¡­¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how I feel,¡± Julius snapped.


    March had been there that night though he hadn¡¯t seen their argument, only the aftermath. He pulled


    his brother away from the bar and the social harpies congregating around him to demand what he was


    doing and where Macey had gone only to receive a disgusted answer, she¡¯s probably flirting with some


    other guy.


    It took everything in March not to hit his brother right then and there but settled for calling him an idiot.


    Shoving Julius toward the door March told him to head home, get his mind right and talk to his wife. He


    had hopes for his brother¡¯s marriage, until it all came crumbling apart.


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t. But you might have to face facts. You might not ever see her again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I know that? Do you think it makes it easier?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t imagine it does. Is that why you put up with Katherine?¡±


    ¡°She keeps the others away.¡±


    ¡°And what about the wedding she¡¯s nning?¡±


    Julius grunted not offering a genuine answer. He had no ns to marry her. In fact he had no ns to


    attend the function at all. Surely that would send her a clear message.


    March studied his brother. It was hard to believe it hade to this. Like Julius he grew up with Macey


    and considered her his little sister. He couldn¡¯t remember exactly when he realized Macey developed a


    crush on Julius but he watched as she struggled to keep her feelings to herself while Julius remained


    oblivious. Like any teenager Julius dated several girls and the hurt in Macey¡¯s gaze as he ignored her


    was palpable to those who realized the truth.


    When Augustus proposed their marriage March supported the idea hoping time together would help


    Julius finally realize the truth about Macey¡¯s true feelings but it had alle crashing down. Only now


    in her absence did Julius realize how much she meant to him but it was toote. If March could turn


    back time he knew he would have done more to help his brother. Instead of waiting for Julius to figure


    out the truth he should have just told him.


    ¡°There you are dad!¡± Katherine squealed as the DaLair patriarch finally made his appearance. ¡°Happy


    Birthday!¡±


    Augustus scowled at the woman he only ever referred to as the Harpy. How his son endured someone


    so tantly shallow and deceptive was beyond him. Out loud he dered, ¡°And exactly what¡¯s so


    happy about it? Last thing I want to look at is you!¡±


    ¡°Now dad,¡± Rose saiding up to him to y peacemaker: a role she was all too familiar with. ¡°This


    is a happy day.¡±


    She was a small woman. Short and almost rail thin. Herck of weight had always been a health


    concern but it didn¡¯t matter what she ate she hardly gained a pound. Despite that she was a sessful


    real-estate agent much sought after for the attention she devoted to her clients as well as the


    reputation of her father-inw.


    ¡°Yes, my dear,¡± Augustus smiled at his daughter-inw hugging her tight. ¡°You are right. Forgive this


    cranky old man.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Rose tenderly smiled.


    ¡°Happy Birthday, granddad,¡± Jude said joining them to try and ease the tension.


    ¡°Jude! My boy!¡± Augustus weed his grandson with a hearty hugpletely forgetting the woman


    who constantly irritated him.


    Katherine¡¯s forced smile faded. For two years she tried to earn the DaLair patriarch¡¯s favor and never


    once received so much as a grin from him. He was ruthless in his rejection and without Julius to


    contradict him or support her no one else dared stand against Augustus.


    Augustus was a man of intense loyalty and filial love. He cherished his family and was ready to defend


    them to the death. It was well-known he always wanted arge family and had he not lost his wife so


    early he might have had ten kids and still not been satisfied. After his loss he devoted his time to his


    sons andter his grandson. Rose easily earned her father-inw¡¯s favor and it was known he treated


    her as a cherished daughter.


    This was not something Katherine sessfully achieved. Her jealousy toward Rose often made her


    snap at thetter. Had she realized her tantrums were well known to the patriarch she might have


    curtailed her childish behavior though it wouldn¡¯t have secured her ce within the DaLair family.


    Augustus had no interest in her at all.


    The gathered crowd murmured quietly amongst itself. A few shot Katherine sympathetic looks but most


    averted their eyes. None dared defend her for fear of incurring his wrath themselves. Augustus was not


    a man to be trifled with. He could singlehandedly make or break someone¡¯s career and it would serve


    no one to befriend someone who clearly did not have his favor.


    As the crowd milled around clearly ufortable a tall gentleman in a simple ck suit sidled up to


    the DaLair patriarch. His dark hair and eyes as well as his impressive six foot five height made him


    instantly recognizable: Stephen Hugo, Augustus¡¯s personal aid as well as secretary, valet, chauffeur


    and, some said, body guard. Though thest title was told as a joke the truth of the matter was


    Stephen was also a veteran and highly trained or else he wouldn¡¯t have caught Augustus¡¯s eye. It was


    not a stretch to say no man was closer to the patriarch than Stephen save his sons.


    Bending close to his employer¡¯s ear Stephen whispered low. Augustus¡¯s expression immediately


    softened and he eagerly turned to his aide saying, ¡°Are they really?¡±


    Stephen nodded. Pecking a kiss on Rose¡¯s temple Augustus excused himself iming he had an


    urgent business matter to attend to before retreating inside with Stephen close at his heels. Rose let


    him go with a conflicted look on her face. It wasn¡¯t like Augustus to interrupt such a gathering for


    business but in the interest of reducing the guests¡¯ tension she let him go.


    Augustus hurried down the hall his cane rasping harshly in his haste. Reaching his study he


    disappeared inside. Stephen closed the doors and remained outside guarding it from entry.


    Reaching the desk Augustus sat down and turned his attention to the openptop. The sight that


    waited him took his breath away and made him smile broadly.


    ¡°Happy Birthday, Grandpa Gus!¡± two excited five-year-olds dered as soon as they saw him through


    the Skype connection.


    ¡°Hello, you rascals!¡± he chuckled.


    The boy and girl on the screen giggled. The boy had a rather serious expression despite his bright


    green eyes. His blonde hair had a reddish tint to it. While his features were nearly identical to his father


    his sister had softer features inherited from their mother. The girl possessed her mother¡¯s vibrant red


    hair and bountiful curls but her gray eyes definitely belonged to her father.


    ¡°Are you having a good birthday?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°Of course. And it¡¯s even better now,¡± Augustus smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been missing you both so much!¡±


    ¡°We miss you too!¡± the pair dered.


    They hadn¡¯t been together since their grandpa flew to Paris for their birthday. Though they Skyped at


    least once a month it wasn¡¯t the same as seeing each other in person. All calls had to be carefully


    nned as Paris was six hours ahead so while his party started at one o¡¯clock, in Paris it was already


    evening and nearly the twins¡¯ bedtime. Being so far from his grandchildren was a constant irritation to


    Augustus who was so devoted to his family.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your mom?¡± Augustus asked.


    ¡°Mommy had to work,¡± the boy said. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to get done before her big show.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that is right. It¡¯s only a week away,¡± Augustus nodded.


    ¡°We have a special present for you, grandpa,¡± the girl said.


    ¡°Oh do you?¡±


    She stepped back from the screen as her brother carefully set up his keyboard. cing his hands on


    the keys he yed Beethoven¡¯s Ode to Joy. Augustus sat back as the all too familiar chords echoed


    around him. His smile broadened as the boy¡¯s fingers nimbly moved along the keyboard with practiced


    ease.


    The melody unexpectedly changed to a far simpler one with an upbeat tempo and soon the girl¡¯s voice


    chimed in, ¡°Joyeux anniversaire! Joyeux anniversaire! Joyeux anniversaire grand-p¨¨re Gus! Joyeux


    anniversaire ¨¤ toi.¡±


    Augustus chuckled at the adorable pair. The only thing that could have made it better was if they were


    able to perform the number in person. How he would have loved to see his grandchildren sing and y


    their song in front of the stunned crowd.


    ¡°Joyeux anniversaire, Grand-p¨¦re!¡± the pair said together.


    ¡°Thank you, my little birds,¡± Augustus smiled.


    ¡°Mommy says we¡¯ll be visiting you soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll be seeing you real soon,¡± Augustus promised. ¡°You be good for your mother now. I


    don¡¯t want to hear about any shenanigans.¡±


    ¡°Okay grandpa. We¡¯ll be good! You be good too! Love you!¡±


    All too soon the call ended and he slowly closed theptop. Augustus leaned back savoring the


    memory of his grandson¡¯s expert piano ying and his granddaughter¡¯s clear, sweet voice. It took him


    five years but he finally convinced his wayward daughter-inw to return home. He could only guess at


    the fireworks that would begin once they set foot in the States.


    He already knew his sons would never forgive him once the truth was known but Augustus was


    prepared for that. It was time Julius earned hiseuppance and if he had any sense at all¡­he would


    take advantage of this opportunity. Things were about to get very interesting.

 Book One: Chapter Four

    Book One: Chapter Four


    ¡°Oooo! Here it is!¡± Katherine excitedly cooed as she dragged Julius into the newly opened art gallery.


    Though its grand opening was still a week away it was open for business. Located along East Houston


    Street it enjoyed proximity to several other galleries and ensured a steady stream of curious visitors.


    His father might not have much experience when it came to art but he knew a good location so Julius


    was not surprised; however, it still didn¡¯t exin why his father bought the art gallery in the first ce.


    He sighed. It had only taken a day for Katherine to recover from his father¡¯s public rejection. Julius


    hated to admit it but she had some fortitude. She probably thought it earned her sympathy from him but


    he couldn¡¯t care less, if she wanted to punish herself by irritating his father that was her business.


    Julius nced around him to distract himself from her irritatingly shrill voice. Gray Studio Gallery¡¯s


    mission was to be the premiere proprietor of M. Gray¡¯s work: both past as well as current. Gray¡¯s new


    show was set to debut exclusively at this location and promised to garner quite the reception during its


    grand opening. It was rumored the illusive artist in question would even be making a personal


    appearance. No effort was spared to present a sophisticated atmosphere in the gallery including the


    rather odd addition of a grand piano.


    Julius didn¡¯t have an eye for art but as he looked at the various photographs his interest was piqued.


    There was something captivating in thepositions whether in color or in ck and white. Lighting,


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    angle and focus all harmonized to create subtle but intriguing moods. Images were raw when they were


    meant to provoke the viewer and soft where they meant to inspire. He could see why M. Gray was


    touted as a ground breaking artist. The praise was definitely earned.


    ¡°Excuse me, where is the gallery director?¡± Katherine inquired from one of the gallery¡¯s personnel.


    ¡°She¡¯s right over there,¡± the worker nodded to a woman dressed in a formal suit and skirt.


    Katherine proceeded onward without as much as a thank you. Julius was dragged along behind her as


    she maintained a grip on his arm. He was irritated being unable to study the photographs at his own


    pace. Reaching the woman she had been directed to Katherine loudly announced, ¡°Hello! Are you the


    art director?¡±


    ¡°Curator,¡± the woman corrected with a forced smile. Her brown eyes studied Katherine with an


    undisguised look of disdain.


    Though the gallery had yet to celebrate its grand opening she had already been inundated with several


    amateur art experts. Some came merely to ogle and some to haggle. A few of the more annoying ones


    insisted they knew the artist which should guarantee them a discount. Most wanted to add to their


    collections in an effort to prove they were on the cutting edge of the art scene not because they had


    any genuine appreciation for the artwork itself.


    Having seen so many, the curator quickly ced the woman approaching her into the same superficial


    category. The man, she wasn¡¯t quite certain about. He seemed to be reluctant to even be there though


    his gaze kept drifting to the artwork on disy.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sylvia Adwin. How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re nning our wedding and I thought M. Gray could be our photographer. He would make it so


    magical!¡± Katherine announced in a rather loud voice hoping to impress the other patrons.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry but Gray does not eptmissions.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Katherine scoffed. ¡°Our wedding will be the social event of the year! Gray should feel


    honored we even considered him. We¡¯ll pay of course though he should do it for free!¡±


    Sylvia grimaced, ¡°Ma¡¯am you see this picture¡­¡±


    Katherine looked to see a ck and white piece depicting a small tree alone in a in of grass. The


    simpleposition evoked loneliness, introspection and ultimately hope.


    ¡°¡­This piece is worth $100,000 and we¡¯ve sold three prints since we opened,¡± Sylvia said carefully


    letting her words sink in. ¡°Gray is an artist¡­not some amateur photographer.¡±


    ¡°Why you¡­do you have any idea who I am?¡± Katherine demanded.


    ¡°No. And I don¡¯t really care. This gallery was founded solely to showcase and promote Gray¡¯s work. It is


    not an advertisement seeking employment. It is a celebration of someone¡¯s unique artistic eye and


    style.¡±


    ¡°I suggest you drop the attitude,¡± Katherine warned. ¡°I can have this whole ce shut down like that!¡±


    She snapped her fingers to reiterate her point. Katherine expected the curator to crumble and beg for


    forgiveness as most did. Instead she was met with an unperturbed stare as the curator said, ¡°You are


    wee to try.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Katherine scowled.


    ¡°M. Gray does not eptmissions. If you insist, you are wee to submit your request in


    person. Gray will be here for the grand opening but I can say with certainty the answer will be the


    same.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard thest from us. Right Julius?¡± Katherine turned only to find he had slipped away.


    Blushing with embarrassment she rushed out of the gallery looking for him. The curator watched her go


    with an amused look. She had seen him slip away but he hadn¡¯t headed outside. Curious she circled


    around one of the false walls to find Julius captivated by a series of ck and white photographs.


    The series consisted of six photographs. Each depicted a model, her torso only. In each photograph


    the model wore less and less clothing until in the final piece she waspletely nude, her breasts


    covered only by her posed arm while the other cradled herrge belly. Theposition and slow


    removal of clothing were all in service to highlight her swelling abdomen. Beside each photograph was


    an ultrasound picture depicting the developing baby within courtesy of the H?pital de Paris. Beside the


    final photograph the ultrasound depicted two fetuses cradled together revealing the meaning of the


    series title: Two Hearts.


    ¡°It¡¯s an impressive series, isn¡¯t it?¡± the curator asked standing beside him. ¡°It¡¯s one of Gray¡¯s


    masterpieces, the first really.¡±


    Julius nodded not taking his eyes off the final piece. Would Macey have looked like that in her final


    month? What would it have been like to hold her then? To know their baby was soon to emerge.


    ¡°People often make the mistake of thinking men have all the power but in truth woman do; after all, only


    a woman can create life.¡±


    Slowly Julius¡¯s raging thoughts calmed. Only then did he feel ready to return to work. Before he left he


    bought the entire Two Hearts series, only the third to do so from the gallery¡¯s exclusive fifty print run.


    * * *


    Augustus scowled as the meeting droned on. He nced at his youngest son who seemed distracted


    but betterposed than he had been thest few days. d Julius seemed a little more collected


    Augustus hadn¡¯tined when his son returned from lunchte pushing back the start of the bi-


    monthly, Board meeting. But because they startedte they were now running long and he would miss


    a much anticipated arrival.


    Giving Stephen a pointed look Augustus received a nod in return. Stephen extricated himself without


    anyone noticing his departure. That was the advantage of constantly shadowing his employer. People


    were used to ignoring him and thus no one marked his passage as he retreated to the garage where


    thepany¡¯s vehicle fleet was stored. Selecting one of the limos he headed out arriving at JFK an


    hourter.


    Parking the limo in the pick-up area Stephen headed in. His gaze went to the board announcing


    arriving international flights then he headed to the Air France check in area. The flight was on time and


    he didn¡¯t have to wait long. Even customs seemed to be operating efficiently and soon the passengers


    were steadily streaming into the terminal.


    Among them was a woman crowned with a mane of brilliant red curls. Her clothing was simple: jeans,


    tank top and denim jacket that hugged her trim form. She strode through the airport with confidence.


    Her confidence and serene expression caused many heads to turn as she dragged her wheeled carry-


    on containing her expensive camera equipment along. Trailing her was a set of twins.


    Brother and sister, they were dressed in loose clothingfortable for flying. The girl wore bedazzled


    jeans and a sweater with a unicorn on it while her brother wore a long-sleeved t-shirt with jacket. Both


    also wore a backpack in which their travel distractions and snacks for the flight were stored. They had


    no trouble keeping up with their mother¡¯s even pace until they spotted a tall figure they were all too


    familiar with.


    ¡°Stephen!¡± the girl suddenly eximed before running forward dragging her brother along.


    ¡°Greetings Miss Aria, Master Caden,¡± Stephen smiled warmly at the exuberant twins.


    ¡°You talk so funny, Stephen,¡± the girl giggled.


    Her brother said nothing but nodded in agreement. He was generally more reserved than his sister and


    often chose to remain silent. This usually meant his sister took the lead and sometimes it seemed she


    was just dragging him around but he was almost always in full agreement with her.


    ¡°Miss Macey,¡± Stephen greeted their mother.


    ¡°Really?¡± Macey smiled. ¡°Stephen we¡¯ve known each other over twenty years. How long are you going


    to keep addressing me so formally?¡±


    ¡°At least twenty more.¡±


    She chuckled at his answer and earned a smile from him. Shadowing the DaLair patriarch meant


    Stephen came into contact with all sorts of nefarious and shameless characters. Macey was a breath of


    fresh airpared to all of them. Hepletely understood why Augustus cherished his daughter-in-


    ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa Gus?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately his meeting ran long and he could not be here,¡± Stephen apologized. ¡°He looks forward


    to seeing you all tonight however.¡±


    ¡°Tonight?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s throwing a special party at the Barat tonight. He¡¯s hoping all of you will attend.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Macey hesitated.


    ¡°Please mommy! Can we go? Can we?¡± the twins looked up at her with pleading gazes.


    They had waited months to see their grandfather and, quite shamelessly, they enjoyed attending


    parties with their mother. They loved showing off their beautiful mother to everyone.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pack anything for a party.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem. Mister DaLair reserved you time at Saks to find some options,¡± Stephen announced.


    ¡°Of course he did,¡± Macey sighed.


    ¡°Please mommy!¡± Aria pleaded. ¡°I like it when you wear pretty dresses!¡±


    Macey hesitated a moment longer before admitting defeat, ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get our luggage first.¡±


    Stephen escorted them to baggage im and helped carry their five bags back to the car. Once they


    were situated in the limo he drove them directly to the store. Augustus hadn¡¯t just arranged them time


    to shop but had in fact reserved the whole store for their exclusive use. Security stood outside the


    doors allowing Macey to shop unperturbed by other shoppers aside from her overly eager twins. The


    situation made Macey ufortable but she decided to roll with it. She knew from experience how


    overbearing Augustus could be when he wanted something but his heart was usually in the right ce.


    Sifting through the racks Macey eventually found one that piqued her interest. Taking it back to the


    changing room she emerged wearing the hunter green evening gown. It had a high neckline leaving


    her back and shoulders bare though it covered her chest. It fit her like a second skin hugging her


    curves and left very little to the imagination to despite its coverage. Its snug fit continued down her


    thighs before ring out giving her legs freedom of movement.


    Macey used an alligator clip to give herself an up-do simr to one she nned for the evening. Such


    gatherings had never been her favorite but she had learned styling her hair up and keeping it off her


    neck kept her much cooler andfortable as the night progressed.


    ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± she looked to her children.


    ¡°You look just like a princess, mommy!¡± Aria eximed pping her hands. She loved it when her


    mother dressed up.


    Caden smiled equally pleased. In his mind no woman was more beautiful than his mother and it was


    important everyone agreed with him. Anyone who disagreed was clearly wrong.


    ¡°You two really like this one that much?¡± Maceyughed. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll get this one.¡±


    ¡°You might want a couple more,¡± Stephen reminded.


    ¡°Why?¡± Macey asked.


    ¡°Well there is the show at the end of the week and I imagine Mister DaLair might want to take you to


    other outings as well.¡±


    Macey sighed. It wasn¡¯t as if she didn¡¯t anticipate this. Augustus was a caring if overbearing father-in-


    and supported her through everything so she could hardly argue with him wanting to spend time with


    them.


    ¡°Mommy, do you think they have a dress for me to match yours?¡±


    ¡°You want to match me?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°We might have something close to that color,¡± the saleswoman said. ¡°Shall we check?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    The saleswoman chuckled. When she originally learned the store had been reserved for a single


    shopper she had been apprehensive. Normally clientele capable of such a feat were unbearable, rude


    and obnoxious. But this trio proved polite, refreshing and adorable.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Caden asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear a suit.¡±


    He scowled. Caden hated formal events requiring clothing that was restrictive and ufortable. Well


    aware of his preference Macey smiled apologetically before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think you need a suit


    sweetie. A pair of dress pants and a cored shirt should be more than enough.¡±


    Caden brightened at the suggestion. That much he could do as long as the shirt wasn¡¯t itchy. He took


    his mother¡¯s elegant hand and followed her to the children¡¯s section. When they found their suitable


    choices the kids disappeared into the changing room and emerged in their party clothes.


    Aria wore a sleeved party dress. The top was a simr green to her mother¡¯s gown and made of soft


    velvet. Her skirt was satin whiteyered withce. Caden wore ck dress pants with a white, button-


    up shirt. The shirt had green buttons which he liked since it also matched his mother and sister. It was


    cotton ensuring hisfort as well.


    * * *


    As the trio modeled their party clothes for each other Katherine and her two closest friends marched


    toward the store entrance only for security to block her path. Startled Katherine backed a step then fury


    shed in her eyes.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± she suddenly demanded.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry ma¡¯am, but this store had been reserved by a private party,¡± one of the guards informed


    her.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Katherine scoffed. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    The security officer didn¡¯t answer. His orders were very simple. No one was to enter while the party


    currently inside the store remained. The actual time limit was nominal. If the shoppers took longer the


    patron who reserved the store promised to pay more thus ensuring they could shop in peace without


    interruption for as long as they wanted.


    Katherine took out her phone, ¡°If you refuse to be reasonable I¡¯ll just have to call my father. He¡¯ll have


    you fired. Are you sure you can handle that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, ma¡¯am,¡± the guard informed her. ¡°Are you sure you can handle the consequences?¡±


    Katherine felt her face warm as she angrily dialed her father. As soon as he answered she began her


    tirade, ¡°Daddy! I¡¯m outside Saks and they won¡¯t let me in! They say the store has been reserved but


    this is the only time I can get my dress!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± her father sighed with slight irritation for being called out of his meeting. ¡°Let me call the


    store.¡±


    Katherine waited impatiently tapping her foot as the minutes ticked by. The security personnel


    remained unperturbed. Just when she was out of patience her father finally returned to her.


    ¡°Come back to the storeter.¡±


    ¡°What! But daddy I need my dress now!¡±


    ¡°Leave it ande backter!¡± her father yelled. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to irritate the client who reserved the


    store!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts!¡± her father hung up and Katherine was left without recourse. This was the second time she


    was left without satisfaction. Afterining about the rude curator she berated her father to have


    them fired only to be met with much the same excuse.


    There were only a handful of people capable of reserving an entire store and a select few of those had


    the clout to ensure no interference. If she was on better terms with Augustus DaLair she could enjoy


    the same preferential treatment but she dared not even call Julius after the debacle at the gallery. He


    made no effort to assist her in securing their photographer and then disappeared without a word.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Katherine snapped at her waiting entourage. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

 Book One: Chapter 5

    Book One: Chapter 5


    In the end Macey bought two gowns as well as outfits for the twins knowing Augustus he wouldn¡¯t be


    satisfied with anything less and she hated shopping enough to only be bothered with it once. She


    managed a small victory in beating Stephen to the credit machine and paid for the clothes herself. He


    wanted to take them to a jewelry store but Macey refused. She was not one for shy shows of wealth


    preferring to keep things simple.


    Stephen didn¡¯t press the issue. Mister DaLair had expected as much. If he insisted he would buy the


    jewelry at ater date and present it to her. Stephen had taken careful note of their purchases so he


    could rte color and style should Augustus wish to shop for essories.


    Once they were finished shopping they paused to eat. Aria and Caden voted for McDonalds. Fast food


    was a novelty for them as such establishments were not popr ormon overseas. Stephen had no


    reason to deny them and Macey offered no argument. Afterwards he drove them to the vi Augustus


    prepared for them.


    Aria and Caden excitedly ran through the clean, modern home. Their apartment in Paris couldn¡¯t


    Jacuzzi. The kitchen was stocked with their favorite snacks. A number was left on the fridge for them to


    order whatever groceries they required for delivery.


    The twins shared bedroom had also been carefully prepared. Each had their own twin bed with extra


    soft mattress and bedding. They both had a desk, dressers, shelves of books and toys to match their


    preferences. Their grandfather had spent more than enough time with them to know their personalities


    as well as likes and dislikes. He arranged everything to feel like home and insure theirfort.


    Running to the living room they immediately gravitated to the grand piano.


    Caden climbed on the bench and lifted the cover. He touched the keys in awe. His keyboard at home


    suddenly seemed like a poor imitation now as he sat at the real thing. Without hesitation he began to


    y. The house was soon filled with the melody of Coldy¡¯s Clocks while Stephen brought in their


    luggage and shopping bags.


    Macey stood looking around her. Slowly she stepped toward the patio door to look at the pool and well


    manicured yard. There was a small building tucked to the side. Even from his distance Macey could


    see the red light above the door. Combined with theck of windows and ample venttion she knew it


    was a private dark room no doubt already stocked with all the needed material to develop photographs


    from negatives.


    She shook her head looking to Stephen and said, ¡°This is too much.¡±


    ¡°It was Mister DaLair¡¯s wish you would have everything you need. The vi¡¯s location is also near the


    gallery which will be convenient for you.¡±


    Macey sighed. She knewing back was going to be difficult. Here Augustus could exert much more


    influence. He was only trying to support them but sometimes it was just too much. For now she would


    ept it as a grandfather doting on his grandchildren. She knew it had been difficult for him to maintain


    his distance for so long. Macey would just have to be carefully his doting didn¡¯t cross the line into


    spoiling them. Aria and Caden were smart enough to take advantage if limits were not applied.


    ¡°In the garage you¡¯ll find two vehicles for your use,¡± Stephen informed.


    Macey only nodded. She needed transportation unless she wanted to rely on Stephen the entire time


    so she would ept those gifts as rentals. For that matter she could consider the vi itself as a rental


    thinking of it that way made it a little easier. She would ignore the fact Augustus probably purchased


    everything under her name.


    ¡°The party starts at seven at the Barat.¡±


    Macey nodded. The Barat was one of Augustus¡¯s favored venues so it didn¡¯t surprise her.


    Unfortunately it conjured bad memories. Six years ago she suffered her worst humiliation there after all.


    She shook herself free of the memories. It would be different this time. She was different. The


    important thing was Aria and Caden. Nothing else mattered but them.


    * * *


    They took time to settle in before preparing for their debut. Macey used a clip to tame her mane into a


    cascading up-do. She used only light foundation to smooth blemishes though she made no attempt to


    conceal her freckles. Preferring to keep a natural look Macey avoided heavy make-up. She even


    avoided lipstick using a gloss instead.


    ¡°Me next! Me next!¡± Aria eagerly eximed.


    Maceyughed. She separated her hair and used clips to create soft pigtails that still allowed her


    natural curls to bounce. Luckily Macey had be skilled in taming such curls as Aria always wanted


    her hair done in a new style. Caden¡¯s hair was much easier to maintain especially as he insisted on


    keeping it short.


    Once they were prepared they headed to the garage. As promised a pair of vehicles waited for her: a


    Mercedes S-ss sedan and an EQS SUV. Shaking her head Macey selected the sedan. Car seats


    were already installed and the twins happily buckled their seatbelts. They couldn¡¯t wait to see their


    grandfather again.


    Using the onboard navigation alongside her long dormant memories made it easy to find her


    destination. Hotel valets met them to park the car as soon as she retrieved the kids. She led the way to


    the door where security let them pass with a nod. No doubt Augustus had given special instruction to


    allow them in without harassment.


    Hesitating Macey took a deep breath before entering. She intentionally arrived a littlete to avoid the


    extravagant entrances of the other guests. Unfortunately that also met the crowd had settled into their


    little groups and made finding Augustus more of a challenge especially with two five-year-olds in tow.


    Retrieving hors d''oeuvres Macey led the twins to a small table instructing, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to find your


    grandfather. You two stay right here until I get back with him. All right?¡±


    ¡°Okay mommy. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    * * *


    Julius sighed as he sipped his fourth whiskey. He tried to chase away memories too dangerous to


    linger over but failed. Why did his father always chose this ce for his public birthday celebration?


    The worst night of his life had been here. So far he had avoided Katherine so he counted himself lucky.


    Even so it wasn¡¯t enough to raise his mood. Six years of failure lingered. If only he could have found


    her. If only he hadn¡¯t been such an idiot to begin with.


    Turning and leaning on the bar he allowed his gaze to drift over the crowd. As he brought his drink to


    his lips he suddenly froze. A familiar figure with a mane of red curls tamed in arge clip flitted through


    the crowd. He blinked, rubbing his eyes. It couldn¡¯t be. Julius suddenly lurched to his feet and pushed


    through the crowd looking for the stunning vision only to find she had disappeared. He stood wondering


    if he hallucinated it. Were all his years of failure finally catching up to him?


    ¡°Julius. Hey Julius.¡±


    He turned to see his brother.


    ¡°You bettere here. Katherine is causing a scene.¡±


    Julius rolled his eyes but followed. He couldn¡¯t deny he was somewhat responsible for her presence. If


    not for his tolerance Katherine would never have been allowed past the door. He knew his family was


    ready to bar her from every event they sponsored.


    * * *


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Aria and Caden looked up at the harsh voice to see a woman with blonde hair cascading over her


    shoulder and a face heavily covered in make-up. Her dress was tight and cut low to reveal herrge


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    cleavage. The skirt was also very short, too short for her to bend down without revealing her rather


    mother represented to them.


    Their silent stares seemed to anger her and the blonde roughly grabbed Aria¡¯s arm dragging her off her


    seat, ¡°I asked you what you are doing here you little heathen!¡±


    ¡°Let go of my sister, you old hag!¡± Caden quickly jumped out of his seat and stepped up to his sister¡¯s


    defense scowling at the woman who osted them for no reason.


    ¡°Why you!¡± Katherine pped him across the face.


    The sound resounded in the crowded hall attracting attention of those around them. Caden didn¡¯t say a


    word as he red at her. If looks could kill Katherine would have been dead to rights. The intensity of


    his stare caused her to momentarily freeze. It was almost as intimidating as facing Augustus. The


    scene was beginning to gather a crowd of onlookers.


    ¡°Why is she picking on a kid?¡±


    ¡°Did you see her hit him? Was that necessary?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed he isn¡¯t crying.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a ce for children. Why are they even here?¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t hurting anyone.¡±


    Katherine hesitated as the murmurs reached her ears. It seemed the crowd was not on her side. Her


    face turning red she called, ¡°Security! Security! Get these little heathens out of here!¡±

 Book One: Chapter 6

    Book One: Chapter 6


    Julius and March pushed their way through the crowd in time to see Katherine p the boy bravely


    standing up for his sister. They stood in shock not only by her hostile behavior but also because of the


    boy¡¯s appearance. His hair had a reddish tint and his eyes were a clear, vibrant green but despite that


    he looked enough like Jude to be his little brother.


    Who was he?


    ¡°Security! Security!¡± Katherine¡¯s shrill voice called out. ¡°Get these heathens out of here!¡±


    Door security was already approaching before the summons drawn in by the crowd. They stared from


    Katherine to the children and back again not sure what the best course of action was. Katherine was an


    important guest but they had been given special instructions concerning the twins by the host of the


    event himself.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡± Katherine demanded while they hesitated. ¡°These creatures are


    disturbing the guests. Get them out of here!¡±


    Before the brothers could react another voice suddenly thundered, ¡°Don¡¯ty a hand on their heads if


    you want to keep yours!¡±


    Everyone froze and idle chatter fell silent. The crowd parted making way for the formidable DaLair


    patriarch. His gray eyes were a storm of rage. Harming his grandkids was a dangerous gamble. The


    entire crowd felt the unbearable tension unsure of what was happening.


    No one knew what to expect until the little girl suddenly eximed, ¡°Grandpa Gus!¡±


    Without hesitation the pair ran up to the ruthless business mogul. Augustus¡¯s scowl instantly


    disappeared and he dropped to his knee to catch the exuberant pair wrapping them in a bear hug.


    ¡°There are my little rascals!¡± heughed much to the crowd¡¯s surprise.


    ¡°We missed you grandpa!¡± the little girl said. ¡°Why weren¡¯t you waiting for us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sweetie. I got caught up with some business.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. We forgive you,¡± Aria said her tone almost patronizing.


    Augustus chuckled, ¡°Where¡¯s your mother?¡±


    ¡°Looking for you. Mommy! Mommy! We found Grandpa!¡±


    The crowd moved aside allowing the elegantly dressed redhead to approach. She smiled at the twins


    saying, ¡°I see that. Caden! What happened!¡±


    Macey rushed forward kneeling in front of her son studying the red mark on his face. The boy shrugged


    off his mother¡¯s concern but exined, ¡°That dragondy was picking on Aria and I told her to stop so


    she pped me.¡±


    ¡°What dragondy?¡± Macey¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°Her.¡±


    Caden pointed to the stunned Katherine.


    Ever since Augustus appeared and imed the kids as his own she had been left unsure of the best


    course of action. She was already among his least favorite people and couldn¡¯t afford to irritate him


    further. Despite this she had raised a hand to a child he evidently favored.


    Should she beg for forgiveness? Maybe if she fawned over the children andplimented on how


    adorable they were? But why should she debase herself like that?


    Green eyes shining with rage Macey stood marching toward the blonde who dared ost her children.


    Reaching Katherine she offered no warning before pping her so hard Katherine stumbled back in


    surprise. Katherine stared at the furious woman in front of her. No one ever daredy a hand to her


    before but the woman in green offered no apology and showed no remorse.


    ¡°If you every a hand on my kids again I promise you no one will ever find your body,¡± Macey dered


    before spinning around and marched back to her children who watched impassively as if this was an


    expected reaction.


    Over the years they had endured a few bullies mostly poking fun at them for not having a father. Rarely


    did the taunts be physical. The few asions when the line was crossed immediately brought out


    Macey¡¯s protective side. School officials and parents soon learned never to anger her and mind other


    children¡¯s behavior carefully when it came to the twins. Reaching her children Macey gently stroked


    Caden¡¯s cheek before kissing him on the top of the head.


    Augustus cleared his throat, ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°We had some hors d''oeuvres but they weren¡¯t really good,¡± Aria said.


    ¡°Well we can¡¯t have that!¡± Augustus eximed. ¡°Let¡¯s head over to the restaurant shall we?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± the twins cheered.


    ¡°So how was your flight?¡± Augustus asked taking Aria¡¯s hand as he led the way while Caden sped


    his mother¡¯s hand.


    ¡°We don¡¯t like flying,¡± Aria said. ¡°It makes our ears hurt. I got a tummy ache and Caden got a


    headache.¡±


    ¡°You know flying does the same thing to me. How did you like the vi?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s great grandpa! We really like our room!¡±


    * * *


    From the moment the twins called Augustus grandpa and threw their arms around him Julius was


    frozen in ce, mouth open in shock. Even more surprising was his father¡¯s reaction. Augustus


    showed no hesitation in embracing the pair. In fact his face was rapt with joy. It was clear he not only


    knew them intimately he also expected to see them tonight.


    And then she appeared.


    Like a ghost of the past Macey was suddenly in front of him. She was gorgeous wearing an elegant


    and simple gown that hugged her gentle curves. Its color highlighted her eyes andplimented her


    hair andplexion. There was a new confidence surrounding her making her even more alluring.


    When the kids called her mommy Julius almost copsed. He was afraid to move and break the vision


    in front of him. Watching her tender concern for his son¡¯s hurt and exacting immediately retribution as


    only a mother could Julius felt nothing but pride and adoration. For the first time in six years he didn¡¯t


    know what to do except that he didn¡¯t want to look away.


    ¡°Jules, did you know? Jules!¡±


    March clutched his brother¡¯s arm pulling his attention away from Macey¡¯s retreating form. Julius met his


    brother¡¯s enraged gaze reluctantly. Without another word March dragged him away to a private corner


    away from prying eyes and curious ears.


    ¡°Did you know!¡± March demanded. ¡°Tell me you didn¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t¡­¡± Julius stuttered before taking a breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­I didn¡¯t find out until after she left. I


    found the pregnancy test in the trash.¡±


    March stood stunned by the news. The only thing holding back his rage was his brother¡¯s obvious


    distress. Over the years Julius¡¯s depression and desperation to locate Macey had only grown. At first


    March thought Julius had finally realized his feelings for her but now it was beginning to make more


    sense. It was not just Macey he was frantic to find.


    ¡°Shit!¡± March cursed. ¡°Julius¡­¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯ve been so desperate to find her?¡± Julius asked. ¡°I know I messed up. Just the


    thought of her out there alone going through everything without me to support her¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Funny you should say that.¡± March said as a thought suddenly urred to him.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think dad¡­¡±


    Julius blinked slowly realizing what his brother implied. From the start it hadn¡¯t made sense for a


    woman of limited means and no connections to simply vanish. As far as he knew both her parents had


    been only children and she didn¡¯t have any family. But if their father helped her¡­Julius¡¯s face flushed


    with rage. He spun around and burst out of the alcove tearing through the crowd unyielding to their idle


    gossip.


    ¡°Who do you suppose that woman was?¡±


    ¡°She was gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s some sort of secret daughter?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but the children called him grandpa.¡±


    He left the bar and headed to the restaurant. Julius stepped into the quieter venue. His eyes raked the


    interior untilughter drew his attention to a secluded corner.


    There he saw the DaLair patriarch seated at a table. Beside his father was his daughter crowned with


    the same riotous, red curls as her mother. Across from her was her quieter and more reserved brother.


    Though he offered little in terms of conversation his eyes sparkled with the same joy and excitement


    his more boisterous sister openly expressed. The red mark on his cheek was fading making Julius


    breathe a sigh of relief. Beside his son sat their mother.


    Macey was as beautiful as his exaggerated memory made her. Her gown was modest and offered


    ample coverage. He recalled she was ufortable in gowns that were too revealing. Even so the


    gown hugged her like a second skin highlighting her hour ss figure. Thebination gave her a


    demur yet alluring figure that tantalized his senses and earned her many admirers. He scowled at the


    other men ncing in her direction.


    He arrived in time to see the mmekueche they ordered arrive. With grace and elegance Macey


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    served his children, doting on them like a mother hen. Julius¡¯s heart warmed. She had always been the


    caring sort. When they were younger he broke his arm earning her sympathy and attention as she


    cared for him the entire day like an attentive nurse.


    ¡°Mommy, can I have parmesan?¡± Caden asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Macey grabbed the shaker filled with the finally shredded cheese.


    Caden¡¯s brow furrowed as it often did when he was trying to work something out. After a moment he


    asked, ¡°Can I have real parmesan?¡±


    Macey chuckled knowing he meant he wanted a wedge of it to grate by hand and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think


    they do that here, baby.¡±


    Caden scrunched his face but nodded. Still smiling Macey gently shook the contents over his serving to


    lightly sprinkle on the cheese. Setting it aside she kissed his forehead as a reward forpromising.


    ¡°Me too! Me too!¡± Aria chimed. ¡°I want some.¡±


    ¡°Oh do you?¡± Augustus picked it up prepared to follow Macey¡¯s example.


    ¡°I want to do it, grandpa,¡± Aria took the container in her hands, tipped it upside down and dumped


    almost half the contents on her slice.


    ¡°Aria!¡± Macey gasped.


    ¡°I like it this way,¡± Aria announced and proceeded to eat without a care in the world.


    Augustus and Maceyughed at the twins¡¯ antics. Julius almost snapped in his eagerness to be closer.


    That was his family his father was entertaining. The family he had been searching for these past six


    years.


    ¡°Brother, wait,¡± March grasped his arm and pulled him back. ¡°Not here.¡±


    ¡°Let go, March.¡± Julius red.


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time. Look do you want to scare them?¡±


    Julius breathed deep letting his rage settle. No. He couldn¡¯t stand the thought of them fearing him. He


    couldn¡¯t let that happen. Their anger he could endure if they were upset at his five year absence from


    their lives but not their fear.


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± March promised. ¡°We¡¯ll confront dad tomorrow. And he better have answers.¡±


    Julius nodded calming himself. His longing gaze returned to his family. After six years they were finally


    here. They were safe. They were so close. Tomorrow he would get his answers.


    Tomorrow.

 Book One: Chapter 7

    Book One: Chapter 7


    ¡°How long!¡± Julius demanded throwing open the door to his father¡¯s office. ¡°How long have you


    known?¡±


    March followed a step behind closing the door. Augustus looked up from the paperwork he was about


    to sign. His gray eyes were calm and appraising. Without a word he returned to the paperwork in front


    of him signing before handing it back to Stephen. With a wave he dismissed his steadfast assistant


    before turning his attention back to his sons.


    ¡°Dad,¡± March prompted when he still didn¡¯t speak. ¡°How long have you known about Macey¡­and the


    twins?¡±


    Without a word Augustus reached into the bottom drawer of his desk and removed a small photo album


    he tossed toward them. Julius remained riveted where he was hands balled into fists as if fighting the


    urge to attack his own father so March stepped forward to take it. He stepped back to stand beside


    Julius as he paged through it. Julius looked sucking in a breath at the very first page depicting a pair of


    newborn twins. Their skin was still red from the exertion of birth. One wore a blue beanie the other a


    pink one.


    March continued to page through the album. They saw pictures of Macey with her growing belly. There


    was an image of her having an ultrasound taken. Beside the photo was a copy of the ultrasound image


    with a single word written next to it: Twins! The photo diary continued eventually showing Macey being


    wheeled into the hospital pushed by a woman with raven ck hair followed by another image of her


    on the bed clearly enduringbor holding the same woman¡¯s hand for support.


    The next showed a tired Macey with a newborn on her chest. Another chronicled her first attempts at


    breast feeding. Still another depicted her cuddling with one twin while the ck-haired beauty cradled


    the other but it was the final photograph that made their blood boil. Thest picture was of Augustus


    cradling a newborn twin in either arm like the proud grandfather he was.


    ¡°Caden August DaLair and Aria Ca DaLair,¡± Augustus finally said as he stood and went to his wet


    bar to pour himself a drink. He sipped it without returning to his chair. ¡°I¡¯ve always known.¡±


    Julius red at him struggling to find words to describe his sense of betrayal. Six years he searched for


    her. Six years he missed being at her side and seeing their children grow. Six years his father had


    known, watched over them and kept in contact behind his back.


    ¡°Dad, how could you?¡± March spoke first.


    ¡°If you think I was going to let my pregnant daughter-inw spend one night in that godforsaken motel


    after she left, you are mistaken,¡± Augustus snorted.


    ¡°How did you know she was pregnant?¡±


    ¡°I watched you mother go through three pregnancies, you think I wouldn¡¯t recognize the signs?¡±


    Augustus scoffed turning his attention to Julius. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you said to her that night but I know


    you brought her to tears. She was devastated when she saw you surround yourself with those Harpies.


    I told Stephen to follow her. He trailed her home and when she left he followed her. When he called to


    tell me where she was staying I told him to bring her home.¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Julius finally found his voice. ¡°I was turning the city upside down and she was with you!¡±


    ¡°She stayed three weeks under a doctor¡¯s care,¡± Augustus said earning pained looks from his son.


    ¡°The situation put stress on the pregnancy. It was touch and go for awhile.¡±


    Julius grimaced bowing his head in shame. It was his fault. Because of him she had almost lost the


    babies, their babies. What would have happened if his father didn¡¯t intervene? He was both angry and


    grateful toward the man who kept it all secret.


    ¡°When she was finally stable I told her you were looking for her. She told me about the divorce papers,¡±


    Augustus giving his son a disapproving scowl. ¡°I asked her what she wanted to do. She wanted to


    leave. She couldn¡¯t stay. She didn¡¯t want to see you. It was too painful. She wanted a fresh start, to go


    back to school and finish her studies. I told her to pick a city. She said she always wanted to visit


    Paris.¡±


    Vaguely Julius remembered Macey talked about seeing Paris. She stopped short of asking him to take


    her and instead she treated it like some lofty dream as if he didn¡¯t have a fleet of private jets avable


    to make the dream reality. But that was the way she was. She never asked him for favors or gifts. He


    should have paid more attention. Any birthday or anniversary could have served as an excuse to take


    her to Paris. Why did he never think of spending time with her, just the two of them? At that moment a


    romantic getaway just the two of them, or maybe four of them, sounded fantastic.


    ¡°I had Stephen fly her out on my jet,¡± Augustus said. ¡°He set her up in an apartment, enrolled her in the


    best art school avable and arranged her care under the best OBGYN and pediatrician to be found.¡±


    Augustus¡¯s voice sounded neutral but Julius knew his father better than to believe it. His father¡¯s


    emotion shone out of his gray eyes as he rted the past. Augustus scrutinized his son¡¯s reaction as


    he exined the details. It should have been Julius doting on his pregnant wife, pampering her and


    eagerly waiting for the birth of their twins but he had missed it all.


    ¡°I told her I wanted to be there every step of the way, every doctor¡¯s appointment.¡±


    ¡°¡­All those business trips you took,¡± March said recalling how their father suddenly started taking trips


    to Europe nearly every month five years ago. ¡°It was to see her and the kids.¡±


    ¡°You may not take your promises seriously, but I do. I promised her father to watch over her and even if


    she wasn¡¯t the mother of my grandkids I would have taken care of her,¡± Augustus said.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Six years,¡± Julius finally spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for her for six years. Did it ever ur to you to tell


    me?¡±


    ¡°It did.¡±


    Julius sucked in a breath. Then why¡­


    ¡°She needed space to spread her wings,¡± Augustus continued. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what was going through


    her head: starting over in a different city, a new country, going back to school all the while carrying and


    taking care of twins. It¡¯s inspiring. She¡¯s stronger now so don¡¯t think you can push her around. I


    wouldn¡¯t have asked her toe back if it wasn¡¯t so.¡±


    Julius flinched. Just the thought that she might have remained in Paris indefinitely left him feeling


    hollow. He had to see her to exin, to apologize, to beg for forgiveness¡­whatever it took to get her to


    stay.


    ¡°Six years ago she needed you. She needed you to be there, to protect her, to shield her and you threw


    her to the wolves. She doesn¡¯t need you any longer. She can stand up to them on her own now.¡±


    Julius struggled to reign himself in. He had known Macey was often targeted by various social elites.


    Though she grew up with his family she was still far removed from high society. It was no surprise she


    hadn¡¯t been prepared to face the bacsh of their union. And he had done nothing to help her. He


    should have protected her, supported her. Instead he allowed rumors to color his own opinion of her.


    ¡°Now if that¡¯s everything. I have a luncheon with the governor. I trust you two can handle negotiations


    with Herr Leon when he arrives. This is important for the future of thepany,¡± Augustus moved past


    his stunned sons and reached the door. Pausing he looked back at Julius saying, ¡°I expect you to make


    the most of this opportunity but know this¡­I will not be deprived of my grandchildren because youck


    courage.¡±

 Book One: Chapter 8

    Book One: Chapter 8


    Macey set the kettle on the stove to boil. The vi was filled with Bach¡¯s Minuet in G. She nced into


    the living room to see Aria quietly coloring while her brother yed. This was amon activity for


    both. The scene was so rxing she was able to forget the tension of the night before.


    Macey knew returning was not going to be easy and she still wasn¡¯t certain how she was going to face


    Julius. She didn¡¯t know if she should count herself lucky she didn¡¯t see him at the party or not. On one


    hand it gave her more time but on the other sometimes it was better to get unpleasant tasks over with


    and be done.


    Not surprisingly Augustus monopolized their time as soon as he saw them. His evident delight


    spending time with his grandchildren warmed her heart and eased her worries. Even if Julius didn¡¯t


    want anything to do with them at least Aria and Caden would know the love of their grandfather.


    The kettle whistled and Macey removed it from the heat. She poured water into a mug and steeped her


    tea before adding a dollop of honey. Despite years of living in France she still preferred tea. Macey


    recalled Julius could never begin his day without a cup of coffee. Coffee was also the drink of choice at


    every French caf¨¦. A few people she met since starting school scoffed when she ordered tea instead. It


    was her best friend Vicki who encouraged her saying: Drink what you want, eat what you want. It isn¡¯t


    anyone¡¯s business but yours.


    Macey smiled. She could really use Vicki¡¯s confidence right now. Vicki was forever unapologetic. A


    fierce woman, she was not just her best friend but godmother and aunt to her children. Vicki was one of


    two people Macey met shortly after moving to Paris and enrolled at the Paris College of Art. But while


    Paul offered a shoulder to cry on, Vicki taught her how to stand on her own. If she hadn¡¯t met Vicki


    when she did Macey wasn¡¯t sure she would have been able to turn her life around.


    A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Macey set down her tea and walked to the front door.


    Opening it she found herself enveloped in a bear hug. Macey stiffened then rxed as the scent of


    roses enveloped her.


    ¡°Hi Rose.¡±


    ¡°Six years and all you can say is hi Rose?¡± the older woman stepped back to study her. ¡°I¡¯ve missed


    you so much! I¡¯ve been so worried! You just disappeared without a word! I wish you would have called


    me!¡±


    Rose was a petite woman. She kept her brown hair short in a bob-cut. Her frame was thin andcked


    obvious curves. Herplexion was always pale. Rose always had a weak constitution which made


    her marriage to such a prominent figure as March difficult. Yet March doted on her and when it was


    obvious they would only have one child he doted on her more.


    In many ways Macey was jealous of her. She couldn¡¯t help but think how different her life might have


    been if Julius was more like his brother. But that wasn¡¯t fair, after all it had been Julius she fell in love


    with not March. She couldn¡¯t expect two very different people to act like the other.


    ¡°Rose¡­how did you¡­¡±


    ¡°March told me he saw youst night,¡± Rose said, ¡°why didn¡¯t you call me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I¡¯ve only been in town for a day,¡± Macey exined. So March had seen herst night which


    meant Julius had to know she was back but she didn¡¯t dare ask about him.


    ¡°¡­So is it true?¡± Rose was hesitant to ask but she had to know. March mentioned twins.


    ¡°Would you like toe in and meet them?¡± Macey held open the door instantly knowing what her


    sister-inw referred to.


    Hesitantly Rose followed her inside.


    ¡°Kids! We have a guest.¡±


    The constant sound of Bach ceased as Rose stepped inside. Making her way to the living room she


    saw Aria kneeling at the coffee table while Caden sat on the piano bench swinging his legs. Rose


    blinked. She was certain she heard piano ying but there was no way a five-year-old could be


    responsible for it. Perhaps it was a recording.


    ¡°Come here and say hello you two,¡± Macey encouraged.


    Aria stood and skipped forward to stand in front of the stranger. Caden was slower toply. He


    studied their guest carefully one could almost see the wheels turning. In contrast to their party clothes


    their casual clothes were simple. Aria wore a ck, long-sleeved shirt with rainbow sleeves matching


    her skirt. Caden wore a ck t-shirt featuring the Batman symbol and jeans.


    ¡°This is your Aunt Rose,¡± Macey introduced. ¡°Rose¡­this is Aria and Caden.¡±


    Rose smiled not sure how to greet the niece and nephew she had never known. The kids resemnce


    to their parents was uncanny and no one could deny their parentage. She couldn¡¯t believe they were


    really standing in front of her. Would they let her hug them?


    ¡°Auntie?¡± Aria repeated. ¡°Like Auntie Vicki?¡±


    ¡°No. Auntie Vicki is an auntie because she¡¯s my best friend,¡± Macey exined. ¡°Rose is your auntie


    because she¡¯s actually rted to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Auntie Rose can we give you a hug?¡±


    ¡°I would love a hug!¡± Rose knelt down.


    Aria immediately threw her arms around her. Caden hesitated a moment before following his sister¡¯s


    example. Tears blurred Rose¡¯s vision. She could hardly believe she was holding her niece and nephew.


    Everything would be all right now that they were here. Now that Macey was back it would all be set


    right.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe in for a bit?¡± Macey offered. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a cup of tea.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,e on auntie,¡± Aria eximed clutching Rose¡¯s hand and pulling her into the living room.


    Rose willingly followed. She sat on the couch as the twins knelt around the coffee table to color.


    Surprisingly the books were not the usual children¡¯s coloring books. Instead they were meant for adults


    so the pictures were far moreplicated and detailed. Even so the twins seemed quite content as


    they focused on coloring.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Macey set down a te of cookies and handed Rose a mug before sitting down with her


    own.


    Theypsed into ufortable silence. Macey wasn¡¯t sure where she should begin. She had gone to


    great lengths to avoid any news involving DaLair¡¯s or New York to focus on herself and the twins.


    Macey was the first to admit she was far removed from the gossip columns but she would be lying if the


    thought of reconnecting with Rose hadn¡¯t urred to her.


    As difficult as her marriage had been Rose was always a sweet and gentle confidant. Having gone


    through much of the same rumors when she first married March, Rose often gave her encouragement


    and advice when others ignored her. In the end Macey chose to run away and couldn¡¯t bring herself to


    face her sister-inw who possessed the courage to stay.


    Rose sat with hundreds of questions in her head. How had Macey been? Was the pregnancy difficult?


    Macey mentioned a friend so she hadn¡¯t beenpletely alone. Who was she? Were they close?


    March also mentioned Augustus had known so at least Macey had support. Why hadn¡¯t she called?


    Was she afraid Rose would tell Julius?


    ¡°So¡­how have you been?¡± Rose hesitantly asked.


    ¡°Good. I went back to school,¡± Macey answered. ¡°I finally got my degree.¡±


    ¡°You did? That¡¯s fantastic!¡± Rose eximed. She remembered Macey oftenmented neverpleting


    her education. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you!¡±


    Macey blushed. She missed her sister-inw¡¯s unfettered encouragement. The conversation stalled as


    neither knew how much to ask or tell about the past. Rose looked again to her niece and nephew.


    ¡°Jude is not going to believe it when I tell him.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Jude?¡± Aria asked despite seemingly focused on her coloring she listened carefully to the


    adults.


    ¡°He¡¯s my son. That makes him your cousin.¡±


    ¡°We have a cousin! Yeah! What does he look like?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to see a picture?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Rose chuckled as her enthusiasm as she brought out her phone. She flipped through the pictures


    finding one of Jude and March before showing the screen to Aria saying, ¡°This is Jude and this is my


    husband, your uncle, March.¡±


    Aria held the phone fascinated by the images of their family. Then she handed the phone to her


    brother. Caden studied it carefully. One could almost see his wheels turning. The family resemnce


    was uncanny. It was good to know he would recognize his family immediately despite being so far


    removed from them for so long.


    ¡°By the way, how is Jude?¡± Macey asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s growing up. He¡¯s neen now, you know, and in college.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, that old now?¡± Macey chuckled. She still remembered him as a rather saucy thirteen-year-


    old always pushing his parents¡¯ buttons.


    ¡°Spring break was a couple weeks ago but when I tell him he has cousins he might just skip out to


    ¡°Auntie, why don¡¯t you take our picture?¡± Aria said giving her back her phone, ¡°that way he can see us


    right away.¡±


    ¡°Would that be okay?¡± Rose looked to Macey who smiled and nodded. Aria scooted closer to her


    brother as Rose raised her phone. While Aria smiled brightly Caden managed a grin but his green eyes


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    betrayed his joy. Rose snapped the picture quickly before ncing at the time.


    ¡°Oh my! Is it thatte?¡± Rose stood. ¡°I should get going.¡±


    Macey showed her to the door disappointed they couldn¡¯t spend more time together but Rose was a


    sessful real estate agent and socialite so she was bound to have a busy schedule. At the door Rose


    hesitated. She wanted to offer support should Macey need help with the twins but she wasn¡¯t sure


    Macey would ept it.


    ¡°Auntie! Auntie! Don¡¯t forget your pictures!¡± Aria suddenly came running with two colored pictures.


    One depicted doves and flowers while the other was of a branch of roses in various stages of growth


    from bud to bloom. Each was signed in bold crayon: To Auntie Rose, Love Aria and Love Caden. Tears


    threatened to fall as she epted the pictures. To her surprise the pictures were neatly colored and


    kept within the lines but Rose was too emotional to truly register it.


    ¡°Macey¡­if you ever need help or¡­a babysitter, anything¡­please call me,¡± Rose finally said what she


    really wanted to say. ¡°Here¡¯s my phone number.¡±


    They traded phone numbers before Rose hurried off. Macey watched her go with a mixture of


    emotions. There was much about her old life she missed but there were also things she didn¡¯t. She


    wasn¡¯t sure how to bnce the difference.

 Book One: Chapter 9

    Book One: Chapter 9


    Macey made sandwiches for the kid¡¯s lunch still silently debating. Having someone she could trust to


    watch the children would definitely be an advantage. Her list of reliable babysitters was extremely short


    and all of them were in Paris. But did she dare open herself up to the DaLair family drama that was


    sure to ensue. Augustus was bad enough but what would she do once she faced March and Julius?


    Suddenly her phone rang. For a moment she was afraid it was Rose. Very few people had her number


    after all. After seeing the caller ID Macey rxed. She picked it up without further hesitation.


    ¡°Hello Syl, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to be bothering you at home but there¡¯s a problem with the new instation.¡±


    Macey pursed her lips together saying, ¡°Are you sure you need me? I mean I have the kids and I¡¯d


    rather not drag them into the middle of a construction area.¡±


    ¡°What if I send my assistant? She can babysit while you help me.¡±


    Macey hesitated, ¡°Is your assistant responsible?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. Of course!¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    Twenty minutester there was a knock at the door. Macey answered to see a youngdy no more


    than twenty-five dressed in a rather short skirt considering she was meant to be assistant curator. Still


    who was she to judge? Macey had met a number of characters since starting her career.


    ¡°Hello, are you Teresa?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± The woman looked bored.


    ¡°Won¡¯t youe in,¡± Macey led her to the living room where the kids ate their lunch at the coffee table.


    ¡°This is Aria and Caden. They¡¯re finishing their lunch now so they shouldn¡¯t be any problem until Ie


    back.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay. Aria, Caden be good until Ie back.¡±


    ¡°Okay mommy!¡±


    Still nervous Macey headed out. It was only a short drive to the gallery. Hopefully the instation


    wouldn¡¯t take long and she would be home soon.


    Once Macey was gone the newly appointed babysitter sat down with a huff. Babysitting rugrats was not


    her idea of a good time and certainly not something she signed up for when she applied to be an


    assistant curator. She had ns to surround herself with famous artists and hopefully catch their eye.


    Taking out her phone she immediately zoned out as she browsed websites.


    Aria and Caden finished their lunch and colored a bit longer as they observed their inattentive


    babysitter. Trading silent looks they eventually stood.


    ¡°Excuse me Miss Babysitter we¡¯re going to take a nap now,¡± Aria dered.


    ¡°Fine. Whatever.¡±


    Satisfied the twins made their way towards the hall that led to the bedrooms. They paused looking back


    to see their babysitter absorbed in her phone. With a nod they turned and scurried to the front door.


    Slipping on shoes they quietly opened the door and stepped outside.


    Hurrying to the sidewalk Aria paused and asked, ¡°Did you get the information from auntie¡¯s phone?¡±


    Caden nodded, ¡°I got uncle and daddy¡¯s phone numbers and their work numbers too. I looked it up on


    mommy¡¯sputer. They work at the DaLair office downtown.¡±


    ¡°So how are we going to get there?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°Subway.¡±


    ¡°The what? You mean the M¨¦tro?¡±


    ¡°Here they call it a subway,¡± Caden shrugged.


    ¡°Americans are weird,¡± Aria sighed.


    Hand in hand with her brother they walked down the street. Caden seemed to know where he was


    going and a five minute walkter they reached stairs leading underground. They traveled the M¨¦tro


    many times with their mother and were a little apprehensive that they didn¡¯t have her M¨¦tro card as


    they approached the turn styles.


    They walked underneath them without issue and hurried on. Caden paused at the map to confirm their


    train before pulling his sister onto one. Aria happily seated herself on a bench and Caden crawled up


    beside her. The pair held hands as the train pulled away from the station. Though they received several


    curious nces no one bothered the pair. They sat silently observing the people around them until the


    gentle rock of the train lulled them to sleep.


    A sudden jolt as the train came to a stop woke the pair. They took in their surroundings with a note of


    surprise before remembering their mission. Neither was particrly panicked.


    ¡°Are we almost there?¡± Aria suddenly asked.


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not sure,¡± Cade answered. ¡°Everything looks the same.¡±


    Normally falling asleep on the M¨¦tro wasn¡¯t an issue because their mother stayed awake watching for


    their stop. Without her they simply had no idea how long they had slept, how many stops they passed


    or even if they missed their destination.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get off and find a map.¡±


    Aria followed her brother off the train. This station was much more crowded than thest and they had


    to scurry out of the way of the othermuters. There were several in business suits which gave


    Caden some semnce they hadn¡¯t missed their stop. Yet everyone was in such a hurry which made it


    difficult to ask questions. This was a sharp contrast to the Frenchmuters they were used to. After


    several moments the train departed and they were still not sure of their location.


    ¡°Maybe we should ask le policier for directions,¡± Aria suggested.


    ¡°They might take us to a station and have mommy pick us up there,¡± Caden said.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    That would defeat the whole purpose of their n.


    As they fell into silent debate a new sound attracted them to a corner where a rathernky, African-


    American yed the saxophone. His clothing was haggard and faded but his instrument glistened


    indicating it was well cared for. Though he preferred Beethoven Caden appreciated all music. In fact


    they knew a street performer in Paris who often yed the jazz.


    ¡°Look Caden,¡± Aria pointed to a keyboard that had been set up on top of its case resting on the ground.


    ¡°Do you suppose he¡¯ll y that next?¡±


    Caden wasn¡¯t sure. At the man¡¯s feet was his saxophone case. Inside was money tossed by the crowd


    but it added up to a paltry sum. Perhaps he was meant to have a friend to perform alongside of him.


    ¡°Caden, you should y with him,¡± Aria reached the same conclusion. ¡°Then maybe he¡¯ll tell us how to


    get to daddy¡¯s work.¡±


    Caden considered the logic before nodding. It was worth a shot. Besides he sometimes yed with


    their friend when they met him on the street. The crowd usually warmed up once the five-year-old


    joined the performance.


    * * *


    Franklin finished hisst song with a flourish. He nced down at the case with a grimace. ying in


    the subway started on a whim and as a social experiment. He tested a number of music genres to see


    if there was a difference in how much money he earned. So far his results were inconclusive.


    He intentionally dressed in thrift store finds to y the part of a street performer. Franklin was actually


    ssically trained and a much sought after concert pianist and orchestral saxophone yer. He was


    employed as a music instructor at the most prestigious educational facilities, although he had the clout


    to pick and choose the students he directly tutored. If the people rushing by him now knew that would


    they stop to listen?


    Lost in thought he didn¡¯t see the two small forms as they moved closer. He didn¡¯t stir until he heard


    someone run their fingers down the keyboard creating a cascading sound that begged for attention.


    Franklin was jolted back to reality and turned to see a young boy kneeling at the keyboard.


    Grinning, the boy¡¯s green eyes shined with amusement at his surprise. Maintaining eye contact he


    began to y Cheek to Cheek by Louis Armstrong and E Fitzgerald.


    Franklin¡¯s astonishment turned to admiration for the boy¡¯s ying. His skill was apparent. After a


    moment Franklin joined him with the saxophone. Not only was the boy¡¯s ying excellent but it was


    filled with exuberant emotion and true passion for the music that quickly garnered them a crowd. Soon


    dors floated into the case where it once only held a few coins.


    Once the song ended Franklin challenged him by ying the opening to L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole.


    Without hesitation the boy answered the challenge by ying along. Despite his young age he seemed


    to be an encyclopedia of music.


    As they yed Franklin noticed the redhead girl standing close by smiling at the boy. He wondered if


    they were rted. Once they finished the boy continued into the next song. The opening bars were


    simple and Franklin quickly recognized it: What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.


    The boy¡¯s ying was fantastic but Franklin wasn¡¯t prepared for the girl to start singing in a clear,


    charming voice. He didn¡¯t recover from his shock until the second verse and finally joined in with his


    saxophone.


    I see trees of green


    Red roses too


    I see them bloom


    For me and you


    And I think to myself


    What a wonderful world


    I see skies of blue


    And clouds of white


    The bright blessed day


    The dark sacred night


    And I think to myself


    What a wonderful world


    The colors of the rainbow


    So pretty in the sky


    Are also on the faces


    Of people going by


    I see friends shaking hands


    Saying how do you do


    They''re really saying


    I love you


    I hear babies cry


    I watch them grow


    They''ll learn much more


    Than I''ll ever know


    And I think to myself


    What a wonderful world


    Yes, I think to myself


    What a wonderful world


    Ooh, yes


    The boy finished with a few soft notes and suddenly the entire station resounded with apuse.


    Franklin looked down to see his saxophone case filled with cash. The boy stood taking the little girl¡¯s


    hand. They bowed to the crowd together amid the apuse. Slowly the crowd dissipated leaving the


    trio of musicians alone.


    ¡°That was something else little man,¡± Franklin grinned. ¡°And you too little miss.¡±


    Caden shrugged and his sister said, ¡°Thank you Mister. You are almost as good as Elias. We y with


    him all the time.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­so you¡¯ve done this before,¡± Franklin said as he carefully ced his saxophone in his case after


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    gathering up the cash. He would donate it to his favorite charity: All Kids Need Music, like usual.


    Caden nodded helping to store the keyboard in its case. Franklin watched the boy do it with practiced


    ease. It was clear he had done it many times before. He wondered if the other street performer also


    had a keyboard for the boy to y.


    ¡°So what brings you two here?¡± Franklin asked keeping an ear out for panicked parents.


    ¡°We¡¯re on our way to see daddy,¡± the girl answered.


    ¡°Wait. What? Where¡¯s your mom?¡±


    ¡°She had work but we didn¡¯t like our babysitter so we decided to go see daddy instead.¡±


    ¡°So¡­neither of your parents know you are here?¡±


    The pair shook their heads.


    ¡°Okay, we should probably call them,¡± Franklin took out his iPhone. ¡°Do you know their numbers?¡±


    The pair shared a look before shaking their heads. If they told him their mother¡¯s phone number she


    would rush over and drag them home. On the other hand they weren¡¯t supposed to know their father¡¯s


    and it would be suspicious for them to tell their new friend.


    ¡°What about your address? Do you know where you live?¡±


    More head shakes. Franklin bit back his irritation. Were parents not responsible anymore? Did they not


    know about teaching their kids the importance of contact information?


    ¡°So¡­where does your father work?¡±


    ¡°DaLair za, 41 Nassau Street,¡± Caden answered easily.


    Franklin blinked surprise. If the boy could rattle off such an address so easily then why didn¡¯t he know


    his home address? The whole situation was extremely bizarre but at least now he had a ce to take


    them.


    ¡°Well, good news. You¡¯re only a hop, skip and a jump away. Come on.¡±


    Franklin hefted his music cases and led the kids back to the tracks. They willingly followed him as he


    stepped on the next train. Climbing onto the bench they sat holding hands. Franklin watched them


    trying to figure them out. Neither looked panicked or afraid as he would expect from a pair of lost


    children. The boy in particr observed their surroundings with a detached air while his sister openly


    scrutinized those around them.


    They reached their stop and Franklin led them up to the street. They walked several blocks taking


    almost fifteen minutes to reach the entrance of a tall high-rise due to the children¡¯s short legs, though


    neitherined about the rather long march through the crowded streets. Franklin grimaced when


    he saw themanding structure that was their destination. He wasn¡¯t part of the business world so


    the DaLair name meant nothing to him but he recognized a substantial building when he saw one.


    ¡°Are you sure your father works here?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    Franklin gave them a concerned look still harboring reservations despite their insistence.


    ¡°Thank you, Mister¡­um¡­what¡¯s your name?¡± the girl suddenly asked.


    ¡°Franklin.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Thank you, Mister Franklin!¡± she happily said as the pair pushed their way through the revolving


    doors and entered the intimidating building without hesitation.


    Franklin hesitated but the kids walked in with such confidence he had no reason to suspect they didn¡¯t


    know where they were going. It was clear they were not ordinary five-year-olds. Now that they were


    inside he was assured they would be taken care of at least. Still nervous Franklin walked back to the


    subway. Muchter he¡¯de to regret not getting the boy¡¯s name. There was no doubt he was a


    musical prodigy.


    * * *


    Completely forgetting their benefactor Aria and Caden marched up to the front desk. Finally they were


    at their goal. Once they were able to speak with their grandfather they would be able to see their daddy


    finally after years of waiting. Though their mother never mentioned their father they knew he had to


    exist so they asked their grandfather about him instead. Ever since he told them about their parents¡¯


    past they had been eager to meet the father they had never known.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡± Aria called when the receptionist didn¡¯t acknowledge them.


    After a moment she stood and leaned over to see the pair. Her brow furrowed making her narrow face


    even more unattractive. They weren¡¯t particrly impressed with her observational skills either as they


    had to struggle for her attention.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to see Grandpa Gus,¡± Aria announced.


    ¡°Grandpa Gus?¡± the receptionist repeated. ¡°You mean Augustus DaLair?¡±


    ¡°Yep. He¡¯s our grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Ah-huh. Mister DaLair has only one grandson and no one sees him without an appointment. So shoo!


    Or I¡¯ll call the police.¡±


    The receptionist disappeared from their view. Upset at her dismissal they retreated to the waiting area


    withrgefortable chairs and even a small nook with a coffee and espresso machines.


    Aria looked to her brother, ¡°So what do we do now?¡±


    Caden scrunched his face as he thought about it. They hadn¡¯t expected such an immediate rejection.


    At the very least he thought the receptionist should have called their grandfather. Even if their


    grandfather was busy he would have sent Stephen to help them.


    While her brother considered their options Aria noticed a man in a finely tailored suit. He was practically


    screaming into his phone about how insulted he was and how he would never do business with the


    DaLair¡¯s again. But what really caught her attention was the fact he said it all in German.


    ¡°Maybe we should help daddy with is work,¡± Aria said. ¡°Maybe then he¡¯ll want to spend time with us.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Caden asked. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about his work.¡±


    ¡°Watch,¡± Aria smirked before skipping up to intercept the man on the phone just as he put it away and


    reached the door. She didn¡¯t hesitate to greet him, ¡°Hallo herr! Wie gehts?¡±

 Book One: Chapter 10

    Book One: Chapter 10


    Julius sat at his desk slowly paging through the photo album his father gave him. He couldn¡¯t stop


    staring at the images of Macey and the babies. Guilt gnawed at him every minute. He should have


    been there. Macey should never have gone through her pregnancy alone. He should have listened to


    her, paid attention. He hadn¡¯t even known she wanted to go back to school.


    ¡°Julius¡­Jules¡­Jules!¡±


    He jerked to attention at his brother¡¯s entreats. March watched him with concern. Ever since they left


    their father¡¯s office Julius paged through the album over and over again. It was clear his brother¡¯s


    thoughts were spiraling in guilt and regrets.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking¡­but maybe this is a good thing.¡±


    ¡°How is this good?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been worried about Macey for six years not knowing what happened to her, if she was okay,¡±


    March said, ¡°Now you know.¡±


    Julius stared at his brother letting the words slowly sink in.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying what dad did was right¡­but if he¡¯s been taking care of them then you know they¡¯ve


    been given the best care.¡±


    Julius sighed. March was right. The pictures made it clear the hospital boasted top notch facilities.


    Their father would not have been satisfied with anything less not with their mother¡¯s miscarriage


    hanging in his mind and especially not after theplications Rose suffered. Ensuring Macey¡¯s


    pregnancy and the twins¡¯ birth was carefully monitored would have been his number one priority.


    Macey hadn¡¯t been alone. Though he still didn¡¯t know the identity of the raven-haired woman it was


    clear she was a friend and had been there for Macey through it all. None of that alleviated his sense of


    guilt and remorse but there was somefort in that knowledge.


    March took an uneasy breath seeing his brother rx even slightly. He still couldn¡¯t believe their father


    hadn¡¯t told them about Macey or the kids. Augustus had always felt indebted to Macey¡¯s father, Carl


    Grayson, the man who saved his life and because of that he was extremely protective of her, treating


    her like a beloved daughter even before her marriage to Julius. He certainly would have sided with her


    even against his own sons whether or not she had been pregnant with his grandchildren.


    ¡°Hello, am I interrupting?¡± they looked up to see Rose hesitantly enter.


    March immediately smiled engulfing her in a hug. It was unusual for her to visit him at work though he


    was always pleased to see her. Rose was sensible and never forgot her station as his wife. Sometimes


    he wished she would step out a little more rather than going with the flow.


    ¡°Hello, love,¡± March kissed her temple. ¡°You know you are never interrupting. What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I just got back from visiting Macey and the kids.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± both brothers stared at her in shock.


    ¡°How did you even know where to find them?¡± March asked.


    ¡°Well, you mentionedst night your father put them up in a vi,¡± Rose said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would put


    them out in the country. So I went looking at his properties in the city.¡±


    March was speechless. Rose was a real estate agent and had been in charge of acquiring many of


    their father¡¯s properties over the years so she would have intimate knowledge of each. It hadn¡¯t


    urred to them he would ce Macey and the kids in one but it made perfect sense. Augustus


    certainly wouldn¡¯t put them in a hotel. The fact Rose had gone searching for them was definitely one of


    the boldest moves she ever made.


    ¡°They are in Soho,¡± Rose answered their unasked question.


    Julius felt himself trembling. They were so close, not even a half hour¡¯s drive away. Hesitantly he


    asked, ¡°H-how did they look?¡±


    Rose gave him a sympathetic look before taking out her phone. She handed it to March who looked


    down at it with a smile before passing it to his brother without a word.


    On the screen was a picture of the twins kneeling beside a table with coloring books strewn across it.


    Aria had her hair in pigtails and wore a dress with striped sleeves matching her skirt. On the front of her


    top was a zebra with balloons. Beside her Caden also wore a ck shirt disying the Batman signal.


    Both of the twins had a dusting of freckles over their noses that were definitely inherited from their


    mother. Even with the boy¡¯s green eyes his resemnce to his father was uncanny just as the girl


    resembled their mother. Julius couldn¡¯t look away as he memorized their every feature.


    ¡°They seem perfectly happy and healthy to me,¡± Rose said.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised Macey let you take a picture,¡± Marchmented.


    ¡°Just what is that supposed to mean?¡± Rose demanded. ¡°Macey invited me in. She even introduced me


    as their aunt. They got all excited when I told them about Jude. Aria said I should take a picture so he


    could see them without skipping school.¡±


    ¡°You told them about Jude?¡±


    ¡°Of course. They even asked to see his picture,¡± Rose said. ¡°I showed them one of you two together.


    They were really happy to learn they had so many family members. Look they even colored me


    pictures.¡±


    Rose took out the colored pages for them to look at. Julius finally tore his gaze from the photo to look at


    the pictures. He smiled seeing their childish scrawls: To Auntie Rose, Love Aria and Love Caden.


    ¡°So¡­about family,¡± March hesitated, ¡°do they know¡­¡±


    Julius stiffened ncing up at him. Did his children know they had a father? Did they want to meet


    him? Would they even give him a chance after he missed so much of their life?


    ¡°I¡ªI wanted to ask¡­but¡­I just couldn¡¯t do it in front of the kids,¡± Rose gave him a sympathetic smile. ¡°I


    really don¡¯t know how much Macey told them. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right,¡± Julius tried to sound convincing. ¡°I already missed so much. I don¡¯t have the right to be


    called dad.¡±


    ¡°They are five years old, Julius,¡± Rose gently admonished. ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve missed five years but they


    have a lot of growing to do. You can still have years with them¡­as their father.¡±


    ¡°If Macey lets me,¡± Julius sucked in a breath.


    Rose wasn¡¯t wrong. In the grand scheme of things five years was not long but it didn¡¯t alleviate his guilt


    in the slightest. He hadn¡¯t been there for his wife when she needed him and he hadn¡¯t been there for


    his children. Would any of them even want him in their lives? His finger traced the colored pictures as


    he let his thoughts circle. It seemed he couldn¡¯t escape from the depressing spiral.


    ¡°If you want¡­you can keep those,¡± Rose offered.


    ¡°No¡­you keep them. They colored them for you,¡± Julius hesitantly handed over the pictures. ¡°But could


    you send me the photo?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Rose smiled epting the pictures and her phone back. A few taps and she not only sent


    to the photo to Julius but also March¡¯s phones. She hoped it would be the first of many. ¡°Well, I should


    probably go. I kind of rushed out of the office as soon as I narrowed down the properties. ¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we have a meeting soon,¡± March nodded ncing at his watch. ¡°Actually it should have started


    ten minutes ago. Julius did they call you he was here?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Julius shook his head storing the album safely in his desk. ¡°And no calls he was runningte


    either. We should check the reception desk.¡±


    He stood grabbing his jacket. They moved to the door as it burst open to reveal Katherine. She spared


    no nce to March or Rose focusing solely on the man she came to see.


    ¡°Julius! It¡¯s time for our date!¡±


    ¡°Our what?¡± Julius red at her.


    Since when did he make any ns with her? No matter how he wracked his mind he recalled no


    conversation about setting aside lunch for her. In fact since he saw Macey and the children at the party


    he hadn¡¯t spoken one word to Katherine or spared her any thought.


    ¡°We have a lunch date, silly.¡±


    ¡°No. We don¡¯t,¡± Julius said trying to control his anger. ¡°I have a business meeting today.¡±


    ¡°Why would you want to meet that stuffy, old man anyway?¡± Katherine scoffed. ¡°He didn¡¯t even speak


    English. I mean, hello, this is America!¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Julius snapped. ¡°What did you do!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­well¡­I told him he¡¯d have to wait his turn¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you realize you might have just ruined a multimillion dor deal!¡±


    ¡°What? Well¡­How was I supposed to know?¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Julius didn¡¯t wait for her exnation.


    He pushed past her with March and Rose following close behind. Katherine trailed after them like a


    wounded puppy. They rushed to the reception desk on the executive floor only to be informed their


    guest had departed after a confrontation with Katherine. They hurried into the elevator and took it to the


    first floor lobby hoping they could still catch him.


    ¡°Julius I¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡±


    Katherine bit her lip. How was she supposed to know he was an important guest? She just wanted to


    spend time with Julius. He had been growing more distant with her and she needed to rein him in. The


    wedding was only six months away and she had to make sure rumors put them together or she would


    never get him to the altar. He would have to marry her just to save face. Thest thing he would want


    was the bad press of leaving a woman at the altar.


    They rushed off the elevator and headed to the front desk whenughter brought them to a sudden


    halt. Their gazes went to the waiting area to see a man in his mid-forties in a finely tailored suit seated


    in one of the chairs. His hair was dark and neatly styled despite thinning as he aged.


    Seatedfortably on hisp was a content Aria. Sitting on the coffee table in front of them swinging


    his legs was a slightly bored Caden. As surprising as it was to see the twins it was even more


    surprising when Aria spoke perfect German.


    ¡°Was hat vier beine und ist immer reisebereit?¡±


    ¡°Prinzessin kenne ich nicht. Was ist es?¡±


    ¡°Ein Elefant!¡± Aria giggled and earned a heartyugh from the gentleman currently entertaining her. Or


    perhaps it was the other way around.


    Caden snickered at the over the top response. He didn¡¯t think his sister¡¯s joke was that funny but he


    also wasn¡¯t paying close attention as he had the job of ying look out. His eyes kept watch on the


    front door waiting for a familiar face to appear.


    Julius stared not believing the kids were really in front of him now. His twins, his babies. But his


    astonishment came with a thorn of jealousy as the stranger in front of him was enjoying their attention


    when he had not been able to hold them himself.


    Aria giggled before catching her brother¡¯s silent signal. Her eyes nced over the man¡¯s shoulder to


    see their grandfather enter. She didn¡¯t have to fake delight as she hopped off the business man¡¯sp.


    ¡°Grandpa Gus!¡±


    Augustus entered with Stephen in tow. His lunch meeting had gone well and he was in a good mood.


    When Aria¡¯s excited voice suddenly called his name he came to a surprised halt as not just her but


    Caden ran up to him. He dropped to his knee immediately embracing the pair.


    ¡°There you are, you rascals!¡± Augustus chuckled.


    ¡°Look grandpa, we made a new friend,¡± Aria introduced. ¡°Herr Leon. Das ist mein Opa Gus!¡±


    ¡°So I gathered Prinzessin.¡± Leonughed his English heavily ented. ¡°Hallo Herr DaLair.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Augustus shook his hand with some confusion as to how his grandchildren met the man who


    should have been ensconced and in discussion with his sons.


    ¡°Yes¡­it seems there was a mimunication with my appointment,¡± Leon cleared his throat unwilling


    to describe the horrid conversation he had with the insufferable woman upstairs. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to make


    the meeting but your grandchildren have been delightfulpany.¡±


    ¡°That is too bad, but if you have time now¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not; however I will not fly back home until Friday. Perhaps we can meetter.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Augustus reached behind him and Stephen immediately ced a card in his hand.


    ¡°Here is my business card with my direct line. I¡¯ll make sure Stephen keeps my schedule clear for you.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Leon nodded. ¡°Now I must be off. Auf Wiedersehen, kleine Prinzessin.¡±


    ¡°Auf Wiedersehen!¡± Aria waved as he departed.


    Augustus maintained a smile until Leon left. His smile immediately faded and his expression became


    serious as he turned back to the twins, ¡°All right you two, how did you get here?¡±


    ¡°The M¨¦tro,¡± Aria answered without hesitation.


    ¡°¡­You mean the subway?¡±


    ¡°Ah-huh. Mommy had to work but we didn¡¯t like our babysitter so we decided toe and visit.¡±


    ¡°You mean you rode the subway all the way here by yourselves!¡±


    ¡°No. We met Franklin halfway here. He brought us the rest of the way.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Franklin?¡±


    ¡°He ys saxophone in the subway station.¡±


    ¡°You met a homeless man in the subway and he brought you here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he is homeless,¡± Caden said thinking back to the well cared for instruments and the new


    cell phone their guide possessed.


    ¡°You realize your mother is probably out of her mind right now?¡± Augustus shook his head holding out


    his hand to Stephen who ced his phone in it already dialed and ringing. He only had to wait a


    moment before a panicked voice answered, ¡°I can¡¯t talk now! I have to go!¡±


    ¡°Macey before you hang up¡­it wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with a pair of adorable twins who happen


    to be standing in front of me would it?¡±


    ¡°¡­They are with you? Thank god.¡±


    ¡°It seems they didn¡¯t like their babysitter and snuck away,¡± Augustus said choosing not to borate on


    details. There was time enough for thatter when she wasn¡¯t panicked.


    ¡°I¡¯m at the gallery right now. Can they stay with you until I¡¯m done?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have another hour before I can knock off work then I¡¯ll take them home. You can pick them


    up there,¡± Augustus fell silent listening to her response before saying good-bye and handing the phone


    back to Stephen. He gave the twins a serious look saying, ¡°Your mother wishes me to inform you both


    you are grounded for a week. No cartoons. No piano.¡±


    He pointed to each in turn and their eyes widened in shock and horror. Augustus smirked at their


    obvious distress before he asked something that had been nagging him since he stepped into the


    building, ¡°Now, why were you two sitting here in the lobby?¡±


    ¡°We told thedy at the desk we were here to see you but she said we couldn¡¯t without an


    appointment,¡± Aria exined stumbling over thest word¡¯s pronunciation.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    They nodded.


    ¡°I see. Stephen, take them to my office,¡± Augustus instructed.


    With a nod the assistance herded them toward a small elevator off to the side. It could only be used by


    those possessing authorized codes and it offered a direct route to the executive floor.


    Augustus marched toward the reception desk eyeing the name tag the woman manning it wore saying,


    ¡°Miss¡­Johnson.¡±


    ¡°Yes Mister DaLair!¡± she stood up immediately.


    Usually the DaLair patriarch ignored her presence.


    ¡°You see those children?¡± Augustus nodded in their direction.


    She nced at the pair following Stephen as he reached the elevator and ushered them on. They


    seemed vaguely familiar. Looking back to her boss she nodded.


    ¡°Those are my grandkids and if they ever show up here again and I¡¯m not immediately informed¡­it will


    be your job.¡± Augustus red all his earlier good nature was gone reced by a ruthless aura.


    The receptionist quailed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m in a meeting or out to lunch. I expect a call the moment they enter the building or


    you¡¯re fired. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes sir.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Augustus turned finally acknowledging his sons who witnessed it all. ¡°Hello Rose dear.¡±


    ¡°Dad,¡± Rose stepped forward giving him a peck on the cheek before retreating. ¡°I should get going.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Augustus let her go fixing his sons with a hard stare. ¡°Someone want to exin to me how


    my two sons with abined thirty plus years of business experience threw away the deal of the


    century that my darling grandchildren somehow managed to salvage?¡±


    March and Julius shot each other looks wondering how much to say. Knowing the situation was his


    fault Julius finally spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s my mistake. I was¡­distracted.¡±


    Augustus¡¯s gaze narrowed falling on Katherine who smiled at his notice hoping he would greet her as


    he had Rose but her expression faded under the weight of his re. He was well aware she often


    interrupted Julius¡¯s work though she had no business in the office.


    Augustus never asked what happened in Julius¡¯s office during her visits not wanting to know the extent


    of his son¡¯s infidelity. He was at least fairly confident his son never actually sumbed to her romantic


    advances.


    After a moment Augustus finally spoke, ¡°Son, you better not waste the opportunity in front of you or I


    will be sorely disappointed.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Julius assured him.


    With a nod Augustus left them to catch up to the twins. They had a lot of exining to do. What in the


    world possessed them to worry their mother so?

 Book One: Chapter 11

    Book One: Chapter 11


    Augustus stepped into his office to see Aria and Caden seatedfortably on one of his couches.


    Stephen ced a te of cookies in front of them and handed them each a juice bottle as the DaLair


    patriarch entered. Ever efficient even Augustus had no idea how Stephen always managed to procure


    proper refreshments so quickly.


    He sat down across from the content pair eyeing them carefully. They certainly didn¡¯t act like five-year-


    olds who had just survived a harrowing experience. In fact they seemed quite pleased with themselves.


    Augustus epted the coffee Stephen offered while he considered his grandchildren. Despite their


    innocent looks he couldn¡¯t treat them like normal kids.


    ¡°All right¡­you two want to tell me why you are really here?¡±


    Aria and Caden shared a look before Aria spoke up, ¡°We¡¯re here to start Phase Two.¡±


    ¡°Phase Two? Of what?¡±


    ¡°Our n to get mommy and daddy back together, of course,¡± Aria smiled as if it went without saying.


    Augustus couldn¡¯t stop the look of surprise that suddenly stered his face as he sputtered into his


    coffee cup. Clearing his throat he asked, ¡°You have a n?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Aria nodded. It was a n almost a year in the making one they had carefully considered ever


    since they first asked their grandfather to tell them about their father. ¡°Last night was Phase One.


    Daddy finally saw us so now he knows we¡¯re here. Now we have to start Phase Two.¡±


    ¡°And just what is Phase Two?¡±


    ¡°To spend time with him, silly. Daddy needs motivation to talk to mommy,¡± Aria said. ¡°He also needs to


    get to know us.¡±


    ¡°And we need to get to know him too,¡± Caden added. Like his sister he was curious about the father


    they had yet to meet.


    As much as he wanted a father it was important to be certain theirs was the right one for their mother.


    Their mother was the pinnacle of beauty and kindness and Caden would not settle for anything less


    than the best for her. He could only hope his biological father was the perfect match for her otherwise


    they would have to change their ns. That was the one point of contention between him and his sister


    who simply assumed their father would be as perfect as their mother.


    ¡°And you both came up with this.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aria said. ¡°Daddy didn¡¯t try to see us at allst night. If he¡¯s too shy toe to us then we have


    to go to him.¡±


    Caden nodded in agreement.


    ¡°And grandpa¡­you¡¯re not allowed to be mean to daddy anymore. You have to be nice.¡±


    Augustus choked trying to finish his coffee while Stephen hid a smile. After a moment the DaLair


    patriarch said, ¡°Now hold on¡­¡±


    ¡°No grandpa,¡± Aria held up a hand and pointed at him. ¡°Daddy needs encouragement so you have to


    be nice.¡±


    Caden solemnly nodded.


    Augustus fell silent as he faced his serious minded grandchildren. From a very early age he knew


    something was different about the pair. While Aria said her first word before the age of one Caden


    remained silent until almost three when he finally began speaking in full sentences. From the time he


    could crawl Caden¡¯s favorite toy was a little child¡¯s y piano. Though it had only five keys he often


    tapped simple tunes that were instantly recognizable as nursery rhymes.


    He kept to himself while Aria was far more gregarious; however, Augustus noticed her attitude and


    approach changed drastically depending on the people she was introduced to. On a number of


    asions he saw her easily manipte situations to her benefit especially with adults who naturally


    underestimated her because she was so young. It was clear to him the pair possessed intelligence far


    exceeding normal children. His suspicions were confirmed as soon as Caden was given a proper


    keyboard. Once Macey taught him the basics on how to y there was no stopping him.


    Augustus often wondered if Macey was aware of her children¡¯s unique intelligence. Certainly she had


    to have an inkling given she raised them. On the other hand mothers tended to see their children


    through rose-colored sses. In addition, the kids seemed intent on hiding their intelligence to avoid


    standing out. Their grades tended to be only slightly higher than average. In addition Caden shied from


    showing his full skills torge groups keeping his piano ying only for familiar ears unless he was


    ying on the street with the performer they liked.


    ¡°So what do you n to do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to y hide and seek but you¡¯re not going to find us,¡± Aria said, ¡°that way we can spend


    time with daddy. After that we can talk about Phase Three and Four.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­I see,¡± Augustus nodded his eyes glinted mischievously, ¡°if I might make a suggestion¡­¡±


    * * *


    Julius silently fumed as he listened to his children exin how they arrived to the office building only to


    be rejected at the door because no one knew their connection to him. He no longer cared about their


    failed meeting with Leon or the fact the deal had been salvaged by Aria¡¯s intervention. All he cared


    about was finding the person responsible for dismissing his children but even retribution was denied


    him when his father handled the receptionist.


    ¡°Such a spiteful old man,¡± Katherine grumbled. ¡°Come on baby, let¡¯s go on that date.¡±


    She clutched his arm but Julius jerked away ring at her demanding, ¡°What are you still doing here?


    This is an office building for people who work! Do you know anything about that?¡±


    Katherine¡¯s mouth opened and closed several times as she struggled to think of an answer. No one


    had ever expected her to work. Her parents treated her like a princess and insisted she not worry about


    money. She reached for him again but he turned away grabbing a phone off the receptionist¡¯s desk and


    demanded security. A pair of security personnel in suits appeared momentster.


    ¡°Throw this woman out!¡± Julius gestured to Katherine. ¡°She¡¯s barred from this building for life. If I see


    her here again it will be your heads!¡±


    ¡°Yes Mister DaLair!¡± the security personnel nodded immediately grasping her arms and dragging


    toward the door.


    ¡°Julius! Wait! Julius! You can¡¯t!¡±


    He turned away in disgust heading toward the elevators. Only March gave Katherine a nce and


    smirked. It was about time his brother tossed her out. In fact it was long overdue. The woman was


    shameless and had no sense of propriety. It suddenly felt a lot more like spring and he couldn¡¯t wait to


    tell Rose the good news.


    ¡°Julius!¡± Katherine called as she was dragged out and tossed onto the sidewalk.


    She stumbled and fell on her backside. Getting up quickly she moved to reenter but the security


    personnel barred her from the doors.


    ¡°Do you have any idea who I am? I¡¯ll have your jobs for this!¡±


    Her threats fell on deaf ears. The only people with more authority then Julius were his brother and


    father. Since neither was fond of her they had no fear of the woman in front of them. They stood firm


    and refused her entry.


    ¡°Just you wait!¡± Katherine dered before stomping offpletely unaware of paparazzi snapping


    photographs of the embarrassing scene.


    * * *


    ¡°Julius!¡± March called jogging to catch up to his brother.


    Julius paused slowly catching his breath and tried to calm his racing heart. A migraine was beginning to


    form from the emotional roller coaster of the morning. His babies could have been abducted and he


    hadn¡¯t been there to protect them.


    ¡°Julius, it¡¯s okay,¡± March said.


    ¡°How is it okay?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­for starters they are safe.¡±


    Julius sighed. They were safe. His father had sessfully absconded them to his office where they


    would no doubt remain. Would he ever be able to spend time with them? Finally he spoke, ¡°Yeah. They


    are safe and somehow saved our European deal.¡±


    March smirked, ¡°That they did. Who knew Aria could speak German? I thought dad said they were


    living in Paris.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Julius grunted. Just the memory of his daughter seated in someone else¡¯sp irritated him. He wanted


    to be the one to hold her.


    ¡°I wonder¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Julius stirred from his spiraling thoughts.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just¡­Macey and the kids have been living in Paris and dad¡¯s been pushing to get a foothold


    in Europe. You don¡¯t suppose the reason why was to be able to stay closer to them, do you?¡±


    Julius considered his brother¡¯s remark. Entering the European market made perfect business sense


    but their father hadn¡¯t cared much about it for decades so it was strange he would suddenly push for it.


    Yet knowing he had been watching over Macey and the kids it started to make sense. Six years of


    maintaining so much distance was probably trying the old man¡¯s patience. After all he vowed he would


    not be deprived of his grandchildren.


    With new thoughts in his mind Julius headed to his office declining a lunch invite from March. Pouring


    himself a drink Julius nearly copsed into his chair. He ran his fingers through his hair wondering if he


    should call his secretary for aspirin. Giggles interrupted his thoughts. Julius straightened ncing


    around his office but he seemed alone. Another giggle made him look at his desk. Easing his chair


    back he peered under it to see two sets of giddy eyes staring at him.


    He opened his mouth to speak but Aria quickly put her finger to her mouth signing for quiet. A knock at


    the door made him sit up as Stephen stepped inside.


    ¡°I beg the intrusion Mister DaLair but have you seen the little miss and master?¡± Stephen asked. ¡°They


    are ying hide-and-seek and have hidden themselves quite well.¡±


    Julius hesitated ncing down before making a decision, ¡°No. No I haven¡¯t.¡±


    Stephen nodded and quickly departed before he idently broke his impassive expression with a


    smile and ruined the ruse. So far the twins¡¯ n was going exactly the way they hoped.


    Julius hesitated before looking down at the adorable pair crouched under his desk. He grinned asking,


    ¡°He¡¯s gone. Do you two want to stay under there? I think you will be morefortable out here with


    me. He won¡¯te back umless I call for him.¡±


    The twins shared a look before crawling out. Aria hopped onto her feet bouncing so that her pigtails


    swung wildly. Caden stood up more cautiously ncing toward the door to be certain they were indeed


    alone.


    ¡°Thank you mister,¡± Aria smiled brightly.


    Julius¡¯s face twitched and he clenched his jaw before saying, ¡°Julius.¡±


    ¡°Julus?¡± Aria repeated with a child¡¯s careless pronunciation.


    ¡°Jules.¡±


    ¡°Jules?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what my brother calls me.¡±


    ¡°You have a brother?¡± Aria asked as if she were unaware.


    ¡°Yes. An older one. He was my hero growing up.¡±


    ¡°Mommy¡¯s our hero. I¡¯m Aria. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Aria held out a hand.


    A smile twitched his mouth Julius gently shook it though he would have preferred a hug. He would have


    also preferred she called him daddy but not knowing if she knew their connection he kept his desires to


    himself. Somehow he needed to learn what Macey told them about their father. He wouldn¡¯t me her


    if she had said nothing, but he was desperate to be a part of their lives hopefully he could convince her


    to allow him to be.


    ¡°I¡¯m Caden,¡± Caden also shook his hand.


    ¡°Is your brother like you?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°For the most part. He used to pick on me when we were kids.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not very nice.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said he¡¯s your hero,¡± Caden added to her sister¡¯s protest.


    Julius smirked before saying, ¡°Well, I might have deserved it. I was an annoying little brother.¡±


    ¡°Just like mine!¡± Aria giggled at Caden who scowled. She was only three minutes older but she never


    passed up a moment to remind him.


    ¡°What do you do here?¡± Caden asked his somber gaze slowly taking in the office.


    ¡°Oh well¡­I¡ªah¡­Well I¡¯m a project VP. When people have an idea they bring their idea and any


    research they¡¯ve done to me. I go over it and then decide if it¡¯s something thepany wants to invest


    in,¡± Julius wasn¡¯t sure his answer made sense to the children.


    ¡°Wow that¡¯s an important job,¡± Caden said in awe.


    ¡°Thank you¡­do you want to see how I do it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Aria pped her hands.


    Smiling Julius pulled her into hisp sitting her on one knee then picked up Caden and set him on the


    other before scooting closer to the desk. Opening up hisptop Julius called up thetest proposal to


    to choose.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Aria asked leaning against him while Caden leaned forward to study the screen.


    ¡°These are ad campaigns. I¡¯m supposed to pick the best one.¡±


    ¡°Huh. I like that one,¡± Aria pointed to the first. ¡°It has the best colors.¡±


    ¡°But the words are too small,¡± Cadenined.


    ¡°How about this one?¡± Julius highlighted the third option.


    ¡°The color isn¡¯t very bright.¡±


    ¡°The words are better.¡±


    ¡°So how about we send an email telling them to tweak the color on this one to be closer to the first


    option?¡± Julius said doing exactly what he suggested. ¡°There now they will make adjustments.¡±


    ¡°Just like that?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Just like that.¡±


    ¡°Is that all the work you have to do?¡±


    ¡°For the moment.¡± His schedule had been kept clear in case his meeting with Leon ran long. Now his


    afternoon was wide open. He could use the day to catch up on other work but the desire to do so was


    low now that he hadpany.


    ¡°Then how about a joke!¡± Aria suggested.


    ¡°You know a good one?¡±


    ¡°What has four legs and is always ready to travel?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°An elephant!¡± Aria erupted into giggles making Juliusugh.


    Without thinking he leaned close and kissed her temple making Aria giggle more.


    ¡°That tickles!¡±


    Julius pulled back and Aria patted his cheek.


    ¡°You¡¯re face is all scratchy!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah¡­I forgot to shave this morning,¡± Julius exined. He didn¡¯t add that the reason he forgot to


    shave was because of his n to confront his father earlier for the truth about the twins.


    ¡°You forgot? That¡¯s so silly!¡±


    ¡°I guess it is,¡± Julius chuckled. ¡°You want to y a game?¡±


    ¡°What kind of game?¡±


    ¡°Let me show you,¡± Julius reached for theptop again.

 Book One: Chapter 12

    Book One: Chapter 12


    Macey sighed trying to marshal her courage. The car door opened and a hand reached in to help her


    out. She stared at it several moments before she ced her hand in it and stepped out to face


    Stephen. With a nod he gave her hand to the waiting Augustus.


    ¡°You look beautiful, my dear.¡±


    Macey gave him a wry look. Tonight she wore a dark blue gown simr in style to the green one of the


    night before. The material and texture were different but both hugged her figure. This one had


    rhinestones sewn in to the hem and skirt giving it added sparkle. It also had a high neck and covered


    her chest like first one but this time the material was ckce showing a lot more skin but still modest


    enough for her sensibilities. Though she was not adept atplex hairstyles she managed a French


    braid that helped tame her abundant curls.


    ¡°Are you sure I need to be here?¡± Macey asked. ¡°You know how much I hate these kinds of things.¡±


    ¡°Now, now. You¡¯ll be debuting at the end of the week so it¡¯s best to get everyone used to seeing you


    before then. Besides I haven¡¯t had the privilege of a beautiful woman on my arm in decades.¡±


    I also don¡¯t want to disrupt my grandchildren¡¯s ns. Augustus added internally his mind going back to


    his meeting earlier in the day.


    * * *


    ¡°So, what do you think of your father?¡± Augustus asked once Stephen sessfully retrieved the


    children after an hour with their father.


    They were in the garage headed toward a limo that would take them to the DaLair estate. Aria and


    Caden walked on either side of their grandfather each consumed with their own thoughts. Finally Aria


    spoke looking up at Augustus for answers.


    ¡°He¡¯s very nice but he seems really sad.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡± Augustus nodded. ¡°He¡¯s been missing your mother for a long time so I imagine he would be


    very sad.¡±


    ¡°He really misses mommy?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He does.¡±


    ¡°Then why did he chase her away?¡± Caden asked. The question had been bothering him ever since


    their grandfather first told them about their father.


    ¡°Well¡­adults don¡¯t always do things logically,¡± Augustus said. ¡°You know I¡¯m the one who first


    suggested they get married. I knew your mommy was in love with my son but Julius¡­well let¡¯s just say


    he was never very bright in matters of the heart. I thought if they married and spent more time together


    he would realize your mom¡¯s feelings and figure out his own but that was probably the wrong


    approach.¡±


    The twins nodded as they listened and waited for him to continue.


    ¡°I guess he just wasn¡¯t ready. After your mom left your dad finally started realizing what he had. He¡¯s


    spent six years trying to find her so he could tell her how he really feels.¡±


    ¡°What do you think Caden?¡± Aria asked looking to her brother.


    As far as she was concerned this confirmed her hope for their father but she wanted to make sure her


    brother felt the same way before they proceeded. The n would not work unless they both agreed.


    ¡°I think it is worth giving him a second chance,¡± Caden nodded. ¡°He does seem very sorry and


    mommy¡¯s sad without him.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then we proceed with Phase Three and Four,¡± Aria announced. ¡°But we¡¯ll need your help


    grandpa.¡±


    ¡°And what do you need from me?¡±


    ¡°For Phase Three we need to get mommy and daddy together so they can talk,¡± Aria said.


    ¡°That means they need to be in the same ce but they can¡¯t know they will be in the same ce,¡±


    Caden said. ¡°It has to be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Aria agreed.


    Augustus thought for a moment. It would be easy enough to arrange a family dinner and invite Macey


    along but that seemed to go against the twins¡¯ idea. They wanted a more public setting where there


    would be a lot of guests mingling to allow their father the opportunity to approach Macey on his own.


    ¡°What about Mister Church¡¯s invitation for tonight?¡± Stephen suggested. Normally he remained the


    silent shadow but he felt it was time to offer a suggestion since he handled Augustus¡¯s schedule.


    ¡°Oh, right. What was that again?¡±


    ¡°Apparently he purchased a new Picasso and wants to show it off,¡± Stephen answered.


    ¡°Ah, yes. That.¡±


    ¡°Mommy doesn¡¯t like Picasso,¡± Caden said thinking it was silly that they didn¡¯t know that.


    ¡°But it would be a good excuse to ask her to attend with me,¡± Augustus said, ¡°after all I don¡¯t know


    anything about art.¡±


    Aria and Caden shared a look as they considered the information before Aria asked, ¡°And daddy will


    definitely be there?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He and Church are old¡­friends¡­¡± Stephen carefully qualified not sure how much he should tell


    ones so young or if they would even understand adult issues.


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound sure,¡± Cadenmented with a scowl. Adults talked down to them all the time


    thinking they didn¡¯t or were too young to understand.


    ¡°Well, they are drinking buddies,¡± Stephen rified and decided to tell the truth. ¡°Your father drinks


    when he is depressed. And he has been very depressed since your mother left.¡±


    The twins nodded. They noticed their father smelled of alcohol when they went to see him. He even


    had a drink on the desk. Yet he hadn¡¯t touched it the entire time they were with him. While they were


    there heughed and smiled too so maybe what Stephen said was true and their daddy only drank


    when he was sad.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Aria announced, ¡°Grandpa you invite mommy to see the Picasso so she and daddy can meet


    each other.¡±


    ¡°What about us?¡± Caden asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going,¡± Aria said. ¡°This is for grown-ups.¡±


    ¡°I mean what is mommy going to do with us?¡± Caden rified. ¡°Mommy won¡¯t go if we don¡¯t have a


    babysitter and I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to trust the one from today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Aria¡¯s face fell. Their mother trusted very few people with their care and she certainly


    wouldn¡¯t trust that woman again after they disappeared out from under her nose.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem,¡± Augustus assured him. ¡°Your aunt and uncle can watch you.¡±


    ¡°You mean Auntie Rose and Uncle March?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I know they want to spend more time with you and your mother definitely trusts them.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Phase Three is a go!¡± Aria eximed raising a fist. Once they achieved Phase Three then they


    would be halfway to getting their parents back together.


    * * *


    Unaware of her father-inw¡¯s thoughts Macey rolled her eyes at his seemingly carelessment.


    Nheless she threaded her arm through his and apanied him inside. She knew he was trying


    to introduce her to New York high society before the exhibit. He wanted her to be epted and it


    meant to world to her he was being so attentive to her and the kids.


    The doorman let them pass without requesting their invitation. Augustus was a notable figure wherever


    he went and never barred from entry. Anyone hosting an event hoped for his attendance to elevate the


    prestige of their gathering. Once inside he led her around stopping only when he found someone


    worthy to talk to. In this crowd that was few and far between but he made the most of it to avoid


    attracting her suspicion.


    In truth he wasn¡¯t very fond of the host. Frederick Church was an annoyingly small-minded man. He


    was so used to spending his parent¡¯s wealth he never learned how to build his own. Thus far his


    greatest aplishment was bing one Julius¡¯s acquaintances. Augustus would be pleased if


    Frederick encouraged Julius to do anything other than drink.


    It was a known fact Julius¡¯s drinking was worse on nights he was in Frederick¡¯spany but tonight


    would be different. Augustus was confident his son would not waste this opportunity. Tonight¡¯s


    celebration was due to Frederick¡¯s purchase of a new Picasso currently disyed on the wall. Once


    again he was spending money rather than earning it.


    Augustus would never have considered attending such an event if it wasn¡¯t for his grandchildren¡¯s idea.


    Even now he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the audacity and conniving natures of his grandchildren. He


    wondered if Macey had any idea her perfect angels were actually such devious imps.


    Probably not.


    Convincing Macey to apany him had been surprisingly difficult, but perhaps not that shocking.


    She was never one to put on airs and social gatherings made her ufortable bringing back


    unpleasant memories of the past. Though she was beautiful Macey never saw herself in that light and


    having a humble beginning shecked confidence among entitled elites.


    But that was the younger Macey. She was older, more mature and more confident having forged her


    own path much like her father. Augustus watched her growth and felt the difference in her even if she


    didn¡¯t. He wouldn¡¯t have asked her toe back if she wasn¡¯t ready.


    Yet she was a mother first and just as Caden predicted she was paranoid after their disappearance. No


    amount of reassurance from the kids had an effect. It wasn¡¯t until Augustus suggested March and Rose


    could watch the twins that Macey even considered going to the party. She was nervous about forcing


    them to miss the gathering but Augustus assured her they weren¡¯t nning on attending anyway and


    would enjoy spending time with the kids. Caden and Aria enthusiastically agreed eager to get to know


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    the aunt and uncle they had only just met. Hemmed in from three sides Macey finally agreed.


    Handing her a ss of champagne from a passing server Augustus led her to where the Picasso was


    disyed for the night. Surprisingly it wasn¡¯t a painting. Rather it was a sketch. Bold lines traced a


    barely recognizable face in Picasso¡¯s signature style. Augustus¡¯s brow furrowed.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand why this was expensive enough to warrant a party,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well¡­I¡¯ve been told I¡¯m not the right person to ask about Picasso,¡± Macey sighed recalling herst


    conversation with Paul and a few other colleagues.


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because he was a misogynistic pig who used women like tissues and had sexual rtions with under-


    aged girls and I find him disgusting.¡±


    Augustus raised a brow at her answer. Caden had warned his mother didn¡¯t like Picasso. Augustus


    hadn¡¯t realized she would have such a strong opinion. Was that the reason why?


    ¡°I really don¡¯t care if he is considered the founder of the modern art movement. I don¡¯t think we should


    ignore the person behind the art no matter how pivotal their contribution is considered.¡±


    As someone with limited knowledge about art Augustus didn¡¯t have an answer to that. He wasn¡¯t sure if


    he dared. One thing he knew from past experience was never to argue with a woman.

 Book One: Chapter 13

    Book One: Chapter 13


    ¡°Champagne sir?¡± a server offered as Julius entered.


    Shaking his head Julius waved him off and headed to the bar to order his usual whiskey. He leaned on


    the counter with his drink in hand but found he really wasn¡¯t interested in actually drinking it as he


    studied the attendees. It seemed like the usual crowd. Julius drank with most of them on one asion


    or another but he didn¡¯t feel like mingling tonight.


    He was more rxed than he had been in years. His mind was clear still reveling in the memory of the


    hour he spent with his children. Their giggles filled his ears and he longed to hold them again. Julius


    set down his drink a slow smile softening his expression. If only the kids were here tonight but this was


    not his father¡¯s crowd. It was unlikely Macey would attend without him and without her the twins would


    definitely not make an appearance. And given the crowd¡­he wouldn¡¯t want them here anyway. There


    was no one here he wanted to introduce them to.


    ¡°Julius! So d you came!¡± Frederick calleding up to him and pping his back in wee.


    Frederick was a couple years younger with thick brown hair. Unlike Julius who preferred a clean-


    shaved look Frederick sported a goatee. Tonight his hair was slicked back and gelled. Even his goatee


    seemed greased. As always he wore a limited edition suit though there hardly seemed a need for it as


    Frederick never set foot in his family¡¯s business.


    Julius had to admit there was something attractive in the idea of turning over all responsibilities of


    running the family business to others and living off profits but ultimately it would be boring. His father


    raised him with more ambition and work was the one thing that kept his depression at bay at least


    during the day.


    But things were different now. His mind filled with the images of Macey and the kids. Everything had


    changed. If he wanted to be a part of their lives he couldn¡¯t afford to be hesitant. He had to talk to


    Macey, apologize and clear the air between them. Julius would get down on his knees and beg if that


    was what took to convince her how much he wanted to be a part of their lives again. The first chance


    he got he would do just that.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you!¡± Frederickughed. ¡°Hey, you look different.¡±


    ¡°How do you mean?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, you shaved.¡±


    Julius blinked then touched his face. The stubble that had lingered there for several days was indeed


    gone. He hated to admit it but he had gottenx about shaving over the past few months. One


    ¡°¡­And you showered.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Julius raised an eyebrow. Had he really fallen so far down all he needed to do to


    impress was shower and shave? No wonder his brother had been so worried about him.


    ¡°No. You just, I don¡¯t know, you just look happy!¡±


    Julius grunted. But it was true. He was happy, happier than he had been in years. There was only one


    reason for this drastic change. He pictured them again and kept the image in his mind.


    ¡°You must have had a good day.¡±


    Julius smiled as he recalled using hisptop to y games with Aria while Caden yed on his phone.


    They even snapped a few pictures just the three of them which he suddenly had the urge to look at


    again. He forced himself not to reach for his phone not wanting to share the moment with the likes of


    Frederick who couldn¡¯t possibly understand. Frederick never once mentioned marriage or kids in all the


    time Julius knew him. In fact Frederick avoided any conversation involving responsibility.


    ¡°Katherine must be something else.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Julius frowned. ¡°Why bring her up?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? She¡¯s your fianc¨¦e. Who else could put a smile on your face? You lucky dog.


    She¡¯s got an impressive ass.¡±


    ¡°First of all, she¡¯s not my fianc¨¦e,¡± Julius snapped downing his drink in one go. ¡°Second, if you like her


    so much, you marry her.¡±


    Frederickughed saying, ¡°No. I¡¯d rather be like your old man.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s, what, sixty-five? He came here with a redhead half his age. I should ask him where he found her.


    She¡¯s hot.¡±


    Julius scoffed then froze, ¡°Did you say redhead?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s gorgeous!¡± Frederick said gesturing with his hands to make voluptuous curves.


    ¡°What a body! Definitely worth whatever your father paid.¡±


    Julius mmed down his ss. His gaze became stone cold and dangerous as he fought the urge to


    punch his friend out. In a low voice he finally spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t be so serious. She¡¯s not your step-mom yet.¡±


    Julius shoved Frederick aside and stormed off before he did something he would regret. His hands


    were shaking. It wasn¡¯t that Frederick was wrong. Macey was gorgeous just imaging her took his


    breath away but he wouldn¡¯t tolerate that kind of talk about his wife from any man.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Frederick called after him. ¡°Man, you¡¯re no fun without a three drink


    minimum.¡±


    Julius didn¡¯t acknowledge thestment as he walked away intent on leaving but then came to a


    sudden halt. Why would his father bring Macey here? This was not his father¡¯s crowd. Did hee by


    mistake? Then again Macey did have an eye for art so seeing a Picasso might mean more to her. Still


    unsure he threaded his way through the crowd searching for her. He had to be sure.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to find her. She stood out like a bright light in the dark. Her gown hugged her in


    all the right ces. Itsce front showed more skin and highlighted her cleavage in a way the first dress


    she wore hadn¡¯t though they had a simr silhouette. Sheughed lightly at something his father said.


    Julius¡¯s breath caught in his throat as he watched her converse easily with his father, a man most found


    overbearing and terrifying. Yet fear was never something she felt towards the DaLair patriarch. He was


    her father¡¯s best friend and practically an uncle.


    How could he have forgotten that? Macey had always beenfortable around his father. She never


    acted nervous or flustered. Augustus was an excellent judge of character and he never ceased praising


    her.


    They had grown up together. She knew secrets about him no one else did. Yet Julius allowed himself to


    listen to rumors and twist the truth surrounding the woman who married him. Why did he let that


    happen? Could she find it in her heart to forgive him?


    * * *


    Macey gave Augustus a peck on the cheek before excusing herself to freshen up and retreated to the


    bathroom. Fiddling with her hair in front of the sink she stared at her reflection. It never got easier. In


    just over an hour she lost count of the jealous res from the woman around her. It didn¡¯t matter what


    history she had with Augustus DaLair just being at his side made her their target, never mind they


    didn¡¯t have the courage to approach him let alone stand beside him.


    She didn¡¯t know which were worse, the jealous gazes of the women or the lecherous ones of the men.


    Macey felt like a piece of meat as they devoured her with their eyes. It was degrading and infuriating. If


    she were in normal clothes on the street they wouldn¡¯t even nce in her direction especially if she


    was with the kids. People only saw what they wanted to see.


    When she feltposed again she stepped out to return to the party. Macey hadn¡¯t taken two steps


    when a hand reached out to grasp her arm. Turning to face the person hindering her she found a


    gentleman around her age. He had rich, ck hair and eyes and would have been handsome enough if


    not for the hungry look in his gaze. She frowned and looked at his hand still gripping her arm but he


    didn¡¯t remove it.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Macey finally met his gaze again and spoke in a neutral tone.


    ¡°How much, gorgeous?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Ohe on. You can¡¯t really be interesting in thatid old man. How much did he pay for you? I


    can rock your world faster than he ever could.¡±


    Macey scowled, ¡°You have three seconds to let go of me or I¡¯ll knee your balls so hard you won¡¯t be


    rocking anyone¡¯s world ever again.¡±


    ¡°Oooo. Feisty. I like that.¡±


    He dragged her closer until a hand grasped his wrist squeezing it painfully. Wincing Macey¡¯s solicitor


    turned to see Julius ring daggers at him. His grip tightened until the other man groaned in pain.


    ¡°I believe thedy said to let go,¡± Julius said carefully controlling his voice.


    ¡°Fine. Okay,¡± he finally released Macey though Julius was slow to rx his own grip. ¡°Like father, like


    son, huh?¡±


    Julius watched the other retreat breathing deep to calm himself. After enduring Frederick¡¯s insensitivity


    it had taken everything to keep from killing the man the moment he solicited her. Was everyone here an


    animal? He was doubly d the kids were not in attendance.


    ¡°Umm, thank you,¡± Macey hesitantly touched his forearm to gain his attention as he continued to stare


    after the retreating figure with a murderous re.


    Julius turned to face her. The look in his eyes immediately softened and made her fall silent. Guilt, fear


    and concern swirled in his gray eyes as he studied her face as if memorizing every freckle dusting her


    nose.


    ¡°Did he hurt you?¡±


    ¡°What? N-no. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Macey fell silent as he picked up her hand and carefully studied the wrist the other man roughly


    grabbed. His fingers gently massaged it as he scrutinized it from every angle looking for signs of


    bruising or tenderness. If she was hurt he would hunt down the person responsible and make sure they


    never again saw the light of day.


    ¡°Julius,¡± Macey said gently touching his cheek with her fingertips of her other hand.


    His gaze snapped back to hers surprised by her touch.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really.¡±


    His gaze softened as his anger dissipated. A smile turned up the corners of his mouth. He reached up


    pulling a stray hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear saying, ¡°If he had done anything to hurt


    you I would have¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I guess¡­money can¡¯t buy ss.¡±


    ¡°No. Some things are priceless,¡± he chuckled.


    His thumb stroked her cheek. Involuntarily Macey leaned into the touch. Her eyes fluttered closed.


    Julius¡¯s smile broadened as his heart thudded in his ears seeing her reaction to his touch. He leaned


    forward until his forehead rested against hers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been so worried about you.¡±


    Macey hesitantly met his gaze. His face was so close but she didn¡¯t try to put distance between them.


    Was it just because they had been apart for so long or was she just thatfortable with him?


    ¡°I never stopped looking for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t?¡±


    Pain shed in his eyes at the thought she didn¡¯t believe him but he could hardly me her after their


    With a sigh, he said, ¡°That night I came home drunk and passed out. But the next morning¡­when I


    realized you were gone, really gone¡­I had Eric track your phone and when I found it in the trash¡­I


    panicked. I had himb through every second of security footage we could ess to find you. But


    you just¡­disappeared. I never stopped looking. I had to find you. I had to tell you¡­how sorry I was for


    what I put you through.¡±


    Macey opened her mouth to say something but closed it again not sure how she should respond.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Should she be angry? Sad? Grateful? Happy? She always thought Julius would be d she left without


    a fuss and moved on with his life. Now it seemed that wasn¡¯t so. Had he really been looking for her for


    six years? Why hadn¡¯t Augustus said anything? Perhaps if she asked about Julius first he might have


    but she was too afraid to hear about his life without her or if he involved himself with someone new.


    ¡°If I could take that night back I would in a heartbeat,¡± Julius said.


    Before she could answer he leaned forward capturing her mouth with his. Macey stiffened in surprise


    but soon found herself rxing as her desire for him stirred. His arm circled around her pulling her


    close as he nipped her lower lip begging for entry to deepen the kiss.

 Book One: Chapter 14

    Book One: Chapter 14


    Katherine tossed money at the cab driver before sliding out. Straightening her cocktail dress she pulled


    it down from where it rode up while she sat in the taxi. Satisfied she sauntered inside passed security


    without a care. They didn¡¯t attempt to stop her as she was a familiar figure with this particr crowd.


    ¡°Katherine! Here you are!¡± Frederick greeted. He hugged her pinching her ass cheek as he usually did.


    If there was one thing that was always consistent it was hispleteck of decorum and boundaries.


    ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she smiled before dropping her voice, ¡°where is he?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I lost track of him.¡±


    ¡°Some help you are.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I called you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Frederick said in mock hurt. ¡°Is there something going on with you two?¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­he just seemed different tonight.¡±


    Katherine scowled. She didn¡¯t want to admit things between her and Julius were not going well or that


    he seemed to be losing interest in her. He had a lot to answer for once she found him. If she managed


    to guilt him enough she could finally secure his agreement on the wedding date. Once they were


    married it didn¡¯t matter if he was distant to her. It didn¡¯t even matter if he decided to take on a mistress.


    She would be set for life.


    Ignoring Frederick¡¯s inquiry she wandered through the crowd but though she soon spotted Augustus


    she did not see Julius. Avoiding the DaLair patriarch Katherine continued her search. There would be


    time enough to confront him once she had Julius by her side. As difficult as Augustus was for others to


    handle it was widely known he never went against his sons. When she didn¡¯t find him her frustration


    only grew. Stomping a foot she headed to the bathroom to freshen up and straighten her dress that


    kept riding up. Turning the corner she came to a dead stop.


    In front of her Julius stood with his arms wrapped around a woman in an evening gown. Their lips were


    locked in a passionate kiss. His hand fondled her butt pulling her close so their bodies pressed together


    leaving no space between.


    Katherine¡¯s face flushed as red as her rival¡¯s hair. Julius never touched her let alone held her like that.


    Thest time he kissed her was two years ago. Back then he was too drunk to even know what he was


    doing. Their make-out was sloppy and smelled heavily of whiskey. It had been her intention to drag him


    to her room and secure her ce at his side until his brother intervened.


    March was nowhere to be seen tonight and the smell of alcohol was noticeably absent. There was


    nothing obstructing Julius from his desires and it was clear he wanted the redhead in his arms.


    * * *


    Julius and Macey parted slowly, breathless as they stood together. Macey felt her face warm as she


    blushed, embarrassed by how her body responded to his. They had been a part six years and yet it felt


    as if none had passed. Macey tried to date once or twice after she left him but it always ended


    awkwardly. She never responded to any man the way she responded to him.


    Seeing her embarrassment Julius smiled gently stroking her cheek. Having her in his arms felt right


    and she had to feel it too. It couldn¡¯t just be him. He wanted to ask her but he couldn¡¯t form the words.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    What if she said no?


    Macey averted her gaze suddenly feeling more and more awkward the longer they lingered and said,


    ¡°I¡­should get back to dad. He¡¯s probably wondering where I¡¯ve gone.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a big boy,¡± Julius whispered leaning close before she pulled away. ¡°Stay¡­with me.¡±


    ¡°Julius¡­¡±


    ¡°Stay, Macey. I¡¯ll beg if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± Macey shook her head.


    ¡°Stay.¡±


    Macey hesitated. She felt safe in his arms. His caresses sent tingles down her spine. After six years of


    abstinence her body longed for his touch, wanted his arms to hold her. But she couldn¡¯t make decisions


    based on carnal desires. She had to remember her babies. They were her life. Their happiness came


    first. What would they think once she told them about their father?


    ¡°I¡­should go. March and Rose have the kids right now. I should get them home to sleep.¡±


    Julius was reluctant to let her go but he knew better than to hold her against her will. He didn¡¯t want to


    push her too far not when she was still so close. There was still time to make it all up to her. He would


    start tonight.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll drive.¡±


    ¡°No¡­dad¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Julius took out his phone sending his father a quick text: I¡¯ll take Macey home. Stay as long


    as you want. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Julius kissed her temple before leading her away. He kept his arm around her waist as he escorted her


    outside handing his ticket to the valet. She shivered in the night chill. Without a word he removed his


    coat and set it over her shoulders. Macey gave him a smile of gratitude even as his arm returned to her


    waist and he continued to hold her. He kissed the nape of her neck reveling in her proximity. If he had


    his way he would never let her go.


    The valet returned all too soon with his BMW but he was d to open the passenger door for her so


    she could escape the night air. Tipping the valet with a hundred dor bill Julius circled to the driver¡¯s


    side and quickly joined her. Gripping her hand he kissed it before driving off, leaving the party behind


    without a backward nce.


    * * *


    As they drove off Katherine stepped out of her hiding ce. She panicked when Julius turned to escort


    the woman in his arms past her but he hadn¡¯t even noticed her. Katherine trailed behind watching as he


    led her rival outside. She shivered unconsciously when he removed his coat to keep the redhead


    warm. He never showed Katherine that level of concern or care.


    She stood fuming as he drove off. Who was that woman? Why did he care so much about her? What


    did she have to do to get him to treat her the same way?


    While Katherine stood fighting her frustrated tears Augustus walked past. He didn¡¯t even look in her


    direction. Despite the fact he was leaving alone he was satisfied. As he reached the sidewalk Stephen


    pulled up and hurried to open the door.


    ¡°Did everything go as nned?¡± Stephen asked as he took his ce behind the wheel.


    ¡°Indeed. Perhaps I should give my son more credit. He¡¯s not as hopeless as I feared.¡±


    ¡°Then it is safe to say Phase Three was a sess,¡± Stephen smiled pulling away from the curb.


    Augustus nodded with a smile. He was still struggling to understand his grandchildren¡¯s n but he


    wouldn¡¯t go against it. After sessfully spending time with their absentee father the twins decided to


    support him in his pursuit of their mother. With them on his side Julius had a good chance as long as


    he didn¡¯t anything stupid.


    Finally he said, ¡°Makes me wonder what they have nned for Phase Four.¡± Katherine watched the


    DaLair patriarch leave without trying to detain him. Without Julius to support her she would find no help


    from Augustus. The future she so carefully nned was unraveling quicker than she thought possible.


    If only she could have gotten Julius into her bed two years ago. She had been taking fertility treatments


    to help ensure a quick pregnancy. But that n fell through and Julius hadn¡¯t so much as touched her


    since.


    Now she caught him in the passionate embrace of another. She had to think of a way to get him back


    to her side quickly before it all fell apart. With new determination she gged down a taxi. As she rode


    away she was unaware of the man quietly snapping photos of the entire encounter.

 Book One: Chapter 15

    Book One: Chapter 15


    Julius pulled up in front of his brother¡¯s brownstone. Parking he hurried to Macey¡¯s side holding the


    door open for her. Immediately slipping an arm around her he led her up to the front door. She blushed


    under his care but she didn¡¯t try to push him away. It was nice to be taken care of for once.


    A knock summoned the maid who smiled broadly at them. Edie had been March and Rose¡¯s maid for


    over twenty years and knew Macey quite well. She had high hopes for Julius¡¯s marriage before it came


    apart. Now that Macey had returned and brought their children Edie¡¯s romantic heart was already


    envisioning them to together though she was smart enough not to say so aloud.


    ¡°Good evening. Mister DaLair¡­Miss¡­Grayson¡­the Master and Madam are this way with the kids,¡±


    Edie led the way to the living room where Aria¡¯s delighted screams issued.


    Stepping inside they found the living room had been torn apart to make a nket fort. March burst out


    from the center to copse it as Aria and Caden struggled to escape.


    ¡°Hurry Caden! The boogieman ising!¡± Aria yelled as they ducked and crawled their way free.


    ¡°Fee¡ªFi¡ªFoe¡ªFum!¡± March called.


    ¡°My goodness, March!¡± Rose admonished as she entered carrying refreshments and snacks on a tray.


    ¡°You¡¯re worse than the children!¡±


    Though sheined Rose smiled. March had been the same way when Jude was young. Father


    and son yed many such games, building and destroying countless forts.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Caden suddenly said noticing the new arrivals.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Aria echoed as they rushed up to her throwing their arms around her as she knelt to catch


    them.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Maceyughed. ¡°Having fun with your uncle and aunt?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    March chuckled giving Julius a curious look. Naturally he wondered what happened to their father and


    how Julius took his ce. Despite his confusion March stayed silent. It was enough Julius and Macey


    were in the same room and even seemed on good terms. It was definite progress.


    ¡°Mister Jules!¡± Aria eximed holding out her arms in a clear gesture for him to pick her up.


    ¡°Hey, peanut,¡± Julius greeted with a smile and hoisted her up holding her close as Aria hugged him


    tight. Aria giggled as he blew raspberries against her cheek before reciprocating.


    ¡°Your cheeks aren¡¯t scratchy anymore,¡± Ariaughed.


    ¡°Well thank you,¡± Julius chuckled.


    The others watched the pair with a mixture of emotions. March and Rose were happy Julius finally had


    the opportunity to spend time with his children though confused by the name Aria called him. Macey


    was conflicted. She was d to see him ept his children but wondered if it wouldst. Though


    neither Aria nor Cadenined about theck of a father Macey felt it nheless. She also


    wondered why they addressed him if they had already met. When exactly had they been introduced?


    ¡°Oh, have you met?¡± Macey asked.


    ¡°We met at grandpa¡¯s work,¡± Aria said. ¡°He taught us games on hisputer!¡±


    ¡°Is that why you didn¡¯t get any work done?¡± March asked with a chuckle.


    Julius shot him a warning look. He felt no shame in the time he spent with his children. It still felt like a


    dream and nothing would destroy its magic. Macey studied at him still looking conflicted. She couldn¡¯t


    help but wonder why he hadn¡¯t introduced himself as their father.


    ¡°Is it time to go home, mommy?¡± Caden asked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time to say goodnight to your uncle and aunt. We have to be up early tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Aria and Caden returned to their uncle and aunt giving each a hug. ¡°Goodnight, auntie, uncle.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, angels,¡± Rose cooed. ¡°We¡¯ll see you again soon.¡±


    ¡°And then we¡¯ll y more!¡± March agreed tickling Aria to illicit giggles.


    ¡°Bye!¡±


    Macey herded the twins out to the waiting car followed by Julius. He saw his brother¡¯s curious gaze but


    there wasn¡¯t time to exin how he and Macey met or why he was there instead of their father.


    They would talkter right now it was time to get his babies home and into their beds. He was d he


    had driven the BMW instead of one of his sports cars but he hesitated realizing he didn¡¯t have the


    proper car seats for them. Macey assured him it would be fine for one ride.


    The drive was full of giggles as the twins rted their night. They had dinner with their aunt and uncle


    and afterwards yed several games. March had experience with toddlers thanks to raising Jude and


    like Rose was eager to test his dormant skills. Julius found it a rather difficult drive listening to the


    happy giggles. He never wanted it to end.


    ¡°This way!¡± Aria eximed once they arrived home. Taking his hand she dragged Julius inside. ¡°Come


    and see our room!¡±


    Julius didn¡¯t fight as the twins dragged him along to their bedroom. Surprisingly the walls were neutral


    colors but the ceiling and walls were decorated with glow-in-the-dark stars. There was a bed on each


    side of the room along with a desk, dresser and bookshelves. Each side was practically a mirror image


    with minor differences. Aria dragged him all the way to her bed and made him sit down before grabbing


    a book.


    ¡°Will you read us a bedtime story?¡±


    ¡°Aria¡­¡± Macey wanted to protest but Aria pressed the book into his hands.


    ¡°One story, please!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Julius assured her as the kids snuggled on either side of him.


    The picture book Aria handed him was Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. He remembered


    it from his own childhood and wondered if it was nostalgia that made his father include it. Aria and


    Caden leaned close as he opened it and read. Macey watched from the doorway a soft yet conflicted


    look on her face. This was the scene she always dreamed of but never thought she would ever see.


    Only when the story was over did Aria and Caden finally consent to be changed into their pajamas.


    After they brushed their teeth they were ready to be tucked in. For once they could be tucked in at the


    same time with Macey helping Caden and Julius helping Aria. Kissing each good night Macey pulled


    the door closed with final entreats for sweet dreams.


    Now alone with Julius Macey wasn¡¯t sure what to do. Their kiss was still fresh in her mind. She would


    be lying if she said she didn¡¯t crave more. After six years apart, six years of taking care of kids, her


    body longed for what the kiss promised. She wanted him, wanted his hands on her, but she couldn¡¯t¡­


    could she?


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    His arms surrounded her. Julius pulled her close as he bowed his head and nibbled at her ear. Macey


    shivered with pleasure. He was the only one to make her feel this way: safe, loved, wanted. She didn¡¯t


    want him to stop but she couldn¡¯t let him continue. They were divorced. She wasn¡¯t supposed to feel


    this way about him anymore.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Julius asked still holding her close, not wanting to let her go.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell them who you are?¡± Macey asked. It had been bothering her since they called him


    Mister Jules.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t know if they knew who I was and I didn¡¯t want to say anything you didn¡¯t want me to


    say.¡±


    Macey bit her lip. He was trying to respect her boundaries but it was clear he wanted to spend time with


    their children. He wanted to be their father but he would settle for a friend or uncle if that was the line


    she drew. He wanted a rtionship with them and maybe, just maybe her too.


    His fingers trailed up and down her back eliciting tremors of pleasure. He nuzzled her neck kissing her


    and working down to her shoulder. It wasn¡¯t just time with the children he craved. Her heart pounded in


    her ears. She could feel his desire barely held in check.


    ¡°Julius¡­¡±


    He cut her off with azy, slow kiss. Her body leaned into him betraying the desire she tried to hold


    back. His hands roved her body, caressed her curves. Julius kissed the nape of her neck slowly


    regaining his control.


    ¡°¡­I should go.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Macey blinked meeting his gaze.


    Her gaze was full of questions, conflicted and confused. He wanted nothing more than to keep kissing


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    her until it was all clear but he knew that would be too much for her. Macey was always a thinker. She


    needed time, time away from him to think without being muddled by his presence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to force you to do something you¡¯re not ready for.¡± Julius sighed resting his forehead


    against hers, ¡°But I want you to know walking out that door is going to be the most difficult thing I¡¯ve


    ever done.¡±


    He kissed her forehead before forcing himself to head to the door. Macey watched him go. Her heart


    was racing with his parting words. He really wanted to stay as much as she wanted him to. Could she


    let him leave like this?


    ¡°Julius! Wait!¡± Macey hurried to the door just as he was stepping out.


    He turned as she reached him but remained silent waiting for her to speak. Macey hesitated. She


    wanted to see him again, wanted to talk some more and wanted the kids to know the father she had


    been too scared to tell them about.


    ¡°Tomorrow¡­.I have to work. I was going to ask Rose but¡­if you¡¯re not busy¡­would you like to watch


    the kids for me?¡±


    A smile immediately graced his face, ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Umm¡­my appointment is at the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx so meet us there around


    eleven?¡± Macey said. ¡°You can take them to lunch, the gardens, the zoo or wherever and we¡¯ll meet


    back up after I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°¡­For dinner?¡± he asked hopeful.


    ¡°S-sure.¡± Macey nodded.


    He stepped forward giving her a final kiss before stepping back, ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Macey agreed then watched him return his car and drive away with a mixture of emotions.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if she made the right decision¡­or if there even was a right decision. It might be wrong


    of her but she was looking forward to tomorrow.

 Book One: Chapter 16

    Book One: Chapter 16


    Julius pulled into the parking lot barely containing his excitement. He was really going to spend the


    entire day with his family. March had been just as excited when Julius exined everything the


    previous night and was all too happy to take his brother¡¯s workload for the day.


    Between the excitement of the previous night and anticipation for the day he hardly slept but he wasn¡¯t


    tired. Julius stepped out of his vehicle straightening his maroon, leather jacket. He dressed casually:


    ck jeans and polo. Not wanting a repeat of the previous night he stopped at a shopping mall for


    proper car seats and promptly had to ask a randomdy in the parking lot how to install them into his


    car. Wounded pride aside, at least, he felt prepared for the day toe. Julius leaned against his car


    trying to keep himself calm when he heard excited shouts.


    ¡°Mister Jules!¡± Aria called waving from the backseat of a Mercedes SUV.


    A smile immediately lit up his face and he walked toward them as Macey parked. There was no doubt


    in his mind his father was behind her transportation just as he was behind the vi. Part of him was


    irritated as those were things he should be providing them but decided not to worry about it for now.


    Julius would settle with his father eventually. Today was about his family.


    Julius stepped up to the passenger side opening Aria¡¯s door and helping her down. Caden released his


    own belt and scooted across the backseat to exit out the same door. Both Caden and Aria had a


    difficult time controlling their excitement when their mother said they would spend the day with him.


    Phase Four was going very well. Julius smiled as the pair danced around him eager for their outing.


    Though he often saw twins dressed identically he noticed Macey never sumbed to the temptation.


    Today Caden wore khaki cargo pants and a blue sweater. Aria wore a denim jacket and jeans with a


    colorful shirt disying the Eiffel Tower. Her hair was tamed with sparkly barrettes. Both looked ready


    for a full day of adventure.


    ¡°Are you two excited?¡± Julius chuckled.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Aria bounced up and down making her ponytail sway. ¡°Mommy said you¡¯re taking us to the zoo!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll go wherever you two want.¡±


    Circling to the back of the SUV they found the hatch open and Macey fiddling with her camera


    equipment. Watching her Julius recalled how she was always snapping photos even as a little girl.


    Most of the pictures of their vacations were actually taken by her.


    ¡°So¡­what kind of appointment do you have?¡± Julius asked.


    He knew she had gone back to school for her degree. Though his father undoubtedly provided her


    many amenities he also knew her pride. Macey could never let herself be idle. She wanted to work,


    liked to work and needed to provide for her children herself. It was the same mentality and work ethic


    her father instilled in her, the same ethic his father instilled in him.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m a photographer. I¡¯m here to take pictures,¡± Macey answered hesitating and refusing to meet his


    gaze.


    Julius studied her wondering why she always seemed shy in his presence. Where was the confidence


    she exuded when she pped Katherine to defend her children? Or the feistiness when she threatened


    to knee her solicitor in the balls? Why did she seem insecure only in his presence?


    Even her attire at the moment was of a woman who knew herself and didn¡¯t need to put on airs. She


    wore mid-rise, denim jeans, long-sleeved shirt and denim vest. A silver hair clip tamed her hair and


    kept it out of her way. She was absolutely gorgeous, especially with the subtle blush on her cheeks.


    ¡°I remember,¡± Julius nodded causing her to look up. ¡°Every family function, vacation, gathering,


    birthday and anniversary¡­You were always taking pictures. So you turned your passion into a living.


    Have I told you how amazing you are?¡±


    Macey¡¯s blush deepened and she looked away. She had beenplimented before but hearing it from


    Julius was somehow different. Was it because he had been so dismissive of her in the past? Or was it


    because he was the one person she always hoped to impress? She wasn¡¯t sure, but it felt good to hear


    nheless.


    Aria and Caden gazed at their mother with adoration. They had always known their mother was


    amazing and it warmed their hearts to hear their father admitted it too. Whatever circumstances tore


    their parents apart at least they were assured their father recognized how impressive their mother truly


    was. Unable to hold himself back Julius stepped closer pulling Macey into his embrace and kissing her


    temple.


    ¡°I should have told you sooner. I should have told you every day we were together.¡± Julius whispered


    before slowly releasing her and stepped back before he overwhelmed her.


    She sent him a look of gratitude. He saw a glint of her confidence return to her warm gaze. Julius


    smiled happy to see her reaction. He liked to see her self-assured and strong. She should always feel


    that way especially around him.


    ¡°Are we going to the zoo now?¡± Aria asked after giving their parents ample time to stare into each


    other¡¯s eyes.


    For Phase Four it was important to encourage their parents¡¯ interaction but knowing their mother had


    never been actively pursued romantically they didn¡¯t want her overwhelmed. Luckily their father


    seemed to understand and was being very gentle. There was no doubting the passion in his gaze. Aria


    wanted to p and dance for joy but refrained. She and Caden had to keep cool heads if their n was


    to work.


    Julius cleared his throat remembering their audience and said, ¡°Yeah¡­let¡¯s go to the zoo so your


    mother work can in peace.¡±


    ¡°You two be good,¡± Macey knelt giving each a hug and a kiss.


    ¡°Mommy, we¡¯re always good,¡± Aria said.


    She chuckled giving her daughter a tickle, ¡°I¡¯m serious now. I better not hear you¡¯ve been up to your


    usual tricks.¡±


    ¡°Okay mommy. We promise,¡± the pair said in unison.


    Satisfied Macey stood grabbing her camera bag and closed the hatch. Her gaze met Julius¡¯s and she


    again felt shy. She wanted to encourage him to know their children and she wanted them to know him.


    If she were beingpletely honest with herself, she wanted him to be a part of all of their lives again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Julius promised. ¡°We¡¯re meeting back up for dinner, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Macey nodded hesitating. ¡°Oh wait, here. These are the keys to the vi in case the kids need


    something.¡±


    It never ceased to amaze her how easily kids could get dirty. Thankfully Caden and Aria seemed better


    than most in that regard, especially Caden who hated messes, but it was best to be prepared and in


    her rush out the door she hadn¡¯t packed them a bag as she usually did. Julius took the keys with a nod


    and a confident smile she hoped he wouldn¡¯t regret before she turned and left them with a wave.


    Finally alone with the kids Julius turned serious, ¡°So what do you two want to do first? Do you want to


    see the gardens? Do you want to eat? Or¡­should we hit the zoo?¡±


    ¡°Zoo!¡±


    He chuckled taking each by the hand saying, ¡°The Zoo it is.¡±


    * * *


    It was only a five minute drive to the zoo entrance and the kids were practically bouncing in their seats


    the entire time. It had been years since Julius went to the zoo, not since Jude was a kid. He forgot how


    crowded it could be and how lively. The twins seemed to be perfectly at home among the roaming


    crowds. They showed no fear and stayed close not letting go of his hands as the trio wandered the


    grounds.


    He took them to the sea lions first as their pen was something of a central location and an easy


    checkpoint. Lifting up the twins he held them so they could see the sea lions lounging on their rocks


    and ying in the water. Aria giggled at their antics while Caden craned his neck to see the ones


    underwater performing flips and cartwheels.


    From there he let the kids choose their destination from the signs posted around the different paths.


    Not surprisingly they were eager to see the tigers. Following the paths they reached Tiger Mountain in


    time to witness a training session with the keepers and one of therge male cats. They followed the


    paths toward Jungle World where the fruit bats proved a surprising hit. Caden eagerly soaked in the


    information from the keepers about how bats used echolocation to navigate their environments. This


    was followed by a ride on the Wild Asian Monorail which gave them a bird¡¯s eye view of therger


    animals freely roamingrge areas.


    Eventually hunger won out and they took a break for hotdogs and Icees which fascinated the twins.


    The trio sat on a bench enjoying the slushy drinks that quickly dyed their tongues red and blue.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never had Icees before?¡± Julius asked.


    ¡°No. We¡¯ve had granita, but not this,¡± Caden said.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Julius nodded recalling the twins had grown up in Europe. Icee was definitely an American treat.


    It made him wonder what their life had been like remembering how Aria spoke German so easily. ¡°So


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    do you both speak German?¡±


    ¡°I know a little,¡± Caden shrugged. ¡°Aria¡¯s better at it than me.¡±


    ¡°If you talked more you¡¯d know how to speak more,¡± Aria scoffed.


    Caden scowled. Julius noticed that about his children. Aria was definitely more vocal and expressive


    while her brother preferred to quietly observe everything around him. Even his smiles were usually just


    grins. Though he was reserved Caden¡¯s eyes were very expressive. It amazed Julius the twins had


    such different personalities but he wouldn¡¯t change either. They were perfect the way they were.


    ¡°I thought you lived in Paris.¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± Aria answered. ¡°Mommy travels a lot for work and we go with her. We¡¯ve been to Barcelona,


    Mn, Venice, Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Dublin¡­we¡¯ve been to a lot of ces.¡±


    Caden quietly nodded. Their mother¡¯s various projects took her many ces. When they didn¡¯t have


    school they traveled with her. This earned them many envious stares from their peers most of whom


    never left Paris let alone the country. Others scorned them because they only had their mother whose


    work was unorthodox but neither of the twins let that bother them. Their mother was the best person in


    the world.


    ¡°Wow, you have been everywhere, impressive,¡± Julius said. ¡°So does that mean you speak French


    too?¡±


    ¡°Bien s?r,¡± Aria rolled her eyes.


    Julius chuckled. His children were not bilingual, they were trilingual. Or at least Aria was as Caden


    stressed he didn¡¯t know German well. Would they never cease to amaze him? Suddenly his phone


    vibrated. Taking it out of his pocket he nced at the text message.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°Your uncle.¡±


    ¡°Uncle March?¡± she perked up.


    ¡°Hmm. He wants to know how it¡¯s going. What should I tell him?¡±


    ¡°How about we take a picture?¡± Aria suggested. ¡°Mommy says a picture is worth a thousand words.¡±


    ¡°Well, your mommy knows best,¡± Julius chuckled pulling Aria into hisp.


    Scooting Caden closer he held out his phone snapping a picture of the trio on the bench with their


    Icees. Once the twins gave thumbs up for the picture he sent it to his brother picturing the smile that


    was sure to grace March¡¯s face when he received it and no doubt pass it on to Rose.


    ¡°Well, where shall we go next?¡±


    ¡°Lions!¡± Aria shouted.


    ¡°Giraffes!¡± Caden said just as loudly.


    ¡°Well luckily those are on the same continent,¡± Juliusughed. The zoo organized its animals ording


    to origin so animals that could be found on the same continent were generally located near each other.


    They headed to the African ins Exhibit next as well as the Gori Forest before pausing at the Bug


    Carousel and touring the Butterfly Garden all proved to be big hits with ample photo opportunities.


    Julius was beginning to wonder if his phone would hold them all but he kept snapping not wanting to


    miss a moment. He was beginning to understand what motivated Macey while she took pictures during


    family vacations.


    They paused at the zoo shop for souvenirs before making the Children¡¯s Zoo their final stop. Both were


    excited to get close to the farm animals even making friends with a curious alpaca. Julius heard


    alpacas could be temperamental but this one seemed eager for attention. The twins giggled as it


    nuzzled them.


    Even though the twins were full of energy it was gettingte and Julius decided to call it a day. They still


    had dinner to prepare for after all. The twins expected him to take them to a restaurant but he brought


    them to a grocery store instead. Grabbing a cart he pushed it down the aisles with a twin on either side


    as neither wanted to ride in the basket.


    ¡°Are you going to cook?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°You think I can¡¯t?¡± Julius challenged.


    Aria gave him a sweet smile and earned a chuckle from him.


    ¡°Well, I have to admit I don¡¯t know much, but I know a few things. It¡¯ste so¡­how does chicken


    Alfredo sound?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± the twins pped pleased their father knew his way around the kitchen.


    Grabbing the supplies he needed as he wasn¡¯t certain what was at the vi Julius headed to the


    checkout. He handed the items to the twins and they ced them on the belt for the cashier. She


    smiled sweetly at the five year olds.


    ¡°Are you shopping with your daddy?¡± she asked by way of conversation.


    ¡°We¡¯re making mommy dinner!¡± they proudly announced before Julius could correct her.


    The pride he felt at their endorsement was immeasurable. He hoped he lived up to their expectations.


    Paying the cashier they headed back to the car and drove the short distance to the vi. Once their


    purchases were safely inside Julius organized the pans he needed and got to work. cing the twins


    on step stools he had them assist where they could. Surprisingly the twins seemed quite adept and he


    was certain they assisted their mother with simr tasks before.


    They had barely gotten started with noodles when Macey sent a text to his phone. Julius smiled at her


    inquiry of where to meet them. Winking at the kids he replied for her to return to the vi before


    focusing on the task ahead.

 Book One: Chapter 17

    Book One: Chapter 17


    Dinner was simmering when Macey arrived. He hadn¡¯t said he was cooking so she assumed he


    ordered takeout until she found them in the kitchen. She set her bag down as the kids ran to greet her.


    Julius left his station to give her a peck on the cheek before escorting her to the table that was already


    set for four. There was a colorful bouquet in the center and even a pair of lit candles.


    ¡°Mommy! We made dinner!¡± Aria and Caden announced.


    ¡°Made¡­dinner¡­¡± Macey¡¯s gaze traveled to the kitchen and the tell tale signs they had been cooking


    rather than simply dressing up delivery. ¡°You really cooked.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Julius slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her again. ¡°I¡¯ll admit it¡¯s been awhile so


    be generous.¡±


    He held out her chair. Once he seated them he served the meal with a flourish. Julius had considered


    champagne but with the kids present he settled for sparkling grape juice. Watching their delighted


    faces as they ate the meal he provided warmed him as nothing before. He liked the feeling of providing


    for his family.


    After dinner he cleaned up allowing Macey to rx and listen as the twins recounted their day at the


    zoo and showed off their souvenirs. Once he finished in the kitchen and joined them the twins made


    him sit at the coffee table so they could color together. Macey watched their interaction with a smile as


    she checked her emails and made ns for her next photo session. The kids had eight weeks of


    summer vacationing and she hoped to make good use of it while they had the freedom to travel.


    But now she was having second thoughts. Maybe the kids would prefer to spend more time with their


    father and family.


    She knew Augustus hoped they¡¯d stay in the States but the kids had friends andmitments in


    Europe and so did she. For six years their life revolved around Paris she couldn¡¯t just move them on a


    whim, could she? But maybe for the summer they coulde back for a few weeks.


    All her original ns had been made before seeing Julius again. Macey knew seeing him again would


    be difficult but she hadn¡¯t expected him to be so excited to see their children. It amazed her how easily


    he fell into the father role but would he be able to maintain his enthusiasm?


    Having kids was so much more than zoo trips and ying games. It was also nursing colds and fighting


    to get them ready for school. Macey couldn¡¯t help her fears and insecurities but watching him with the


    kids made her imagine what it would be like to have him always there. Quietly she pulled out her


    camera and snapped pictures while they were preupied wanting to capture the moment.


    Nearing bedtime Macey prepared the twins¡¯ bath and again Julius helped them dress in their pajamas.


    Aria pestered him for a bedtime story this time picked by Caden who went with Horton Hears a Who by


    Dr. Seuss. Julius gathered both in hisp to read. Macey snapped more pictures as unobtrusively as


    she could before putting away her camera to help get them to bed.


    Once the kids were tucked in Macey closed the door and again found herself alone with Julius.


    Hesitating she said, ¡°Thank you¡­for watching the kids.¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me for that,¡± Julius watched her, his gaze burning with desire as he struggled


    to hold himself in check.


    ¡°And thank you for dinner.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me for that either.¡±


    His arms slowly came around her and pulled her close as his lips found hers. All evening he wanted to


    kiss her and now he couldn¡¯t hold back. A simple peck on the cheek was not enough. The only way his


    day could have been better was if she had gone to the zoo with them. Her hands reached up cupping


    his neck as he deepened the kiss. He could feel it, her desire, as her body grinded against his. Hope


    she still wanted him as much as he wanted her filled his chest.


    Yet he still felt her reluctance while her mind and body warred with each other. Julius didn¡¯t know what


    he would do if her mind ultimately won and she rejected him. He didn¡¯t want to face the answer. Even


    now he could sense it as he slowly ended the kiss still holding her closer. He had to leave before he


    pushed her too far.


    ¡°¡­I should go¡­¡± he forced the words out not releasing his embrace waiting for her to push him away.


    ¡°¡­Or¡­you could stay,¡± Macey whispered so low she might not have known she spoke aloud.


    Julius froze not certain if he heard her correctly. Sucking in a breath he cradled her face in his hands


    staring into her eyes. He had to hear it again, ¡°Macey?¡±


    Her green eyes swirled with emotions: fear, insecurity, desire, need¡­Macey bit her lip unsure if she


    dared repeat herself. What if he really didn¡¯t want her? What if this was just some sort of game? There


    was only one way to be sure. Barely breathing she whispered, ¡°Stay.¡±


    His gaze softened and a smile crept onto his face. Leaning forward so their foreheads touched he


    pulled her tight against him. Before he captured her mouth again he whispered, ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Macey blushed at the quote from her favorite movie. He remembered!


    Her arms wrapped around his neck and he suddenly hoisted her off her feet and her legs encircled his


    waist. Carrying her to the master bedroom he barely managed to kick the door closed before lowering


    her onto the bed. He trailed kisses down her neck as his hands worked their way under her shirt. Her


    back arched in response wanting him closer.


    Fighting control he peeled away her top revealing her milky, fair skin and perky breasts. She always


    hands and mouth. Sitting up Macey helped him out of his shirt and tugged at his pants surprised by her


    own boldness. She had always been shy during their love making but there was a new sort of


    confidence in her body that drove him mad with need.


    Julius quickly stripped her of the barriers keeping her body from his even as he kicked away thest of


    his clothesstly pulling out the clip tying her hair back so he could run his fingers through it freely. She


    moaned as he kissed down her neck, his hand kneading her perfect breast. He was already hard for


    her but he wanted to pleasure her first. Lowering his head he sucked on her nipple grazing it with his


    teeth earning him the sounds he wanted as she moaned. His hand slipped lower teasing her already


    moist entrance.


    Macey gasped as his fingers slid inside her, his thumb ying with her nub. She had forgotten his


    preupation with her body. Even when they were first married he liked to tease her in various ways. It


    was difficult to tell if it was his skill and knowledge or her six years of abstinence but her first orgasm


    came quickly. She moaned his name as her body clenched around his fingers. He smiled against her


    throat drawing out her pleasure.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he hoarsely whispered. ¡°Damn Macey. Do you want me to use anything?¡±


    He was ready but he didn¡¯t want her to fear the consequences of their first night together in six years.


    The thought of her carrying another of his children thrilled him but she wasn¡¯t ready¡­not yet. There


    was time.


    ¡°Mmm¡­no. I¡¯m already on birth control,¡± Macey moaned her body stilling down from its peak. Her


    menstrual cycle had always been somewhat erratic so she used birth control to even it out.


    His tongue darted into her mouth twisting around hers. She moaned as his hand caressed her butt and


    thigh. Her back arched as he thrust into her. He pressed in letting her body amodate him. She


    groaned at the pain of his entrance but it quickly faded to pleasure as her body recalled his.


    Pulling out he thrust into her again finding his rhythm. Macey moaned rocking with him matching his


    pace. He nibbled her ear thrusting hard as his hand pulled at her hip. Her back arched. Her next


    orgasm was so close. He felt it. He teased it and groaned as her body locked around him. She called


    his name as he filled her.


    They caught their breath together. Julius captured her mouth slowly pulling out of her and holding her


    close as he rolled onto his side. His fingers trailed down her back, fondling her curves. She snuggled


    into his chest reveling in his gentle caresses. Her body quivered with the aftershocks of her pleasure.


    ¡°Julius¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Shhh. Sleep beautiful¡­I love you.¡±


    She muttered unintelligibly but it was not clear if she heard him.


    * * *


    ¡°What the Hell is this!¡±


    Katherine jolted awake as her father burst into her bedroom. She yanked off the padded eye cover and


    blinked at the bright light streaming through the open doorway. Her father tossed a magazine on her


    bed as her mother hurried into the room startled by the loud shouts.


    ¡°Honey, what is the matter?¡±


    ¡°Daddy?¡± Katherine asked.


    ¡°Exin that!¡±


    Katherine picked up the magazine discovering it was a tabloid called the Eagle. On the cover it


    dered Trouble in Paradise and below it was an image of Katherine on the sidewalk after being


    thrown out of the DaLair office building. In the corner it asked: Who is Julius DaLair¡¯s New Woman?


    Turn to page six for details.


    Shaking in anger Katherine tore through the magazine to the correct page to see several photos of


    Julius and his mysterious redhead. There was arge photo of her in his arms their lips pressed


    together. Another photo showed them waiting on the sidewalk for the valet as Julius ced his jacket


    over her shoulders and yet another showed him helping her into his car. The article was full of


    spection but nowhere did it offer an answer. Who was this mysterious woman?


    Katherine¡¯s face burned with embarrassment as she saw the scenes that had yed out in front of her


    the previous night. Somehow they even captured a photo of her as she watched Juliusvish attention


    on his new woman.


    ¡°You want to exin this?¡± her father demanded. ¡°We¡¯ve been spending money like water on your


    wedding all because you said it was a sure thing! Who is this woman?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know. She showed up out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°She just showed up?¡± her father scoffed. ¡°Does this look like she just showed up? Two years he has


    barely touched you and yet he¡¯s all over her!¡±


    ¡°D-daddy it¡¯s not like that!¡±


    ¡°Really. What have I told you? The hotel is hemorrhaging money! We are bankrupt! If we want to avoid


    the streets you need to marry someone rich! You said you had it taken care of!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all a mistake, daddy,¡± Katherine assured him. ¡°I¡¯ll fix it!¡±


    ¡°You better or your entire family will be living under a bridge!¡±

 Book One: Chapter 18

    Book One: Chapter 18


    Early in the morning Macey¡¯s bedroom door quietly swung open. Two sets of eyes peered in to see


    their parents intimately entangled under the sheets. There was no trace of embarrassment even as one


    raised their mother¡¯s phone and snapped a picture before they quietly closed the door.


    Juliuszily stirred. Blinking he found himself staring at a field of red hair. He smiled recalling the


    previous night. Macey still snuggled closed to him her face nestled against his neck. Her soft breath


    fluttered against his chest. He caressed her gentle curves, squeezing her butt as he pulled her closer.


    Silently he told himself it wasn¡¯t a dream. This was real. She was back in his arms. He would do


    anything to keep it that way.


    Macey stirred shifting her hips causing Julius to groan as they rolled against him. He could already feel


    himself stiffening. Macey sighed shifting again.


    ¡°Macey, sweetheart, you might want to stop that unless you want to finish this,¡± Julius whispered


    kissing her forehead.


    Her eyes fluttered open. She stared at him. At first he saw confusion then surprise and finally


    realization as she blushed. Julius chuckled leaning over and kissing her.


    ¡°You are beautiful in the morning.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re biased.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am.¡±


    Macey rxed as his fingers lightly traced the contour of her back. His body was always so warm she


    hardly needed nkets. It had been years since she felt so rxed. Suddenly she stiffened and her


    eyes went wide with shock.


    ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Umm,¡± Julius raised his head to glimpse the clock. ¡°Seven.¡±


    ¡°The kids!¡± Macey pushed away looking toward the door. Caden woke up at six thirty every morning


    without fail and though Ariained she was never far behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Julius pulling her back to spoon her. ¡°They¡¯re probably still asleep.¡±


    ¡°No. They are up,¡± Macey insisted.


    ¡°Well¡­I don¡¯t smell anything burning so I think we¡¯re fine,¡± Julius smiled.


    Macey stifled augh and pped his arm but there was no force in it. Julius chuckled. As much as he


    wanted to stay in bed he knew they had to get up. He still had to drive home and change before he


    headed to work. Mentally he chastised himself for not being prepared but how could he have known the


    night would end like it did?


    ¡°Okay. Why don¡¯t you take a long, hot shower and I¡¯ll check on the rugrats,¡± Julius kissed her shoulder.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Besides if I stay here while you freshen up I won¡¯t be able to stop myself from joining you,¡±


    Julius kissed her again before rolling out of bed.


    Macey averted her gaze covering her face as it reddened with the image he evoked. Grabbing his


    pants Julius briefly disappeared into the bathroom emerging after he relieved himself and dressed. He


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    grabbed his shirt and leaned over her kissing her deeply.


    ¡°Take your time,¡± he whispered before leaving.


    Maceyy several minutes calming her racing heart. How did he have such an effect over her after six


    years? She had to be crazy and what wasst night? How could she have lost her self control so


    easily? Was she really just sex starved as Vicki loved to im or was there something more between


    them? Would it be wrong to hope for thetter?


    Her head muddled with contradictory thoughts she forced herself out of bed and headed to the


    bathroom. She only intended to take a short shower but the rxing steam kept her in much longer.


    When she was done her thoughts were just as muddled as before.


    * * *


    Julius pulled on his shirt as he stepped down the hall. He paused at the kids¡¯ door to see it was open


    and their beds empty. Aria¡¯s bed covers had been recklessly tossed aside while Caden¡¯s was neatly


    made. Macey¡¯s motherly instincts were not wrong. Impressed he continued to the living room to see


    them kneeling at the coffee table. Aria was quietly coloring with her hair a tangled mess. Caden tapped


    at his mother¡¯sptop. His early morning hair sported a cowlick.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Julius greeted.


    ¡°Bonjour,¡± Aria smiled. Now that hernguage skills were out in the open she was happy to use them.


    ¡°Are you two hungry?¡± Julius asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Aria gave a characteristically enthusiastic answer that made Julius chuckle.


    ¡°So what do you normally have?¡±


    ¡°Mommy usually makes oatmeal.¡±


    ¡°And do you like oatmeal?¡±


    Aria made a face and stuck out her tongue. Caden scowled. Their mother dressed it up with fruit but it


    always tasted the same and they weren¡¯t fond of the texture either. Julius chuckled. He hadn¡¯t liked


    oatmeal as a kid either.


    ¡°How about French Toast?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never had French Toast?¡± Julius looked from one to the other in surprise to see the same


    curious gazes. ¡°Well, let¡¯s fix that right now.¡±


    They trailed him to the kitchen and hopped onto their step stools as he dragged out a griddle and


    ced it over the stove burners. Grabbing a mixing bowl he cracked several eggs into it adding milk, a


    generous amount of cinnamon and vani before whisking the contents. Once mixed, he dipped bread


    in it thoroughly coating both sides beforeying them down on the now hot griddle.


    Aria and Caden watched the process in fascination. Their aunts Vicki and Dillon asionally made


    them waffles but they never saw this sort of preparation before.


    ¡°Are you¡¯re sure this is French?¡± Aria asked.


    Julius chuckled as he flipped the toast, ¡°Probably not. I¡¯m not sure how it got the name actually.¡±


    Caden whispered in Aria¡¯s ear after a moment of thought. She nodded saying, ¡°It does sort of look like


    pain perdu.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Julius asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s French for lost bread,¡± Caden exined. ¡°They use stale bread to make it so it doesn¡¯t go to


    waste.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­yeah I can see that,¡± Julius nodded. ¡°This would be a good recipe for stale bread. Okay do you


    want maple syrup, honey or fruit on your toast?¡±


    ¡°Syrup!¡± they both eximed earning a chuckle from their father.


    ¡°All right. Go sit at the table.¡±


    Aria and Caden hurriedly climbed off their stools and dashed for the table. They watched him cut the


    toast and add a generous amount of syrup before bringing them their meal. He followed that with


    sses of apple juice. They dug in immediately enjoying the sweet breakfast their father made.


    ¡°More please!¡± they both eximed holding out their tes when their first serving was done.


    Chuckling Juliusplied with second helpings full of pride at how readily they enjoyed the meal he


    provided. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if every day would start like this once he convinced Macey to


    stay.


    ¡°Mmm¡­.what smells so good?¡± Macey asked emerging from the bedroom. Her hair was still damp


    from her shower and pinned back with barrettes. She wore simr mid-rise jeans as yesterday this time


    topped with a turtleneck sweater that Julius was already mentally peeling off.


    ¡°French Toast!¡± the twins eximed at the same time.


    ¡°What about your oatmeal?¡± Macey asked. She tried to provide them with the most nutritious meals she


    could though Vicki imed there was no joy in such food.


    ¡°It was vetoed,¡± Julius said handing her a te with a stack of toast topped with honey and kissed her


    temple. ¡°It¡¯s their vacation. Let them live it up.¡±


    She sighed but there was no denying their contented looks. It was fine for now she supposed. The


    French toast did look good and he even remembered to top hers with honey.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Julius muttered looking at his phone.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Macey asked as she set her breakfast on the table.


    ¡°Something¡¯s happening at work. I have to get going.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stay and y with us?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°¡¯Fraid not, peanut,¡± Julius leaned over her and kissed the top of her head. ¡°How about Ie back


    tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Then we can cook for you!¡± Aria announced. ¡°And you¡¯ll stay and y with us after?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Julius smiled circling the table to grab his jacket, tussling Caden¡¯s hair as he passed.


    Caden snickered. Usually he hated when others messed up his hair but he didn¡¯t mind if it was his dad.


    Julius circled an arm around Macey¡¯s waist and kissed her temple again. He really wanted to kiss her


    like he hadst night but thought it best to keep it PG in front of the kids.


    ¡°See you tonight,¡± he whispered.


    Macey managed a nod fighting her fluttering heart. She was already looking forward to his return


    wondering if he would spend the night again. Her body almost shuddered with anticipation. What was


    wrong with her?


    ¡°Okay, you two, let¡¯s finish breakfast and we¡¯ll get dressed.¡± Macey sat down finally ready to eat.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    * * *


    After dressing in cargo pants and a tee-shirt Caden returned to theputer. Aria joined him awhile


    rainbow leggings along with a ck shirt. Like their mother her hair was tamed with braids and


    barrettes.


    ¡°Whatcha looking at?¡± Aria asked seeing her brother still on theptop.


    ¡°Pictures of us and daddy.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Aria eagerly joined him.


    Caden paged up to the top of the site. There he showed his sister pictures of their parents. In one their


    parents were kissing holding each other in a passionate embrace. In another their father was giving


    their mother his coat. Aria happily giggled. Their parents were getting along so well.


    Her brother continued to page down to get to the pictures of them and their zoo trip. There were shots


    of them as they looked at the sea lions, the tigers and goris as well as petting the alpaca. There was


    even a picture of them on the bench with their Icees.


    ¡°Those are really nice,¡± Aria said. ¡°Can you save them?¡±


    ¡°Ah-huh,¡± Caden nodded. He had already saved the files to theputer.


    ¡°What are you two looking at?¡± Macey asked seeing how engrossed they both were.


    Wide-eyed the twins looked up caught red-handed. They didn¡¯t realized their mother had returned to


    the living room. Caden looked to his sister terrified not knowing how to exin without revealing their


    n. His sister on the other hand was always a fast thinker when put on the spot.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking at pictures of Mister Jules,¡± Aria answered truthfully.


    ¡°You¡¯re what?¡± Macey circled around them to peer down at theputer screen.


    Biting her lip she knelt reading the article apanying the pictures. There was nothing inherently


    wrong with the images themselves. They were actually rather sweet. The article was concerned with


    the identity of the children and why Julius DaLair was with them. Julius was considered something of a


    yboy so it was natural to wonder why he was suddenly babysitting children.


    ¡°Mister Jules is very handsome, isn¡¯t he mommy?¡± Aria prompted.


    ¡°¡­Yes. He is,¡± Macey sighed. ¡°What do you think about him? Do you think he¡¯s nice?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s really nice! And he¡¯s a good cook too!¡±


    ¡°What about you Caden?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t always easy to get him to speak with Aria around. She was far more excitable and vocal when


    expressing herself so Macey learned to ask Caden questions directly to get answers from him.


    ¡°I like him,¡± Caden said. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m as handsome as he is?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes I do,¡± Macey hugged him reaching a decision. ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    They shook their heads not sure where their mother was going with her questions. Could it be possible


    she knew what they were up to?


    ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s because he¡¯s your father.¡±


    Caden and Aria shared a look. They weren¡¯t sure if they should admit they already knew or not. It


    seemed their mother was still unaware of their n so Aria decided to y it safe.


    ¡°Is he really our daddy?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Macey nodded waiting for their questions.


    ¡°Has he always been here?¡± Aria asked, happy to oblige. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he live in Paris too?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±

 Book One: Chapter 19

    Book One: Chapter 19


    Julius hurried to his car forcing himself to leave his family. It was getting harder to leave them not


    knowing if he would be allowed to return. His ce was precarious and subject to Macey¡¯s whim. After


    Would she let him stay fearing it might end badly again? He had to find some way to prove his


    intentions were true.


    Sitting in his car he pulled out his phone ncing at March¡¯s text message: Call me as soon as you get


    this. Sighing he hit the call button.


    It rang once before March answered, ¡°Finally! Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still at the vi. I made the kids French Toast for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°¡­So you spent the night at the vi?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really? So, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Is that why you needed me to call you?¡± Julius ran a hand through his hair. He really didn¡¯t want to


    discuss this over the phone.


    ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s the Board.¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess some articles about you and Macey and the kids came out in the papers.¡±


    ¡°Shit. And?¡±


    ¡°And they got pictures of you with the kids and the Board is panicking because they don¡¯t know who the


    children are.¡±


    ¡°I fail to see how my life is any of their business.¡±


    ¡°Our stocks dropped a couple points after the story broke. Our family founded thispany so our


    private lives are used to indicate thepany¡¯s stability. You know as well as I do that the stocks


    dropped after mom passed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I get it,¡± Julius nced at the vi. Thest thing he needed was for Macey to be dragged


    into this situation. She was only just letting him back into her life he couldn¡¯t let this jeopardize that.


    ¡°Okay, call a Board meeting. I have to stop at my condo and then I¡¯ll be in to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let dad know.¡±


    Julius sighed as he put away the phone. He looked to the vi again as he started his vehicle. A Board


    meeting was annoying but ultimately harmless. At least it had better be. He was not going to let anyone


    interfere with his family.


    * * *


    March knocked before entering his father¡¯s office. Augustus nced at him as he signed the papers


    Stephen handed him. Without a word March slumped in a chair and waited for his father to


    acknowledge him.


    ¡°Did you finally get a hold of your brother?¡± Augustus asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± March nodded. ¡°He¡¯s on his way in. He asked me to call a Board meeting. I don¡¯t know what


    he¡¯s nning to tell them but I assume he intends to put out the fire¡­or light a bigger one.¡±


    Augustus grunted.


    ¡°He spent the night at the vi apparently,¡± March said.


    Augustus¡¯s mouth twitched before he could prevent it but he managed to hold back a smile. It seemed


    his son was a man of his word intent on seizing hold of this opportunity. Perhaps there was hope in


    convincing Macey to stay after all.


    ¡°You know those candids of him and the kids were actually pretty nice,¡± March said.


    ¡°You should contact the Eagle and see about buying them,¡± Augustus agreed.


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯d take the pictures down.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if they do or not I just think copies would be nice for the family album,¡± Augustus


    answered.


    ¡°Right.¡± March chuckled. The Board was in a panic over a few pictures and his father wanted copies.


    He checked his watch. There was over an hour before the meeting, time enough to get some work


    done. Excusing himself he retreated to his own office.


    Augustus leaned back in his seat looking at the door. Without a word he took out his phone and called


    up the text message he received earlier that morning. In it was a picture of Julius and Macey asleep in


    each other¡¯s arms and a brief message appeared under it: Phase Fourplete.


    He chuckled. His grandchildren were certainly audacious. Just what did they have nned for Phase


    Five?


    * * *


    At precisely eleven o¡¯clock the Board gathered. They sat ording to seniority with the older members


    closer to the end the DaLair patriarch and his sons upied. Some of the senior members had been


    there since thepany began. They knew Augustus DaLair for decades and still feared his wrath.


    The younger members did not have such experiences and usually dealt with the younger, more


    amicable brothers. They had forgotten to fear their employers. Augustus thought it was overdue to


    remind them.


    The Board fell silent as the door opened. Augustus entered without a nce at those already seated.


    He walked with dignity despite his cane and took his seat like a king ascending his throne. March


    entered a few momentster taking his usual seat at his father¡¯s right. Neither DaLair said a word as


    they waited for the one who called the meeting.


    Almost a full minute went by before Julius finally entered. He carried a pair of photo albums as well as


    magazines recently purchased from a news stand. After a quick shower he decided how he was going


    to respond to the Board¡¯s challenge. Though he asionally wore polo shirts to work today he wore a


    suit looking every bit the professional for this confrontation.


    ¡°Stephen, stand by the door please,¡± Julius nced at his father¡¯s assistant. ¡°No interruptions.¡±


    With a nod the older gentlemen stepped out and remained in front of the door to insure the meeting


    was not interrupted. A surprised look traveled through the Board members. To their knowledge Stephen


    had never obeyed anyone¡¯s directive except Augustus¡¯s before. Did this mean Julius was the


    acknowledged first heir over his brother?


    ¡°It seems you all have too much time on your hands,¡± Julius announced ring around the table. ¡°So


    much so you have time to read the gossip columns.¡±


    Julius opened a magazine to the spread depicting him and Macey together before tossing it into the


    middle of the table. The Board members nced at it sheepishly. None of them showed a look of


    surprise which meant they were all aware of it. More than a few probably bought a copy.


    ¡°Someone needs to exin how my private life is any of your business.¡±


    A couple of Board members looked to Augustus for guidance but the stoic patriarch was ying on his


    phone and didn¡¯t seem interested in what happened in front of him. March stood and dragged the


    magazine toward him to read the article as if it were all news to him. Both were content to allow Julius


    free reign to handle the situation.


    ¡°Well?¡± Julius demanded his voice getting a hard edge as the silence continued. ¡°Cat got your


    tongues?¡±


    Finally one of the younger members cleared his throat, ¡°You have to understand Mister DaLair, you,


    your brother and your father are the founders and faces of thepany. Investors look at you to


    determine if thepany is stable.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then exin to me how me spending time, sober, with two children is less stable than my


    usual drinking binges?¡±


    ¡°¡­Um¡­well¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a familypany,¡± another spoke. ¡°They are worried that another family may take over¡­¡±


    Julius snorted, ¡°How long have you been at thispany?¡±


    ¡°Five years.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°T-two years.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And you haven¡¯t bothered to learn anything about your employers? There are men in this room who


    have been here since thispany¡¯s inception. They could tell you at thing or two. They could tell you


    about my marriage for starters.¡±


    ¡°Your marriage?¡±


    Julius flipped open one of the photo albums to reveal images of his wedding shoving it at the young


    Board member who first spoke.


    ¡°Eight years ago, I married the most beautiful woman in the world. Six years ago I made the biggest


    mistake of my life. We¡¯ve been separated since. Tell me, does she look familiar to you?¡±


    The Board member stared at the redhead in the wedding dress standing beside Julius. His eyes went


    to the magazine March continued to read showing a redhead in Julius¡¯s arms. They could almost be


    twins¡­unless¡­


    ¡°You mean the woman in those photos is¡­your wife?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how difficult it is to get your wife to fall back in love with you?¡± Julius asked. ¡°It¡¯s damn


    difficult. Take it from me.¡±


    ¡°But the children¡­¡±


    ¡°These children?¡± Julius opened the other magazine and turned to the article about him and the twins


    tossing it into the middle of the table. ¡°You mean you don¡¯t see the resemnce?¡±


    He opened the album his father had given him turning to a page showing Macey¡¯s very pregnant belly.


    Setting it on the wedding album he asked the Board member, ¡°Well?¡±


    He flipped to another page with the babies in her arms.


    ¡°How about now?¡±


    He flipped to thest page showing Augustus holding the twins.


    ¡°Or now?¡±


    The startled members looked to Augustus who had set aside his phone to stare enigmatically at them


    sometime during Julius¡¯s speech. His expression was calm. There was no trace of embarrassment or


    remorse in his face.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°What? I should be deprived of my grandchildren because my son was an idiot?¡±


    The entire table fell silent. Even those who had been with thepany eight years ago had forgotten


    Julius¡¯s marriage. There had been a lot of rumors at the time. She had been well below his status and


    many spected whether she was even prepared to be the wife to such an important figure. She was


    only around for a couple years before she disappeared and the marriage seemingly dissolved. None


    questioned it at the time but now it seemed the DaLair patriarch had been deliberately hiding her and


    his grandchildren from public scrutiny.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make this very simple,¡± Julius said, ¡°if the Board insists I will submit paternity tests to


    satisfy them¡­at ater date and at my discretion. Until then my father¡¯s word should be more than


    enough to satisfy you. But I will not tolerate interference in my personal life. You will not approach my


    wife or children. You will not make any formal statements or press releases. I will decide when and


    where I make any announcements. Do I make myself clear?¡±


    He fixed each of them with a re daring them to protest. They quailed under his ruthless gaze


    realizing they had grown toocent. They had forgotten how dangerous it was to cross a DaLair.


    ¡°You really should be grateful,¡± March chuckled, ¡°until now my son has been the only heir. Now this


    The Board members shared looks at that statement. It was true. Though other families were often torn


    apart by infighting and rivalries the DaLairs had always been close. Despite the age gap between the


    brothers March and Julius were a united front. There was every reason to believe the cousins would be


    just as close. It also meant future generations of the DaLair family were all but guaranteed.


    ¡°Now get out,¡± Julius said reiming his photo albums and magazines. ¡°Not one word of this leaves


    this room.¡±

 Book One: Chapter 20

    Book One: Chapter 20


    Macey stared at herputer screen lost in thought. Since revealing the truth about Julius the kids


    went back to their usual activities. Aria was busy coloring and naming the subjects ordingly in


    differentnguages while Caden yed piano. Neither seemed particrly shaken by the earth-


    shattering news their father was alive and well let alone had been spending time with them. It made


    Macey wonder if perhaps Augustus had already let that one slip.


    She thought she should be mad at her father-inw but perhaps it was the natural course of action.


    Julius was his son after all. In truth she wasn¡¯t particrly bothered. She always intended to tell the


    twins about their father but could never find a good time. But now things were gettingplicated.


    Macey always assumed Julius moved on with his life after she left. She never expected him to confess


    to looking for her even after all their years apart. She definitely wasn¡¯t expecting him to act so


    passionately. He seemed desperate to keep her at his side¡­or was that just her wishful thinking?


    She felt her face warm as she recalled their night together. He had always known how to touch her.


    There was no denying her body¡¯s reaction to him. No one else was ever able to draw so much out of


    her but what did it mean for the future? She only intended to stay in the States through the kids¡¯ spring


    vacation then return to Paris. What if the children wanted to stay with their father? Was it even possible


    to maintain a rtionship across the Antic?


    It would be one thing if Julius simply wanted to be a father to the twins which she was happy to


    facilitate. The kids could easily spend some of their vacations with him. Yet he also seemed to want


    Macey back. What was she going to do?


    Macey looked at herputer screen. She meant to check her emails but found herself reading the


    tabloid articles about her and the kids again. Aside from the fact they photographed the twins without


    permission the photos themselves were quite nice. She couldn¡¯t help but smile at how natural Julius


    looked with the children though perhaps she shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Macey recalled Julius had always


    been an attentive uncle so it made sense fatherhood would be a natural fit for him.


    A knock at the door interrupted her silent contemtion. Closing herptop Macey stood and answered


    it to find Rose and Jude waiting. They smiled as soon as they saw her.


    ¡°Aunt Macey!¡± Jude greeted immediately enveloping her in a hug.


    ¡°Jude!¡± Macey hugged him back. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you! You¡¯re so tall! You need to stop growing!¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he though!¡± Roseughed.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Macey stepped back. Jude was the spitting image of his father. He could easily pass for a younger


    brother. She smiled at the young man she still saw as a thirteen-year-old. ¡°How¡¯s school?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s school,¡± he shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s boring. Dad says it gets more interestingter.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong,¡± Macey assured him. ¡°It gets a lot better but here¡¯s something your father won¡¯t tell


    you. Don¡¯t just take your sses. Go to school events. Meet people. Make some bad decisions. As


    long as it doesn¡¯t in end in jail time or pregnancy it¡¯s all part of the experience.¡±


    Jude chuckled. That was definitely advice he hadn¡¯t received yet. Macey always knew he would follow


    in his father¡¯s footsteps on day. He was driven by the desire to continue the family legacy. In fact he


    was almost too responsible for a neen-year-old. He never once gave his parents trouble. There


    were never anyte night calls for bail or emergency assistance. Vicki would definitely make a few


    more inappropriate suggestions but Macey left it at her own.


    ¡°So what brings you here?¡± Macey asked. She doubted he had gotten kicked out of school so he must


    have skipped sses toe visiting.


    ¡°Mom sent me pictures of my cousins. I had toe and see them for myself. I mean, if that¡¯s all


    right?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Come inside. They¡¯ll be so excited!¡±


    Macey ushered them in. As they entered the piano ying that had been a constant background noise


    suddenly ceased. Reaching the living room they found the twins at the coffee table waiting for their


    guests. Jude froze staring at his little cousins for the first time. It was like looking in a time warp. They


    looked just like their parents in family photos from before he was born.


    ¡°Aria, Caden, you remember your Aunt Rose. And this is your cousin Jude.¡±


    ¡°Hi!¡± Aria said cheerily as she and her brother stood to meet him. ¡°I¡¯m Aria and this is Caden.¡±


    ¡°Hi, wow,¡± Jude knelt. ¡°You look just like your parents.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Aria giggled and even Caden smiled. He liked the idea of resembling his father. Aria had


    always borne a strong resemnce to their mother while he only had her eyes. Knowing he looked like


    his father made him feel like he truly belonged.


    ¡°What is in there?¡± Caden asked noticing therge bag Jude carried.


    ¡°Well, I bought some games you might like to y,¡± Jude said taking out Trouble?, Bananagrams?,


    and Jenga? setting them on the coffee table. ¡°I really liked ying these when I was little. I also


    bought a kite if you want to fly it.¡±


    ¡°How do you fly it?¡± Aria asked genuinely intrigued. They had seen others flying kites but had never


    done so themselves.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never flown one?¡±


    The twins shook their heads.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re in for a treat.¡±


    Jude knelt at the coffee table and with the twins¡¯ help cleared it off to make room to put the kite


    together. The twins watched fascinated. Rose chuckled snapping photos with her phone while Macey


    did so with her camera. Both had the same idea of preserving every moment.


    When the kite was ready Jude led them outside. Despite its small size the yard was spacious. He


    worried there wouldn¡¯t be enough wind but luckily the buildings around them seemed to channel it


    giving them an ample breeze to try and fly the newly made kite. It took several attempts running back


    and forth with the twinsughing at his antics. Jude nearly ran out of breath before he seeded to the


    twins¡¯ delight. They pped excitedly when it finally stayed aloft.


    Kneeling he encouraged the twins to stand close and take turns handling the string. Seeing their delight


    gave Jude a sense of pride. He now understood why his uncle had been so keen to teach him how to


    fly a kite when he was their age.


    ¡°Hey Caden, level with me,¡± Jude said, ¡°who was ying the piano when we first got here?¡±


    Caden hesitated, ¡°That was me.¡±


    ¡°Really? You y that well?¡±


    Caden shrugged.


    ¡°Caden has a keyboard at home, but here Grandpa Gus got him a piano,¡± Aria proudly added.


    ¡°I got to say¡­that ying was amazing!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Caden awkwardly smiled though he did like thepliment.


    Rose and Macey watched from the patio taking photos. Macey couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at how


    readily the twins warmed up to family members they never met before. In the past they were always


    reserved and even stand-offish toward people they didn¡¯t know. She wondered if their attitude was due


    to an intuitive filial connection or their conscious desire to know their family.


    Of the few men Macey tried to date most were turned off by a pair of toddlers. Yet those who tried to be


    friendly were met with hostility and disregarded by the twins. In fact, even their god-father Paul, one of


    Macey¡¯s closest college friends, was asionally given the cold shoulder. She often wondered why


    they were sometimes weing and sometimes ignored the man they saw almost daily and was close


    enough to be considered an uncle but she never asked.


    ¡°Oh, Macey. I¡¯ve been meaning to ask,¡± Rose suddenly said. ¡°Did you know dad bought an art gallery?¡±


    ¡°Did he?¡± Macey asked hoping she sounded surprised. In truth she had known six months ago he was


    nning to purchase the gallery but she wasn¡¯t ready to admit the reason why.


    ¡°It¡¯s just so strange. Aside from your father¡¯s paintings he¡¯s never been interested in art¡­so why a


    gallery? And I don¡¯t know this artist either: M. Gray. I wonder if he¡¯s a veteran. Dad has a soft spot for


    veterans after all.¡±


    Macey remained silent.


    ¡°Anyway he sent out invitations over a week ago for the gallery¡¯s grand opening. It¡¯s tomorrow night.


    And I just don¡¯t know what to think.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s art,¡± Macey finally spoke. ¡°It¡¯s best not to think too much on it.¡±


    Rose chuckled, ¡°I suppose. That is an excellent point. So are you going?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­Yeah. It sounds like quite the event,¡± Macey answered, ¡°even thoughrge parties aren¡¯t really


    my thing¡­but it¡¯s for art¡­so¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh good,¡± Rose breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh nothing. Forget I said anything.¡±


    Macey looked at her curiously. Something was definitely weighing on Rose¡¯s mind but she obviously


    didn¡¯t want to talk about. After a moment of thought Macey let it go. Rose was not one forrge, fancy


    parties either though she always seemed to handle them well.


    After a while the twins tired of the kite so they headed inside. Gathering around the coffee table Jude


    taught them how to y Trouble? before he and his mother said their goodbyes. The twins seemed


    genuinely sad to see them go but happy Jude left the kite and the games behind along with the


    promise to return and y again. In return they colored him pictures to take back to school. They didn¡¯t


    understand why their family was so fascinated by their pictures but it was an easy gift to make them


    happy.


    ¡°This is great,¡± Jude said looking at the pictures address to Cousin Jude. ¡°When you guys grow up to


    be artists like your mom I¡¯ll have some of your very first pictures to brag to everyone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so silly!¡± Aria giggled but she was pleased. So far their family was fulfilling their expectations


    splendidly.

 Book One: Chapter 21

    Book One: Chapter 21


    Katherine sat in a cab chewing her nails as she waited across the street from the parking garage exit of


    the DaLair corporate office. She tried the front entrance first only to find security waiting to escort her


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    out again. As much as she tried to protest and im Julius kicking her out had only been a joke


    security took hisst orders seriously. Until Julius told them directly to ignore hisst order she was


    barred from the building.


    Next she tried to enter through the parking area knowing there had to be elevator ess. Unfortunately


    the parking garage had barred gates and only those withpany keycards could ess it. Denied


    twice she had no choice but to sit and wait.


    The cab driver said nothing as they idled. Every minute the meter continued to run up so it meant more


    money for him. Katherine ignored him as he worked his crossword puzzle. Her mind again recalled her


    father¡¯s scolding. She knew they were having difficulties with her father¡¯s hotels but she hadn¡¯t


    expected they would soon be broke. Securing herself a husband and afortable life was even more


    imperative. If she wanted to maintain her lifestyle she needed Julius at the altar.


    She twisted her five carat engagement ring she bought in anticipation of Julius¡¯s proposal. If only she


    could have gotten him back to her room two years ago. The DaLair¡¯s were a family fiercely loyal to their


    own. If she seeded in bing pregnant with Julius¡¯s child they would have had no choice but to


    wee her with open arms.


    Thest two years had not gone without her trying but Julius never sumbed to his drink again. In


    fact the incident left him wary and he only epted sses directly from his servers which made her


    suspect he might be suspicious of someone tampering with his drink in the past. She never dared to try


    the same trick again and he remained cold and aloof toward her.


    Even when attending the same events Julius never offered to pick her up or escort her inside. She


    always needed to find her own transportation. He never embraced her, never so much as kissed her


    cheek. When other men hit on her he never leapt to defend her honor.


    Beside hery a copy of the magazine her father threw at her with the images of the redhead in Julius¡¯s


    passionate embrace. How did she seed when Katherine failed? It wasn¡¯t fair. Just who was she?


    Looking at it again Katherine had the nagging suspicion she met the redhead before but where?


    Turning her attention back to the window she saw the parking gate rise and Julius¡¯s car pulled out onto


    the street. She tapped the divider saying, ¡°Follow him.¡±


    The cab driver nodded putting away his crossword. He followed the BMW at a discreet distance though


    it was unlikely anyone would notice one random cab among the fleet that existed throughout the city.


    Katherine continued to fiddle with her hands. She needed a n. Normally all she had to do was bat


    her eyes in the right direction and men lined up to fulfill her every desire. Julius proved a more difficult


    target. He seemed impervious to her usual charms. Never once had he taken her anywhere of his own


    volition. She had to practically drag him around to get him anywhere.


    She had yet to enjoy the jealous looks of other woman as she entered a venue hanging on Julius¡¯s


    arm. They would be the talk of the town and on the front page of every gossip magazine if only she


    would get him to pay a little attention to her. There had to be a way to guilt him into being more


    attentive.


    Perhaps if she flirted with someone else? But she tried that before. Julius simply walked away and


    Katherine had to deal with a leach who didn¡¯t know when to leave her alone for the rest of the night.


    Perhaps she should have pretended to be pregnant but she knew Augustus would demand a paternity


    test before he would concede to her. There had to be a way to salvage the situation. If only it weren¡¯t


    for the redhead none of this would matter.


    Katherine looked at the magazine again ready to scream as she recalled how Julius held the other


    woman: his arms wrapped around her, his hands caressing her body as his mouth devoured hers.


    Katherine never knew he could be like that. What did that woman possess Katherine didn¡¯t?


    As they drove across the Brooklyn Bridge Katherine suddenly became aware of their surroundings.


    She tapped the partition demanding, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ma¡¯am,¡± the driver shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just following the car like you told me to.¡±


    Katherine huffed watching the BMW in front of them. Though she had never been invited she thought


    Julius¡¯s condo was in Brooklyn. Was she mistaken? Just where was he going?


    She started to pay more attention as they entered neighborhoods withvish homes. Ahead of them


    the BMW pulled into a driveway parking in front of the garage door. The taxi parked across the street


    slightly ahead of the vi where they still had a good view of the front. Katherine stared at the gorgeous


    home with a modern feel. It had a peaked roof with wide windows. Built higher than the street the home


    was actually built over the garage which was slightly lower than street level.


    Julius stepped out of his car unbuttoning his coat. He walked to the back of his car as the trunk popped


    open allowing him to grab arge duffle bag. Katherine watched wondering why he brought a bag. Was


    this not his home? Julius walked up the front steps. The door suddenly burst open and a small,


    redheaded girl appeared. She threw her arms up and ran to him. Dropping his bag Julius scooped her


    up kissing her cheek. She squealed delight. Her brother followed clutching Julius¡¯s leg with equal


    eagerness. He dropped to his knee to hug both in his arms.


    Katherine stared in silence. Kids? Why was he hugging kids? Why did they look so familiar? She finally


    realized the answer. They were the same kids she osted at the party. The boy was the one she


    pped when he talked back to her in front of the DaLair patriarch. When the redheaded woman


    appeared in the doorway Katherine connected the rest of the dots. It was the same woman who


    pped her in retaliation for hitting the boy.


    Katherine¡¯s mouth dropped as Julius stood pulling the redhead into his arms and kissing her as if it was


    the only thing he thought about all day. Her arms wrapped around him as the space between them


    disappeared. How could he kiss the woman who pped her? Katherine had been the one publicly


    humiliated so why was he holding her? Who was she?


    ¡°Oh¡­she¡¯s back,¡± the driver said ncing up from his crossword to see why his client was so


    interested in the vi.


    ¡°What?¡± Katherine jerked away from the window to look at him. ¡°Do you know her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s his wife.¡±


    ¡°Julius isn¡¯t married,¡± Katherine scoffed.


    ¡°Six years ago he was,¡± the driver shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know if many people remember though. I think


    there was a bunch of theories after she suddenly disappeared. Some even said he killed her. She looks


    fine to me. Looks like he missed her too.¡±


    Katherine turned again to the vi. Julius bowed his head to nibble at the redhead¡¯s ear and kiss down


    her neck. Was that really the cold and distant man she knew? Since when did he be such an


    insatiable lover? And the kids¡­


    Now that she saw them together there was a distinct resemnce between him, the redhead and the


    children. Were they¡­they couldn¡¯t possibly be¡­were they actually his?


    Reluctantly letting the redhead go Julius reimed his bag. Herding the children in front of him he


    escorted them inside. Katherine stared at the closed door her mind running circles. It was beginning to


    make sense and her troubles were only getting worse.


    Why the kids called Augustus grandpa¡­why Augustus did nothing when the redhead publically


    humiliated Katherine¡­why he apanied her to events¡­why Julius acted so attentive to her¡­


    ¡°My shift is almost overdy, you staying here?¡± the cab driver asked.


    ¡°No. Let¡¯s go.¡± Katherine said. ¡°Take me back home.¡±


    The driver shrugged. Putting the car into drive he pulled away and headed back to where she originally


    gged him down.

 Book One: Chapter 22

    Book One: Chapter 22


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Aria squealed as soon as she threw open the door.


    She ran toward him with her arms wide. Julius didn¡¯t hesitate to drop his bag and scooped her into his


    arms blowing raspberries against her cheek. Aria giggled hugging him tight.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Caden followed her out the door. He ran forward to hug his father¡¯s leg. Caden was never one to


    be clingy but now he desperately wanted the attention of the father he only just met.


    Julius patted the boy¡¯s head as their greeting finally clicked and he asked, ¡°What did you call me?¡±


    ¡°Mommy said you¡¯re our daddy!¡± Aria announced. ¡°Is it okay to call you that?¡±


    Julius sucked in a breath before dropping to his knee to hug both of them. He was shaking but his


    voice was husky and calm, ¡°I would love for my babies to call me daddy.¡±


    They hugged him tight. Perhaps they had been waiting for this moment longer than even him; after all


    most children are curious about their parents. It warmed him to know they wanted him in their lives


    despite being absent for so long.


    ¡°Aria! Caden! You know better than to open the door for strangers!¡± Macey rushed to the door but


    stopped when she saw the trio on the doorstep.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, mommy!¡± Aria said happily. ¡°Daddy¡¯s home!¡±


    Macey¡¯s face reddened but Julius chuckled. Standing he stepped up to her pulling her into his arms.


    Capturing his mouth he kissed her long and slow, savoring her taste. Her arms hesitantly circled him


    holding him close and prolonging their kiss.


    He bowed his head to nibble her ear and whispered, ¡°You heard her¡­daddy¡¯s home.¡±


    Macey blushed leaning against him to hide her embarrassment. His embrace tightened keeping her


    close less she tried to escape. Her body felt so good against his. It took everything he had not to start


    stripping her right then and there so he could touch her skin.


    ¡°Daddy, are we going to stay here all night?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°Dinner will burn,¡± Cadenined.


    Julius chuckled finally releasing Macey and allowing her to retreat inside he reimed his bag and


    herded the children in ahead of him. He was already imaging what it would be like to return home like


    this every night, to be greeted by his children¡­and his beautiful wife.


    Macey returned to the kitchen unwilling to face him again while the kids circled him as he removed his


    shoes. Caden was the first to ask about the bag, ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡±


    ¡°Well, some of my clothes,¡± Julius said.


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re going to stay!¡± Aria bounced excitedly.


    ¡°If your mom let¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°She will,¡± Aria said confidently.


    ¡°You think so?¡± Julius studied his children¡¯s happy faces.


    ¡°Ah-huh,¡± Caden agreed. ¡°She missed you a lot!¡±


    Julius swallowed back his eagerness ncing at the woman making herself busy in the kitchen. His


    heartbeat echoed in his ears. With the way her body responded to him he knew it couldn¡¯t be


    coincidence. She missed him. That had to mean her feelings hadn¡¯tpletely cooled. If she had


    feelings for him then there was hope. His mind went to the velvet lined box he had grabbed from his


    desk and packed in his bag. He still had a chance.


    ¡°Are you going to wear your suit all night?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°How about I change and then we can y a game before we eat?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Aria and Caden cheered.


    * * *


    Katherine pulled up across the street from the vi and parked. Julius¡¯s car remained in the driveway.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if she should be grateful for that or not. With a sigh she picked up her phone and


    paged through the articles she managed to find. It took some time but eventually she found an expos¨¦


    about Julius¡¯s wedding eight years ago. Apparently it had been a private affair and media had not been


    invited which was why only a few newspapers even covered the story.


    The images apanying the articles were official wedding photos released by the DaLairs. Julius


    stood smiling with his blushing bride. They were nearly ten years younger in the photo but she was


    definitely the same redhead. She really was his wife. Katherine would be lying if she said the redhead


    wasn¡¯t pretty in her mermaid-style gown with a sweat heart neckline.


    Katherine chewed her lip as she continued through the articles. The marriage didn¡¯tst long and she


    disappeared quietly after two years. As the cab driver said there was plenty of spection about the


    separation from the beginning since the DaLairs made no official announcement. Apparently she had


    not been a socialite; in fact, her family had been quite poor.


    Rumors circted about how she even managed to attract Julius¡¯s attention. Some imed she


    purposely sought him out to entrap him in a marriage since she didn¡¯t have the social standing


    anywhere equal to his.


    Macey Grayson was the daughter of a painter and a nurse. Her father, Carl Grayson, was a Vietnam


    vet and his paintings always depicted soldiers. Somehow he managed to gain Augustus as a patron.


    Most spected it was because Augustus himself was a veteran and was known to be a vocal


    supporter of other veterans that attracted him to Carl¡¯s work.


    Now that Katherine thought about it during her asional visits to the DaLair estate she had seen


    several paintings of soldiers scattered throughout the mansion. Could all of those paintings be Carl


    Grayson¡¯s work? Even without knowing the story behind them she thought them distasteful and


    determined to burn them once she and Julius inherited the estate.


    Macey disappeared without a trace so why was she suddenly back? And the children. They couldn¡¯t be


    more than five which meant Macey had been pregnant when she disappeared. Were they the reason


    she left? Katherine wasn¡¯t the only one specting. She looked again at the recent articles of Julius


    and Macey and the kids. It wasn¡¯t the articles that caught her attention this time but thements


    posted underneath.


    Who is that woman with Julius DaLair?


    She¡¯s so hot! Man, the rich get all the goods.


    I thought he was engaged.


    Looks like everyone here forgot he was married. (Thisment was apanied by an image of the


    wedding photo.)


    Those kids are so cute! Are they rted?


    Julius DaLair doesn¡¯t have kids.


    Are you nuts? Look at the boy! They¡¯re practically twins!


    Did he just pull these kids out of thin air? What is he a magician?


    My God! Did all of you forget his marriage? If you saw his wife you¡¯d know that little girl looks exactly


    like her. (Below thement was a picture of Macey and Julius at an event sometime after their


    marriage.)


    Wait¡­he was married?


    Oh I remember now! He was married but his wife disappeared like five years ago.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Right. People thought he murdered her and she was buried under the Giant¡¯s stadium.


    Well those kids are about five. You know his brother¡¯s wife had difficulty during her pregnancy¡­maybe


    Julius¡¯s wife did too. I mean who wants to raise kids surrounded by all those cut throat business men


    and harpies?


    So are they still married?


    I¡¯m pretty sure they got a divorce.


    There is no way they are divorced. One does not kiss their ex like that!


    But he¡¯s supposed to be engaged to that blonde¡­what¡¯s her name?


    Engaged! Oh please. In her dreams maybe! Have you ever seen them out together anywhere that


    wasn¡¯t a public event? I mean, they don¡¯t even arrive together!


    Let¡¯s settle this right here and now. Who would you want to be seen with¡­sophisticated and ssy (A


    picture of Macey in her blue gown appeared)


    ¡­or trashy and cheap (A picture of Katherine desperately pulling down her cocktail dress after exiting


    the cab appeared)¡­Choose wisely.


    Katherine¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment and she tossed her phone into the backseat. How dare


    they? She was a woman of means. The daughter of a well-respected family. How dare theypare


    her to a¡­nobody! The nothing daughter of a talentless painter!


    She couldn¡¯t let this woman steal her future. Katherine climbed out of the car and headed across the


    street. She had a mind to march directly up to the front door and give that redhead a piece of her mind


    but stopped short. What if Julius answered the door?


    Hesitating she circled to the side of the vi. There she found a gate to the backyard but it was locked.


    The backyard itself was surrounded by a tall stone wall capped with an iron-wrought fence. Even the


    stone wall was above Katherine¡¯s height as she walked down the narrow alley.


    Finding metal trash cans Katherine climbed on one. They added just enough height to allow her peak


    into the manicured backyard. She glimpsed a pool and a Jacuzzi as well. As she silently fumed at the


    beauty of a home she deserved the backdoor burst open and the twins ran out onto the patio.


    ¡°Hurry Caden! Before daddy catches us!¡±


    The twins hurried down the patio steps. The girl turned right and ducked into the step¡¯s shadow while


    her brother turned left and hid behind the odd shed that stood off to the side. Momentster Julius


    emerged.


    He had exchanged his suit for a pair of jeans and a maroon sweatshirt. Katherine nearly fell off her


    precarious perch. She never saw him in casual clothes before. She didn¡¯t even know he owned casual


    clothing.


    Julius descended the steps slowly before turning right and immediately snatched the girl from her


    hiding ce. She squealedughter as he tossed her into the air before catching her. He blew


    raspberries against her cheek and pretended to eat her by nibbling her neck. She giggled.


    ¡°Stop it daddy!¡±


    Heughed holding her tight, ¡°Now where is your brother?¡±


    ¡°Run Caden! Run!¡± Aria called warning not that it would help. There really weren¡¯t many hiding ces


    beyond the bushes along the wall.


    Julius found Caden a few secondster, scooped him up and also blew raspberries on his cheek which


    made him giggle as much as his sister. Normally Caden did not like to be touched or held unless it was


    his mother or Aunt Vicki but with his father he lowered his guard and weed the attention.


    ¡°Well I caught you, now what?¡± Julius chuckled holding both of his children.


    ¡°New game!¡± the twins immediately dered.


    ¡°Oh? And what¡¯s that?¡± Julius knelt setting them on their feet.


    The twins shared a look before Aria shouted, ¡°Get him!¡±


    Together they pushed their father knocking him down before climbing on top of him to hold him down.


    Julius let out a shout,ughing before dering, ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve done it now! It¡¯s time for tickle monster!¡±


    He circled his arms around them and immediately started tickling them. The pair screechedughter


    squirming to get away but he held them fast.


    ¡°Daddy! Stop!¡±


    ¡°Not until you say I win!¡± Julius said continuing his tickle assault.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready!¡± Macey dered from the door. ¡°Come in and get cleaned up!¡±


    Julius finally released the kids letting them return to the patio. With a satisfied sigh he got to his feet


    and followed. Reaching the door Macey chuckled as she brushed stray grass from his shirt. Without a


    word he pulled her into his embrace kissing her. They stood forehead to forehead for a long moment


    before retreating inside.


    The door barely closed when Katherine¡¯s perch gave out and she tumbled to the concrete. She slowly


    picked herself up rubbing her elbow. Wincing she limped back to the street leaving the garbage can


    and trash where it had fallen. Reaching her car she slumped into the driver¡¯s seat.


    Who knew Julius had it in him to be so caring and loving? He certainly seemed to believe the children


    were his and they even called him daddy. Would it do her any good to throw suspicion by demanding


    paternity tests? What if they really were his? Could she somehow bribe the doctor to fake a negative


    test? Did her father have enough money? Would any doctor risk the DaLair¡¯s anger by doing so even if


    she could afford it?


    What should she do?

 Book One: Chapter 23

    Book One: Chapter 23


    ¡°Look daddy! Clean hands!¡± Aria proudly dered as she and Caden returned from the bathroom.


    ¡°Very good!¡± heughed picking her up and carrying her to the table which had been set much the


    same as the night before minus the candles. Even the bouquet remained as the centerpiece. ¡°So


    what¡¯s for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Lasagna,¡± Macey said bringing out the dish. ¡°Come on everyone sit.¡±


    The kids climbed into their seats as their mother served out their portions alongside steamed


    vegetables. Caden looked at his meal and then to his mother expectantly. Macey chuckled bringing out


    a te with a wedge of parmesan. She held the shredder over hissagna and grated the cheese onto


    it. He smiled happily.


    ¡°Me too mommy!¡± Aria dered.


    As Macey performed the same task for her Julius recalled the scene from the restaurant when Caden


    requested parmesan only to give his mother a disappointed scowl at the shaker. Was this the cheese


    he really wanted?


    ¡°Do you want some too daddy?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Julius nced at Macey wondering if she would repeat the task for him as lovingly as she did


    for their children. His answer came as she set the te, cheese and shredder within his reach before


    sitting down to her own meal. Apparently he would have to do it himself. The kids snickered at his


    expense though he didn¡¯t really mind.


    They fell intofortable silence as they ate. Macey¡¯s cooking was as amazing as he remembered.


    She often made dinner during the two years they were together but he couldn¡¯t recall ever sincerely


    praising her efforts.


    ¡°Did I ever tell you¡­you are an amazing cook?¡± Julius suddenly asked looking at her. Macey looked up


    but didn¡¯t answer perhaps trying to recall. ¡°Because you are an excellent cook.¡±


    Julius grasped her hand kissing it. Macey blushed though he wasn¡¯t certain if it was from the


    going quite well considering they were already into Phase Five, thest stage of their n.


    This part was the trickiest as it relied on their father to make the boldest move yet. They felt he was


    ready but they weren¡¯t so sure about their mother. Not only did their father have to make the move but


    their mother needed to ept it.


    ¡°Macey¡­there is something I¡¯ve wanted to ask you,¡± Julius said. Aria and Caden perked up to listen. ¡°It


    seems dad purchased an art gallery and the grand opening is tomorrow night.¡±


    Macey nodded already aware but not wanting to admit what she knew.


    ¡°¡­So would you like to go together?¡± Julius asked and held his breath waiting for her answer.


    Macey bit her lip. His gaze was sincere, almost pleading. Should she tell him the truth now? What


    would he think? Would he think less of her or more? In the end she simply didn¡¯t have the courage.


    ¡°¡­Sure. Yes,¡± she finally said. ¡°We can go together. All of us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Aria excitedly cheered. Initially she had been disappointed by her father¡¯s question but held it


    in. Going as a family meant they would be together the whole night. There was plenty of time to


    Julius let out the breath he was holding and kissed her hand, ¡°Thank you. So tomorrow we¡¯ll go


    shopping for party clothes, all right?¡±


    ¡°Can we?¡± Aria pped excitedly.


    ¡°Aria, we already have party clothes,¡± Macey shook her head. She had strived to teach the children to


    be frugal and not waste the gifts they were given. They certainly weren¡¯t poor but that was no reason to


    be careless.


    ¡°But you already wore those dresses mommy. We should get something new!¡±


    ¡°Aria.¡±


    ¡°If we get something new then we can match daddy too!¡± Aria dered.


    ¡°Now that is an idea,¡± Julius smiled.


    ¡°What are you going to wear, daddy?¡± Caden asked.


    ¡°Well, a suit. It¡¯s supposed to be ck tie.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Caden,¡± Macey assured him knowing how much he hated restrictive formal wear. ¡°There


    isn¡¯t really a dress code.¡±


    ¡°But I want to match daddy,¡± Caden said. ¡°Aria always gets to match you. I want to match too.¡±


    Macey bit her lip. Caden had always despised formal attire iming it was ufortable. Yet he


    encouraged his mother and sister to wear pretty gowns. He neverined but maybe the truth was


    he really did want someone he could match the same way his sister did. She felt Julius¡¯s grip tighten


    drawing her attention. He watched her with the same sincere, pleading look. Julius wanted them to go


    as a family.


    Finally she conceded, ¡°All right. Okay. We¡¯ll go shopping tomorrow.¡±


    Julius smiled kissing her hand again while Aria pped. His father warned him Macey didn¡¯t need him


    and perhaps that was true but he still hoped for, longed for, her to want him and to want everything he


    could provide. For now he would revel in the fact he would attend the event with his family by his side.


    And then the world would know how much this woman truly meant to him.


    * * *


    ¡°In a warm and sultry forest far, far away, there once lived a mother fruit bat and her new baby¡­¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Aria and Caden cuddled up on either side of him as he read Steluna by Janell Cannon. Macey


    watched from the doorway. It had been years since the kids requested a bedtime story from her. She


    wondered if it was because they were bored or if this new found interest was them wanting to create


    memories with their father.


    Macey felt a pain of guilt. Aria and Caden had never mentioned the desire for a father or questioned


    why he wasn¡¯t around. At first she thought it was because they weren¡¯t interested in one but now she


    knew it was short-sighted for her to think that. How could they not wonder about their father when they


    saw other kids with theirs? There was only one reason they wouldn¡¯t ask about their father¡­and that


    was so they didn¡¯t upset her.


    Tucking the twins in bed Macey pulled the door closed her thoughts still churning. Julius hugged her


    from behind pulling her close as he kissed the nape of her neck. Macey slowly rxed as he held her


    body against his rocking slightly side to side. He caressed herzily kissing down her neck.


    ¡°Julius¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me what you want, Macey,¡± Julius whispered against her ear. ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He picked her up bridal style and carried her to the bedroom.


    Macey gasped suddenly finding herself lifted in his arms. She didn¡¯t protest as he carried her to the


    bedroom where he finally set her on her feet. He held her close his mouth finding hers as his hands


    roamed her curves.


    His lips pulled away long enough to pull her shirt over her head. He immediately pulled her back into


    his embrace bowing his head to kiss her neck. His hands fiddled with and finally unhooked her bra.


    Macey tugged his shirt off letting her hands run down his chest.


    Julius hummed reveling in the feel of her hands. It had been so long since he allowed a woman to


    touch him. Every woman¡¯s touch made his skin crawl. Only hers made him quiver with need. Trailing


    kisses down her body he pulled down her pants. She stepped out of them shivering, her face already


    flushed.


    Smiling Julius guided her to the bedying her down and kissing her deeply. He nibbled her ear and


    kissed her neck whispering, ¡°Tell me you want this Macey. Do you want this?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    He pulled away shedding thest of his clothes before slowly working up her body. Macey moaned as


    his hands caressed her thighs gripping her hips. She gasped as his tongue ran up her entrance and


    teased her clit.


    ¡°Julius!¡±


    ¡°Shhh¡­¡±


    She moaned as his tongue continued to work her moist folds darting in and out of her. His hands held


    her hips steady as she squirmed with the sensations he was causing. Her orgasm came unexpectedly


    as his teeth grazed her clit again. Julius hummed satisfaction slowly working his way higher to suck on


    her breast.


    Macey groaned trying to catch her breath from her first climax. He left no room for recovery as his


    fingers entered her next. His thumb rubbed and teased her clit as one then two fingers stroked inside.


    Her moans filled the room as her hips moved against him forcing him deeper. He moved to her other


    breast, nipping her tender peak.


    There were too many sensations happening at the same time. Her brain couldn¡¯t process them all at


    once as she reached another climax. The motion of his fingers slowed drawing out her pleasure before


    continuing faster. His fingers curled teasing her. Macey squirmed unable to control herself as her body


    clenched and she reached another peak much too quickly.


    Shey panting as he finally allowed her a moment of rest. Julius kissed up her chest to her neck.


    Macey moaned as he slowly pressed inside her. Her body weed him anticipating the pleasure he


    would give her.


    ¡°Tell me what you want, Macey,¡± he whispered huskily.


    ¡°I¡ªI¡­I want you.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Julius kissed her deeply his tongue teasing hers swallowing her moans as he pulled out before


    thrusting in. She rocked with him as he set the rhythm. Her back arched and her hips rolled against his


    drawing him in. She wasn¡¯t ready for her next orgasm as her body clenched around him. Julius


    groaned holding back letting her pleasure ride before pressing into her again. His thrusts came harder


    and faster. Macey moaned trying to catch her breath. Her mind was muddled as he continued harder,


    faster, her pleasure building.


    Julius groaned as she clenched his length. There was no holding himself back this time as he filled her


    with his essence. Theyy slowly catching their breath as they came down together. Moaning he eased


    out of her kissing her lovingly as her bodypletely rxed. Macey sighed hardly aware he left the


    bed. He returned with a warm wash cloth gently cleaning her before rejoining her under the covers.


    Spooning her he held her against him and fell into a satisfied sleep.

 Book One: Chapter 24

    Book One: Chapter 24


    Macey stirred. Her body was warm, enclosed in his strong arms. Julius breathed against her shoulder.


    Her muddled mind slowly pieced the night together causing her face to warm at the memory of her


    inhibition.


    God! He even licked her there!


    He had never done that before. His love making had always been tender and considerate but not¡­


    what should she even call it? She had no words for the things he had done to her.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Julius groggily stirred.


    Macey stiffened. She wasn¡¯t certain when he woke and she didn¡¯t know how she could face him after


    ¡°Macey?¡± he kissed her neck. ¡°Baby? Did you not enjoy it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I did. Very much.¡±


    He nuzzled her and his embrace tightened.


    ¡°¡­You never did any of that before.¡±


    ¡°For six years I¡¯ve fantasized about everything I would do to you once I found you again,¡± he


    whispered.


    ¡°You have?¡±


    ¡°If you let me¡­I¡¯ll take care of you all day and all night. Just tell me what you want. I¡¯ll make all your


    wishese true.¡±


    Macey bit her lip. How long had she waited for those words? How many nights had she longed for his


    warmth, his touch? It had been so hard in the beginning with her pregnancy hormones running


    rampant. There were nights she couldn¡¯t sleep at all. At those times Vicki was a life saver. They stayed


    up eating rocky road and watching her favorite movie on repeat while she confessed her heartache.


    She was not only a shoulder to cry on but a confidant. Vicki alone knew Macey¡¯s whole story: growing


    up and falling in love with Julius, enduring her one-sided loveless marriage and finally leaving. Not only


    did Vicki listen but she became her number one supporter and cheerleader. Vicki seemed to always


    know when Macey needed a night in and when she needed to get out and feel normal rather than


    wallow in self pity. She never insisted Macey move on rather she said Macey needed to let her heart


    grieve and heal in its own time.


    Macey remembereding home after a failed blind date to find Vicki awake and ready to hear the


    details while the kids slept. She cried her eyes out that nightining how much it hurt to think


    Julius had moved on while she was trapped loving him. Most people told her to just forget him but Vicki


    had different advice: isir d''amour ne dure qu''un moment. Chagrin d''amour dure toute vie.[1] If you


    love him¡­love him. There is nothing wrong with that.


    But what if I always love him? What if I never get over him?


    Sweetheart, I am French. To me unrequited love is as natural as breathing. Your heart will heal when it


    is ready and will open itself to new love¡­and if it doesn¡¯t maybe it is trying to tell you something. Le


    coeur a ses raisons que raison ne conna?t pas.[2]


    Was this what her heart had been trying to tell her? Julius hadn¡¯t moved on as she thought he did. He


    had been trying to find her all this time hoping to bring their family back together. Could it be that


    somehow her heart knew that? Was this why she never could let him go?


    ¡°Macey?¡± Julius stirred pulled her closer as he propped himself on his elbow and turned her so shey


    on her back looking at him. He was surprised to see tears seeping from her eyes. ¡°Shh¡­don¡¯t cry. Did I


    say something wrong?¡±


    Macey shook her head unable to formte the words she wanted to say. Instead she mumbled, ¡°Just


    hold me¡­please?¡±


    His embrace tightened pulling her into his chest as he kissed her forehead and whispered, ¡°As you


    wish.¡±


    Macey rxed in his arms, ¡°You remembered my favorite movie.¡±


    ¡°Of course I did. I remember everything about you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how long shey there but eventually she realized they had to get up for the kids soon.


    When she decided to move she found she couldn¡¯t. It seemed every part of her protested making it


    difficult to breathe.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Julius sensed her difort.


    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t move. Everything¡¯s just so sore.¡±


    Julius chuckled kissing her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was too eagerst night.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny. The kids will be up soon. What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Six. Rx. We have time.¡±


    ¡°Time to what? I can¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll fix it.¡± He chuckled before sliding out of bed. ¡°Stay here¡­I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°Stay here¡­¡± she snorted. ¡°Like I have a choice.¡±


    Hisughter echoed back to her as he entered the master bath. Macey tried to sit but everything


    protested and brought tears to her eyes. A few momentster she heard him running a bath. Soaking in


    warm water did sound good but how was she supposed to get to the tub?


    ¡°Okay beautiful. Let¡¯s go,¡± Julius said as he returned.


    She looked at him but quickly looked away realizing he was very much naked. Her face reddened as


    she covered it with her hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Julius asked leaning over her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should put something on?¡± she mumbled.


    Julius burst outughing before gently prying her hands from her face to kiss her nose saying,


    ¡°Considering where my mouth wasst night I think seeing little junior is the least of your worries.¡±


    Macey stifled a shriek and her face grew even redder, ¡°Thanks a lot. I¡¯d almost forgotten that!¡±


    Julius chuckled scooping her into his arms and carrying her bridal style, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it after all


    we both belong to you, beautiful. We¡¯ll do it all again tonight.¡±


    Macey continued to hide her face unable to meet his gaze as memories of their passionate night


    returned to her mind. There weren¡¯t words for her level of embarrassment.


    Stillughing Julius carried her into the bathroom and carefully settled her in the warm water of the


    Jacuzzi tub. Macey gasped and sighed as the water enveloped her. It did feel good. A momentter


    Julius joined her pulling her into his arms so she rested against his chest. Fiddling with the controls he


    activated the jets and adjusted the speed. He sat between two jets allowing their current to swirl around


    her. Macey moaned rxing.


    ¡°Better?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± She rested against him.


    Julius smiled enjoying her in his arms where she fit so neatly. How could he have been so stupid? If his


    younger self were in front of him now he would kick his ass. After a few minutes he grabbed a bath


    scrub and gently washed her kissing her shoulder.


    ¡°Julius?¡±


    ¡°Yes beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Did you mean what you said?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About¡­taking care of me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Julius kissed her temple. ¡°Every word.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°H-how is that supposed to work?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­the kids and I have to go back to Paris. They have school. I havemitments¡­and so do


    you.¡±


    She felt him tense the moment she mentioned leaving but he slowly rxed again. Finally he


    answered, ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just quite work.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t taken a vacation day in almost ten years. I¡¯d say I¡¯m overdue,¡± Julius replied. ¡°Besides dad¡¯s


    wanted to break into the European market for awhile. Someone needs to be there to make it happen.¡±


    ¡°So¡­you¡¯d really just leave everything behind? Move to a new country where you don¡¯t know anyone?¡±


    His embrace tightened and he kissed her again, ¡°All I need is you and the kids. Nothing else matters.¡±


    ¡°Julius.¡± Macey shifted to look at him.


    He smiled at her conflicted expression saying, ¡°Just say the word. Whether we live here or in Paris or


    split our time between both¡­it doesn¡¯t matter to me as long as we are together.¡±


    She wanted to say something but she didn¡¯t know how. Instead she stayed silent cuddling against him.


    He held her content to have her in his arms¡­for now. Eventually she knew he would want an answer


    but she didn¡¯t know what kind she would give him.


    * * *


    ¡°Mister DaLair! We¡¯ve been expecting you!¡± the owner of the tailor shop greeted.


    Julius nodded as he held the door for Macey and the kids. Though he was not one to reserve a whole


    store like his father Julius did prefer to alert shop owners when he nned to visit. It was the best way


    to ensure prompt service especially if he was in a rush. He was no stranger to this store as the owner


    knew him for years.


    Reagan was in his mid-fifties. His hair was thinning and he had put on some weight since his prime but


    he was the consummate professional weing more than a few of New York¡¯s elite through his doors,


    particrly the DaLairs.


    Julius had always been a loyal customer and Reagan extended the red carpet treatment whenever he


    arrived but this was the first time he came shopping with a woman let alone kids in tow. The woman


    was quite beautiful with her vibrant red hair. Her look was mimicked in the energetic little girl who


    skipped into the store ahead of them. The boy on the other hand had a more serious look as he slowly


    took in his surroundings.


    ¡°Hello Reagan,¡± Julius said, ¡°we have a party to go to tonight. Me and my son need to look as good as


    thedies.¡±


    Caden wrinkled his nose at his father¡¯s statement but was excited to finally do something his sister took


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    for granted. For once he would be the one trying on new clothes with his parent.


    ¡°Your¡­son¡­¡± Reagan looked at the young boy again. There was definitely a strong resemnce. ¡°I


    see. What kind of event are you attending?¡±


    ¡°A grand opening for an art gallery,¡± Julius said taking out his phone to show him a picture he snapped


    at thest store. ¡°This is what thedies are wearing.¡±


    The image showed Macey in an off-the-shoulder, forest green gown. It red just below her hips giving


    her more freedom of movement than her previous dresses though it stayed in the mermaid style which


    she preferred. Beside her Aria modeled a velvet green dress with poufy shoulders and a ckyered


    skirt. It had acey hem with beaded neck line.


    ¡°So what do you think?¡± Julius asked. ¡°You got something to help uspete with that?¡±


    Normally when Julius shopped for suits he was indifferent but today there was a distinct yfulness


    and eagerness in his attitude. Reagan had known the DaLairs for a long time and his mind slowly


    recalled fitting him for a wedding tux several years ago. Could this woman be that bride? And the


    children¡­


    Reagan smiled brightly saying, ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what we can do.¡±


    Julius scooped up Caden and carried him as they followed the shop owner into the store. Now he had


    a better view of the racks of suits in various colors: ck, white, gray, brown, green, blue¡­even pink.


    There were just as many racks of dress shirts also in multiple colors, styles and material. Along the wall


    were essories: boutonnieres, ties, tie clips, belts, hats, cufflinks, shoes, even sunsses among


    many things Caden couldn¡¯t identify.


    ¡°A gallery opening would be a ck tie affair so I think we should keep it simple with a basic ck suit,¡±


    Reagan said selecting one of the suits. ¡°Now we have this. It¡¯s simple but as you can see the material


    has a satin finish that adds a little extra.¡±


    ¡°What do you think, Caden?¡± Julius asked as they felt the heavy material.


    ¡°Will it be too hot?¡± Caden asked. Though he was excited to match his father his main concern was


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Julius agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll be there all night so it should be breathable. Reagan?¡±


    He nodded like a wise sage sensing what his clients wanted. Leading them to another rack of suits he


    selected one that was lighter and softer but still fitted. Caden seemed to find this one eptable.


    ¡°Ites in children¡¯s sizes too, right?¡± Julius wanted to be sure.


    Reagan nodded. A salesperson brought a tape to take Caden¡¯s measurements then selected a small


    range of sizes to see which fit best. A selection of shirts was also chosen allowing them to choose


    material best suited forfort. Then they retreated to the dressing rooms with a few essories to


    During this process Macey and Aria quietly wandered through the essories. Aria giggled at some of


    the choices and designs. She had never been to a men¡¯s clothing shop before so it was a new


    experience and she had a hard time even identifying most things.


    ¡°What do you think,dies?¡± Julius asked as he and Caden emerged from the dressing rooms.


    The pair strutted and turned as if on a run way. Somehow they had gotten a hold of matching


    sunsses and they wore them as if they were 80¡¯s heartthrobs as they posed. Aria giggled at their


    father¡¯s silliness. Macey chuckled. She knelt and straightened Caden¡¯s tie. Like her, he was not a big


    shopper but he was smiling broadly losing most of his reserve. It seemed the more time he spent with


    his father the bolder he became.


    ¡°I think you both look very handsome,¡± Macey said cing a green, silk handkerchief in Caden¡¯s chest


    pocket. ¡°There. The final touch.¡±


    Caden¡¯s grin only got bigger. Now he really did match his mom and dad. Macey kissed his forehead


    and stood. Moving to Julius she fitted a simr handkerchief in his pocket. He caught her hands before


    she could pull away and kissed them. Her cheeks took on a faint blush which only made him smile


    more. Julius leaned his forehead against hers not caring if anyone saw him. After tonight everyone


    would know how he felt¡­and most importantly she would no longer have any doubts.


    * * *


    Outside the shop Katherine pressed herself against the window watching the scene as the foursome


    shopped. She had slept in her car expecting Julius to leave for work and give her the opportunity to


    confront the redhead. To her surprise they all left together heading for the shopping district. Confused


    she followed as he first brought them to dress shop looking for matching gowns for Macey and Aria.


    Katherine¡¯s face burned with rage.


    How many times had she begged Julius to take her shopping? All she wanted was his attention and


    pampering but each time he shrugged her off. She thought it was because he hated shopping but he


    didn¡¯t seem to mind it at all today.


    In fact he looked to be thoroughly enjoying himself even as the women tried on multiple dresses before


    deciding on the ones they wanted. She watched him wrap his arms around Macey and slowly spin her


    as if they were dancing in a ballroom. Laughing lightly Macey yed along much to the children¡¯s


    delight. Why? Why did he show her so much care and attention?


    Now she watched them shop for suits so he and Caden could match as well. The way the pair strutted


    out of the dressing rooms wearing matching sunsses as they spun and struck poses showed how


    yful Julius could be. He was all smiles, rxed and happy as he took Macey¡¯s hands in his and


    kissed them. It was clear he didn¡¯t care who saw. Katherine gritted her teeth and clenched her hands.


    She was going to make that bitch pay.


    [1] The pleasure of lovests only a moment. The pain of lovests a lifetime. (French Proverb)


    [2] The heart has reasons that reason cannot know. (ise Pascal)

 Book One: Chapter 25

    Book One: Chapter 25


    Cars had been lining up for hours dropping off their passengers before pulling away. For tonight only


    the gallery had valets to park cars in a nearby lot reserved by the host for his guests. Part of the gallery


    had been taken over by long tables for the caterers to disy a wide variety of hors d¡¯oeuvres. There


    was also a wet bar to mix and serve drinks ording to the tastes of the guests in addition to servers


    offering trays of champagne.


    Normally Augustus preferred to arrivete but tonight he came early, much to the Curator¡¯s surprise, so


    he could view the new instation of M. Gray¡¯s work before the crowd. He paid no mind to the servers


    as they madest minute preparations and instead focused on the new series.


    Entitled A New Perspective the series was more yful than previous ones. All ten were in full color


    and each featured a different insect from a praying mantis to a jumping spider to a honey bee to a


    dragonfly. Each extreme close-up showcased a surprising amount of detail and thepositions made


    the insects seem almost¡­cute. From the way the praying mantis tilted its head to the side like a


    curious puppy to the way the spider held up its mandibles like someone ying peek-a-boo each was


    designed to make the viewer smile.


    Augustus chuckled at the humor that abounded throughout the series. He couldn¡¯t wait to find out the


    inspiration for the pieces once the artist arrived. Satisfied he wandered the rest of the exhibit space


    eventuallying to his favorite series: Two Hearts. It had been a long timeing but finally the


    world would know.


    He chose a ce near the piano, champagne in hand, as the guests began to arrive. Augustus greeted


    those less intimidated by him, ignoring the rest. He had chosen the guest list carefully and he wanted to


    make sure the most important parties were present. Augustus watched the door closely mentally


    checking off when the certain guests arrived. His expression lit up immediately when March, Rose and


    Jude entered and greeted them warmly.


    ¡°Hey grandpa,¡± Judeughed surprising many nearby guests with the causal greeting. ¡°When mom told


    me you bought an art gallery I didn¡¯t believe her. But you really did!¡±


    ¡°Yes well¡­an old man needs a hobby.¡±


    ¡°A hobby?¡± Jude chuckled. ¡°I heard M. Gray is supposed to be like some weird reclusive genius or


    something. When I told my friends about tonight they were super jealous. How the heck did you ever


    meet him let alone convince him to be a part of this?¡±


    ¡°¡­I suppose you¡¯ll find out tonight,¡± Augustus winked.


    ¡°Why do I get the feeling you are up to something?¡± Marched asked eyeing his father suspiciously.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± Augustus said. ¡°Have you seen your brother?¡±


    ¡°No. Not yet. I haven¡¯t heard anything from him since he called this morning to say he was taking the


    day off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s twice this week,¡± Augustus grunted. ¡°I hope he isn¡¯t messing around.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to worry about that, not when¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Gus!¡±


    Their conversation was cut short as Aria and Caden ran up to their small group. They were all instantly


    captivated by the matching twins. Aria wore a green dress while her brother wore an actual suit


    just Julius but all the DaLair men was heightened.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you two look so cute!¡± Rose cooed.


    ¡°We went shopping today so we could match mommy and daddy,¡± Aria proudly announced.


    March and the others traded silent looks. If the kids were saying daddy did that mean they now knew


    Julius was their father? Did Macey tell them? Did it mean she and Julius were on good terms? Did this


    mean¡­


    ¡°And where are your mommy and daddy?¡± Augustus asked.


    ¡°Over there.¡±


    They followed Aria¡¯s gesture to see Julius handing Macey a ss of champagne from a passing server.


    His arm slid around her waist as he leaned close whispering something to her before kissing her


    temple. Macey¡¯s cheeks turned pink at his boldness.


    Rose pped her hand over her mouth to keep from squealing. She was not only excited to see them


    getting along but also because for once Julius looked genuinely happy and at ease. The depressing


    cloud normally hanging over him hadpletely dissipated.


    As always Macey was beautiful. Her dress was green with a satin finish. Unlike the other dresses she


    had worn it was off the shoulder leaving her neck exposed and allowing her to disy a diamond


    ne with arge, oval cut emerald for its centerpiece. As always her hair was pinned up.


    ¡°Mommy! Daddy!¡± Aria called. ¡°We found grandpa!¡±


    They turned toward her voice and made their way through the crowd that was now fully aware the


    entire DaLair family was in attendance. Their attention focused on the gorgeous redhead on Julius¡¯s


    arm and their five-year-old copies. Many followed the gossip columns and now seeing all four together


    there was little doubt in their minds they were in fact a family even before Aria¡¯s announcement.


    ¡°You should have told us there was a dress code,¡± March joked. ¡°Then we all could have matched.¡±


    Macey chuckled looking down at the excited Aria and Caden. Their enjoyment at being surrounded by


    family was palpable. It made her worry about what would happen when they eventually returned to


    Paris. Would it be hard for the twins to adjust to not having their family members so close? Would they


    even want to leave?


    ¡°Macey, I love your ne,¡± Rose said. ¡°Where¡¯d you get it?¡±


    Macey gave Julius an annoyed nce before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know. He won¡¯t tell me. He also won¡¯t tell


    me how much it cost.¡±


    Julius merely shrugged, ¡°If I did you¡¯d insist on returning it and that¡¯s not going to happen.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s impossible,¡± Macey sighed rolling her eyes at her sister-inw.


    ¡°All DaLair men are.¡± Rose chuckled. ¡°And they have the lovenguage of a crow¡­they just love giving


    sparkly gifts.¡±


    ¡°Well dad,¡± Julius cleared his throat, ¡°you have all of us here. Are you going to exin why an art


    gallery of all things?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think so, at least, not just yet. The night is still young. All I will say is enjoy the evening, keep


    an open mind,¡± Augustus smiled enigmatically. ¡°And be prepared for a few surprises.¡±


    The DaLair brothers shared confused looks and Rose rolled her eyes while Jude barely contained his


    what this set up was meant to deliver but it would definitely be a surprise.


    So intent on keeping an eye on their patriarch none noticed the pensive look that crossed Macey¡¯s


    face. Her lips pressed together as she considered information that only she knew.


    * * *


    Katherine climbed out of the taxi straightening her dress before sauntering toward the gallery entrance.


    She had not entered it since first failing to secure her desired photographer. Security at the door


    stopped her demanding her invitation. Aside from the DaLairs personnel allowed no one in without one.


    No amount of huffing or whining or threats swayed them.


    Frustrated she finally reached into her purse and shed the invitation. Its arrival hade as a


    surprise. Augustus DaLair had never invited her to any event before. To receive one now gave her the


    first glimmer of hope he might be warming up to her as Julius¡¯s attention waned. With the DaLair


    patriarch¡¯s help she could still turn her situation around. Once she married Julius nothing would stand


    in her way.


    Security let her pass and she entered the now crowded gallery. She snagged a fluted ss from a


    server slowly making her way through the crowd looking for the one person she came to see.


    Her gaze finally fell on Julius as he mingled with other guests instead of hiding in a corner with his drink


    like usual. At his side and in his arms was the now familiar redhead. She was at ease chatting to the


    man in front of them. Despite her humble origins andpleteck of experience she didn¡¯t seem at all


    intimidated while Julius gently caressed her hip listening as she talked hanging off her every word.


    Katherine slowly made her way closer.


    ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying Picasso was not a nice person,¡± a man a few years younger than Julius said. He


    was just as impably dressed and more than capable of standing on equal footing with a DaLair.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m sure he¡¯d get along quite well with a good portion of congress and a number of executives,¡±


    Macey said earningughter not only from Julius but the man in front of her. ¡°But yes, personally, I find


    him disgusting.¡±


    ¡°So what of Van Gogh?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s actually a very tragic figure,¡± Macey said. ¡°He suffered from depression and psychotic episodes.


    He died penniless and his genius was never recognized in his lifetime. It¡¯s hard to believe he was a


    financial failure when his artwork sells for millions now, but he was. It¡¯s even more tragic when you


    think about how his innovations actually ushered in the modern era even before Picasso.¡±


    ¡°So safe to say you like Van Gogh?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. He deserves so much more recognition. Although I may be biased. He does remind me of my


    father.¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Your father?¡±


    ¡°My dad was a veteran and he suffered severe PTSD so Van Gogh¡¯s struggles do remind me a lot of


    him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that but your father must be very proud to have a daughter as beautiful and intelligent


    as you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep in mind what you said about Picasso and Van Gogh. I never knew art could be so fascinating.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Have a good night, Mister Prescott,¡± Macey said.


    ¡°Ss, please.¡±


    ¡°Have a good night, Ss,¡± Macey nodded as their guest went on his way.


    Julius leaned close kissing her temple saying, ¡°Have I told you how amazing you are?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re biased.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes I am.¡± He chuckled. There wasn¡¯t a woman in the world thatpared to the one in his arms.


    ¡°I need to go,¡± Macey said after a moment and felt his embrace tighten. ¡°Freshen up. I need to go


    freshen up.¡±


    Julius slowly rxed and nodded, ¡°Hurry back.¡±


    Macey gave him a tender smile caressing his cheek with her fingers before heading to thedies¡¯ room.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s whipped.¡±


    Julius turned at the good natured teased to see March holding in augh while Rose chuckled. He shot


    his brother an annoyed look but couldn¡¯t stop his smile from returning. Nothing could ruin his mood


    tonight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Roseforted him. ¡°She loves you and you have our full support for whatever you have


    nned.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think there¡¯s a n?¡±


    ¡°Because we know you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You really think she still loves me after everything?¡±


    ¡°Trust me,¡± Rose patted his arm. ¡°She does.¡±


    ¡°What makes you so sure?¡±


    ¡°Woman¡¯s intuition.¡±

 Book One: Chapter 26

    Book One: Chapter 26


    Macey ducked into the bathroom avoiding the two stalls she went straight to the sink. She looked at her


    reflection in the mirror. What was wrong with her? After six years she should be smarter. But the


    moment his arms were around her it was like time stood still. As much as she tried to deny it she still


    loved him, still wanted him. And it seemed like he wanted her too. Was she getting her hopes up? She


    couldn¡¯t shake the fear it would eventually fall apart.


    The door opened but she paid no mind to the neer. Macey gave herself a final nce before


    turning to see a blonde in a short, ck dress that was mostlyce and left very little to the imagination.


    She struggled to keep her expression neutral. Other women had enough confidence to wear such


    provocative clothes but Macey wasn¡¯t one of them. Vicki was but even she had limits saying there was


    a difference between sexy and trashy. Macey was pretty certain Vicki would put this dress into the


    The blonde smirked, ¡°Having fun?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Macey frowned wondering why this woman would choose to address her.


    ¡°You know he¡¯s just ying with you, right? Julius would never be serious about someone like you.¡±


    ¡°And who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his fianc¨¦e,¡± the blonde smiled showing off her engagement ring crowned with a five carat


    diamond.


    Macey felt the blood drain from her face as her mouth fell open but her voice failed her. He was


    engaged? Why didn¡¯t he tell her? What aboutst night? Was this all some sort of sick game? What


    would she tell the twins?


    The blonde smirked, ¡°Well have fun tonight. He¡¯ll be back with me tomorrow.¡±


    She spun around and departed as quickly as she entered. Macey stood unable to move. Tears blurred


    her vision as her mind raced. He was engaged? Then why had he been looking for her? Or was that a


    lie? Was it all lies? Andst night was¡­ast hooray? What about yesterday? Did he really have to go


    to work or did he rush off to be with that other woman? She had just told the twins who he was. They


    were so excited. How would she break this news to them?


    Macey paid no mind as the door opened again until Rose¡¯s voice cut through her thoughts, ¡°Macey?


    Are you all right?¡±


    Shaking her head she turned away. She didn¡¯t want to see anyone right now not when she didn¡¯t know


    who she could trust. Did Rose know he was engaged? Were they all in on this?


    ¡°Macey.¡±


    ¡°Just leave me¡­¡±


    ¡°Sweetie, look at me,¡± Rose grasped her shoulders despite Macey trying to brush her off. ¡°Macey, look


    at me.¡±


    Macey finally met her sister-inw¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Nothing happened between them,¡± Rose said.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°When you left Julius lost it and every year he didn¡¯t find you just made him spiral deeper,¡± Rose


    exined. ¡°Two years ago he got drunk, really drunk. I¡¯ve never seen him like that. In fact March is


    pretty sure it wasn¡¯t just alcohol that made him like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­You think he was drugged?¡±


    Rose grimaced and gave a small nod though it wasn¡¯t as if they had proof. She sighed and continued,


    ¡°That¡­woman came up to him when he was like that and¡­well he didn¡¯t have much control which is


    why March intervened. He took him home to sober up before he did anything he regretted.¡±


    Macey bit her lip. Was that really the whole story?


    ¡°We thought that was the end of it until she showed up a couple dayster with an engagement ring


    we¡¯re pretty sure she bought herself iming to be his fianc¨¦e.¡±


    Macey¡¯s brow furrowed. She bought herself a ring and dered they were engaged? Who does that?


    ¡°She¡¯s been hanging around Julius ever since. He hasn¡¯t said anything because with her around other


    woman leave him alone but he has no feelings for her and no intention of marrying her. And that is the


    truth.¡±


    The truth?


    ¡°March and Julius will tell you the same thing. In fact Julius has been getting pretty fed up with her for


    awhile. We all have been. He already barred her from entering the DaLair offices.¡±


    ¡°So¡­he doesn¡¯t love her?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°¡­And he¡¯s not going to marry her?¡±


    ¡°God no!¡±


    Macey took in an uneasy breath. Rose¡¯s words didn¡¯t feel like lies. She looked too sincere. Was that


    really the truth?


    Rose grabbed paper towels and wetted them under the sink before gently cleaning Macey¡¯s face and


    smoothing away her tears. Macey¡¯s mind was still muddled. She didn¡¯t want to believe Julius would lie


    to her. He has always been honest with her. And Rose¡­Rose would never lie. It wasn¡¯t in her nature.


    ¡°I promise you,¡± Rose said, ¡°everything I said is the truth. Julius loves you. He always has even if he


    was too stupid to realize it before. You are the only woman he wants in his life¡­well, you and Aria, but


    that is it.¡±


    A smile crept to Macey¡¯s face despite her reservations. Those were words she always wanted to hear


    but she wanted to hear them from Julius. She wanted him to acknowledge her and love her the way


    she always loved him.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get back out there. Ask Julius about that woman. I promise, he¡¯ll say the same thing I


    have.¡±


    Macey nodded following her out. Rose led the way back to the waiting brothers where she had left


    them after she spotted Katherineing out of the bathroom. The other woman had such a distasteful


    smirk it gave Rose a bad feeling. She was d she followed her intuition and found Macey. Rose


    couldn¡¯t believe how spiteful that woman could be to try to ruin Julius and Macey¡¯s happiness.


    ¡°We¡¯re back,¡± Rose announced.


    March immediately took her into his arms and pecked a kiss on her cheek asking, ¡°What took you so


    long?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­we had a little issue.¡±


    ¡°Macey? What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± Julius demanded the moment he saw her expression and


    red eyes. It was clear she had been crying. He pulled her close ignoring her sudden stiffness at his


    touch to hold her close. ¡°Macey, tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°Katherine,¡± Rose answered as Macey hesitated.


    ¡°What?¡± Julius looked at the grim expression of his sister-inw before guessing what happened. ¡°Dear


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    god. Macey, look at me beautiful.¡±


    She hesitantly met his gaze.


    ¡°Everything that woman told you was a lie,¡± he dered. His gaze was steady with no hint of hesitation


    or confusion. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs.


    ¡°¡­And you never slept with her?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You never proposed?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°And you aren¡¯t going to marry her?¡±


    ¡°God no!¡±


    A small smile turned up the corners of her mouth as her insecurities faded though they were not


    wracked him. He shouldn¡¯t have put up with Katherine for so long. He should have sent her packing


    from the very beginning. He wouldn¡¯t make that mistake again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you never have to see her again. I¡¯ll make sure of it right now.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Macey shook her head. ¡°Just¡­stay.¡±


    Julius kissed her forehead with a smile, ¡°As you wish.¡±

 Book One: Chapter 27

    Book One: Chapter 27


    Katherine was still riding high as she snagged another flute of champagne. Now she just had to wait for


    the fireworks to start. Soon that woman would burst out and make a big scene before running away.


    Then Katherine could swoop in tofort a devastated Julius. Finally everything would be back on


    track. With all the press gathered tonight it was guaranteed they would end up on the front page of the


    gossip columns just in time for their wedding announcement.


    As she wandered through the crowd waiting for the show to start a small group caught her eye. A trio of


    visitors, two men and a woman, stood in front of a photograph of an ant cleaning its antennae


    discussing the new series quite seriously considering the subject matter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this a huge departure for M. Gray?¡± the tall, African-American man in a finely tailored


    suit asked.


    ¡°Well, Gray has always been inspired by nature,¡± another man with an ent Katherine couldn¡¯t ce


    said.


    The second man was average height, blonde, with a wiry frame. Like hispanion he also wore a


    ck suit contrasting the woman in a silver gown nicely. It wasn¡¯t immediately clear how well the trio


    knew each other but they maintained their little conve, sipping champagne and enjoying the


    atmosphere.


    ¡°I know, but this series. I mean, full color and insects? Most people find them creepy and wouldn¡¯t want


    to be this close,¡± the ck man argued.


    ¡°True, but that may be the point,¡± the other man said. ¡°This series is entitled A New Perspective so it¡¯s


    probably meant to challenge our preconceptions.¡±


    The woman with them chuckled as the pair argued back and forth. Her long, raven-ck hair was


    straight and unadorned flipped over one shoulder. She wore a regal, silver gown with a plunging V-


    neckline with only thin straps over her shoulders. It was backless though she had a gauzy shawl that


    looped through her elbows.


    Rolling her eyes she suddenly dered in a bold voice punctuated with a French ent, ¡°If you want to


    know the reason all we have to do is ask.¡±


    Katherine suddenly realized why the woman looked so familiar. She rushed forward clutching her arm


    and saying, ¡°Oh my god! You¡¯re Victoria Laurent! I saw yourtest collection and absolutely fell in love


    with one of your dresses! I would love for you to design my wedding dress!¡±


    * * *


    Victoria stared at the strange woman who suddenly osted her. She had been surprised when the


    invitation for M. Gray¡¯stest show arrived coupled with the grand opening of a new gallery devoted to


    Gray¡¯s art. It was an unexpected move but Victoria never missed a new exhibit and rearranged her


    schedule to make it possible to attend.


    Thest thing she expected was to be recognized as she never attended an event in America before.


    Frankly she found Americans overbearing and self-absorbed and the blonde in front of her was the


    perfect example. Tonight was meant to be a ck tie affair and the blonde was practically wearing


    lingerie. Not only that but she had barged into a private conversation she and Paul were having with a


    new acquaintance they had met on arrival. Now she was practically demanding Victoria make her a


    one of a kind wedding gown. Was she serious?


    Paul raised an eyebrow at the shameless tramp gripping Victoria¡¯s hand like a long lost friend. He had


    known Victoria since college and he never saw the blonde before so it was safe to say Victoria didn¡¯t


    know this woman either.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, who are you?¡± Victoria finally asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m Katherine Trent. My wedding is in six months and if I had a one of a kind dress by you I know I¡¯d


    make the front page!¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, I don¡¯t take special orders. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m much too busy.¡±


    Katherine¡¯s enthusiastic expression faded, ¡°Oh, but you have to! I came here to ask M. Gray to be my


    photographer. It¡¯s the perfect opportunity for both of you.¡±


    ¡°For both of us to¡­what?¡± Victoria asked somewhat amused by her assumptions.


    ¡°To get your names out there. I am a trend setter after all.¡±


    ¡°If you already know their names I think it¡¯s safe to say they are both already out there,¡± Paul snorted.


    ¡°Franklin, is this how American woman usually are?¡±


    Their tall acquaintance shrugged. Unfortunately there was plenty of her type in the world especially in


    New York high society which tended to be entitled and over-privileged.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you,¡± Katherine red at the men. ¡°This is a private conversation.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re starting to attract a crowd,¡± Paul noted. ¡°And I think Victoria already answered your


    question.¡±


    ¡°Tante Vicki!¡± excited shrieks interrupted as Aria and Caden ran up to them.


    ¡°Mes ch¨¦ris!¡± Victoria eximed as the twins mored around her.


    They jumped up and down unable to control their excitement seeing their mother¡¯s best friend, their


    godmother and adopted aunt. Aside from their family they hadn¡¯t seen any familiar faces until now.


    ¡°Look at you!¡± Victoria dered. ¡°Caden, you are such a handsome young man in that suit!¡±


    Caden blushed at thepliment but grinned clearly pleased.


    ¡°And Aria, you are so lovely! Where¡¯s your mother? I¡¯ve been looking for her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s over there,¡± Aria pointed to where Macey stood alongside their father talking to their aunt and


    uncle and other family members. ¡°You want to say hi?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course! Allons-y.¡±


    The twins giggled seizing her hand not upied with a champagne flute and hurried her over to the


    small group of their family members. The others had no choice but to follow. They were still several


    steps away when Aria eagerly announced, ¡°Mommy! Look who we found!¡±


    Macey turned and immediately smiled, ¡°Vicki!¡±


    ¡°Macey!¡± Vicki echoeding up to her and kissing both cheeks in greeting. Macey mimicked the


    familiar gesture.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d make it.¡±


    ¡°Ma belle, when have I ever missed any of your shows?¡±


    Macey chuckled. From the very beginning Vicki was her loudest cheerleader and never missed a show


    featuring her work. Likewise Macey attended fashion shows whenever Vickiunched a new line. Still


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to miss this for the world,¡± Vicki said, ¡°and there is something I have to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°VogueFrance wants to do an exclusive on my new line.¡±


    ¡°Vicki, that¡¯s fantastic!¡±


    ¡°I know¡­but I just don¡¯t trust their photographer. You know how they are in their little studios: lights,


    point, click, done. Weddings are all about mood, the ambience. I need a photographer who knows how


    to capture that. I know the great M. Gray doesn¡¯t domissions but¡­I¡¯ll beg if you want me to!¡±


    ¡°Vicki! That will not be necessary,¡± Maceyughed. ¡°We have seen each other naked, you were there


    holding my hand when I had the twins. Do you really think you can ask me anything I will say no to?


    Yes, I don¡¯t domissions, but a favor for a friend ispletely different. Of course I¡¯ll be your


    photographer just tell me when and where. I¡¯ll tell Dillon to keep my schedule open.¡±


    ¡°Merci! Merci beaucoup!¡± Victoria breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Vous ¨ºtes mon sauveur!¡±


    Macey couldn¡¯t hold back herughter at her friend¡¯s dramatic reaction, ¡°Really, why are French so


    dramatic!¡±


    ¡°Wait! What?¡± Katherine suddenly interjected. She looked from Victoria to Macey. ¡°You are M. Gray?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is right,¡± Macey said with a sigh. Her secret was finally out. She thought she¡¯d be more self-


    conscious but surprisingly she felt at ease with it.


    ¡°And¡­you know each other?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We went to school together,¡± Victoria said. ¡°We would have graduated together if someone


    didn¡¯t have to take remedial French.¡±


    ¡°Well maybe if I had a better tutor I wouldn¡¯t have needed it,¡± Macey challenged earning a mock gasp


    from Victoria. She nced at Katherine asking, ¡°So how do you know each other?¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± Victoria said. ¡°She recognized me and demanded I drop all my projects to design a unique


    wedding dress. Oh, and she wants you to be her photographer for the wedding too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so¡­And who¡¯s the groom?¡± Macey let her gaze slide back to Katherine raising a brow.


    Katherine opened her mouth and snapped it shut, her gaze swept over their audience as the entire


    DaLair family waited for her answer. Her eyes finally fell on Julius who red at her, challenging her to


    say what was on her mind. Katherine¡¯s attention flitted to Macey¡¯s waist where his hand still


    possessively rested. It seemed her n to drive them apart hadn¡¯t worked after all.


    ¡°He¡ªHe doesn¡¯t seem to be here at the moment. I should find him,¡± Katherine muttered before


    retreating.


    Victoria stared after her a moment beforementing, ¡°She is aware lingerie should be worn under


    her clothes, right?¡±


    ¡°Like you¡¯re one to talk,¡± Macey challenged.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Victoria mocked a hurt expression. ¡°I see how it is. All right, fine. You can think us French


    are dramatic, pretentious egotists if you want. We still think you Americans are self-absorbed, entitled


    prudes. Fair is fair.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± March suddenly asked, ¡°you think we¡¯re¡­prudes?¡±


    ¡°Well what would you call a culture so obsessed with sex and sexuality but are alsopletely


    ufortable in your own skin?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± March trailed off not sure there was a correct answer to her challenge and already regretted


    speaking up.


    ¡°How about an easy question, when¡¯s thest time you were naked?¡±


    March choked on his drink, sputtering while the rest of the group chuckled. Aloud he said, ¡°I don¡¯t


    think¡­¡±


    ¡°There you see that is a very American mentality right there,¡± Victoria admonished. ¡°There is nothing


    sexual about what I said. We¡¯re just talking about being without clothing. What about you, Macey?¡±


    ¡°Do baths count?¡± Macey asked. ¡°And does it count more or less if I wasn¡¯t alone?¡±


    Victoria raised an eyebrow as she slowly smiled, ¡°Oh, I want details.¡±


    ¡°Not in mixedpany.¡±


    Victoria¡¯s gaze narrowed as she weighed Macey¡¯s seriousness before nodding. March¡¯s gaze darted to


    Julius. Though his brother maintained a neutral expression a pink tinge warmed his cheeks. March¡¯s


    gaze widened in surprise. Julius hadn¡¯t taken a bath since he was five. That was very interesting


    development.


    A cough interrupted further discussion and Macey¡¯s attention shifted. She gasped, ¡°Oh my god! Paul!


    I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t see you! Let me introduce you¡­¡±


    ¡°Mommy! I want to do it!¡± Aria said.


    ¡°Okay, you do it then.¡±


    ¡°This is our Aunt Vicki and Uncle Paul! They went to school with mommy!¡± Aria exined. ¡°And this is


    our family! This is Uncle March and Aunt Rose and our cousin Jude. And you already know Grandpa


    Gus.¡±


    ¡°Victoria.¡±


    ¡°Augustus.¡±


    The pair traded neutral greetings. It was clear they were familiar with each other though it was difficult


    to ascertain whether they were friendly or hostile. At the very least there was mutual respect.


    ¡°And this is our daddy!¡± Aria said proudly as she and Caden clutched him possessively.


    A moment of surprise shed across Victoria¡¯s expression before her gaze narrowed to study him. His


    resemnce to the children and Augustus were not lost on her and she carefully gauged the proximity


    he maintained with Macey as well as where he kept his hand on her waist.


    ¡°So¡­you¡¯re Julius,¡± she said after a moment.


    ¡°You know me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. There are no secrets between meilleurs amis.¡± Victoria smiled teasingly. ¡°And I¡¯m sure


    Macey remembers the first advice I gave her. You do remember, yes? Montrez-moi un homme qui a fait


    une erreur et je vous en montrerai un qui a besoin d¡¯une deuxi¨¦me chance. Mais ne lui donnez jamais


    une troisi¨¦me chance.¡±


    Macey chuckled, ¡°Show me a man who has made a mistake and I¡¯ll show you one who needs a second


    chance. But never give them a third.¡±


    Victoria nodded sagely looking at Julius with an appraising look.


    Macey cleared her throat as the conversation stalled, ¡°Victoria is a designer. She designs the most


    stunning wedding gowns you¡¯ll ever see. Paul is a sculptor. He specializes in, I guess you would call it,


    environmental sculpture. He likes to use natural materials and ce his sculptures in natural


    environments. And this is¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­Have we met?¡±


    Macey turned her attention to the tall African-American who joined their circle alongside her friends. He


    smiled apologetically shaking his head saying, ¡°No. I¡¯m Franklin Jackson. I¡¯m a member of the New


    York Philharmonic. I met Victoria and Paul here while I was admiring yourtest series. We were


    having a friendly debate about its tone when Victoria said we should just ask the artist. I had no idea


    they actually knew you. Are you really thee M. Gray?¡±


    ¡°Guilty as charged,¡± Macey shook his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. Just call me Macey, please.¡±


    ¡°Very nice to meet you¡­Macey,¡± Franklin smiled.


    He had been surprised when he received an invitation to the gallery¡¯s opening. Though he always


    made a point of supporting the arts the grand opening was an exclusive event and not many invitations


    had been sent out. Several of his friends were jealous when they heard his luck and offered to buy the


    ticket from him.


    Franklin wasn¡¯t certain why he had received the invitation but refused all offers to take it off his hands.


    He had long admired M. Gray¡¯s work but he never thought he¡¯d get the opportunity to speak to the artist


    who was known for being difficult to meet. He certainly wasn¡¯t prepared for her to be a gorgeous and


    friendly redhead.


    ¡°Can I ask you a question about yourtest series?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Fire away.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I know you work in color and in ck and white and a lot of your work features natural


    settings¡­but thistest series,¡± Franklin looked at therge vibrant pieces each featuring a different


    insect. ¡°It does seem to be a departure from your usual style. Is there meaning behind that?¡±


    Macey chuckled, ¡°Well, on the surface it does seem to be a departure I suppose. I wish I could say I


    had some lofty metaphysical idea but I really don¡¯t go for that. The truth is I was inspired by my


    children. Kidse into the world like nk tes and everything for them is new and magical. I


    wanted to capture that sense of wonder. Make us see the world like kids do, like we used to. You¡¯ll


    have to tell me how I did; after all, what the artist does is only half of what art is.¡±

 Book One: Chapter 28

    Book One: Chapter 28


    ¡°I think you did very well,¡± Franklin said. ¡°It¡¯s very yful. It brings me back to when I used to crawl


    around my grandmother¡¯s garden just exploring.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m d.¡± Macey smiled pleased that her intention at least captured a few. She wasn¡¯t expecting


    the new series to be hugely popr given its subject matter but she hoped it drew a few in like


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Franklin.


    Paul cleared his throat, ¡°Now that the debate is settled let¡¯s see about refills.¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure, I¡¯ll buy the next round,¡± Franklin joked as the pair excused themselves and headed to the


    ¡°You¡¯re still not off the hook,¡± Victoria said giving Macey a mischievous grin.


    ¡°Right¡­well at least let¡¯s enjoy the night without drama, okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m in town for three days and we will be getting together for coffee somewhere for some girl


    talk. You, me and Rose here and you¡¯re not getting out of it because we have four guaranteed


    babysitters. We¡¯ll make a day of it: go to the spa, maybe do some shopping.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be like that time in Cyprus, is it?¡±


    ¡°What was wrong with that? I thought you enjoyed yourself.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to have to strip to my underwear and sit in a pool while fish nibbled on me.¡±


    ¡°First of all, bathing suits, not underwear. Second they nibbled the dead skin which is exfoliating. And


    third, if I told you in advance what we were going to do you wouldn¡¯t have done it. Besides even you


    have to admit it was better than the spa in T?ebo¨¾.¡±


    ¡°Oh god.¡± Macey shook her head.


    ¡°What¡¯s that spa known for?¡± Rose asked, intrigued by Macey¡¯s adventures in Europe.


    ¡°Very special mud,¡± Victoria said, ¡°very good for the skin.¡±


    ¡°¡­Which you have to strip naked to soak in,¡± Macey added.


    ¡°Darling, it¡¯s all part of the experience,¡± Victoria said, ¡°what good is life if you don¡¯t savor it?¡±


    Macey rolled her eyes but she had to admit Victoria had a point and hadn¡¯t she just given Jude with


    simr advice a few days ago? Macey might have stayed in her apartment in Paris forever if Victoria


    hadn¡¯t intervened. Victoria certainly knew how to make life interesting.


    ¡°Next time we¡¯ll take Rose with us,¡± Victoria continued. ¡°You like saunas, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I have been in one,¡± Rose nodded fascinated by the woman in front of her.


    ¡°I know an excellent one in Find. We¡¯ll go together.¡±


    ¡°So is that what you do?¡± March asked, ¡°just hang out with other women¡­naked?¡±


    ¡°Women and men. There is nothing wrong that. Like I told you before, it¡¯s natural. You think you were


    born in that suit?¡± Victoria raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s your body. Why not celebrate it a little?¡±


    ¡°So¡­ah, Victoria,¡± Jude suddenly spoke up. ¡°Have you ever been to a nude beach?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. There¡¯s a really nice one at Cap d¡¯Agde. I took Macey there. We had a great time.¡±


    Macey¡¯s face suddenly reddened and she shook her head at the memories of the vige where nudists


    didn¡¯t just lounge on the beach. At that Julius raised an eyebrow watching her. She ignored his stare


    and silent inquiries. He hadn¡¯t minded the talk of spas or saunas as they were enclosed areas and


    private but a beach was different. And it wasn¡¯t just women who could be found there.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t men so adorable when they are jealous?¡± Victoria joked earning Julius¡¯s re. ¡°You know I


    could tell you exactly how that trip went¡­but I don¡¯t think I will. Best to leave it to your imagination.¡±


    ¡°Aria, did you show your aunt what we saw earlier?¡± Macey asked hoping to change the subject.


    ¡°Oh! Auntie did you see the huge bowl of cocktail shrimp?¡± Aria excitedly pped. Shellfish was


    Victoria¡¯s favorite food.


    ¡°Really? No. I didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll show you!¡± Aria excitedly pulled her brother along. ¡°This way!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Wait for us!¡± Victoria grabbed Macey¡¯s arm dragging her after the twins. While she couldn¡¯t get all


    her answers tonight she was definitely going to get some of them. She paused transferring her ss to


    her other hand before reaching out for Rose. ¡°Are youing dear? Girls bond best over shellfish.¡±


    Hesitating only a moment Rose took her hand and allowed herself to be led away much to March¡¯s


    shock.


    ¡°Ah¡­wait¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry,¡± Victoriaughed. ¡°We¡¯ll just be over there. I¡¯m sure your boys can handle yourselves


    for a few minutes.¡±


    Macey and Rose couldn¡¯t contain their giggles as they allowed themselves to be led away leaving the


    men to themselves. Julius was still burning with curiosity about the beach as he watched them go.


    March turned his attention to their father.


    ¡°Okay, so who was that?¡±


    ¡°Victoria Laurent,¡± Augustus readily replied. ¡°A famous wedding fashion designer.¡±


    ¡°And she went to the same college as Macey?¡± March asked.


    ¡°Yes. Although technically they met before that,¡± Augustus said. ¡°When Macey moved to Paris she had


    to learn thenguage. She thought she¡¯d learn better and faster with a tutor rather just remedial


    sses. Stephen found Victoria. She was a couple years younger and already in her first year of


    college but that didn¡¯t seem to bother either of them. They really hit it off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say, all off,¡± Jude chuckled.


    Julius and March gave him disapproving looks surprised to see he was actually looking at his phone.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± March asked.


    ¡°Did you know Cap d¡¯Agde is thergest clothing optional beach resort in the world?¡± Jude asked


    showing them the website he was browsing. ¡°They call it the Naked City. It¡¯s a Naturist vige and you


    can be naked wherever you want restaurants, stores, banks¡­the post office even.¡±


    Julius choked on his drink. Macey went there!? He red at his father who was responsible for


    introducing Macey to Victoria.


    ¡°After all the harpies Macey had to endure Victoria was the breath of fresh air she needed.¡± Augustus


    shrugged. Even he didn¡¯t know about half of their adventures only that they often took trips together


    attending each other¡¯s shows and exhibits.


    Julius grimaced once again reminded of the suffering he put her through. He sighed letting his gaze


    return to Macey as she stood near the end of the table disying arge bowl of dipping sauce


    surrounded by shrimps hanging off the edge. Victoria and Rose stood with her along with the kids as


    they chatted and snacked. It seemed Victoria was serious about bonding over shellfish. Macey looked


    at ease and readilyughed as the trio conversed, very different from how she used to be at formal


    events.


    He recalled what his father said about Macey needing space to spread her wings and that she was


    stronger now. His father was right and Julius felt the difference all evening. Macey was confident as


    she discussed art with everyone who approached her. She didn¡¯t cling to him but stoodfortably


    alongside him. As his father said she didn¡¯t need him, but she clearly still wanted him and that thought


    brought a smile to his face.


    It seemed Victoria was getting along with Rose too. Seeing Macey so carefree after the confrontation


    with Katherine in the bathroom gave him peace of mind. He still had to deal with her himself but he was


    proud how Macey handled her and put her in her ce so beautifully. No one was going to be able to


    push Macey around¡­and she was an artist!


    Julius looked to the photographs disyed around them. All of this was Macey¡¯s work, her vision. His


    gaze drifted to the newest work recalling Macey¡¯s inspiration. Bugs were certainly an odd subject but


    the way they were photographed did seem extremely yful and bright almost as if they were from a


    child¡¯s imagination.


    ¡°You knew Macey was M. Gray,¡± Julius suddenly turned to his father again. ¡°That¡¯s why you bought this


    gallery.¡±


    Augustus smiled looking at her work. He had always known she had talent just like her father before


    her. Carl¡¯s rtionship with art wasplicated. In basic training Augustus was singled out as one with


    natural leadership skills, made Sergeant ced in charge of a twelve man squad which included Carl.


    During their time in the Vietnam jungle he never sketched or did anything that hinted at his dormant


    talent. The only time he mentioned any creative endeavors was when he told Augustus his


    grandmother taught him to y piano but then Augustus never expected his men to share personal


    details with their leader.


    Barely a month into their tour they found themselves caught in a deadly ambush. They were in a kill


    box, surrounded on all sides. Augustus still had trouble remembering that night. What he did remember


    was waking up miles away with Carl standing guard as they waited for their evac chopper. There were


    only three other survivors from their squad and the story they told was hard to believe.


    In the heat of battle with theirrades dropping like flies Carl grabbed his knife and disappeared into


    the night. At first they thought he abandoned them until enemy fire suddenly began to fall silent. When


    Carl returned he and his knife were drenched in their enemies¡¯ blood. Slinging Augustus¡¯s inert body


    over his shoulder Carl led them to an open arearge enough for a chopper to set down.


    Augustus was honorably discharged and sent home after he recovered but Carl was ced in another


    unit. He tried and failed several times to reconnect to Carl after the war but it was like hisrade and


    savior disappeared. Then one day an old woman appeared at the DaLair office. She imed to be


    Carl¡¯s grandmother and told him Carl was sleeping in the streets and begged him to save her


    grandson.


    Augustus hadn¡¯t known his friend was even in the same city. He spent the next two months looking until


    he finally found Carl living in a box under a bridge. Carl acted as if he were still in the Vietnam jungle


    surrounded by enemy spies. It wasn¡¯t until Augustus resorted to giving him direct orders that he


    recognized his formermander. Augustus got him home but it was clear Carl needed more help


    than a shower and a shave. Researching everything he could about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder


    Augustus found the best hospital he could to help his friend. There Carl met his future wife who was in


    charge of some of the therapy programs and slowly started putting the pieces of his life back together.


    Painting started as therapy to help him express his confused emotions, thoughts and memories. The


    night terrors that gued him slowly dissipated as he focused on expressing it through his art.


    Augustus visited every chance he could sometimes his presence was the only thing thatforted Carl


    as he asionally slipped into moments of psychosis where he thought he was back in the jungle.


    Eventually they were able to help him heal but not before his grandmother passed. Augustus took care


    of the funeral arrangements as well as clearing out their apartment. Only then did he find the box


    holding Carl¡¯s medals: a Purple Heart with three additional stars, a Bronze Star as well as a


    Distinguished Service Cross. He was surprised to say the least; however, no amount of inquiries to the


    military released the records of when and how themendations were awarded and Carl either


    couldn¡¯t or refused to recall.


    Carl was far more interested in the future than the past. Eventually he was discharged and he married


    but his life didn¡¯t really begin until Macey was born. Holding his little girl Carl broke down into tears and


    from then on she was his motivation to live. His art once only therapy became a way of celebrating the


    valor, honor and integrity of the American soldier. Though his techniques and themes were praised he


    never enjoyed truemercial sess.


    Augustus offered to help many times citing his connections but his friend refused handouts. Still he did


    what he could even buying the majority of Carl¡¯s paintings to help the family get by. Through it all


    Macey was the bright spot in Carl¡¯s life and the reason he got out of bed to try again every day.


    Augustus would be forever indebted to her for saving his friend.


    This gallery was as much a tribute to her as it was to her father. Augustus wanted her to have all the


    recognition and sess she deserved, that her father deserved, and quite shamelessly he hoped the


    gallery would keep her and his grandchildren close.


    ¡°Dad?¡± March prompted when Augustus remained silent.


    ¡°Of course I knew,¡± Augustus finally answered. ¡°How could I not?¡±

 Book One: Chapter 29

    Book One: Chapter 29


    Paul silently sipped his drink his mind churning. When Victoria asked him to be her escort for the


    gallery opening he wasn¡¯t sure what to think. It just seemed so strange. Macey never even hinted at


    starting her own gallery let alone debuting in America. She avoided any talk about the States. For her


    to suddenly hold a grand opening in America was a shock but he agreed to apany her


    nheless.


    When they arrived he couldn¡¯t believe the grandiose presentation celebrating her work. It was clear it


    was done out of deep respect and genuine love. Considering the difficulties in her life Macey deserved


    the recognition. Not only had she been abandoned while pregnant she rebuilt her life for her twins.


    Paul still remembered the first day he saw her on campus her belly beginning to show. Victoria


    introduced them and Paul thought he was looking at an angel. Onlyter did he learn the truth that her


    husband abandoned her and the baby. He was furious. If he had known who her husband was he


    would have hunted him down but Macey never wanted to talk about him. Paul was forced to let it lie.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He only saw her breakdown a couple times. Paul was always there tofort her and be a


    sympathetic ear. Yet though he longed to be more she always seemed to keep him at arm¡¯s length. He


    assumed her reluctance was because she didn¡¯t want to be hurt again. After the twins were born Paul


    thought it was his chance to show her he wasn¡¯t like her ex.


    At first the twins responded well to him but as they got older they too started to keep him at arm¡¯s


    length. It was odd. Paul had been in their lives from the very beginning but they already knew he wasn¡¯t


    their father. Or was it because their mother kept her distance? In either case he was never able to


    capture their hearts. He was an uncle and that was the ce they kept him.


    Paul was patient. Even when Macey agreed to go on a date here or there he stood back waiting


    confident she would turn to him eventually. But now¡­


    His gaze drifted to Julius DaLair. Paul would be the first to admit the man was handsome with a


    superior aura of one used to getting what they wanted. And it seemed he wanted Macey despite


    abandoning her six years ago. Paul couldn¡¯t fault him for that. Who wouldn¡¯t be attracted to her? What


    bothered Paul was that Macey seemed to reciprocate. There was no denying the bodynguage


    between the pair.


    Julius¡¯s hand never left her waist and her body leaned into his. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, despite the


    fact Julius had beenpletely absent from their life the twins clung to him. Paul almost spit out his


    drink when Aria proudly introduced him as their daddy. For five years they had never been so warm


    and open with Paul. Less than a week passed for Julius to secure their hearts. The thought burned him


    more than the alcohol he was downing faster than he should.


    Paul was distracted and unsure when Franklin left to visit with other guests. His focus remained on his


    rival as the small family group slowly split. It started with Macey as Victoria dragged her and the other


    woman whose name Paul had already forgotten to the hors d¡¯oeuvres. Eventually Augustus, who Paul


    knew to be the twins¡¯ grandfather, and the younger man moved off leaving the brothers. Two was far


    less intimidating than four and guests slowly began to approach to speak to one or the other,


    sometimes both. Paul downed onest drink before making his way toward his rival.


    ¡°Tell you what, Luke: call me Monday,¡± Julius told hisst visitor, ¡°I¡¯ll check my schedule for you.¡±


    He was used to people approaching him with business proposals even on nights that were clearly


    meant for rxation. It was all part of his world and he bared them no grudge. His gaze kept drifting to


    Macey as she chatted with Victoria and Rose. People started approaching the female trio. Word that


    she was the famed artist was slowly traveling through the crowd and many were eager to speak with


    her as well as Victoria who was also being recognized by a surprising amount of visitors. Julius¡¯s chest


    swelled with pride for her aplishments. She had achieved it all on her own.


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve her.¡±


    Julius turned toward the slurred voice to see a man he didn¡¯t know standing close to him. Confusion


    furrowed his brow until he btedly recognized him as one of Macey¡¯s college friends¡­the sculptor¡­


    Paul.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Y-you have no idea what Macey has been through. What you put her through when you abandoned


    her. She raised those kids without you. She doesn¡¯t need you¡­or your money.¡±


    Julius¡¯s gaze narrowed. It was clear the man in front of him was drunk but his words still cut deep.


    Julius already heard it from his father how Macey picked up her life after that night but no matter how


    many times he heard the truth it still hurt. He knew it was all his fault and he would do everything he


    could to make it up to her.


    ¡°I know your type. Rich boy. You think if you throw enough money around you can have everything. But


    you can¡¯t buy Macey. She¡¯ll figure you out. And those kids are smart. You won¡¯t be able to fool them


    either.¡±


    Julius frowned. Did this man really think that was what was going on? Of course Macey couldn¡¯t be


    swayed with money or jewels or fancy clothes. She was far too genuine to fall for such traps. And


    Julius certainly didn¡¯t need to be told how smart the kids were. He had already seen it.


    But there was something in the drunk speech gave him pause. He realized the man in front of him was


    jealous and there was only one reason for that: he was in love with Macey.


    Julius clenched his fists but held himself in check. When Macey introduced them she had been happy


    to see her college friends but there had been no particr attachment to this man beyond friendship.


    So this man¡¯s love was one-sided. That thought calmed him. Julius would tolerate many things but not


    a rival for Macey¡¯s affection.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about her. You probably don¡¯t even know her favorite food is strawberries!¡±


    March stood beside Julius as the drunk osted him. Like his brother he recognized the man as


    Macey¡¯s friend and like Julius he also slowly realized the man was in love with her. He nced at his


    brother trying to gage Julius¡¯s reaction to this revtion. Though the man¡¯s usations were not


    him to the punch.


    ¡°Macey doesn¡¯t like strawberries. They make her break out.¡±


    Paul fell silent as he and March both looked at Julius in surprise but he wasn¡¯t done speaking his mind.


    Julius had listened to the other¡¯s rant and now it was time for Paul to listen to his.


    ¡°Macey¡¯s favorite fruit is watermelon because it reminds her of summer and she prefers it with a dash


    of salt. Her favorite food is honey and everything made with it or thered in it including pancakes. Her


    favorite color is green which is fitting since she was born in May. Her favorite book is a Picture of


    Dorian Gray because it is all about how artwork reveals the truth. Her favorite movie is the Princess


    Bride. She¡¯s seen it a million times and can quote it verbatim¡­and she always cries at the exact same


    ce.¡±


    Paul stood open mouthed in shock. She didn¡¯t like strawberries?


    Julius finally moved stepping forward and staring at the man in front of him. He couldn¡¯t hate this man,


    notpletely. Paul had been there to help when Julius failed but that did not mean he would allow his


    ce beside Macey to be taken.


    ¡°Six years ago I made the biggest mistake of my life but just because it gave you the opportunity to be


    a shoulder for her to cry on don¡¯t think you know her better than I do.¡±


    Paul quailed at the self-assurance in Julius¡¯s voice. There was no doubt, no insecurity. In no uncertain


    terms Julius was dering Macey was his and his alone.


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk,¡± Julius said stepping back, ¡°I¡¯ll forget about this for Macey¡¯s sake but I am very sure you


    will never forget this moment. Remember it. And remember she has always been mine¡­and always


    will be.¡±


    Julius turned and walked away before he caused a scene sure to anger Macey. He didn¡¯t know if she


    knew Paul¡¯s feelings but she considered him a dear friend and hurting him would be hurting her.


    March followed his brother as he walked to a nearby server switching his empty champagne flute for a


    full one. He watched his brother carefully but despite the confrontation Julius seemed¡­rxed. He


    sipped his drink rather than downing it as his gaze drifted to where Macey still stood chatting and


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± March said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Julius asked.


    ¡°How did you know all of that about Macey?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? You grew up with her too.¡±


    ¡°I did but I didn¡¯t know any of that. How many times did you watch the Princess Bride with her to know it


    was her favorite movie?¡±


    Julius snorted, blushing slightly. The first time he watched it was after he broke his arm and she


    decided to y nurse. Like any young boy he had been bored with the premise of a movie iming to


    be a romanticedy but it was surprisingly entertaining. Halfway through he realized Macey was


    mouthing the entire dialog. Over thest six years when she intruded into his mind he would start the


    movie and remember that moment. He didn¡¯t feel like admitting it to March.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Aria squealed as she and Caden ran up to them.


    Julius handed his drink to his brother so he could scoop both twins up in his arms. They hugged him


    tight and he felt thest of his tension melted away. How had he gone so long without the double hugs


    of his babies? How would he survive without them from now on?


    ¡°How are my babies?¡± Julius asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine. Are you okay?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Vicki said you needed a hug,¡± Caden answered. ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡±


    Julius furrowed his brow ncing toward the raven-haired beauty. She gave him a knowing smile and a


    wink before turning back to her current visitor. How much did she really know? Had she seen the


    confrontation that unfolded between him and Paul?


    ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°Yes. Yes I do. I always feel better with your hugs.¡±


    They smiled throwing their arms around him again for extra healing.

 Book One: Chapter 30

    Book One: Chapter 30


    ¡°See auntie! Your favorite!¡± Aria announced.


    ¡°Tu as raison! Magnifique!¡± Victoriaughed as they reached thevish hors d¡¯oeuvre table. She never


    saw so much shrimp circling such arge bowl of dipping sauce. Victoria offered shrimp to the little


    ones and helped herself before looking to Macey saying, ¡°Okay spill it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t what me,dy. You¡¯ve been gone for a week and the day after you leave I get a mysterious


    invitation to this event. So here I am and one of the first things I see is you in the arms of a very


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    handsome man who just happens to be your ex and father of your children. So¡­spill it. Rose wants to


    hear all about it too, don¡¯t you? She¡¯s just too polite to demand it. So?¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± Macey said. ¡°You think I¡¯m an idiot for getting back together with him,


    don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Victoria shook her head. She hated it when people made assumptions. ¡°Don¡¯t you


    dare put words in my mouth. I know you¡¯ve been carrying a torch for him all these years. Or have you


    forgotten all our girl talk?¡±


    Macey sighed. Rose watched her waiting. She knew Macey¡¯s feelings for Julius couldn¡¯t have been


    shaken so easily. Their connection was just too deep but like Victoria said she didn¡¯t want to force


    Macey into saying something she didn¡¯t want to reveal.


    ¡°Tell me everything!¡± Victoria insisted. ¡°And you can start with that blonde.¡±


    ¡°Why her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve known you for years and you¡¯ve never been hostile outside of defending the twins. But the way


    you looked at her you were ready to start her on fire. Who is she?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­she is apparently Julius¡¯s self-proimed fianc¨¦e.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Rose just told me tonight after I met her,¡± Macey said.


    She nced at Rose who nodded and proceeded to tell Victoria the story. Victoria listened, her face a


    neutral mask except when she spoiled her godchildren as they continued to dance around the trio.


    Rose ended with the confrontation in the bathroom and how she had seen Katherine exit with a smug


    smile.


    ¡°That woman is not just poufiasse she is chienne folle,¡± Victoria muttered. ¡°And she dared confront


    you?¡±


    Macey shrugged.


    ¡°Well, that exins a lot. But that does not get you off the hook. Your ex¡­Start.¡±


    Macey sighed. She had hoped to avoid this conversation at least for the night but the look in Victoria¡¯s


    gaze was serious. So she started from the beginning with Augustus announcing how he wanted to start


    a gallery devoted solely to her work. Macey had been on the fence at first but he had been so


    passionate about it that in the end she just couldn¡¯t say no.


    He timed the grand opening to coincide with hertest series. Macey had to admit the more he talked


    about how well the gallery wasing along the more excited she was to see it all finished even if that


    meant returning to the one ce she had run away from and avoided until now. Skipping some of the


    less noteworthy events she eventually moved on to seeing Julius again.


    ¡°Augustus asked me to attend a party for a Picasso¡­¡±


    ¡°Who you hate with the passion of a thousand suns.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Rose looked at her. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Long story. I¡¯ll tell youter,¡± Macey gave her a smile. ¡°Anyway we were there and I went to thedies¡¯


    room to freshen up. I came out of the bathroom and some man grabbed my arm asking me how much.¡±


    ¡°He did not!¡± Victoria gasped. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I told him he had three seconds to let me go or I was going to knee his balls so hard he¡¯d never find


    them again.¡±


    ¡°Bravo! That¡¯s my girl!¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s when Julius showed up,¡± Macey said. ¡°Honestly I thought he was going to kill him¡­the look


    in his eyes was intense.¡±


    ¡°If he heard what that man said I can see why,¡± Rose said. ¡°He would never let that kind of insult go.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Victoria prompted.


    ¡°¡­We kissed.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Victoria and Rose watched her waiting for details. ¡°Well? Come on. Don¡¯t stop now!¡±


    Macey blushed at their eagerness but she couldn¡¯t hold back her smile at the memory. ¡°It was¡­nice.


    Like the whole world just stopped.¡±


    Victoria smiled, ¡°Le seul vraingage au monde est un baiser.¡±[1]


    Macey¡¯s blush deepened.


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°I panicked,¡± Macey said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t think straight so I said I should go get the kids and bring them


    home.¡±


    ¡°Macey!¡± Victoria admonished. One did not bring up kids when they were in the middle of a passionate


    embrace. Had Macey learned nothing from her time living in Paris?


    ¡°So he drove me to Rose¡¯s to pick up the kids and brought us all home.¡±


    ¡°So that is why he was there with you,¡± Rose nodded recalling the long conversation she and March


    had about why Julius was the one who brought Macey home.


    ¡°And did he stay the night?¡± Victoria asked.


    ¡°No¡­he left.¡±


    Victoria gave an exasperated sigh and gulped her champagne. Leave it to Macey to cut a perfect night


    short of its climax.


    ¡°He stayed the next night,¡± Macey added.


    ¡°Did he?¡± Victoria¡¯s interest was piqued.


    ¡°I had a photo shoot nned at the Botanical Garden and he took the kids to the zoo. Then he made


    me dinner: chicken Alfredo.¡±


    ¡°A man who cooks is definitely a keeper,¡± Victoria sighed. ¡°And he stayed¡­all night?¡±


    Macey nodded biting her lip as she blushed.


    ¡°And how was it?¡±


    ¡°Do we have to talk about this now?¡±


    ¡°Just tell me one thing¡­was it good?¡±


    Macey¡¯s blush deepened.


    ¡°Oh, then it was very good!¡±


    Macey hid her face as she fought her embarrassment. She nced around them but no one seemed to


    be paying attention to their conversation.


    ¡°Darling, it¡¯s fine!¡± Victoriaughed. ¡°You have been living like a nun for six years! It¡¯s okay to enjoy it!


    Especially with a man built like him.¡±


    Macey couldn¡¯t stop herugh and yfully swatted her best friend. Rose chuckled at their antics. It


    was good to see Macey like this.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± Victoria said dropping her voice low and forced them to lean in to hear. ¡°How many


    times did he make you cum?¡±


    ¡°Vicki!¡± Macey eximed earning several looks from those around them.


    Victoria chuckled but her gaze said she was still waiting for an answer.


    ¡°Twice,¡± Macey finally managed to whisper when their audience went back to their own conversations.


    ¡°Only?¡± Victoria prompted.


    ¡°Yes¡­the first night¡­five the second night.¡±


    ¡°Oh sweetie! If I could find a man or woman capable of that I¡¯d never let them go!¡± Victoria hummed.


    ¡°Right Rose?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should be hearing this about my brother-inw.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you married his brother so I¡¯m sure you already know all about it.¡±


    It was Rose¡¯s turn to blush. Despite the flow of conversation Victoria kept an eye on Julius. She had


    positioned herself to give her a good view of him. Though she encouraged Macey she also wanted to


    be sure Julius wouldn¡¯t hurt her again. A heart could only take so much. More than anything Victoria


    wanted Macey to have the happiness she deserved.


    As they talked Julius¡¯s gaze continued to seek Macey out as if to assure himself she was safe and


    close by. It spoke of a man terrified of losing his love again. Everything she saw pleased her and gave


    her hope Macey would indeed have her happily ever after just like in her favorite movie. Though she


    wanted more details people started recognizing and approaching them.


    Because of Victoria¡¯s view she saw Paul¡¯s approach immediately. Had she known what she would find


    at this event Victoria would never have dragged him with her. But how could she have known? There


    was nothing she could do to stop what happened next as Paul confronted Julius. Victoria was too far to


    hear their conversation but it was clear Julius was livid. She expected a fight any moment but


    surprisingly Julius maintained control and walked away.


    To make it up to him Victoria whispered a suggestion to Aria and Caden and sent them to his side. She


    was delighted to see him immediately scoop up both of them and hold them tight. Not only had he


    managed to recapture Macey¡¯s heart he definitely earned his children¡¯s hearts as well. Aria and Caden


    had always been particr never giving their attention to someone they deemed unworthy. Victoria was


    satisfied so when he looked in her direction she smiled and gave him a wink.


    Eventually Macey and Rose made their way back to their men and Victoria went in search of Paul. She


    found him as he exited the bathroom. He stumbled a bit leaning on the wall. The smell of vomit was


    apparent and she quickly handed him a mint.


    ¡°Have you embarrassed yourself enough?¡± Victoria asked. ¡°Or do you want to go for round two?¡±


    Paul scowled.


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Victoria sighed. ¡°How could you do this on Macey¡¯s big night?¡±


    ¡°You saw him with her.¡±


    ¡°I did. And it¡¯s obvious he loves her¡­and she loves him. And the kids adore him.¡±


    ¡°How could she love him after what he did?¡±


    ¡°Macey never stopped loving him,¡± Victoria said. ¡°You knew she was still in love with him when you met


    her.¡±


    ¡°He broke her heart.¡±


    ¡°A woman¡¯s love is as deep as the ocean and just as mysterious,¡± Victoria shook her head. ¡°Mais ce


    qu¡¯a li¨¦ l''amour m¨ºme, le temps ne peut le d¨¦lier.¡±[2]


    ¡°Stop talking in proverbs. This is real life.¡±


    ¡°Life and love aren¡¯t logical,¡± Victoria admonished. ¡°Macey has loved him since they were kids.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Paul jerked to attention.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know? They grew up together. She¡¯s loved him since she was ten. That is not a love that


    can be undone in a mere six years.¡±


    She spared him a sympathetic look. Victoria knew Paul had a crush on Macey from the day he met her


    but had said nothing to Macey about his affection. She warned him Macey still loved her ex but he


    didn¡¯t seem to care so Victoria backed off and watched. If he could win Macey¡¯s heart she wasn¡¯t going


    to stand in the way. Yet though he tried to get close Macey always kept him at arm¡¯s length. What he


    wanted she would not, or could not, give.


    After the twins were born Paul thought to win her heart by showing off his parenting skills but even


    there fate conspired against him in the form of the twins. They seemed to know instinctively that ce


    beside their mother was reserved for another. Despite the fact he was the closest male figure they had


    to a father they never saw him in that light. For school events where a father was requested they never


    asked him to participate preferring their mother and once their paternal grandfather. Yet Paul continued


    to wait and hope.


    ¡°Did you know she likes honey?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Victoria scoffed as if that should be obvious. ¡°She drowns everything in it. How


    many brunches have you had with her and never noticed?¡±


    ¡°I always ordered us strawberry shortcakes for dessert.¡±


    ¡°You ordered for her? My god, Paul. A woman is more than capable of making up her own mind about


    food and men,¡± Victoria rolled her eyes. She loved the man but sometimes Paul¡¯s ideas were decades


    out of date. ¡°This is Macey¡¯s night so don¡¯t make any more scenes.¡±


    ¡°But what about him?¡±


    ¡°If he wants to be in her life and she wants him in it then that is all there is to it.¡± Victoria shrugged.


    Victoria had only known Macey since her move to Paris. Perhaps if she had known Macey before and


    seen how difficult her marriage with Julius had been she would have a different view but everything she


    had seen of Julius so far indicated a man desperately in love with one woman and eager to have his


    family by his side. Whatever their past Victoria was confident he would not hurt Macey or the twins


    again.


    A round of pping brought them to attention. Wondering if a new event was starting they left their


    corner and made their way through the crowd. When they finally made it through they were shocked by


    what they saw.


    [1] ¡°The truenguage of the world is a kiss.¡± (Alfred de Musset)


    [2] ¡°But what love has bound together, time cannot unbind.¡± (Germain Nouveau)

 Book One: Chapter 31

    Book One: Chapter 31


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Aria greeted as Macey made her way to them.


    ¡°Hello, baby,¡± Macey smiled as her children clung to their father. She loved to see them like that except


    it meant he didn¡¯t have an arm free for her.


    As if sensing her thoughts Julius carefully set the twins on their feet and pulled her into his embrace.


    He pressed his forehead to hers. Thest of his worries and anger from before drained away. She was


    in his arms and nothing else mattered. Well, maybe there was one thing.


    ¡°So, are you going to tell me about Cap d¡¯Agde?¡±


    Macey stiffened and said, ¡°Nothing¡­happened.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a beach¡­where people are nude¡­in public.¡±


    ¡°Julius¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Macey.¡±


    ¡°Look¡­I had just started showing and I was ufortable and bloated and surrounding by young


    college girls with their perfect bodies,¡± Macey sighed. ¡°Victoria suggested we get away for a weekend. I


    had no idea she made reservations at that resort and the first day I refused to leave my room.¡±


    ¡°And the second¡­¡±


    Macey rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Macey?¡±


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s a public beach, Julius. It has all sorts of people on it. Young, old, thin, fat.¡±


    ¡°Nude,¡± March added earning a warning look from his sister-inw even as Rose elbowed him in the


    ribs.


    ¡°The reason Victoria brought me there was to feel better about my body and the changes it was going


    through,¡± Macey said. ¡°It takes a lot to feel confident when you¡¯re bloated and nauseous all the time.¡±


    ¡°I heard that,¡± Rose sighed recalling the troubles of her own pregnancy.


    Julius frowned, not satisfied but also not wanting to argue. It was yet another trial she had faced


    without him. He should have been there to tell her how beautiful she was. Instead Victoria had taken


    more extreme measures to make a point. But it wouldn¡¯t happen again. For now he would let it go. His


    embrace tightened holding her close.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m holding a world famous artist right now.¡±


    Macey chuckled, ¡°Stop. I¡¯m hardly world famous.¡±


    ¡°I beg to differ,¡± Julius kissed her temple. His gaze swept over the gallery and found they stood close to


    the first series that had drawn him in: Two Hearts. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is your vision.¡±


    She followed his gaze and blushed as she said, ¡°Well, actually those are¡­sort of¡­self portraits.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± Julius looked at the series again featuring a model¡¯s growing stomach


    alongside ultrasounds. Realization suddenly dawned on him and looked back at her. ¡°That¡¯s you!¡±


    Macey blushed, ¡°To get ready for school I was taking pictures everyday and one of my first projects


    was a self portrait. Victoria suggested this. She helped me set up thepositions. I tweaked them a


    bit for the gallery but¡­Yeah, that¡¯s my belly.¡±


    He held her face and kissed her. His eyes sparkled as he said, ¡°You know, when I first visited the


    gallery I bought that whole series.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± He kissed her again. ¡°You¡¯re amazing.¡±


    Macey blushed again. Normally she felt self-conscious in the crowd but near him nothing else


    mattered.


    Julius sighed, ¡°Macey, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve wanted to ask you ever since I saw you at the Barat.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    He stepped back pulling a velvet lined box from his pocket and dropped down to one knee. Macey


    gasped shivering with anticipation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made mistakes. I¡¯m not perfect,¡± Julius said, ¡°I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t make more but I¡¯ll always love


    you. Would you¡­be my wife again?¡±


    He opened the box to reveal their wedding rings nestled together. Tears filled her eyes. Had he really


    kept them in hopes of finding her¡­just for this moment? How? How could they make this work? She


    had to go back to Paris. She hadmitments. The kids had school. He couldn¡¯t just drop out of his


    family¡¯s business either.


    All around them the crowd was bing aware of the situation. They recognized Julius immediately


    and those who were unaware were quickly informed she was the artist of the night. The crowd waited


    on baited breath for her answer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think, Macey,¡± Julius whispered. He could see the wheels turning. ¡°Just say the first thing that


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± Macey stuttered fighting back tears. She couldn¡¯t deny the answer she wanted to give. ¡°I will.¡±


    He smiled slipping her rings back onto her finger where they belonged. Quickly putting on his own


    Julius stood pulling her into his arms capturing her mouth with his. A wave of pping surrounded them


    but he didn¡¯t care. All that mattered was the woman in his arms. She was his everything. Not breaking


    their kiss he picked her up showing the world the most beautiful woman ever born. And she was his.


    Julius set her back on her feet still not breaking their kiss. She was his again and he was never letting


    go. Never. Finally releasing her lips he hugged her close. Nothing and no one would evere


    between them.


    ¡°I love you, Macey. I always have. I always will.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Julius,¡± Macey could barely speak. Those were words she always wanted to hear him say.


    He leaned forward and kissed her again.


    * * *


    Katherine circled the exhibit space trying to calm herself. The redhead¡­Macey Grayson¡­M. Gray!


    They were one in the same. How could a talentless hack be an acimed artist? She should be a


    failure like her father! And worse she knew Victoria Laurent one of the most famed wedding dress


    designers ever! Not only did they know each other but they were on good terms. The kids dared call


    her Auntie Vicki like she was some sort of farmer¡¯s wife!


    And the look on Julius¡¯s face. He was bing more and more enamored by his former wife. She had


    to find a way to get between them. There had to be a way to take control of the situation. Over the


    years she put a number of women in their ces, this time would be no different. All she had to do was


    spill a little champagne and when the redhead overreacted Katherine could y victim to the


    sympathetic crowd. It was a ploy that worked before and would work again.


    Then she would be back with Julius and the redhead would be disgraced. Maybe Macey would run all


    the way back to Paris. She would never be able to show her face in New York again. Then she and the


    twins would be out of Katherine¡¯s hair for good.


    It was the perfect n.


    With her new resolve Katherine grabbed a ss of champagne and made her way to where shest


    saw her rival. Not finding Macey at the refreshment table Katherine continued to work her way through


    the crowd, searching. She finally found Macey once again in Julius¡¯s arms.


    His adoring gaze was consumed with her. His arm snaked around her waist letting his hand gently


    caress her curves which she didn¡¯t mind as she leaned into him smiling seductively, a slight blush to


    her cheeks feigning innocence. Suddenly Julius dropped to one knee. He held out a velvet lined box.


    Nestled within was a set of wedding rings: both male and female. Katherine¡¯s mouth dropped open not


    believing what she was seeing. Where had thosee from?


    No! This couldn¡¯t be happening! I have to stop this!


    But the crowd was already taking notice as Macey covered her face with her hands her eyes sparkling


    with tears. Julius just smiled, ¡°Macey, will you be my wife again?¡±


    Her shoulders shook as she stared at the man on his knee. The crowd gathered sensing a momentous


    asion. Fighting tears Macey finally managed to stutter, ¡°Yyes.¡±


    Julius slid the engagement-wedding ring set on her finger. He reimed his own wedding band from


    the box sliding it on his hand before standing and taking her into his arms. Without hesitation he


    captured her mouth with his unaware of their audience as cheers erupted around them.


    Katherine was rooted to her spot. She couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t look away. Julius suddenly picked Macey


    off her feet not breaking their kiss as he slowly spun her around. He finally set her down and only then


    broke their kiss. They smiled staring into each other¡¯s eyes before he kissed her again.


    This couldn¡¯t be happening. The room was filled with New York elites, business professionals and


    press. By morning news of this would be on the front pages and all over social media. She had to turn it


    around. How? Her gaze fell on her champagne flute.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Of course. The perfect n.


    Katherine moved to step forward only to have her hand grasped. She was suddenly pulled back


    through the crowd. Confused she didn¡¯t fight the force until she was finally clear of the throng. Turning


    she found herself facing Stephen.


    ¡°You?¡±


    He said nothing turning her toward the bar where she found Augustus silently sipping his drink. His


    face was an indecipherable mask but his eyes glinted like a predator. Katherine froze when she saw


    him. He had never been kind to her but perhaps he was as disgusted by Julius¡¯s action as she was.


    This might be the chance she needed certainly with Augustus¡¯s help she would be able to remove the


    redhead from Julius¡¯s life.


    ¡°Dad?¡± she smiled sweetly. Augustus raised an eyebrow but instead of answering gestured to a folder


    on the bar. She stepped forward to look at it.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°This¡­is an analysis of my son¡¯s drink two years ago,¡± Augustus said. ¡°It appears someone spiked his


    drink.¡±


    Katherine felt herself pale as he slid the top page to the side.


    ¡°This is a finger print analysis of that same ss,¡± Augustus said. ¡°There are only three fingerprints on


    the ss. My son¡¯s, though I doubt he would spike his own drink; the bartender¡¯s, who swears he


    knows nothing; and yours.¡±


    Katherine struggled to maintain a nk expression but she felt a tick as her face twitched from the


    stress building within.


    ¡°And this,¡± Augustus slid the analysis aside to show her thest page, ¡°is a document showing you


    were receiving fertility treatments at the time.¡±


    Her mouth dropped open. She stuttered, ¡°H-how did you get that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what you can acquire with enough time, patience and money,¡± Augustus said. ¡°A


    better question would be how you thought I wouldn¡¯t know? Of course all of this is purely circumstantial


    but it tells an interesting story. Anyone who sees it would immediately put two and two together. You


    spiked my son¡¯s drink in hopes of sleeping with him and getting yourself pregnant. That right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­not proof,¡± Katherine tried topose herself. ¡°It would never hold up in court.¡±


    Augustus smirked, ¡°It¡¯s proof enough for me. I don¡¯t need a court to pass judgment. It seems I have


    been ratherx since the birth of my grandchildren. People have forgotten I am not a man to be


    crossed. It¡¯s time to remind them by making an example of you.¡±


    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t do anything to me. My father will stop you.¡±


    ¡°We both know that isn¡¯t true, don¡¯t we? By this time next week your parents will dere bankruptcy


    and their creditors will be hounding them every second of every day.¡±


    ¡°H-how did you know that?¡±


    ¡°My dear, who do you think made that happen?¡±


    Realization came slowly but Katherine¡¯s gaze widened. Her family¡¯s financial difficulties, her sudden


    She knew all the best people, traveled in the best circles. She could do so much for Julius, elevate his


    clientele and connections. What could that redhead do with her art?


    ¡°I let you have your fun. It was even asionally entertaining to watch,¡± Augustus said, ¡°but my ns


    for my son never included you.¡±


    He nced behind her as the security Stephen quietly summoned arrived.


    ¡°It seems Miss Trent overstayed her wee. See her out.¡±


    Without a word they seized her by the shoulders and escorted her toward the door. Katherine opened


    her mouth to protest but Stephen gave her a final piece of advice, ¡°Miss Trent, it would be better for


    you to leave quietly. It will not look good for you if you cause a scene.¡±


    Her mouth snapped shut and she was led away. Her face was red with embarrassment, her mind


    muddled. How? How could this happen? Had Augustus known this entire time?


    ¡°That went well,¡± Stephen gathered up the folder and the papers hepiled and secreted for two


    years while Augustus sipped his drink. ¡°Are you going to tell them?¡±


    ¡°No. My sons are smart enough to have their suspicions. We¡¯ll leave it at that,¡±


    Augustus said looking toward Julius as he slowly released Macey from their kiss. Julius was a proud


    man he would be livid once he learned the truth of Katherine¡¯s deception but there was no reason for


    that not when he had a young wife and twins to care for. It was better that he focused on the future, not


    the past.


    Aria shrieked as she and her brother ran up to their parents. Julius scooped up Caden and Macey held


    Aria bringing their family together. Finally his son had lived up to his expectations and secured a family


    that would prove priceless.


    ¡°In that case, case closed,¡± Stephen interrupted his thoughts.


    ¡°Hmm. Keep an eye on her for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Cockroaches are survivors after all.¡±


    ¡°You think she¡¯ll seek out a new target?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s guaranteed. I have a good idea where she¡¯ll go. Unfortunately for her he is next on my list.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll keep an eye on both concerned parties.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Sir, are you really nning to buy the Trent¡¯s entire hotel chain?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°Good people shouldn¡¯t lose their jobs because their employers are fools though I¡¯ve never had much


    interest in the hotel business¡­we¡¯ll just call it an investment property.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Stephen nodded with a smile. It was the reason why he had remained loyal to Augustus


    DaLair. While the business world had no shortage of cut throat rats Augustus maintained his integrity


    and never used his power to punish those who were innocent.

 Book One: Chapter 32

    Book One: Chapter 32


    ¡°Mommy! Daddy!¡± Aria shrieked as she and Caden bound up to their parents unable to hold


    themselves back any longer.


    Julius scooped up Caden as Macey picked up Aria. His free arm encircled Macey¡¯s waist pulling her


    close so that his entire family was in his arms. His family was finallyplete and he would never let


    them go.


    ¡°Daddy, does this mean we¡¯ll be together forever?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Julius smiled. ¡°Forever.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯reing to Paris with us?¡± Caden asked.


    ¡°Yes it does,¡± Julius assured him.


    ¡°Really!¡± Aria pped. ¡°Yeah! And you¡¯ll go with us to Mn and Rome and Barcelona too?¡±


    ¡°Aria,¡± Macey admonished.


    ¡°You bet,¡± Julius readily agreed. There wasn¡¯t anywhere he wouldn¡¯t follow them.


    ¡°So does that mean we¡¯re staying in Paris?¡± Caden asked. Despite the fact he had grown up there he


    didn¡¯t have any particr attachment to the ce. In America they had family and he didn¡¯t want to


    leave them behind forever.


    ¡°Well, you have to finish the school year,¡± Julius said. ¡°After that¡­we¡¯ll have to decide whether to stay


    in Paris or move to America.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll stay with us right?¡± Caden asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Julius nodded. ¡°Whether we live in Paris and vacation here or vice versa we¡¯ll be


    together.¡±


    Caden smiled hugging him. Julius squeezed him tight hoping tofort his lingering doubts. In truth,


    he didn¡¯t care where they lived or how they split their time between one ce or the other. The kids had


    to finish out their school year at the very least. Julius wasn¡¯t sure how difficult setting up offices


    overseas would be but as long as he was with his family he didn¡¯t mind. Somehow they would make it


    work.


    Julius could see the same lingering doubt in Macey¡¯s gaze but he smiled and rested his forehead


    against hers. He would not let them be apart. They had been apart for too long.


    ¡°Mommy, can I be the flower girl?¡± Aria suddenly asked. ¡°And Caden can be flower boy.¡±


    Julius chuckled, ¡°I think you mean ring-bearer.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, that.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll design your mom the most fabulous wedding dress,¡± Victoria announceding up to them.


    ¡°Vicki, you don¡¯t have to do that,¡± Macey argued. She certainly wouldn¡¯t mind wearing one of Victoria¡¯s


    gowns but there was no need for it to be specially designed.


    ¡°If I may paraphrase a very intelligent woman,¡± Victoria said, ¡°while it is true I don¡¯t take custom


    orders¡­a favor for a friend ispletely different.¡±


    Macey chuckled hearing her words thrown back at her but she guessed she shouldn¡¯t be surprised.


    Victoria was a woman who was always shocking everyone around her.


    ¡°Will you make my dress too?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°Aria!¡±


    ¡°Of course, ma ch¨¦rie!¡± Victoriaughed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! And then Caden and me can y mommy and daddy a special song!¡± Aria dered.


    ¡°That sounds fun,¡± Julius chuckled.


    ¡°Should we y one for them now?¡± Aria looked to her brother who shyly grinned.


    ¡°Oh sweetie, you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Caden agreed as they squirmed out of their parents¡¯ arms. He was eager to show his dad what


    he could do. It had been tough holding it back.


    The pair immediately darted to the piano. Julius pulled Macey against him so her back leaned against


    his chest as they watched Caden climb onto the piano bench. March and Rose moved next to them as


    they curiously watched the twins.


    Caden tapped the keys familiarizing himself with the instrument then he settled down and began to y


    Beethoven¡¯s F¨¹r Elise much to everyone¡¯s surprise. Even those who had been unaware of the proposal


    a few moments ago now turned to watch and listen to the melody that was familiar even if they didn¡¯t


    know the title. Julius listened, his mouth falling open. He nced at March and Rose to see equal


    expressions of surprise.


    ¡°Did you know?¡± March whispered. Julius shook his head. His gaze slid to Jude who was smiling. As if


    feeling his uncle¡¯s gaze Jude nced at him.


    ¡°Jude, did you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± March asked equally startled.


    ¡°When mom and I visited them we heard piano ying from the door so while we were flying the kite I


    asked about it. Caden told me but asked me not to tell. He said it was a surprise. Are you surprised?¡±


    Julius couldn¡¯t believe it. He saw the piano at the vi but¡­His eyes widened and he searched for his


    father until his gaze found him. Augustus stood, drink in hand, eyes half closed as he listened with a


    smile.


    ¡°Dad. You knew. That¡¯s why you have a piano here and one at the vi.¡±


    Augustus merely smiled and offered no apology for keeping it to himself.


    Julius¡¯s embrace tightened and he whispered to Macey, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Caden doesn¡¯t usually like a lot of attention. I figured he¡¯d tell you when he was ready.¡± Macey gave


    him an apologetic smile.


    Caden finished to the stunned crowd¡¯s apuse. He smiled ufortably as Macey warned but he


    stayed at the piano and started ying a new song. This one was much simpler and familiar if one


    knew their Disney movies, especially ones starring dogs. Aria¡¯s voice soon joined him singing Be


    Notte in Italian.


    ¨¨ dolce sognar esciarsi cur


    Nell¡¯incanto de notte


    Le stelle d¡¯or con il loro splendor


    Sono l¡¯hi de notte


    Qui vicino ¨¦ il tuo amore


    Che a s¨¦ ti stringer¨¤


    La notte con sua magia


    Quanti cuor unir sapr¨¤!


    ¨¨ dolce sognar esciarsi cur


    Nell¡¯incanto de note


    Dolce ¨¦ sognar esciarsi cur


    Nell¡¯incanto de notte


    Le stelle d¡¯or con il loro splendor


    Sono gli hi de note


    Qui vicino ¨¦ il tuo amore


    Che a s¨¦ ti stringer¨¤


    La notte con sua magia


    Quanti cuori unir sapr¨¤


    ¨¨ dolce sognar


    Esciarsi cur


    Nell¡¯incanto de notte


    As she finished Aria giggled at the amazed faces. Apuse erupted throughout the gallery. Caden


    scooted off the bench to take a bow alongside his sister. The pair hurried back to their parents where


    their stunned father hugged them close.


    ¡°You little scamps.¡±


    ¡°Are you surprised daddy?¡± Caden asked.


    ¡°Did you like our song?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°Yes and yes.¡± Julius kissed each in turn. ¡°It was perfect.¡±


    ¡°I knew I recognized them,¡± Franklin said sidling up to them.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Macey asked.


    ¡°I met them in the subway,¡± Franklin exined. ¡°I y there as a sort of social experiment. These two


    showed up and started ying jazz hits with me.¡±


    ¡°On the subway,¡± Macey said looking at the twins her mind immediately going to the day they


    disappeared somehow arriving at the DaLair office building, ¡°by yourselves.¡±


    Aria and Caden shared sheepish looks.


    ¡°Augustus,¡± Macey turned to her father-inw before he could back his way into the crowd and


    disappear. ¡°Did you leave something out?¡±


    ¡°I¡­might have¡­glossed over a few details.¡±


    ¡°You two are in so much trouble,¡± Macey nced at them.


    Caden and Aria nestled themselves deeper into their father¡¯s embrace trying to look suitably


    apologetic.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t. You¡¯re father can¡¯t help you.¡±


    Julius hid a smile. He was beginning to see fatherhood was not going to be easy especially with twins.


    Not only were they full of surprises but they seemed to have a knack for trouble. It was a dangerous


    Franklin cleared his throat, ¡°If I may¡­I actually teach at The Anderson School on the upper west side.


    It¡¯s a public school but its curriculum is elerated learning for gifted students. With your son¡¯s piano


    skills and your daughter¡¯snguage skills along with my rmendation they wouldn¡¯t have any


    difficulty being epted.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have to repeat kindergarten would we?¡± Aria made a face. Neither of them particrly


    enjoyed their sses which were far too simple for their liking.


    ¡°Well, sses are based on age but depending on your knowledge they may advance you a bit,¡±


    Franklin said. ¡°You two are already in school?¡±


    ¡°In France they start schooling at three,¡± Macey exined. ¡°The first three years are considered


    kindergarten.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow.¡± Franklin slowly digested the information. ¡°You live in Paris. Then I assume you know French


    and you were singing in Italian if I¡¯m not mistaken. How manynguages do you know?¡±


    ¡°Caden knows three but I know five!¡± Aria proudly said. ¡°He would know five too but he doesn¡¯t like


    talking.¡±


    Caden stuck out his tongue and scowled at his sister.


    ¡°You know five?¡± Franklin asked in surprise and looked to Macey for confirmation.


    ¡°English, French, Italian, Spanish and German. She¡¯s a sponge.¡±


    Aria smiled sweetly.


    ¡°Caden is really good with numbers,¡± Macey added. ¡°But he does speak English, French and Italian.


    Spanish too if he wanted since it is so close to Italian.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Caden shrugged.


    ¡°He has eidetic memory so he can recall almost anything even if he only sees it once, especially


    numbers.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he know your phone number?¡± Franklin asked. ¡°It¡¯s the first thing I asked them for


    when I realized they were alone.¡±


    ¡°Caden?¡± Macey asked. ¡°You know my phone number. Why didn¡¯t you tell him?¡±


    ¡°Because then we wouldn¡¯t have gotten him to take us to grandpa¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°¡­We¡¯re going to have a very long talk when we get home,¡± Macey fixed them with a hard stare that


    made both solemnly nod.


    Franklin gave them a sympathetic look but he wouldn¡¯t interfere with parenting. Something told him


    there was more to the story but stayed silent. Right now he was just d he hadn¡¯t gone crazy and


    made the whole thing up like his friends insisted.


    ¡°And that goes for you too,¡± Macey turned on her father-inw.


    ¡°Me? What did I do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­yet. But I know you had something to do with all of this and when I find out how¡­¡±


    He shared a look with the twins. It was doubtful they would be able to hide the whole truth once their


    mother started interrogating them but their n had seeded so it was a small price to pay. Augustus


    cleared his throat.


    Victoria smirked at his difort.


    ¡°You¡¯re not off the hook either,¡± Macey fixed her with a stare.


    ¡°Me? Why?¡±


    ¡°There is something going on and I¡¯m going to find out what.¡±


    ¡°I just got here.¡±


    Macey¡¯s gaze narrowed. She felt like she was being set up. It was too much of a coincidence that


    Victoria would be here to witness Julius¡¯s proposal. Even stranger was Franklin¡¯s presence: an


    acimed musician who just happened to work at a school for gifted students, and who just happened


    to miraculously meet the twins in the subway. She was going to find answers.


    ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s not their fault,¡± Aria suddenly spoke up. ¡°It was our n.¡±


    Caden nudged his sister.


    ¡°You¡¯re n?¡± Macey repeated. ¡°And just what n was that?¡±


    The twins shared a look. They didn¡¯t want others to get into trouble for their idea. Finally Caden


    nodded. There didn¡¯t seem to be any way to get out of it without telling her.


    ¡°Well,¡± Aria sighed, ¡°our n to get you and daddy back together.¡±


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    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Macey was shocked. ¡°How¡¯d you even know who your daddy was? I didn¡¯t tell you


    before we came here.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa told us when we were three,¡± Caden said.


    ¡°Cause we asked him to,¡± Aria added.


    ¡°And did he also put you up to your little n?¡±


    ¡°No. We came up with it ourselves,¡± Aria said. ¡°You were really sad without daddy around¡­we just


    wanted to make you happy.¡±


    Macey¡¯s mouth fell open but she couldn¡¯t formte the words she wanted to say. Had it been so


    obvious? Had they been nning from the very moment they stepped off the ne.


    ¡°We had to get to grandpa¡¯s work so he could help us with the n. That¡¯s why we told him to take you


    to see the Picasso,¡± Aria continued.


    ¡°W-why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Because he said daddy would definitely be there,¡± Caden answered. ¡°Since we were sure daddy saw


    us at grandpa¡¯s party he knew we were here so¡­we thought you should meet.¡±


    Macey wasn¡¯t sure if she should be mad or proud or grateful or embarrassed. How was she supposed


    to take this information? She had been set up. They conspired against her¡­her own children.


    ¡°Shh¡­it¡¯s okay,¡± Julius¡¯s embrace suddenly encircled her from behind. ¡°Whatever happened¡­they are


    safe. No harm, no foul. Right?¡±


    ¡°Did you know about this?¡± Macey demanded.


    ¡°No I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m just d they were on my side¡­our side.¡±


    Macey struggled to maintain her anger but it was difficult to do in his arms. He stroked her cheek gently


    turning her face toward him. His gaze was pleading.


    ¡°Fine. But they aren¡¯t off the hook yet,¡± Macey conceded and looked at the twins. ¡°You will be telling me


    the whole storyter.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s y another song,¡± Aria tugged her brother back to the piano hoping to appease their mother¡¯s


    wrath while their father continued to calm her. Franklin followed d to have an excuse to escape the


    tense situation and hoped the twins would exin in more detail away from everyone else.


    ¡°Now all we have to do is n a wedding,¡± Julius said.


    ¡°And how is that supposed to work?¡± Macey sighed. ¡°I mean, everyone will wonder why we got married


    twice.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s more like vow renewal. After all we were never divorced.¡±


    ¡°¡­But I signed the papers.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Macey looked at him, her eyes wide with shock.


    ¡°I never signed them. They were never filed,¡± Julius exined. ¡°I kept them in my drawer at the office


    so when I found you we could burn them together. We¡¯ll do that tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°So¡­we¡¯re still married? We¡¯ve been married this entire time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Julius smiled and kissed her. ¡°Wee home, Missus DaLair.¡±


    Macey rested her head on his shoulder, rxing in his embrace. It felt good to be home.

 Book One: Chapter 33

    Book One: Chapter 33


    Six Months Later


    ¡°Mommy! Mommy! Look at me! Do I look pretty?¡± Ariaughed as she twirled.


    She wore a white, sleeveless princess-style dress. The top was satin while the skirt was a gauzy


    material. Aquamarine and peridot colored rhinestones were applied to the flowy skirt, concentrating


    along the hem. Her hair was piled up in a messy-style bun with her curls still able to bounce as she


    moved. She wore a crown of white flowers with rhinestones in the center of each. Her tights had a floral


    pattern and her shoes were white.


    ¡°You look like a princess,¡± Macey smiled. ¡°How do I look?¡±


    Aria pressed her lips together as she studied her mother. Macey¡¯s dress was mermaid-style, strapless,


    with a sweetheart neckline. The material had a satin finish and was made to look as if it wrapped


    around her giving it added texture as well as entuating her curves which now included a growing


    belly.


    Her skirt which red just below her knees was made the same gauzy material as Aria¡¯s dress and also


    embedded with aquamarine and peridot rhinestones, which echoed her ne and tiara of diamond,


    topaz and emeralds. Also like Aria her hair was up in a messy bun with their natural curls piled on of


    her head. It made an excellent perch for her veil which was a floral design with the same rhinestones.


    After looking her mother up and down Aria dered, ¡°You look like a queen mommy!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re beautiful, mommy!¡± Caden seconded.


    ¡°Thank you, sweeties.¡±


    ¡°And they are absolutely right,¡± a deeper voice dered.


    Turning they saw Augustus enter. He wore a finely tailored suit that matched Caden¡¯s. The cor had a


    satin finish. In fact all the DaLair men wore matching suits with emerald green ties in honor of Macey¡¯s


    favorite color for the asion.


    Augustus came forward taking her hands and pecking her cheek before asking, ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Bloated,¡± Macey said with a sigh and earned a chuckle from her doting father-inw.


    She ced a hand on her stomach. In a few more months it would be muchrger. A month after their


    return to Paris she noticed her period waste. Even after confirming it with her doctor she still hardly


    believed it. When she told Julius he nearly fainted. He wondered how it was possible since she was on


    birth control but as her doctor pointed out no birth control was a hundred percent effective.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me my grandson is already making it difficult for his mother,¡± Augustus said in mock surprise.


    Maceyughed with him. His obvious delight at another grandchild was evident. The only thing that


    would excite him more was if they were staying in the States but Julius, Macey and the twins had to


    return to Paris when their All Saint¡¯s Holiday was over and wouldn¡¯t return until Christmas.


    Julius was true to his word and hadn¡¯t hesitated to move to Paris to be with them. The first few weeks


    he yed house-husband while he limated then he contacted Herr Leon and arranged their first


    meeting since thetter¡¯s trip to America. By the time the kids were on their summer vacation heid


    the groundwork for the European offices. Not being one for business Macey had no idea how he


    managed especially considering he was still learning thenguage.


    The twins¡¯ summer vacation wasrgely spent in Paris with a few trips to America coinciding with


    Julius¡¯s business trips. As the summer came to a close they decided to remain in Paris for another year


    much to Augustus¡¯s and Franklin¡¯s disappointment. Julius need more time to solidify theirpany¡¯s


    foothold and saw no reason to uproot his family especially with a baby on the way.


    Their continued stay in Paris did not disrupt their nned vow renewal however. Between phone calls,


    Skype calls and visits Macey, Rose and Victoria organized the event to coincide with the twins¡¯ holiday


    break. Victoria naturally took over the duty of designing Macey¡¯s wedding dress using her original gown


    for inspiration.


    She called her final design: Something Old, Something New, Something Barrowed, Something Blue.


    Macey hoped the Something Barrowed referred to the ne and tiara. She was ufortable


    wearing something so extravagant and expensive though no one would tell her the actual cost.


    ¡°Shall we? Everyone is waiting,¡± Augustus offered his arm.


    Macey nodded picking up her bouquet of baby-blue asters and white roses. She looked to the twins.


    Aria grabbed her basket of blue and white petals while Caden carefully supported a baby blue pillow


    with a pair of rings resting on it.


    Initially Macey had been against new rings but Julius eventually convinced her. Her new ring was


    simr in design to her engagement ring with the addition of a pair of topaz and even designed to


    attach to her other rings. The inclusion of topaz meant that hers, Julius¡¯s and the twins¡¯ birthstones


    were all together. Julius¡¯s new ring was another simple silver band this time iid with blue to match


    the topaz. After the thought he put into each she could hardly say no to his request.


    Threading her arm into Augustus¡¯s they headed out with the twins¡¯ preceding them through the DaLair


    mansion. As with their wedding, their venue was the estate¡¯s backyard. An arbor stood in the well-


    manicured yard in front of several rows of seats. As before the guest list was only about a hundred


    peopleposed of family, close friends and a few business associates along with a handful of press


    allowing them to report on their own personal experience though all pictures of the event would be


    provided by the official wedding photographer.


    This time their photographer was Macey¡¯s assistant, Dillon. Dillon, freshly graduated from college, was


    originally hired by Macey as an au pair for the twins. It was a position Dillon¡¯s friends discouraged her


    from taking especially after they heard she would be working for an American but she really needed the


    money.


    Macey proved a surprisingly amiable employer and the money she offered was good. Even more


    importantly Dillon¡¯s dream was to be a photographer, a dream Macey was living, and Macey was the


    first to really encourage her interest. Not only did Macey let Dillon tag along to different photo shoots


    and even exin how to work and care for the equipment Macey also gifted her one of her old cameras


    as a bonus. Though the camera was an older model and somewhat out of date it still worked well


    enough to be Macey¡¯s backup. She also gave Dillon free ess to her darkroom and taught her how to


    develop her own pictures.


    Macey turned out to be the best mentor Dillon could wish for and even after the twins started school


    Dillon begged to remain under Macey¡¯s employ switching to being her secretary and assistant. The


    new position gave Dillon plenty of time to continue her own schooling and also gave her real world


    opportunity to refine her skills. She was a natural choice to handle the wedding photos. The pair had


    walked the venue and discussed angles and images to get while being unobtrusive to the guests.


    Dressed in an ivory pants-suit Dillon had already captured establishing shots of the venue as well as


    images of Julius visiting with his father, brother, nephew and son before the event. She took pictures of


    Macey and Aria¡¯s preparation, getting so caught up in capturing moments she almost didn¡¯t get herself


    ready in time.


    For extended photo shoots Macey often had two cameras. When one was full she¡¯d switch to the other


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    while Dillon removed the film from the first and reced it. Since Dillon was on her own she prepped


    three cameras to allow herself to keep taking pictures without needing to constantly reload.


    Dillon wasn¡¯t the only guest who was working. Franklin sat at a keyboard set up near the front ready to


    y the wedding march since Caden was ring bearer. His cement gave him ample view and he was


    among the first to see the foursome emerge from the mansion. As the kids neared the aisle he began


    to y ¡°I Can¡¯t Help Falling In Love With You¡± by Elvis in lieu of a traditional march in homage to


    Macey¡¯s parents who used the song for their first wedding dance.


    The guests stood and turned as Aria and Caden walked down the aisle as practiced. Aria tossed


    handfuls of petals as they went earning many smiles from the admiring crowd. Reaching the end of the


    aisle Aria found she had a lot more petals than needed. Not sure what to do and not wanting to stop


    the proceedings she simply tipped her basket upside down and dumped the rest in a pile where she


    stood to everyone¡¯s startled delight.


    Satisfied she and her brother walked up to where their father waited at the altar. There Caden


    presented the rings. Smiling Julius kissed both on the top the head, taking the rings and sending them


    to join their aunt and uncle waiting in the front row. March held out his hand allowing the pair to give


    him a high-five for a job well-done.


    Straightening Julius watched as his father and Macey started their own march, unshed tears blurring


    his sight at the vision and he couldn¡¯t wipe the smile from his face. A hush fell over the crowd as they


    watched the bride escorted by her father-inw. For those who had been present eight years ago it was


    a familiar sight since Augustus walked Macey down the aisle then too.


    Reaching the altar Augustus gave her a gentle peck before allowing Julius to take her hands. Macey


    was as nervous as she was eight years ago. Back then Julius had been a reluctant groom though he


    maintained an amodating smile. Today was different. His expression was soft and hinted at


    restrained passion for the woman in front of him. There were no lingering doubts in him. Macey handed


    her bouquet to the waiting Victoria as the minister gestured for the guests to sit.


    ¡°¡­Family, friends¡­we are gathered here today to celebrate the bless-ed union of Julius and Macey as


    they renew their vows and pledge their love to each other¡­a love that has already blessed them with


    two beautiful children.


    ¡°¡­Time has tested them and their love. It has made them stronger, their connection surer, their


    feelings truer¡­They stand together as one ready to face whatever challengesy in the future¡­


    ¡°Julius, do you promise to continue to love, honor and cherish Macey in sickness and in health, rich or


    poor, till death do you part?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Macey, do you promise to continue to love, honor and cherish Julius in sickness and in health, rich or


    poor, till death do you part?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The rings? Julius, ce the ring on Macey¡¯s hand and repeat: with this ring I still be wed.¡±


    ¡°With this ring I still be wed,¡± Julius said with a smile.


    ¡°Macey, ce the ring on Julius¡¯s hand and repeat: with this ring I still be wed.¡±


    ¡°With this ring I still be wed.¡±


    ¡°I now pronounce you, still married. You may kiss your wife.¡±


    The crowd chuckled at the minister¡¯s words even as Julius eagerly leaned forward to do the one thing


    he had wanted to do the moment he watched her walk down the aisle. Hepletely ignored the


    apuse holding her close. He would never let her go.

 Book One: Chapter 34

    Book One: Chapter 34


    Paul sat quietly nursing his drink. The reception was held on the patio with circr tables arranged


    along the perimeter. Off to one side was a piano with the center left open for the dance floor. The


    the twins. As close friends he, Victoria, Franklin and Dillon (when she wasn¡¯t taking photos) were


    seated at a neighboring table which would have normally been for Macey¡¯s family.


    From there he had an excellent view of the happy couple. Macey had not stopped smiling leaning in


    whenever Julius moved to kiss her, which he did often whether or not the crowd tapped their sses.


    They followed traditional French meals beginning with an aperitif (an alcoholic drink which Macey


    substituted with sparkling juice she shared with the twins), hors d¡¯oeuvres; a main course with a choice


    of vegetarian, seafood and chicken alongside a te of sd and followed by a selection of cheeses.


    They were now enjoying dessert which had several options all included honey as the main ingredient to


    satisfy the bride¡¯s sweet tooth rather than a typical wedding cake.


    After he finished his dessert Caden left the table to sit at the piano much to the surprise of the majority


    of the guests. He started with Beethoven¡¯s F¨¹r Elise and the attendee¡¯s were instantly captivated to


    hear such ying from one so young.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Franklin did not miss the opportunity to record the performance on his phone. He still hoped to


    convince Julius and Macey to enroll the kids at Anderson assuming they returned to the States


    permanently next year. He also wanted proof as some of his colleagues still didn¡¯t believe him about


    the boy¡¯s ability.


    Paul¡¯s attention remained on Macey. No one had been more surprised than him when Julius followed


    through with his promise to move to Paris to be with her and the twins. There had beenughable


    moments as he adjusted to the unfamiliar culture but the twins helped him as much as they could even


    introducing him to Elias.


    Surprisingly Elias, who generally didn¡¯t like people, took to Julius immediately earning him even more


    points as far as the twins were concern since they were fond the street performer. In seemingly no time


    Julius was able to make business contacts andy the foundations of his family¡¯s business. Its


    influence was already growing.


    But, worse for Paul, was news of Macey¡¯s pregnancy. Ever since it was confirmed she practically


    glowed. Dillon was given more responsibilities in the dark room as Macey wanted to limit her exposure


    to chemicals though she still took the lead behind the camera fulfilling her promise to photograph


    Victoria¡¯s new line as well as continuing her own projects. She wanted to get as much done as she


    could before the final trimester so she could focus on the baby.


    When he saw her walk down the aisle Paul¡¯s breath had been taken away. Even now he was lost in


    admiring her as she leaned into Julius¡¯s embrace listening to Caden y. As he finished Caden looked


    to the table with his family gathered around. At first it looked as if he was seeking his sister but his gaze


    settled on his mother.


    Smiling Macey stood, kissing Julius¡¯s cheek before making her way to the piano. Aria immediately took


    her mother¡¯s ce and climbed into her father¡¯sp. Many curious gazes followed Macey as she sat


    beside Caden. Their curiosity was soon satiated as the pair yed a tune familiar to everyone even if


    they didn¡¯t know the name: Hoagy Carmichael¡¯s Heart and Soul much to the delight of the audience.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Aunt Macey could y,¡± Jude looked to his family in surprise.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± March nodded. ¡°We used to go to her recitals when we were kids. I think she even won a


    fewpetitions, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    He looked to his brother for confirmation. Julius nodded remembering Macey being so nervous she


    almost threw up before one in particr, perhaps a city championship? If he remembered correctly she


    lost to a younger girl. He couldn¡¯t remember her name but he recalled they imed she was some sort


    of prodigy.


    What he did remember was how devastated Macey had been. In order to console her Julius had gone


    to the refreshment area and brought her back a honey bun drizzled in extra honey. Macey¡¯s tears had


    dried almost instantly at his gift and he was rewarded with a genuine smile.


    ¡°But she stopped all of a sudden,¡± March added.


    ¡°She stopped ying after he father passed,¡± Augustus informed. His sons looked at him in surprise as


    neither of them had made the connection. ¡°He¡¯s the one who taught her to y. I remember¡­they had


    his grandmother¡¯s old upright and there was one key that was always out of tune no matter how often


    they had it adjusted. But he and Macey would sit together and y¡­just like this.¡±


    Augustus looked over at Macey and Caden with a smile. No doubt memories were running through her


    head as she yed her fingers moving over the keys with practiced ease. No one would be able to tell


    it had been decades since shest yed seriously. As the duet finished the pair paused before


    shifting into Chopsticks making more than a few chuckle as they ended with a flourish. Laughing Macey


    hugged Caden whose expression was ecstatic and without his usual reserve.


    Aria pulled her dad¡¯s ear close whispering, ¡°It¡¯s time for your dance, daddy.¡±


    Julius smiled standing and carrying her to the piano. Setting Aria down he offered his hand to Macey


    who blushed. Taking his hand she allowed herself to be led to the center of the patio. Caden situated


    himself on the bench and once his parents faced each other began to y.


    To those who had been present for their wedding the melody was recognizable as it had been the song


    Macey and Julius first danced to in the past. For those who hadn¡¯t been there it was still recognizable


    as it was the theme of Macey¡¯s favorite movie: Storybook Love from Princess Bride. Aria¡¯s sweet clear


    voice joined her brother¡¯s ying as she sang in French to the crowd¡¯s surprise.


    Viens, je vais te raconter une histoire.


    D¡¯un gars et d¡¯une fille et de leur amour.


    Et il l¡¯aimait tellement.


    Et tous les charmes qu¡¯elle avait.


    ?a s¡¯est produit une fois.


    Quand ce n¡¯¨¦tait pas sipliqu¨¦.


    Il adorait le sol qu¡¯elle marchait.


    Et quand il l¡¯a vue, il ¨¦tait obs¨¦d¨¦.


    Mon amour estme un conte de f¨¦es.


    Mais c¡¯est aussi vrai que mon c?ur.


    Mon amour estme un conte de f¨¦es.


    Mais c¡¯est aussi vrai que mon c?ur.


    C¡¯est aussi vrai que mon coeur


    Cet amour ¨¦tait plus fort que le mal


    Un prince avait en sa possession


    Tisser des sorts pour voler un coeur


    Dormant dans sa poitrine


    Mon amour estme un conte de f¨¦es.


    Mais c¡¯est aussi vrai que mon c?ur.


    Mon amour estme un conte de f¨¦es.


    Mais c¡¯est aussi vrai que mon coeur.


    C¡¯est aussi vrai que mon coeur.


    Il a dit, ¡°Ne sais-tu pas que je t¡¯aime


    et que je d¨¦pose mon coeur ¨¤ tes pieds?¡±


    Elle a dit, ¡°Ne sais-tu pas que les contes de f¨¦es


    ont toujours une fin heureuse?¡±


    Il l¡¯a prise dans ses brasme dans les livres


    Et sur son cheval, ils s¡¯en all¨¨rent


    Mon amour estme un conte de f¨¦es.


    Mais c¡¯est aussi vrai que mon coeur.


    Mon amour estme un conte de f¨¦es.


    Mais c¡¯est aussi vrai que mon coeur.


    Paul watched the couple dance leaning close to each other. Julius rested his forehead on hers as her


    arms circled his neck. His hands were at her hips, thumbs gently stroking her belly as they swayed to


    their children¡¯s performance. Paul struggled to swallow back the jealousy ring within him.


    Since the gallery opening he had familiarized himself with Macey¡¯s favorite book and movie as well as


    some of her other likes but apparently there was still more he didn¡¯t know. Like Jude, he hadn¡¯t known


    she used to (and still could) y the piano or that it was a special memory with her father. Everything


    he learned only taught him how little he knew and how much more Julius already did.


    As the twins finished their song Franklin put away his phone and headed to the piano. Some of the


    guests recognized him as he and Caden fist bumped before changing ces. While Franklin made


    himselffortable Caden and Aria hurried to their parents. With smiles Julius and Macey changed


    partners each taking a twin as Franklin began the next song, A Thousand Years by Christina Perri.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± March asked smiling at Rose.


    She blushed and nodded. He took her by the hand and led her to the dance floor joining the newly


    cemented family. Encouraged by his grandfather Jude left the table to ask another young attendee to


    dance. Taking this as a cue several of the guests stood and joined them.


    * * *


    November 6th


    New York Times


    Love is in the Air.


    Yesterday, a hundred of the closest friends and associates of the DaLair family gathered to celebrate


    Julius and Macey DaLair¡¯s marriage with a touching vow renewal ceremony. The blushing wife was


    gorgeous and sophisticated in her one of a kind gown created by the famed designer Victoria Laurent.


    Celebrated pianist and member of the Philharmonic, Franklin Jackson, yed a beautiful rendition of


    Elvis Presley¡¯s ¡°Can¡¯t Help Falling in Love With You¡± while the bride, apanied by her father-inw


    and proceeded by her precocious twins walked down the aisle.


    During the French inspired reception guests were treated to a special concert by Caden DaLair and his


    masterful piano ying as well as his sister, Aria DaLair, whose voice is as beautiful as an angel¡¯s. The


    pair performed a special version of ¡°Storybook Love¡± for their parents¡¯ first dance. Afterwards Franklin


    once again returned to the piano so the twins could join their parents in a touching dance that brought


    many to tears while others chose to join the family on the dance floor and celebrate their love and joy.


    Julius and Macey n on returning to Paris soon so the twins can continue their schooling. Julius is


    also busy building his family¡¯s business overseas and Macey, who is famed photographer M. Gray,


    readies pieces for her next exhibit. The happy couple is also preparing to wee their third child due


    in March.


    Fin.

 Book One: Chapter 35: Bonus Chapter

    Book One: Chapter 35: Bonus Chapter


    Her phone buzzed loudly alerting Katherine of new notifications. Groggily she stirred sitting up and


    rested her back against the padded headboard of the hotel bed. Beside her Frederick snored loudly as


    hey like a starfish passed out. She sighed out of irritation and disgust. Her ass ached from his rough,


    alcohol-fueled lovemaking.


    How had her lifee to this?


    As Augustus foretold, her parents filed for bankruptcy. They had been forced to sell off their properties,


    vacation homes, cars, artwork and even their entire hotel chain. Unfortunately, or perhaps expectedly,


    Augustus¡¯s influence was at work and they not only sold their assets for far less than market value but


    fell well short of making enough to pay back their creditors. The IRS had started proceedings for a


    detailed audit as well. Despite the fact her parents faced possible incarceration Katherine had very little


    concern for them. She was too worried about her own future.


    After news of Julius¡¯s public proposal broke Frederick sought her out. No doubt he hoped tofort


    her and perhaps help himself to Julius¡¯s spoils. Knowing a prime opportunity when she saw one she


    cried her eyes out earning his dedicated sympathy and attention as he encouraged her to drown her


    sorrows. It hadn¡¯t taken much to get him up to her room after that. Their first night had been sloppy and


    he passed out half way through but it was enough to start rumors making them a couple.


    After that everything proceeded as Katherine nned except for one thing. Frederick was rough in bed


    constantly smacking her butt and insisting on all sorts of dirty talk. But it was treatment she was willing


    to put up with to secure her future. She had begun her fertility treatments again so it was only a matter


    of time before she properly secured Frederick¡¯s proposal.


    With a sigh she reached for her phone with some trepidation. Three months ago she had screamed


    when she saw the front page headline showcasing Julius and Macey¡¯s ceremony. As with their wedding


    it was a private affair with an exclusive guest list. The included photos were provided by the DaLair¡¯s


    wedding photographer.


    Macey looked stunning in her one of a kind dress that did absolutely nothing to hide her growing belly.


    Julius stood beside her with an adoring gaze. His hand always seemed to rest on her stomach when it


    wasn¡¯t upied with one or both of the twins. Every article she read included high praise for the twins


    iming them to be rare and genius talents. Not surprisingly with news of the wedding, the twins


    officially recognized as heirs as well as Julius¡¯s sessful business ventures overseas the DaLair


    The fact that Macey was M. Gray and the twins were musical progenies also had a surprising effect in


    elevating the DaLair¡¯s reputation not just in terms of business but also in terms of connoisseurs of the


    art world. Steeling herself Katherine opened the notifications but the headline almost made her toss her


    phone across the room.


    February 15th


    New York Times


    IT¡¯S A BOY!


    At five o¡¯clock this morning (Paris time) Julius and Macey DaLair weed their third child into the


    world. At five pounds four ounces, Coda Jules DaLair surprised his family by arriving two weeks early.


    The birth was attended by not just the DaLair patriarch but the entire DaLair family who all flew out to


    Paris on ate night flight.


    Mother and son are healthy and doing well.


    We are told the father also survived.


    The article was apanied by several photos. The first featured a proud and overwhelmed Julius


    holding the baby to his chest with the twins crowding on either side. Another showed a tired Macey


    cradling the newborn with Caden on one side and Julius holding Aria on the other. A third presented


    the DaLair patriarch himself holding the infant like a proud grandfather. No doubt the DaLair stocks


    would see another jump in value soon.


    Sumbing to her frustration Katherine shrieked and tossed her phone away. It should have been her!


    If only it wasn¡¯t for that bitch she could have had everything she deserved.


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    Frederick stirred. He nced around the room as if trying to remember the previous night. Groggily he


    looked at her and in a rare lucid moment noticed her dark expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that. Tell me what¡¯s got you upset?¡±


    ¡°Julius and that bitch had their baby. It¡¯s a boy.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Frederick chuckled. ¡°Well, I know the cure for that. Come here.¡±


    He dragged her to his side of the bed. Pulling her legs over the edge he stood and rolled her over.


    Obediently Katherine propped herself up and braced herself as he rammed her from behind. Frederick


    grunted in satisfaction as he pulled out and rammed her harder with each stroke.


    ¡°You know you like this,¡± he pped her ass as he worked her harder and faster. Katherine bit back her


    frustration and humiliation letting it blend with the pain into something almost like pleasure.


    ¡°Come on. Let me hear it! Tell me how much you like it!¡±


    ¡°Harder, daddy!¡± she shouted to his delight. ¡°Faster daddy, faster!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Daddy knows what you like!¡±


    * * *


    Augustus sighed his tired gaze settled on the baby asleep in the hospital cradle ced beside Macey¡¯s


    bed. In Europe hospitals encouraged mothers to breastfeed and care for their infants immediately if


    there were no worryingplications preventing it. It was a mentality American hospitals,rgely


    concerned with sanitation, were slowly beginning to adopt.


    Macey intended to breastfeed the new baby just as she had with the twins even though she struggled


    to provide enough for the pair. Since this was her second birth her body seemed better prepared and


    with only one to feed the process should be easier to maintain.


    Though it was still early everyone finally left to try and rest. March, Rose and Jude headed to a nearby


    hotel while Victoria, Dillon and Paul retreated to their respective homes. The baby¡¯s early arrival had


    taken them all by surprise. Augustus still remembered the panic in Julius¡¯s voice over the phone.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    It was two in the afternoon in New York, which meant it was eight in Paris, when Julius informed him


    they were on their way to the hospital. Augustus immediately called March and Rose while Stephen


    made arrangements with the airport to secure departure time for their private jet. Jude raced to make it


    home in time to join them. They barely arrived in Paris before the baby.


    Macey was asleep resting peacefully and no one deserved rest more than her. Cadeny beside her,


    his head resting on her shoulder, also sound asleep. It had been a long night for all of them. Augustus


    was amazed the twins managed to stay awake the entire night. His gaze drifted to the reclining chair on


    the other side of the baby¡¯s cradle where Julius slept, passed out with Aria cuddled in hisp.


    It had been a long night for him too. Since he missed the twins¡¯ birth this was his first time experiencing


    the existential dread that often struck fathers during their partner¡¯sbor but he never left Macey¡¯s side


    and proudly held his new baby boy before anyone else aside from the hospital staff. His joy was


    evident from the start and the twins were excited to finally meet their baby brother.


    The only one who could not muster such rapture was Paul. From very early on Augustus realized Paul


    was in love with Macey and he was equally aware she was oblivious. The twins seemed to sense


    Paul¡¯s feelings for their mother and maintained a cool distance from him as well. Even so Augustus


    was apprehensive about the other man while his son remained estranged from his family but he dared


    not interfere directly as that would have incurred Victoria¡¯s wrath.


    Augustus still recalled their first conversation almost six years ago when he found himself confessing to


    Victoria his hope of reuniting Macey and Julius. Victoria had been against it from the beginning. Having


    never met Julius she hated the thought of Macey being hurt again. At the same time Victoria did not


    fully support Paul¡¯s clumsy approach either knowing it was too soon for Macey to be giving her heart


    away again.


    As time passed Victoria very quickly realized Macey¡¯s feelings for Julius were as steadfast and true as


    ever. Learning about Julius through Macey¡¯s stories Victoria even developed a soft spot for the man


    she never met recognizing him as one who had been oblivious to what was in front of him. At the very


    least she was willing to reserve final judgment until she met him in person much to Augustus¡¯s relief.


    Whether Julius knew it or not he had cleared a major hurtle in renewing his rtionship with Macey by


    earning Victoria¡¯s graciousness.


    Julius must have left a promising impression because Victoria offered no protests when he proposed.


    Her only concern seemed to be losing her friend and the twins as it was likely they would eventually


    relocate to the America. So far the family chose to remain in Paris but Victoria was already making


    ns of her own. Still unbeknownst to Macey she signed a contract with Kleinfeld ensuring she would


    be splitting her time between Paris and New York from now on.


    Paul, on the other hand, distanced himself. Though he was genuinely happy for Macey he could not


    shake his jealousy towards Julius. Not only possessing intimate knowledge of Macey¡¯s preferences, as


    the pregnancy progressed Julius became an ever attentive partner. He readily assisted her in whatever


    capacity she needed from chores to cooking to massaging her feet withoutint. It became more


    and more clear to Paul they were perfectly matched.


    Macey was still oblivious to his feelings towards her and Paul did not want to disrupt her happiness with


    Julius and the twins. He just couldn¡¯t bear to watch another man fulfill the role he coveted. So he kept


    his distance. It was best for everyone.


    Victoria was supportive and helped hime up with excuses for missing events. Julius undoubtedly


    knew the real reason but said nothing. Macey remained blissfully unaware and that was the way Paul


    wanted it. One day he would be able to forget his feelings and just be a friend¡­eventually. Until then


    he would watch from afar.


    As long as his family was not disrupted Augustus was content and saw no reason to interfere. He


    basked in this quiet sess. Finally both of his sons knew the happiness he had always wanted for


    them. In the end it had all been worth it.


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    Augustus looked up as Stephen handed him his phone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you wanted to see this but it is proceeding as you predicted.¡±


    Augustus took the phone reading the headline and scanning through the images of Frederick and


    Katherine. They seemed to be making quite the spectacle of themselves now that Julius was beyond


    their collective reaches.


    ¡°And it is confirmed she has started fertility treatments again.¡±


    ¡°Proceed as nned. You know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    Augustus nodded letting his gaze return to the sleeping family unaware of the actions he took on their


    behalf. There was no need to involve them. The baby would need a lot of care and attention and it was


    best for Julius and Macey to focus on their family. Augustus would handle the rest. No one crossed a


    DaLair.


    Fin.


    (For real this time)

 Book One: Chapter 36: Bonus Story One

    Book One: Chapter 36: Bonus Story One


    When Victoria Met Macey


    ¡°Doctor, how is she?¡± Augustus demanded as soon as she exited the bedroom.


    Signing for quiet the doctor peered into the bedroom at her patientfortably resting before pulling


    the door closed. Maia Darman had been practicing for over two decades and had gathered a rather


    exclusive clientele. Though her hair was slowly fading to gray now, her wits were as sharp as ever.


    It was often assumed the rich were entitled and self-absorbed and in some cases that was undoubtedly


    true. However, there was also reason for their entitlement especially in terms of healthcare. After all


    ensuring their good health as well as the health of their heirs was doubly important when the rumor of a


    cold was enough to affect theirpany¡¯s profits and stocks.


    With such stakes it wasn¡¯t a surprise they rarely stepped into a hospital preferring the physician to


    make a house call. And of course that doctor had to be trustworthy enough not to sumb to idle


    gossip. Augustus DaLair was no different but he wasn¡¯t impossible with his demands. As such she was


    able to maintain her own practice aided by his generous donation and endorsement.


    ¡°She¡¯s restingfortably now,¡± Maia said. ¡°I prescribed her something for the nausea if it gets that


    bad again but the most important thing for her right now is rest and to reduce her stress levels.¡±


    ¡°Stress?¡±


    ¡°This is her first pregnancy and ording to what she told me her cycles have a habit of being


    irregr,¡± the doctor exined. ¡°Irregr cycles can be a sign of hormonal imbnces in which case


    getting pregnant can be more difficult and also more difficult to maintain especially in the first trimester.¡±


    Augustus felt himself go pale. His wife had a hard time conceiving and Rose had as well. Was Macey


    simrly cursed?


    ¡°What about the baby?¡±


    ¡°As far as I can tell it¡¯s fine,¡± the doctor sighed.


    Augustus let out a slow breath.


    ¡°She should continue to rest and allow the pregnancy to establish itself. She should take it easy and


    rx and you should keep as much stress out of her daily life as possible.¡±


    ¡°It shall be done,¡± Augustus nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll return in a couple days for a follow-up but call me if anythinges up before then.¡±


    ¡°Of course, thank you doctor.¡±


    A sidelong nce at Stephen was all that was necessary to instruct the younger man to escort the


    doctor out. When they were both gone Augustus quietly let himself into the bedroom. With a sigh he


    took a seat beside the bed and stared at the womanfortably sleeping.


    It had been a trying two days since she left Julius. She left everything behind aside from a handful of


    cash. Even her cell phone had been discarded. If he hadn¡¯t the foresight to send Stephen to shadow


    her she would have disappearedpletely forever out of his sight and protection. Augustus couldn¡¯t


    let that happen.


    He owed his life to her father. Carl Grayson was a simple man or so Augustus thought at their first


    meeting. They met in basic training when Augustus along the other men of his squad. Their training


    centered on working together until their deployment. While the other men in the squad soon developed


    close ties and camaraderie Carl maintained an aloof manner and kept everyone at a distance.


    He obeyed orders and carried them out to the letter but seemed tock imagination. Battle was a fluid


    thing and sometimes it was necessary to think on one¡¯s feet but Carl seemed tock this ability and it


    caused strife among the other members. When not actively training he spent an inordinate amount of


    time checking his gear, sharpening his knife or disassembling and cleaning his weapon rather than


    hanging out with the squad. Even at meal time he kept himself apart quietly observing them.


    Not wanting any disharmony with his men Augustus took Carl aside one day to confront him about


    these issues. Carl merely nodded quietly and shrugged when he was asked to work on them.


    Frustrated Augustus demanded, ¡°These men are yourrades. How can you expect them to watch


    your back if you don¡¯t prove yourself to them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect them too,¡± Carl answered easily.


    Augustus was at a loss for worlds. Was this even possible? Was this man serious or just that arrogant?


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not making a good impression but I never do,¡± Carl continued when Augustus continued to


    stare at him. ¡°I¡¯m just not good at rting to people no matter how much I want to. It¡¯s like¡­It¡¯s like¡­


    music.¡±


    ¡°Music?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Everyone here is like rock music while I¡¯m¡­ssical. Have you ever listened to Beethoven?¡±


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t say that I have.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pity. He is considered a genius for a reason. Whenever I y one of his pieces I feel uplifted.¡±


    ¡°You y?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my grandmother taught me. I think she did it so I could connect to something since people are


    hard.¡± Carl frowned momentarily lost in thought. ¡°But in any case¡­I¡¯m not good with people.¡±


    ¡°Because they don¡¯t like the same music?¡±


    ¡°Like has nothing to do with it. We just don¡¯t connect.¡± Carl sighed frustrated. It was perhaps the only


    time Augustus ever saw him express an emotion. ¡°When you turn on a radio station it¡¯s because you


    like the music they y, right? Whether its rock, country, ssical, whatever. No radio station ys


    them all, right? I know I¡¯m not exining it well but¡­¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. I think I understand what you are saying,¡± Augustus said after a moment sensing Carl was


    getting worked up from his own ability to express what he thought. ¡°You have a hard time connecting to


    others. It¡¯s not something you can control or ovee.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°But these men are yourrades and you¡¯re life will depend on them.¡±


    ¡°I will never abandon myrades,¡± Carl nodded. There was no uncertainty in his statement and


    Augustus was forced to leave it at that though he was still unsatisfied.


    He made up his mind to try and include Carl more in hopes of improving the squad¡¯s harmony that n


    fell through as they were shipped out soon after. Carl remained aloof and unapproachable but while


    othersined about the heat and humidity he remained stoic and unbothered. It actually gave the


    others a bit of confidence oddly enough.


    Augustus¡¯s lips twitched fighting a smile at the memories. He looked again to Macey. There was no


    sign of her earlier struggles though her expression still seemed strained. He didn¡¯t know exactly what


    Julius said to her but it was clear it had a terrible effect.


    Augustus was surprised by her pale, haunted look. He couldn¡¯t believe his son had rendered such a


    lively woman to such a state. It had taken everything in him not to confront his son immediately and


    now he was grateful he held back. If he had caused a ruckus it might have induced more stress on


    Macey and the baby. But now, what should he do?


    It had been two days since the party and March imed Julius was desperately searching for her even


    going as far as enlisting the IT department to track her route from the apartment to the bus station.


    Augustus admired his son¡¯s tenacity but that didn¡¯t excuse him. As much as he wanted to bring this


    trouble to a swift conclusion it was impossible as long as Macey¡¯s health was in question and he


    certainly wasn¡¯t going to risk the life of his grandchild.


    Coming to a decision Augustus stood and quietly let himself out without disturbing his daughter-inw¡¯s


    sleep. He was quite certain Julius would be furious once he learned Macey had been with Augustus the


    entire time but that didn¡¯t matter as long as Macey and the baby recovered. He would put off any


    decision until after that.


    * * *


    ¡°How are you feeling, my dear?¡± Augustus asked.


    ¡°Better.¡± Macey managed a smile. She was rxed reclining on her pillows.


    It had been just over a week since she arrived at the mansion. The staff had been told not to reveal the


    identity of their guest and to treat her with the upmost care following doctor¡¯s orders. Luckily his sons


    were infrequent visitors and since his birthday party there was little need from them toe home


    when they saw him at work every day. Normally Augustusmented their inattention but now he was


    grateful as it allowed Macey to recover without interruption.


    ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± Augustus sighed. ¡°And the baby?¡±


    ¡°The doctor says its heartbeat is strong so she doesn¡¯t think there will be anyplications as long as I


    avoid unnecessary stress.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Augustus didn¡¯t try to hide his relief but continued to worry how the next topic would affect her.


    ¡°As much as don¡¯t want to I need to discuss something with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Macey looked at him genuinely confused.


    It seemed she had not heard any rumors about Julius¡¯s continued search. His son was bing more


    desperate and Augustus was having a difficult time keeping the truth away from him. He was beginning


    to suspect that Julius found out about the pregnancy despite Macey¡¯s assurance there was no way for


    him to know.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Julius.¡±


    Macey stiffened and her serene expression fell.


    ¡°You should know he¡¯s been looking for you ever since the night you left,¡± Augustus said. ¡°I haven¡¯t told


    him you are here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Macey said after a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll leave soon. So you don¡¯t need to worry¡­¡±


    ¡°Now hold on,¡± Augustus argued. ¡°No one said anything about you leaving.¡±


    ¡°¡­But I can¡¯t stay especially after¡­¡±


    ¡°After what? Macey, you can tell me. What happened that night?¡±


    Macey breathed deep. She didn¡¯t want to revisit that night but perhaps it would be best to tell him.


    Slowlying to a decision she started from the beginning. Augustus listened quietly fuming. How


    could his son do such a thing to the wonderful woman in front of him? Did he teach him nothing?


    ¡°¡­And when I got home¡­I found the divorce papers.¡±


    ¡°Divorce papers!!!¡± Augustus leapt to his feet ready to drag his son in front of him at that very moment.


    ¡°Dad, please, calm down,¡± Macey said.


    Looking at her pale face he slowly marshaled his control and sat down again. It was no wonder she


    had been so unhappy and stressed. Augustus took her hand holding it gently.


    He wasn¡¯t sure exactly when he noticed Macey had developed a crush on Julius. Was it when they


    were in high school? At the time Julius had been something of a yboy going out with several


    different girls though he was never serious about any of them. None of his rtionshipssted more


    than a week but they had an effect on Macey.


    Thankfully she went to public school and was spared watching Julius carry on with his various affairs


    but whenever she and her parents visited she had to endure listening to his escapades all the same.


    Augustus could never forget the look of disappointment and hurt that flitted across her face and


    darkened her gaze. Despite knowing each other for so long Julius seemed oblivious to her. She had


    grown up with the brothers so they treated her like a sister or cousin rather than a romantic interest.


    Julius, you damned fool.


    Augustus sighed, ¡°So what exactly did the papers detail? What kind of alimony did he offer?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t read any of it. I just sighed.¡±


    ¡°Macey¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from him,¡± Macey fought back tears. ¡°If I did take any money it would only prove


    I¡¯m the gold-digging whore they im I am.¡±


    ¡°¡­Macey.¡±


    ¡°Please, just leave it. The papers are signed. It¡¯s over.¡±


    Augustus fell silent. If it was over why was Julius looking for her so desperately? Something didn¡¯t add


    up. Could it be? Could Julius have finally realized the truth? Maybe¡­But was it too little toote?


    The woman in front of him was resigned. She had given up the love she had nurtured for so long truly


    believing it was over. Would Julius be able to convince her he made a mistake? No. In her current state


    she probably wouldn¡¯t even listen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s face it¡­he and I¡­we¡¯re too different. I just don¡¯t belong in his world and I guess he knew it from


    the beginning,¡± Macey let out a sniffle prompting him to give her a tissue. ¡°It¡¯s better if I just leave. I


    don¡¯t want to cause problems.¡±


    Augustus studied her for a long moment in silence. Perhaps it was better to put distance between them


    for now. Macey had alwayscked confidence when it came to standing among the DaLairs. Though


    they treated her as a member of the family she could never forget she was still an outsider. Exposure to


    those harpies undoubtedly solidified her inferiorityplex though Augustus knew she was far superior


    to any of them.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°So what would you like to do?¡± he finally asked.


    ¡°I think¡­I¡¯d really like to go back to school,¡± Macey answered after a moment. ¡°I¡¯d like to earn my


    degree if only to prove to myself I can.¡±


    Augustus smiled his eyes sparkling. That was it. That was the answer. What better confidence booster


    than that?


    ¡°Where would you like to go?¡±


    Macey hesitated. Originally she had thought to go back to the School of Visual Arts but that would


    mean staying in New York. The chances of running into Julius were low but they were hardly zero. And


    once he and his new woman started making the front covers there would be no avoiding it. How would


    she be able to stand it? No, it was better to leave. A clean break. But where could she go that she


    could avoid even hearing news about him.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve always wanted to see Paris.¡±


    ¡°Paris?¡± Augustus repeated rmed that she would be so far away.


    He hoped to keep her close enough to watch over her but perhaps that would be too much for her.


    March had often told him he was too overbearing. It was true he could exert influence and pressure


    without even trying. A bird couldn¡¯t fly if left in a cage. But he wouldn¡¯t let her fend for herself. No. He


    would do everything he could to support her. She was the daughter of the man who saved his life and


    the mother of his future grandchild so he would do everything he could to aid her.


    ¡°Very well. Paris it is.¡±


    Macey blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Give me a week or two. I¡¯ll send Stephen to secure you a proper living space as well as look into


    hospitals.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t¡­he doesn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Macey, my dear,¡± Augustus smiled. ¡°You are, and will always be, my daughter-inw. You are the


    mother of my grandchild. I refuse to let you settle for anything less than the best.¡±


    Macey bit her lip.


    ¡°You want to go to school yes? And you¡¯ll be having a baby soon. You¡¯ll need proper care and


    amenities for you and the baby.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, yeah but¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me do this for you, Macey. I promise I won¡¯t interfere but I want to be there for you and my


    grandchild.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now rest and don¡¯t worry about a thing. It will all be okay.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Are you all right Miss?¡± Stephen asked with concern as they exited customs.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Macey sighed. ¡°Air travel has never been my favorite.¡±


    ¡°It will be much easier from here.¡±


    Hailing a cab Stephen loaded her luggage into the trunk then gave instructions to the driver. Macey


    listened amazed at the ease with which he handled the situation.


    ¡°Stephen, I didn¡¯t know you could speak French.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°¡­But.¡±


    ¡°I learned a bit when I came here to set up your apartment,¡± he said, ¡°but I only know enough to give


    the correct address.¡±


    Macey was silent for a time, ¡°I¡¯m going to need to learn.¡±


    ¡°Miss?¡±


    ¡°French. If I¡¯m going to stay here I really should learn thenguage, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°You have a point. It will be especially useful when you begin attending school. But the state has


    several remedial programs specifically for immigrants to learn thenguage.¡±


    Macey bit her lip. After a moment she said, ¡°sses are good, but I think I¡¯ll learn faster and more


    naturally with a tutor.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll make arrangements.¡±


    ¡°¡­You will?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Stephen agreed. ¡°Mister DaLair insisted I should see to all of your needs and make sure


    you would befortable before I left.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    They spent the rest of the ride infortable silence. Macey spent her time looking out the window


    watching the people they passed by. Taking outndmarks the view was surprisingly normal¡­she


    could have been just about anywhere. Unexpectedly she tookfort from this. This was her home


    now after all.


    Reaching their destination Stephen paid the driver and helped her out. Refusing her help he hauled her


    luggage himself escorting her into a beautiful stone building. She had expected a simple two bedroom


    apartment but a short ride in the elevator brought her to a surprisingly modern space.


    It had an open concept with wide windows overlooking the city. The kitchen was clean with stainless


    steel appliances for a fresh feel. There was even a dining area with a small circr table. A counter top


    separated the kitchen from the living room which was fully furnished. The furniture was sleek and


    area rug and rich wood side tables.


    Macey stood surveying the rooms with her mouth open in shock. This was far from what she was


    expecting. When Augustus asked her what kind of amodations she needed she said something


    simple and reasonably priced. There was no way this apartment was within her budget.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Miss?¡± Stephen asked. ¡°Anything not to your liking?¡±


    ¡°No¡­it¡¯s fine¡­but this is too much.¡± Macey shook her head.


    ¡°This was the bare minimum Mister DaLair would allow.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t need¡­how am I going to afford this?¡±


    ¡°Not to worry. The rent will be deducted automatically from an ount Mister DaLair set up.¡±


    ¡°¡­An ount? What ount?¡±


    ¡°A bank ount,¡± Stephen went to a small office nook and took out a checkbook. Inside was a debt


    card with her name on it.


    Macey stared at the beginning bnce noted in the book and almost fell over. Wide-eyed she stared at


    him in disbelief. Augustus said he was going to support her through her college education but this was


    too much.


    ¡°It is the bare minimum,¡± Stephen assured her.


    Macey let out a slow breath. Having known Augustus DaLair since she was little she knew exactly how


    overbearing he could be though he always meant well. As a man who dearly loved his family knowing


    he would be so far away from his grandchild he was no doubt very worried. It was actually rather


    surprising he agreed to let her move to Paris in the first ce. Her gaze fell on the checkbook again.


    Just because he gave her this much didn¡¯t mean she had to spend it. It was a small concession but one


    she could at least ept.


    ¡°Would you like to see the nursery?¡±


    Nodding Macey followed him to one of the bedrooms. It was quiterge and would give the baby ample


    room to grow into throughout their toddler years and onward. The walls were neutral color. The dresser,


    crib, swing and changing table were white with light green ents. Opening a dresser drawer she saw


    it already stocked with onesies, booties and sleepers. The only thing missing was the baby.


    With a small smile her hand settled on her stomach. Eight months from now that ce would be filled.


    Slowly turning she saw Stephen watching her. Blushing slightly she gave him a genuine smile for the


    first time since their arrival.


    * * *


    Victoria stepped out of the cab with a sigh checking her phone for the address one more time before


    entering the building. Though she was generally confidant and carefree she had to admit she was


    feeling a little anxious about this meeting.


    She had seen the advertisement a week ago for a private tutor willing to teach remedial French to a


    newly arrived immigrant from America. Like many people she didn¡¯t have a favorable opinion of


    Americans in general. They were arrogant in their ims ofing from the greatest country in the


    world as if their country never did anything wrong or didn¡¯t have problems. At least other countries


    admitted their shorings. The militant patriotism disyed by Americans was extremely


    ufortable to watch.


    Then there was American fascination with sex and sexuality when at the same time they were


    short or too tall. Half the poption was busy trying to reach some unattainable ideal while the other


    half simply gave up on life and sumbed to obesity.


    Victoria readily admitted she was a bit freer than most when it came to her body. She had no problem


    with her own self image and waspletelyfortable in her own skin. Her bohemian life style


    certainly wouldn¡¯t be considered typical even by French standards but she had no regrets and certainly


    no desire to change. But she was also broke.


    Money was the only reason she applied for the position of tutor. The amount offered was considerably


    more than she would ever make as a nude model or florist. Both were previous upations she had


    maintained over the years. If she was going to achieve her dream of being a designer she needed


    some funds to procure material and preferably a good studio to work in. If it meant putting up with a


    spoiled American for a few hours every day then it would be worth it.


    Knocking on the door she waited. She wasn¡¯t sure what she expected but a rather tall man in a


    business suit was not one of them. He gave her a quick appraising eye.


    ¡°Miss Laurent, I presume?¡±


    ¡°You presume correctly, Mister¡­¡±


    ¡°You may call me Stephen. Pleasee in.¡±


    He escorted her inside and settled her at the dining table. Offering her something to drink he sat across


    from her reviewing her application on his phone.


    ¡°So what kind of teaching experience do you have?¡±


    ¡°I was an au pair when I was younger. Most recently I acted as a teaching assistant.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And you do not have an issue conducting lessons while also acting as guide?¡±


    Victoria merely shrugged, ¡°Real world interactions will probably help develop a more natural way of


    speaking. So¡­sure¡­¡±


    Stephen eyed her carefully. Perhaps her answer was a little more carefree than he was hoping for but


    she was the most promising candidate. Of all the applicants she was the closest in age to Macey


    herself and it was his employer¡¯s hope Macey¡¯s tutor also be a friend to help her limate to her new


    home.


    Before he could ask for a more detailed answer the door opened. He stood as Macey entered.


    Surprised by her interviewer¡¯s reaction Victoria stood as well and got her first look at the woman she


    would be teaching.


    She wore ear buds connected to her phone as she followed along with anguage program practicing


    pronunciation. Her red hair was barely contained in a scrunchie and her clothing was modest but neat.


    She carried a backpack slung over one shoulder and it was clear she had juste back from her


    But something was off. This woman was a little too pale, the rings under her eyes a little too dark and


    her gaze unexpectedly haunted. It was clear she had suffered and if Victoria had to guess¡­it was


    probably love. Love could easily make or break any woman.


    Setting down her bag the redhead realized she wasn¡¯t alone. Pulling out her ear buds she said, ¡°I¡¯m so


    sorry. I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d be here. Um¡­bonjour?¡±


    Victoria fought back augh. There was something genuine and sweet about this woman. This wasn¡¯t


    what she expected but she was pleasantly surprised.


    ¡°Miss,¡± Stephen nodded. ¡°This is Miss Victoria Laurent. She is yournguage tutor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hello. I¡¯m Macey.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Macey,¡± Victoria stepped forward offering a hand. ¡°Just call me Vicki.¡±

 Book One: Chapter 37: Bonus Story Two

    Book One: Chapter 37: Bonus Story Two


    The Twins Cometh


    Macey woke with a sudden urge to pee. With a grunt she pushed herself out of bed struggling with her


    ratherrge stomach. She gently stroked it. It had been months since the doctor told her she was not


    having just one baby but two. Twins. It still didn¡¯t seem real despite her expanding middle. Twins, actual


    twins.


    She eased out of bed and retreated to the bathroom to relieve herself. Once she wasfortable


    again she moved to the living room and sat on the sofa. She was grateful for therge cushions. Her


    back and feet constantly ached and now it seemed the twins had settled permanently on her dder.


    That was something no one warned her about.


    She inhaled deeply as her body tensed. For the past couple weeks she had been having minor


    contractions. Her doctor exined it was her body¡¯s way of preparing forbor and to not be rmed


    by them. The moment passed and she winced as a wave of heartburn came next. It seemed she was


    always fending off one or the other. Macey grimaced pushing herself up to retrieve a ss of water


    from the kitchen.


    As she moved she felt something shift as her water broke and her fluid started leaking. Biting her lip


    she froze unsure if she was correct but another contraction brought her back to reality just as someone


    knocked on her door.


    ¡°Ah¡­yes?¡±


    ¡°Macey, it¡¯s me,¡± Victoria¡¯s voice answered.


    A wave of relief washed over her, ¡°Vickie in. The door is open.¡±


    ¡°Hey girl, you¡¯ll never believe what I found¡­¡±


    ¡°Umm, Vicki¡­¡±


    ¡°I was walking and happen to spy this shop¡­¡±


    ¡°Victoria!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Victoria looked up. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think I¡¯ve just gone intobor.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Vicki, I¡¯m inbor.¡± Macey tried to hold back augh at the ridiculousness of the situation. ¡°I need to go


    to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯est pas vrai! Don¡¯t panic!¡± Victoria suddenly shouted. ¡°Everything is under control! First thing is¡­


    First¡­¡±


    Macey couldn¡¯t help butugh. Wasn¡¯t it her job to panic? For someone who was always so put


    together it was surprisingly easy to throw Victoria for a loop.


    ¡°Victoria! First call the hospital let them know we are on our way. Then call a cab to get us there. Then


    call my father-inw, or ex-father-inw, to let him know.¡± Macey sighed. ¡°He wanted to be there and I


    did promise him.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Victoria paused to take a deep breath before taking out her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll call the hospital and the


    cab. You can take the father-inw. I honestly don¡¯t know what to say to him.¡±


    Macey chuckled as Victoria handed her the cell phone sitting just out of her reach. Breathing deeply


    through another contraction Macey stared at the phone. Though she had tossed her old phone away


    Augustus hadn¡¯t hesitated to purchase her a recement. This one she was certain was on his private


    phone n and the number only known by him aside from the friends she made since starting her


    studies. However the first number in her contacts was still Augustus.


    Hitting the call button she leaned back listening to Victoria curse in French and shook her head. Macey


    wasn¡¯t sure she even wanted to know the reason why. She doubted Victoria would be unloading her


    frustration out on hospital staff she guessed it had something to do with the cab.


    ¡°You have reached Mister DaLair¡¯s office. He is unavable right now,¡± Stephen¡¯s voice answered.


    ¡°Stephen, it¡¯s me,¡± Macey said knowing he never set the phone on speaker so there was little chance


    of being overheard regardless of where he was.


    There was a pause and she was certain she heard a door close before he finally answered, ¡°Miss


    Macey?¡±


    ¡°Did I call at a bad time?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. They are merely in the middle of a board meeting.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Macey opened her mouth but snapped it closed.


    She almost asked how Julius was doing and had to suppress the urge before she could speak again.


    That wasn¡¯t her world anymore and he wasn¡¯t her concern. It had almost been a year already. Her


    marriage was over and he had moved on. No doubt he had new woman on his arm the moment the


    divorce papers were filed. Maybe he already proposed. They could be nning their wedding even as


    she sat there with herbor pains. Tears blurred her vision as she thought about it.


    ¡°Miss Macey?¡± Stephen prompted when she didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Is everything all right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. Sorry. I¡¯m calling because dad wanted to know when I went intobor¡­well¡­I am.¡±


    ¡°Are you all right? Are you alone? Do you need me to make calls for you? Arrange transportation?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. Vicki is here. She¡¯s calling the hospital and she already has a cab on the way. We¡¯ll be


    heading to the hospital shortly.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll arrange transportation for Mister DaLair and he¡¯ll be there as soon as he is able.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to do that. I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I must. Mister DaLair insists. I will let you know his ETA as soon as I confirm it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    ¡°Come on Macey. We got to go.¡± Victoria said hauling the prepared duffle bag out of the entry closet


    where it had been stashed for thest two months. Though Victoria might have momentarily panicked


    she was once again in control.


    ¡°Right. Um. Help?¡±


    ¡°Coming ma moiti¨¦.¡± Victoria hurried to the couch to help Macey stand and supported her as she


    waddled to the door.


    She helped Macey into a coat before slinging the duffle over her own shoulder and escorted Macey


    out. Locking up the apartment Victoria hurried Macey to the elevator. It was slow going but there was


    no rushing a pregnant woman carrying twins.


    * * *


    Stephen immediately called the airport to get clearance for the DaLair¡¯s private jet. It took some


    negotiation but he managed to secure takeoff within the next hour provided his employer could make it


    to the airport but he didn¡¯t imagine it would be difficult. If there was one thing Augustus DaLair refused


    to miss it was the birth of his grandchildren. Labor was bound to take awhile but it was a six hour flight


    so there wasn¡¯t a moment to lose.


    After confirming the flight details he returned to the board meeting. It was progressing as slowly as


    when he left. Augustus presided over it though it was the board members who did most of the talking.


    On one side March sat feigning interest though he was sharp enough to discern the important points


    buried in the mundane details.


    On the other side Julius slumped in his seat his forehead resting on the table in front of him. One didn¡¯t


    need to be near him to smell liquor. His clothing was disheveled and there was no telling exactly when


    hest shaved or showered. In fact March had to practically break down his door and drag him to work


    to even make it to the board meeting which was mandatory for DaLair family members. Anything short


    of a terminal illness was not a valid excuse for missing so a hangover meant nothing.


    March had done his best dragging Julius out of bed and forcing him into a rtively clean set of clothes


    but there wasn¡¯t much he could do about his brother¡¯s recovery from histest drinking binge. A ss


    with water and a quickly dissolving tablet of Alka-Seltzer? sat untouched beside Julius and it wasn¡¯t


    clear he was even awake.


    Stephen walked past the inert Julius to return to Augustus¡¯s side. He leaned close to his employer and


    whispered low in his ear, ¡°Sir¡­it¡¯s time. I made travel arrangements as agreed.¡±


    Augustus suddenly straightened at the whispered words. He nced at his youngest son fighting the


    urge to tell him the truth. Over the past several months Julius¡¯s search for Macey had only be


    more desperate. In fact he heard Julius was looking into hospitals which could only mean Julius


    learned Macey was pregnant. It wasn¡¯t a wonder then Julius¡¯s drinking had gotten more drastic as the


    birth time approached yet even his son didn¡¯t know the whole truth. Not only was Macey pregnant but


    she was having twins.


    Augustus clenched his fists wanting nothing more than to drag his son out of the room by his hair and


    shove him on that ne but he couldn¡¯t do that to Macey. He promised to keep her secret and help her


    leave her old life behind. She didn¡¯t want Julius there and any added stress at this time would be


    detrimental to mother and the babies.


    As much as he wanted to drag Julius there by the ears he wouldn¡¯t risk the lives of his grandchildren or


    their mother to do so. Julius¡¯seuppance woulde but it wouldeter: when Macey was


    ready to face him on her own terms. That was a day Augustus couldn¡¯t wait to see. But for now¡­


    ¡°Very interesting, gentlemen,¡± Augustus said interrupting the progress report on theirtest acquisition.


    ¡°So all of this talk I am to understand that everything is going as nned and there are no issues


    needing attention. Yes? Good. Then meeting adjourned.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­dad?¡± March stared as his father stood. Not that he wasn¡¯t ready to end the meeting as well but it


    was out of character for his father to do so. Augustus never ended meetings early.


    ¡°Something important just came up. I¡¯ll be leaving now. Good work everyone,¡± Augustus said as


    Stephen moved ahead of him and opened the door. ¡°March, take your brother home. Next time I want


    him awake and sober.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, dad.¡± March rubbed his temples looking at the shell that was once his brother. He stood and


    circled the table. ¡°Come one, Jules. Let¡¯s get you home. Work day is over.¡±


    Julius muttered groggily as his brother pulled him to his feet. Though he looked asleep his was


    surprisingly aware. How could he sleep when Macey was out there? Their baby would soon be making


    its entrance into the world and he still hadn¡¯t found them. There had to be a way. Macey was too


    responsible to neglect her own care let alone her baby. She wouldn¡¯t shun hospitals to simply avoid


    him. No. She would be certain to make every appointment to ensure the baby¡¯s health.


    Yet she hadn¡¯t appeared at any hospital since she confirmed her pregnancy. That could only mean she


    either left town or was seeing a private doctor. A private doctor was out. There were no expenses on


    their joint charge cards and she had left them all behind anyway. But it also didn¡¯t make sense she had


    left town. If she left all her charge cards behind than her only funds would be the cash in her wallet. He


    wasn¡¯t sure how much she had on hand but he couldn¡¯t imagine it was more than a hundred dors or


    so. That much wouldn¡¯t take her very far. Where would she go?


    ¡°Damn it, Macey¡­where are you?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± March sighed as he half-walked, half-carried his brother to the elevator. ¡°I wish I knew where


    she went too.¡±


    Somehow they made it to the parking garage where March pushed him into his Subaru. Julius groaned


    as he copsed across the back seat. He raised his hand to stare at the wedding band he still wore. It


    glinted as ifughing at him. Macey¡­where?


    * * *


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Victoria escorted Macey down the steps to the sidewalk where their cab waited.


    The cab driver tapped the steering wheel impatiently as Victoria carefully helped Macey inside before


    climbing in herself. Once she was certain Macey wasfortable she said, ¡°H?pital de Paris and step


    on it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d already be there if you women didn¡¯t take so long.¡± The driverined but put the car in drive


    and pulled onto the street in a jerky motion that made both of them rock violently in the back.


    ¡°Imb¨¦cile,¡± Victoria muttered. ¡°We¡¯d like to get there in once piece.¡±


    ¡°You said step on it, mademoiselle.¡±


    ¡°Well unless you want these babies shooting out of her I suggest you make it a smooth ride!¡± Victoria


    snapped.


    ¡°Hein?¡± he nced over his shoulder the color suddenly draining from his face. ¡°She¡¯s having a baby?


    Right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°La vache!¡± he stepped on the elerator honking as he weaved through the traffic.


    Macey clutched the door handle to keep herself from being tossed around in the cab as she tried to


    keep her breathing even and calm. She eyed her phone in an attempt to time her contractions but the


    jerky motion of the cab ride made it more difficult to tell contraction from inertia.


    The cab came to a screeching stop in front of the hospital. The driver tumbled out in his rush to get to


    her door. Victoria was almost as quick. She came around the vehicle armed with her handbag beating


    him in the head as Macey slowly pulled herself out of the cab.


    ¡°Roi des cons! Tu as le QI d¡¯une huitre! T¨ºte de noeud!¡± Victoria eximed with each sessful hit.


    ¡°Vicki,¡± Macey sighed as she leaned against the cab for support. ¡°Vicki! I need you!¡±


    Leaving off further insults Victoria paused long enough to toss money at their driver before returning to


    Macey¡¯s side and helping her to the entrance. Macey winced as she walked. She wasn¡¯t certain if she


    could say she was in any great amount of pain but she felt bloated and uncoordinated. Luckily as soon


    as they entered the forewarned maternity ward was ready to receive her offering a wheelchair. Macey


    sank into it gratefully as Victoria wheeled her to the front desk for check in.


    ¡°Papiers d¡¯identit¨¦?¡± the nurse at the desk asked.


    Macey nodded signaling Victoria to open the end pocket of the duffle there her passport and ID had


    been stashed in the event their departure to the hospital was less than organized. Somehow she


    wasn¡¯t terribly surprised it hade to this though the wild ride was certainly not part of her n.


    ¡°Oh good I didn¡¯t miss you two!¡±


    Macey turned in surprise to see Paul hurrying to join them saying, ¡°Paul? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I told Victoria to call me as soon as you went in. I wanted to be here for you.¡±


    ¡°Well thank you. But it¡¯s going to be boring for you.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. How can it be boring when new life ising into the world?¡±


    ¡°All right Madame DaLair¡­Is this the father?¡± the nurse looked up at Paul.


    ¡°Oh, no. He¡¯s friend from school,¡± Macey quickly corrected smiling at the nurse¡¯s honest mistake.


    She missed the pained expression that clouded his gaze. In truth she was rather embarrassed that


    officially she was still known by her married name. Before she left New York she had been ill and then


    in the hurry to depart she had forgotten all about changing it back to her maiden name. Luckily she


    already had a Passport Stephen merely had to retrieve from the safe in the condo. Macey wondered if


    Julius even noticed it was gone.


    What was she thinking? Of course he didn¡¯t. Not that it mattered to him with his new woman on his


    arm. Though she told everyone her surname was Grayson when it came to official documents she had


    to use her married name.


    ¡°I see. And is the fathering?¡±


    ¡°¡­Um. No. My father-inw will probably show up in a few hours though. He¡¯s flying in.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Well sign here and I¡¯ll show you to your room. The doctor will be up to check on you and


    see how you are progressing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Macey signed and epted back her passport and ID as Victoria pushed her past the counter. Paul


    hurried ahead a few paces and suddenly raised his phone to snap a picture.


    ¡°What?¡± Macey blushed. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°The photographer is really asking that question?¡± Victoria asked. ¡°You¡¯re the one who insisted on


    capturing everything on film. What about that photo album you¡¯re making at home? What good is it


    without aplete record?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Fine. Just no close ups. I¡¯m not even wearing concealer.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t need it. You are beautiful just the way you are,¡± Victoriaughed.


    The nurse led them to the maternity floor and the private room set aside for her. Though Macey initially


    insisted on impartial treatment Augustus was not so hesitant to demand the best care and the hospital


    was more than happy to meet his demands. She rxed on the bed in the hospital gown the nurse


    helped her into. Her legs were covering in afortable nket. Despite therge window she didn¡¯t


    feel the least bit of a chill.


    Macey¡¯s gaze took in the rather in though soothing colored walls and theforting beep of the


    machine monitoring her. The doctor hade and gone. She was only dted three centimeters so


    she had quite some time to kill before the show really began. Apparently there really hadn¡¯t been any


    need for panic. In any case she was admitted without incident so she only had to wait.


    Macey winced as she felt another contraction. For right now she wasn¡¯t in much pain. Still she was d


    to have gone in too soon rather than toote. Births involving multiples tended to be more


    unpredictable with a greater chance forplications. She let her eyes wander around the room as


    she rxed.


    * * *


    Macey jerked awake blinking as her gazended on her attending nurse, ¡°Excusez moi mademoiselle.¡±


    Macey smiled watching as the nurse continued her rounds wondering when she had fallen asleep.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been out an hour or so,¡± Victoria answered her unasked question. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ve been


    keeping an eye on them.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Macey chuckled.


    A smile briefly crossed her face before her expression suddenly fell.


    ¡°Paul said he was going to grab a bite to eat ande back since this is likely to take awhile.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    ¡°Macey? Something wrong? Macey, why are you crying?¡±


    Macey bit her lip feeling the tear trickled down her cheek. Victoria immediately left her chair and came


    to sit on the edge of the bed. Using a tissue she quietly dried her tears looking as tender as a mother.


    ¡°Macey, you can tell me. Didn¡¯t we say we will tell each other everything?¡±


    ¡°¡­I just¡­it¡¯s just¡­This isn¡¯t how I imagined this would be. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, sweetie. You weren¡¯t supposed to be doing this alone,¡± Victoria gave her a knowing smile.


    ¡°Julius was supposed to be here with you.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Macey forced a breath as she fought more tears from falling. ¡°He was supposed to be here


    but¡­It was all a mistake. I¡¯m here and he¡¯s somewhere with someone else and¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh. Shh.¡± Victoria hugged her and let her cry. ¡°It will be okay. I promise you it wasn¡¯t a mistake. Love


    is never a mistake even if it doesn¡¯t work out. Once you are holding your babies it will all make sense. I


    promise.¡±


    Macey¡¯s shoulders shook as she struggled against the sudden mncholy assailing her. She always


    dreamed of being a mother but that dream always starred Julius holding her hand. But it was Victoria


    who apanied her to her Lamaze sses, helped her prep the babies¡¯ room, buy all the


    necessities, even debated possible names. Victoria, not Julius, was the rock that supported her and


    kept her moving.


    Suddenly she began shaking withughter.


    ¡°What is it now?¡± Victoria chuckled. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful people are going to think you are hysterical.¡±


    ¡°I was just remembering the first day of Lamaze ss. Do you remember? I was nervous about going


    alone so you agreed to go with me. We met that really nice couple¡­¡±


    ¡°And they thought we were lovers?¡± Victoria joined herughter. ¡°They wanted to know if we suffered


    any difficulties preparing for the babies because we were unconventional. The look on your face was


    priceless. I thought you were going to burst.¡±


    ¡°Not as priceless as the look on their faces when we exined we were just friends. You know, I don¡¯t


    think they ever really bought it though.¡±


    ¡°Well that is hardly our fault. We tried to exin.¡±


    The pairughed awhile longer before Macey felt her calm returned. Victoria gave her a gentle


    squeeze.


    ¡°Feel better.¡±


    ¡°A little. I¡¯m d you¡¯re here, Vicki.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I am here for you always. Now lie down and rest. Sleep some more. The doctors said we


    are in for a wait so no need to stay up for it. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll know before any of us when it is time.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you are right.¡± Macey said and though she didn¡¯t mean to slipped back into a restless sleep.


    Victoria moved back to the chair and watched Macey nap. Without a word she took out her phone and


    perused the news. Though she had little interest in America the headlines she scrolled through were all


    from there. It was not the country that interested her rather it was a person. Even typing in his name did


    not bring much up in the search. If Julius DaLair was in a new rtionship he was being rather quiet


    about it.


    The only thing she found was a short blurb about a drinking binge but the pictures showed him on his


    own. In fact, if she looked closely at the picture it seemed as if he was still wearing his wedding ring.


    Unless he married immediately after Macey left than the band he wore had to be the one from their


    wedding. If he was so happy to let her go why would he still wear his wedding ring?


    * * *


    ¡°Macey? Oh she¡¯s asleep.¡±


    The male voice roused Victoria from her own nap. Looking up she saw a rather elderly gentlemen


    shadowed by another at the door. It took her a moment but she eventually recognized Stephen, which


    meant the other was Macey¡¯s infamous father-inw. Without a word of exnation the gentleman


    entered and immediately walked to the bed. Victoria shifted ready to protest but held herself in check


    as the man gently patted Macey¡¯s head and smoothed her hair as he fondly gazed at her.


    ¡°How long has it been since the doctor was here?¡± the man asked without looking up. When Victoria


    didn¡¯t answer he nced at her. ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen minutes. She¡¯s still only at about six centimeters,¡± Victoria said.


    The man nced at his watch and sighed. At least he hadn¡¯t missed it. Patting Macey¡¯s hand he


    moved to another chair and sat down waving off his assistant who quietly went to a corner until


    needed.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the father-inw,¡± Victoria said easing back into her seat observing him.


    Augustus DaLair. Macey told her enough about him for Victoria to understand he was a ruthless


    businessman used to getting his own way. Age had been kind to him. He was a dignified looking


    individual. Thatbined with his vast riches would ensure him several women if he had any interest.


    Yet ording to Macey he hadn¡¯t even tried dating since the passing of his wife.


    ¡°And you are Victoria Laurent,¡± he looked at her.


    ¡°You know me?¡±


    ¡°I hired you so I should know you.¡± Augustus nodded.


    ¡°And what do you know?¡±


    ¡°You are twenty-three and on your second year of college. You have been employed as an au pair,


    nude model, secretary and a waitress. You are currently attending college with the goal of being a


    designer. You have had some minor sess in a localpletion for amateur designs. Of yourst


    five serious rtionshipssting more than three months: two have been with men, three have been


    with woman¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop. Okay just stop,¡± Victoria red at him. ¡°So¡­you know who I am.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, I would not let just anyone close to my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Daughter-inw. And technically she isn¡¯t even that.¡±


    ¡°Macey has been and always will be my dearest daughter.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you son break her heart?¡±


    Augustus sighed. His brow furrowed as he said, ¡°Because my son is an idiot.¡±


    That was not the answer she was expecting. Was it not customary for fathers to defend their sons no


    matter what?


    ¡°And now he¡¯s paying the price¡­as well his liver.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I saw a few headlines about his drinking binges.¡±


    ¡°Have you?¡± Augustus gave her a measured look. ¡°He¡¯s been looking for her ever since she left him.¡±


    ¡°He has?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s even marshaled our IT department to try and track her movements on cameras.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that illegal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gray area,¡± Augustus shrugged. ¡°They are public cameras after all.¡±


    Victoria raised an eyebrow at that.


    ¡°He¡¯s been canvassing hospitals¡­particrly ones with maternity wards.¡±


    ¡°¡­Macey said she didn¡¯t tell him.¡±


    Augustus shook his head, ¡°He hasn¡¯t mentioned it to me or his brother so I¡¯m not sure how he figured it


    out but it¡¯s making him even more desperate to find her.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he tell you? It would make more sense to try to get you to help him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the first to admit my boy isn¡¯t the brightest but he has an amazing sense of self-preservation. He


    knows exactly how I would react if I learned about this after the fact.¡± Augustus shook his head. ¡°It


    remains to be seen if he can learn his lesson and win her back.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me¡­win her back?¡± Victoria repeated. ¡°You don¡¯t mean Macey.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°You want her to crawl back to the man who broke her heart?¡± Victoria suddenly leapt to her feet.


    ¡°No.¡± Augustus snapped. ¡°I want her to strut down the street with her head held high in front of a gallery


    bulging with her artwork proving him the idiot that he is. The only one who should be crawling is him.¡±


    Victoria stood mouth agape. Again, that wasn¡¯t the answer she expected. Was that how a father was


    supposed to talk about his son?


    ¡°I only hope Macey¡¯s heart is magnanimous enough to give him another chance.¡±


    ¡°And if it isn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Then my son has truly lost the greatest of treasures. Not only a wonderful woman but two children who


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    may never know him.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, I guess I can¡¯t disagree with you there. So what exactly are you nning?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a n exactly.¡± Augustus sighed. ¡°Macey needs room to grow and spread her wings.


    And my son needs to learn to crawl for a while though it certainly isn¡¯t pretty to watch.¡±


    ¡°And what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Just continue as you are. Help Macey fly. The rest will have to be up to them.¡±


    Victoria leaned back in her chair. She could hardly argue. Yet somehow it just didn¡¯t seem right to her.


    The man in front of her was definitely living up to his ruthless reputation. He didn¡¯t even spare his own


    children and yet¡­he was acting quite tender to Macey only moments ago. Victoria wasn¡¯t quite sure


    what to make of this man and she was definitely going to keep a close eye on him.

 Book One: Chapter 38: Bonus Story Three

    Book One: Chapter 38: Bonus Story Three


    Girl Talk


    Macey mmed the door with little thought to the two-year-olds already tucked in their beds. She was


    frustrated and more than a little hurt. Were all men pigs or was she being overly sensitive?


    ¡°Sounds like the date didn¡¯t go well?¡± Victoria asked from the kitchen.


    Macey sighed shedding her coat and pulling off her boots. Her attire was modest but despite Victoria


    urging her to wear a dress she had chosen a blouse and cks for this outing. Her unruly hair was


    bunched in an alligator clip as per usual since she still had difficulty working with it.


    Entering the kitchen she slung her purse on the counter saying, ¡°Yeah, you can say that.¡±


    ¡°Go hug your babies,¡± Victoria smiled filling a kettle. ¡°Don¡¯te out until you feel better, or until the


    kettle whistles. Whicheveres first.¡±


    Macey rolled her eyes but heeded the advice. Practically tiptoeing she headed to the twins¡¯ bed room


    where the pair shared a crib. In the beginning she had a pair of cribs and had them sleep separately


    but quickly realized they slept better near each other. She didn¡¯t know if it was because they were twins


    or if they were simply morefortable when they were together. She worried at first, concerned it


    would set problematic precedents but Victoria simply shrugged off such concerns saying: do what


    works.


    She leaned over the crib gently smoothing Aria¡¯s unruly nest of red hair already as curly as her


    mothers. Macey sighed. She was going to have to learn how to handle such hair in a hurry if she was


    going to be any help to her baby. Satisfied she moved on to Caden who¡¯s hair was much lighter and


    shorter. Both were still sound asleep, untroubled by adult issues. Macey smiled looking at them. Her


    brow furrowed. Soon she¡¯d have to upgrade them to toddler beds. She wondered if they would be able


    to sleep alone when that time came.


    A sharp whistled stirred her from her mind¡¯s random wandering. With onest look at her babies she


    stepped back and tiptoed out. Gently closing the door she made her way back to the kitchen.


    ¡°Tea.¡± Victoria said sliding a mug toward her.


    It was filled with steaming water with a thin chain hanging over the side. Macey sat on the nearest stool


    and tugged at the chain before finally pulling it free. On the other end was a metal sphere perforated


    with small holes. Inside were tea leaves she purchased at her favorite small caf¨¦. Setting the sphere on


    a dish she sipped from the mug but even it wasn¡¯t enough to sooth her.


    ¡°¡­So, what went wrong?¡± Victoria asked sitting across from her with another mug. Tea was not


    Victoria¡¯s favorite drink but at Macey¡¯s she neverined.


    ¡°Everything,¡± Macey sighed.


    Victoria grimaced.


    Macey sipped from her mug again before she continued, ¡°You know, when I told him I had two kids and


    it didn¡¯t scare him off I thought it was promising.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But he thought that two kids meant I was easy. All night long he kept reaching for me and trying to cop


    a feel.¡±


    Victoria rolled her eyes. That wasn¡¯t umon but for a first date she would have hoped him to have a


    little more ss. Sadly she had her fair share of such characters especially after they learned she


    sometimes worked as a nude model for drawing and painting sses. Perhaps that was why she


    restricted her own dating to women as ofte.


    ¡°Is that why you cut your date short?¡± Victoria asked ncing at the clock. It was barely nine o¡¯clock.


    ¡°Yeah, he wanted to take me to a club but I said I had to get home. Then he thought it was an invitation


    to join me.¡± Macey rolled her eyes.


    Victoria raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I told him the kids were already asleep and would be up early the next morning and he said that was


    fine¡­he could do it quietly if I could.¡±


    Victoria almost choked on her tea. She had to admit. That was the first time she heard that line.


    Macey sighed again sipping her tea. Running the night through her mind again it hadn¡¯t been terrible.


    Granted her date was a little more handsie than she liked but he had been considerate. He opened


    doors and held her chair for her. They even managed a normal conversation though once he delved


    into his passion for football she waspletely lost. Macey had never been very interested in sports


    and knew nothing about football teams or yers or the FIFA World Cup.


    ¡°Am I being just too sensitive?¡± she suddenly asked.


    ¡°If there is one truth in the world, sweetie, it¡¯s that all men are pigs,¡± Victoria said. ¡°Why do you think my


    longest rtionships have always been with women?¡±


    Macey chuckled shaking her head. Her moment of mirth passed quickly and her face fell. She couldn¡¯t


    help but think of the dinners she shared with Julius. Most had been family dinners so they were hardly


    romantic settings but there were a few they enjoyed just to two of them.


    He had always been a gentlemen holding doors and offering her a seat. He never presumed to order


    her food for her letting her select whatever she wanted withoutining once about the price and


    he always offered her dessert without any snidements about her weight.


    Their conversations were admittedly stilted and tended toward himining about work but that


    was partially her own fault for asking about his day. Still he always reciprocated by asking about hers.


    She made it a point to attend art exhibits and loved to take time out by visiting the botanical gardens.


    No matter where she went she was always seeing how she wouldpose the picture herself and


    asionally took pictures on her phone when she found a particrly interesting scene.


    Julius never asked to see the photos she took and at times barely seemed to listen but it was fine. She


    could hardly expect him to share her interests. Perhaps it was just like when she listened to someone


    else talk about sports. Whether he paid attention or not he was never lewd and didn¡¯t turn everything


    into some sort of innuendo. She couldn¡¯t help butpare every man she met to him.


    It had been nearly two years since she left him and he still lingered in her mind. She wondered what he


    was doing, how his work was going, did he ever think about her the way she thought about him?


    Tears blurred her vision as she imagined him with someone new. There were dozens of young


    socialites eager to be by his side so he would have no trouble finding a recement for her. Was it


    really so easy for him to forget while his memory lingered in her mind?


    ¡°Macey,¡± Victoria stood quicklying to her side and wrapping her in a hug. ¡°Shh. Sweetie. It¡¯s all


    right.¡±


    ¡°I just feel so stupid,¡± Macey struggled to control her tears. ¡°Why? Why do I still have feelings for him?


    Why does it hurt so much to think of him with someone else? Why can¡¯t I forget him?¡±


    Victoria sighed. Over the years she had had many rtionships some longer than others. Not all of


    them ended amicably and it would be lying to say she hadn¡¯t been affected by them. She still held


    regrets over some of them wishing they could have ended more peacefully.


    It was said time healed all wounds but that was not entirely true. Time dulled the pain perhaps but deep


    wounds never truly healed. There was always a scar whether one cared to acknowledge it or not.


    ¡°L¡¯amour c¡¯estme guerre, facile ¨¤ d¨¥marrer, difficile ¨¤ finir¡­et impossible ¨¤ oudlier.¡±[1] Victoria


    said with a sigh.


    It never ceased to amaze her how na?ve people were when it came to love. Even the French who had


    so many quotes and proverbs concerning the darker side of it were not immune to this mentality. Love


    was often mncholy and lonely. Regrets were surprisingly easy when it came to such strong


    attachments. It hurt her to think the gentle woman in front of her had firsthand experience in this matter.


    If there was anyone who deserved a happy ending it was Macey. Victoria had seen it from the very


    beginning. Though an adult, Macey had been sheltered from many things. Her heart and love was


    deep and abiding. One only needed to see how she cared for the twins to see that.


    Life had not jaded her. She still saw beauty in the world around her. It helped her with her art no doubt


    but it left her unprotected from tragedy. Just who was this man who had rendered Macey to such a


    pitiable state?


    She had never met Julius but she had met Augustus, Macey¡¯s father-inw and grandfather to the


    twins. He was a typical American as far as Victoria was concerned: arrogant and self-absorbed. But he


    was also a tender father treating Macey more like a real daughter rather than a woman who had simply


    married one of his sons. He was also a surprisingly gentle and caring grandfather.


    The image of the older man tenderly holding his grandchildren after their birth was still clear in her


    mind. When they had first met Victoria knew him to be a formidable person used to getting his own way


    but in the presence of his grandchildren he became a puddle of silly faces and baby talk. Victoria


    certainly couldn¡¯t fault him for that. The twins were adorable and it did improve her opinion of the man


    in general but she couldn¡¯t let herself forget the twins¡¯ father was his son.


    Julius DaLair. Though she never met the man Victoria spent considerable amount of time learning


    about him. She hadn¡¯t told Macey yet but after learning about her ex Victoria had done rather extensive


    research over the inte and through magazine headlines kept track of his actions since Macey¡¯s


    move to Paris.


    To be honest Victoria felt a little sorry for him. Though the current situation was all his own making it


    was clear he was not doing well in Macey¡¯s absence. As of yet he hadn¡¯t taken a new woman. Most


    headlines detailed his drinking binges but never once did any mention him in a new rtionship. He


    was clearly a man in pain and perhaps for the first time he was realizing the wonderful woman he had


    lost.


    Augustus never mentioned his son in Macey¡¯s presence. A fact Victoria was grateful for and elevated


    her opinion of the man. After all he confessed to her about wanting to reunite his son and Macey


    together eventually. Despite his desire he had yet to act on it. Victoria wasn¡¯t certain if he was being


    sensitive to Macey or just afraid of Victoria herself since she originally raised her voice against it.


    While Augustus bided his time Victoria educated herself about the man who broke her friend¡¯s heart


    and found herself pitying him as much as she pitied Macey. It was bing clearer to her that the pair


    was still very much in love with each other and their shared love was only getting stronger in their


    absence. It wasn¡¯t enough to earn Victoria¡¯s forgiveness but it did give her hope for Macey¡¯s future.


    The twins were still babies but they were growing quickly. Soon enough they would be talking and


    inevitably they would ask about their father. Victoria wasn¡¯t certain if Macey had considered this.


    Children were observant and it wouldn¡¯t take them long to figure out other children had two parents


    which would naturally lead them to wonder about their missing father.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Macey finally calmed enough to ask about the proverb she quoted.


    ¡°Only that love is not as easy as some make it seem,¡± Victoria said. ¡°It is not a smooth road. It is like


    countryne full of twists and turns and unexpected views.¡±


    A smile twitched Macey¡¯s mouth, ¡°I like that analogy.¡±


    ¡°Good. Well, shall we get on with it then?¡±


    ¡°On with what?¡± Macey asked even as Victoria picked up her phone.


    ¡°I propose pizza and ice cream and a movie,¡± Victoria said. ¡°Any favorites?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Macey hesitated. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll introduce you to my favorite movie.¡±


    Macey¡¯s favorite movie turned out to be a romanticedy of all things. Such movies weren¡¯t typically


    Victoria¡¯s cup of tea. She found most of them insipid and overly simplistic. But she was pleasantly


    surprised by Macey¡¯s choice. As romanticedies went the Princess Bride didn¡¯t follow the standard


    form perhaps because it was based on a book. The plot and characters were original even when


    they were in line with typical fantasy roles.


    The book it was based on Victoriater learned was written as a satire of fairytales and even the whole


    literary process which certainly exined its unconventional plot. She found it surprisingly entertaining


    and light-hearted enough to help Macey forget her troubles for the time being.


    Watching the final scene of the main characters riding off into the sunset, Macey sighed lightly sniffling


    prompting Victoria to hand her a tissue. Shortly after the movie began Victoria had noticed Macey


    silently mouthing most of the dialog, impressive since it was dubbed in French. She wondered if this


    movie had been one of the reasons why Macey took to learning French so easily.


    ¡°Vicki, you think I¡¯m a fool, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, that is out of nowhere. Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m still in love with Julius. It¡¯s stupid isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No, sweetie. You told me before you¡¯ve been in love with him since you were like ten? You don¡¯t get


    over a love like that over night.¡±


    Macey sighed, ¡°He never loved me. I just feel so stupid for caring so much when he felt nothing.¡±


    ¡°Unrequited love is the most difficult,¡± Victoria agreed. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t feel stupid or a fool. Love has


    a mind of its own.¡±


    ¡°I just wish I could get over him. I¡¯m tired of hurting so much.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately grief of the heart does not heal quickly,¡± Victoria gave her a sympathetic look.


    ¡°But it¡¯s been almost two years.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you have loved this man since you were ten. One does not get over almost fifteen years of


    love quickly.¡±


    Macey sighed hugging the pillow she had snuggled with during the movie. When Victoria said it like


    that it made getting over Julius an insurmountable mountain. Her heart ached with every memory. They


    had known each other for so long. There wasn¡¯t a secret that they didn¡¯t know about each other. None


    of the girls Julius briefly dated knew half of what Macey knew about him but that knowledge hadn¡¯t


    helped. In the end it all fell apart.


    ¡°Try not to think about it too much,¡± Victoria said, ¡°and don¡¯t worry about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it is. I wish I could say I have experienced the kind of love you have but no one ever


    touched me that deeply,¡± Victoria sighed. ¡°I envy you. I really do.¡±


    ¡°Envy me?¡± Macey blinked.


    ¡°Yes. When you love someone you love them with everything you have. You don¡¯t hold back. Whether it


    is Julius or those two twins sleeping in the other room, you love them with every part of your being.¡±


    Victoria smiled at her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that how everyone does it?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, sweetie. The rest of us are far too jaded from a harsh, unforgiving world and disappointed by


    broken promises. It chips at us little by little forcing us to build walls to protect ourselves. Those walls


    might protect us from the outside but they also prevent us from giving everything of ourselves to


    another,¡± Victoria exined with a sad expression. ¡°Any time I meet with someone knew I never show


    them all of me. I always hold a little part back. That inherent distrust is always present and quite likely


    dooms all of my rtionships.¡±


    Macey bit her lip giving her friend a sympathetic gaze. Victoria had never told her this before. Perhaps


    it wasn¡¯t just with romantic rtionships that Victoria kept at arm¡¯s length. It seemed even friendships


    were treated with the same self serving distance. She wondered what could have happened to Victoria


    to leave her so distrustful of others. Was it really just life chipping away at her or was there perhaps


    something more to it.


    Macey wanted to ask but thought better of it. If Victoria maintained her walls for so long it was unlikely


    Macey could bring them down on a whim. It had taken her friend two years to open up this much who


    knew how long it would take for her to open up even further. Pushing Victoria now would only bring the


    walls back up so Macey remained silent grateful she learned this much.


    ¡°Oh, stop with the face,¡± Victoria smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing you need to worry about fixing.¡±


    Macey grimaced. Victoria had already warned her that she didn¡¯t have a poker face. Apparently every


    thought and emotion no matter how fleeting she had was written on her face no matter how much she


    tried to keep herself reserved.


    ¡°Right. I should worry about fixing myself.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t broken, sweetie. You¡¯re perfect the way you are. It¡¯s the world that is broken.¡±


    ¡°Vicki¡­¡±


    ¡°Just keep loving your babies the way you do. They will learn how to love through you so if you raise


    them with an open heart then their hearts will also be open,¡± Victoria said. ¡°That is how it should be. As


    for how you feel about their father¡­try not to think about it too much. You will get over him eventually.¡±


    ¡°And what if I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then you won¡¯t.¡± Victoria shrugged. ¡°A woman¡¯s heart is as deep as the ocean and can hide incredible


    secrets in its depths. But if your heart truly does not let him go then perhaps it is trying to tell you


    something.¡±


    ¡°What could that possibly be?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Victoria shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll learn that in time just¡­don¡¯t force yourself or your heart to


    move on before its time. Give yourself time to grieve properly and don¡¯t worry about it so much.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡±


    Victoria watched as Macey stood to get them more tea. She sighed. It was good to see Macey enjoying


    herself and it was clear motherhood suited her quite well. No two babies had ever been so loved. As


    the twins grew they would take up more and more of her time and Macey would need the distraction.


    While her father-inw was the most prominent man in her life he was hardly the only one making


    ns.


    Ever since he first met Macey when she began her schooling Paul J?rvinen had taken quite a fancy to


    her. In fact he was bing borderline obsessed with her. Victoria had to caution him several times


    not to push Macey too much. She was still recovering from a broken heart and needed time to find


    herself before she entered another rtionship.


    So far Paul adhered to Victoria¡¯s warning but he viewed the twins as a new opportunity to prove himself


    more worthy of her than her ex. Whether Paul cared to admit it or not he had a massive inferiority


    rarely showed his pieces in exhibits preferring to ce them in random locations and natural settings


    believing this would make their meaning more clear and avoided art critics at all costs.


    The fact Macey still loved her ex forced him topete with the phantom of another man. Paul


    constantly struggled toe up with ways to prove himself the better man. With the birth of the twins


    he now thought to prove what a good father he could be but in truth he was awkward at best. Paul did


    not have any experience with children or babies. Though he tried to show Macey he was someone she


    could rely on he often needed help when the twins¡¯ cries were not easily soothed and never once did


    he change a single diaper.


    Victoria refused to interfere either for or against him. If he could win Macey¡¯s heart on his own that was


    one thing but she wouldn¡¯t help him. As much as she liked him she didn¡¯t particrly think he and


    Macey were well suited to each other. In some ways he was stuck in thest century and more than


    once Victoria had to correct him rather forcefully. Last time they drank together he rather loudly


    dered a woman¡¯s ce was in the home and no woman of his was going to be allowed to work.


    Macey attracted his attention because she was such a soft and caring sort. She was often quiet and


    reserved in social situationscking confidence to attract too much attention. No doubt this stirred his


    desire to be her protector but Macey didn¡¯t need protection. She needed support and the asional


    push to stand up for herself.


    Victoria smiled epted the mug Macey handed her. It had only been two years but she was already


    showing huge progress in building her confidence. Now that the twins were born her progress was


    progressing even faster with her mother instincts guiding her to protect them. It was a pity Macey just


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    couldn¡¯t see her own strength. If anyone deserved a happy ending worthy of a romantic movie it was


    her.


    ¡°I have only one wish for you, sweetie,¡± Victoria said as Macey sat back down.


    ¡°Oh? And what is that?¡±


    ¡°Je vous souhaite d¡¯¨ºtre follement aim¨¦e.¡±[2]


    [1] ¡°Love is like war, easy to start, difficult to finish¡­and impossible to forget.¡±


    [2] ¡°I wish for you to be loved madly.¡± (Andr¨¦ Breton)

 Book One: Chapter 39: Bonus Story Four

    Book One: Chapter 39: Bonus Story Four


    The Twins Make a n


    ¡°Are you ready Caden?¡± Aria asked bouncing around their room.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded though he remained seated.


    Tomorrow was their third birthday and their mother was nning a party for them with their Aunt Vicki¡¯s


    help along with Dillon¡¯s assistance. To keep the twins out of the way and hide at least some of the


    preparations so it could be a surprise, Grandpa Gus wasing to take them out and entertain them


    while the others prepared.


    But really any time Grandpa Gus paid them a visit it was call for celebration. While they lived in Paris


    he lived across the ocean in America. It made them sad to think he was so far away. Though they


    Skyped at least once a week and he always paid visits on their birthdays and during holidays they


    couldn¡¯t help but be dissatisfied they couldn¡¯t see him every day.


    Grandpa Gus was a jolly person. If not for the fact he was clean shaved they would have easily


    assumed he was Santa us. In fact they were still notpletely convinced he was not. After all he


    always came with presents, he was alwaysughing and he was a little plump around the middle. So


    who¡¯s to say he wasn¡¯t Santa or that Santa kept a beard all year round? On the other hand most


    Santas they met had fake beards anyway so maybe it was the same with the real one.


    ¡°Where are my little rascals?¡±


    ¡°Grand-p¨¨re Gus!¡± they squealed as one rushing to their door as it swung open to reveal the man they


    had been waiting for.


    Dropping to his knee Augustus embraced the pair in a warm, bear hug nearly falling over backward


    from the way they fell into him. Macey¡¯s entreats to be more cautious fell on three sets of deaf ears.


    Kissing the tops of their heads he held them at arm¡¯s length to get a proper look at his growing


    grandchildren.


    He never tired of seeing them. They were almost perfect replicas of their parents aside from eye color


    with Caden inheriting their mother¡¯s green eyes and Aria their father¡¯s gray ones. And every time he


    saw them it appeared as if they had doubled in size. They were growing up so fast he wished there


    was a way to preserve this moment more solidly than memory.


    ¡°Macey, dear, do be good and get a picture of us. I can¡¯t believe my grandchildren are three already.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re not three yet,¡± Caden protested even as they cuddled up to their grandfather and smiled for


    the picture.


    Macey chuckled as Augustus heaved himself to his feet. Though he didn¡¯t care to admit it, it was


    definitely more difficult getting up each time. The twins observed his trouble without rm.


    ¡°Are you okay, Grandpa Gus?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Do you need to rest?¡±


    ¡°No my dear. I¡¯m just fine.¡± He smiled. ¡°It was just a long flight is all. Besides I don¡¯t want to waste a


    single moment. What do you two think about ice cream?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Ice cream!¡±


    ¡°That is all right, isn¡¯t it?¡± Augustus looked to Macey for confirmation. As much as he wanted to take the


    pair out for a special treat he certainly wouldn¡¯t go against their mother if she vetoed the idea.


    ¡°Please mommy!¡± Aria and Caden turned to their mother as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right with me,¡± Maceyughed. ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t ruin your dinner.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here before she changes her mind,¡± Augustus leaned close taking each by the hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Ice cream! Ice cream!¡±


    They skipped to the door quickly rounding up their shoes and jackets. The weather had been fair but it


    was still chilly to say nothing of the sloppy snow on the streets.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget your hats,¡± Macey joined them fitting both with knit caps. ¡°How anyone could eat ice


    cream when it¡¯s this cold outside I just don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Victoria called from the kitchen shaking her head. ¡°All of you are crazy.¡±


    ¡°Bye, bye mommy! Auntie Vicki! Auntie Dillon! Be back soon!¡± Aria waved as their grandfather and his


    assistant ushered them out the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them stay out too long, dad,¡± Macey warned. ¡°I don¡¯t want them catching cold.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Augustus nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I raised two boys remember?¡±


    Macey rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t argue any further. In truth he raised her as well. Her father had been


    around for her early years so she thought of Augustus as a doting uncle for most of her childhood. After


    her father passed away he became more and more like a second father. Though Augustus sometimes


    gave the impression of being carefree and avant-garde in truth he was actually quite careful. He would


    never allow the twins¡¯ health to bepromised.


    A rental vehicle waited for them once they reached the street. Stephen held open the door so they


    could climb in unimpeded. Normally they would have walked and enjoyed some fresh air but it was too


    cold for that. Augustus chuckled as the twins regaled him with stories of the day. No matter how much


    or how little time passed since theirst meeting they always had a lot to tell him.


    ¡°You know what else, Grandpa Gus?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Mommy says we¡¯ll start kindergarten in the fall.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? But you¡¯re only three.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just how it works here,¡± Aria shrugged. ¡°She says not to worry. We¡¯ll have lots of fun and make


    a whole bunch of friends.¡±


    Augustus chuckled, ¡°Are you excited about starting school, Caden?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Caden shrugged.


    Augustus considered his grandson carefully. There was something about the boy that made him


    different from other children though he supposed he shouldn¡¯t be surprised by the boy¡¯sckluster


    attitude. Caden only started speaking a few weeks ago. Until then he had been mute. It had gotten to


    the point Macey was desperately worried about him.


    ording to the twins¡¯ doctor there was no physical reason for his silence and concluded he would


    speak when he was ready. They hadn¡¯t been wrong. When he decided to speak it had been in clear, full


    sentences. In fact his first word was, ¡°Mommy, more juice, please.¡±


    It startled Macey so much she called Augustus in tears of joy. Luckily he hadn¡¯t been in a meeting so


    he didn¡¯t have to miss a word. Even as he listened though he couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. After all it


    was a call Julius should have had. Since Macey left Julius had be more despondent. Shortly after


    the twins were born he had fallen into a depression so deep that even March couldn¡¯t drag him out of


    with a simple shower and coffee.


    Augustus allowed Julius to take an emergency leave of absence. He just couldn¡¯t force his son to work


    when he knew the problem. Though March was still unaware Julius knew Macey had been pregnant


    when she left and he also knew the approximate time she would give birth. Knowing his depression


    was due to missing his child¡¯s birth Augustus thought it was best to let him be for the time being.


    Eventually Julius recovered enough toe back to work but every year like clockwork he¡¯d fall back


    into depression right around the twins¡¯ birthday.


    It was getting harder and harder to keep the truth from his son. Julius¡¯s depression and drinking binges


    would certainly end the moment he learned where Macey had gone and that the twins were safe. Once


    Juliusid his eyes on his children nothing else would matter. But Augustus couldn¡¯t betray Macey like


    that.


    She had practically begged him not to tell Julius. Macey was intent on leaving that old life behind and


    starting fresh. She had chosen Paris as the ce to start over and had done magnificently. She had


    gone back to school, had the twins and gotten her degree. Her next show wasing soon and she


    was slowly gaining a following with her work. Macey was finding sess with her own work and


    without the DaLair name overshadowing her. If Julius came back now¡­


    No. He couldn¡¯t do that to her. She needed a little more time to spread her wings. Once she could truly


    stand on her own then it would be time to tell Julius the truth. His son would have to hold out until then.


    Maybe then he would be able to win her heart back.


    The drive to their favorite caf¨¦ was short and they disembarked only to hurry inside. Normally they


    would have sat outside but the day was just too cold Caden and Aria stomped their feet on the


    wee mat to shake off any lingering slush.


    ¡°Bonjour. Petits!¡± the proprietor greeted.


    ¡°Bonjour,¡± they called together.


    Augustus chuckled as they took their seats. It amazed him to think his grandkids were naturally bi-


    lingual. They spoke French fluently and their English was impable with only a slight ent. Jude


    was taking Spanish in school but he could barely manage a short conversation and it was unlikely he


    would retain any of it once he was graduated. Was the secret actually living in a foreign country then?


    Perhaps he should ask March about sending the boy to Spain for a semester¡­no then all of his


    grandchildren would be out of the country and he simply couldn¡¯t bear the thought of that. Maybe if


    Jude came up with the idea himself but Augustus wouldn¡¯t force the issue.


    The server, a blonde he had never seen before, took their order and returned with it quickly. Augustus


    made do with simple coffee while Caden ordered a sundae and Aria wanted a parfait. Aria¡¯s selection


    was vani with chocte and fudgeyers while Caden had a scoop of vani and one of chocte.


    The vani was actually a yellowish color due to the fact French ice cream used eggs. It was also


    thicker and creamier, more like a custard. The twins made him try it on several asions and while


    they seemed to love it, it was a bit heavy for his taste but that was probably due to the fact he was used


    to American style ice cream.


    The twins wasted no time digging into their sweet treat while Augustus watched with a smile. In the end


    it really didn¡¯t matter: Paris or New York, kids were all the same.


    ¡°Grandpa Gus,¡± Aria suddenly said drawing him out of his thoughts.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°We think it¡¯s time you told us about our daddy.¡±


    Augustus sat mouth open. Aria sat on her knees as she lingered over her parfait intently staring at him.


    Beside her Caden was also closely watching him. There was something uncanny about the boy¡¯s gaze.


    It was almost as if he was quietly working out aplicated math problem that would solve the puzzle


    in front of them.


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, we know you¡¯re not mommy¡¯s daddy so that means you¡¯re our daddy¡¯s daddy. Right?¡±


    Augustus cleared his throat.


    ¡°We think it¡¯s time you told us about him.¡±


    ¡°¡­Have you asked your mother about this?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t ask mommy,¡± Aria shook her head. ¡°Mommy still misses him a whole bunch and we don¡¯t


    want to make her sad by talking about him. That¡¯s why we¡¯re asking you.¡±


    ¡°How do you know your mommy misses your daddy?¡±


    ¡°Because we hear her crying herself to sleep sometimes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re stalling,¡± Caden suddenly said.


    Augustus sighed looking at his grandson. Usually Aria did most of the talking but when Caden spoke


    he made sure to make to most out of every word he said. He nced at Stephen who stood nearby


    fighting a smile. Of course he should have realized this day wasing. The twins were too smart for


    their own good and picked up on things quite readily.


    It was just like how they shut down their mother¡¯s friend Paul. Though Paul had been around since the


    twins were born they hadn¡¯t grown as close to him as one might expect. They called him uncle and kept


    him at a distance. Augustus was secretly grateful for that.


    Ever since he met the young man at the hospital after the twins were born Augustus realized Paul had


    a crush on Macey. Given that he still had hope of bringing Julius and Macey back together Paul was an


    unwanted interloper and possible obstacle. At the same time he couldn¡¯t interfere with Macey if she


    decided to see him. Victoria made it clear whether or not Paul could win Macey¡¯s heart was up to him


    and Augustus was not allowed to meddle. Though Augustus was a multi-billionaire business owner


    there was something about Victoria that made him want to stay on her good side and not aggravate


    her.


    As of now Macey seemed blissfully unaware of Paul¡¯s affection and showed no interest in him beyond


    a good friend. If the kids had shown him a lot of attention Macey might have been more inclined to see


    Paul in another way but thankfully the kids hadn¡¯t grown needlessly close to him.


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Augustus finally said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start with his name,¡± Aria diplomatically said.


    ¡°Julius.¡±


    ¡°Julus?¡± Aria tried to pronounce the unfamiliar name.


    ¡°Julius. Julius DaLair. He¡¯s my youngest.¡±


    ¡°You have more children?¡±


    ¡°I have two. March is his older brother.¡±


    ¡°So we have an uncle too?¡± Aria smiled looking more excited.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. March is married and he has a son of his own. So you have an aunt and a cousin as well.¡±


    Aria pped happily. This was far more exciting than she first thought it would be. Caden didn¡¯t share


    her enthusiasm but he grinned at the news.


    ¡°Do they all live with you in America?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Aria frowned sharing a serious look with her brother before she asked, ¡°Grandpa, why do all of you live


    in America but we live in Paris with mommy? Why doesn¡¯t our daddy at least live with us? Does he not


    like Paris?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­does he not like us?¡±


    ¡°No. He loves you both¡­or he will once he sees you.¡±


    ¡°Our daddy doesn¡¯t know about us?¡± Caden asked.


    ¡°¡­Yes well¡­you see. Before you were born your mommy and daddy had a fight. Your daddy did a


    very stupid thing and your mommy decided to leave. That¡¯s when she came to Paris and went back to


    school and had you two.¡±


    ¡°But daddy doesn¡¯t know that?¡±


    ¡°No. He doesn¡¯t. But he has been looking for your mommy.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°My guess is he wants to say he was sorry and make it up to your mommy.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he wants to be our daddy?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. He definitely wants to your daddy.¡±


    Aria frowned again looking to her brother. He shrugged but said nothing. Quietly the pair finished their


    ice cream treats deep in thought but they didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Augustus wondered what was


    going through their minds but he hesitated to ask. It wasn¡¯t the first time the twins¡¯ uncanny intelligence


    surprised him.


    ¡°So I hear your mommy has another showing up,¡± Augustus said after a moment.


    ¡°Yep, in Amsterdam,¡± Aria said. ¡°Mommy is taking us with her. She says she¡¯ll buy us wooden shoes!¡±


    Augustus chuckled. Now they sounded more like normal three-year-olds. But deep down he knew it


    was all an act. There was nothing normal about his grandchildren though he wasn¡¯t certain exactly


    what was going on in their minds.


    * * *


    ¡°Caden?¡± Aria asked looking across the room to her brother¡¯s bed. After ice cream with their grandpa


    they had asked a few more questions about their family and he even showed them some pictures he


    had on his phone.


    While it was exciting to see their family it only made it more clear how much distance separated them.


    Their cousin was actually quite a bit older than they were. In their experience older kids didn¡¯t really


    care about younger ones but maybe that wasn¡¯t true if they were family.


    After discussing their family Augustus made them promise not to talk about it to their mother. Their


    grandpa was convinced she wouldn¡¯t like that he told them so much about their waiting family. The


    twins readily agreed since they didn¡¯t want to make their mommy cry.


    ¡°Caden?¡±


    No answer.


    ¡°You know Caden, you should talk more. It made mommy really worried when you didn¡¯t talk for so


    long. Uncle Paul kept saying you needed to be tested or something.¡±


    No answer.


    ¡°Caden, are you asleep?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What do you think about what grandpa said today?¡±


    ¡°About our daddy?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, duh.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    ¡°If our daddy is like Grandpa Gus than he has to be really nice don¡¯t you think?¡±


    No answer.


    ¡°And we have an uncle and an aunt and a cousin too. That¡¯s really exciting. So what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they won¡¯t like us.¡±


    ¡°You heard Grandpa Gus. He said they will love us. Grandpa Gus loves us so they will too.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t really how it works.¡±


    ¡°It will work out this time. They are our family after all.¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But they¡¯ve never met us and they don¡¯t even know we exist.¡±


    ¡°But they will. You heard Grandpa. He wants to get mommy and daddy back together.¡±


    ¡°Yeah but it didn¡¯t sound like he had a n.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then¡­We¡¯ll make a n!¡± Aria suddenly sat up in bed.


    Caden rolled over to look at her as she slipped out of bed and bound across the room toe to his


    side. Her eyes sparkled bright the way they usually did when she was scheming. Caden looked at her


    in silence and waited for her to announce her big idea.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make a n that will bring mommy and daddy back together again. Then we can be a big happy


    family again!¡±


    Caden frowned, ¡°What if our daddy doesn¡¯t want to be in a family with us?¡±


    ¡°Of course he will,¡± Aria said supremely confident as she always was. ¡°You want a daddy don¡¯t you


    Caden?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah. I do.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have a daddy out there. We just have to meet him. That can be part of our n.¡±


    ¡°Actually part one should be letting daddy know we even exist. Grandpa Gus said mommy left before


    she told him she was going to have a baby remember?¡±


    Okay, okay. So part one: we show daddy we exist. Part two is we get to know him. That way we can be


    sure he¡¯s the kind of person we want to be our daddy. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I guess that sounds good.¡± Caden finally sat up. ¡°But it isn¡¯t just our decision. We will have to ask


    mommy somehow. She might not think it¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Mommy¡¯s been missing daddy for a long time. She¡¯s definitely going to agree.¡±


    Caden gave his sister a dubious look. Grown-ups seldom did the things they expected them to. In fact


    usually the things grown-ups did defied exnation. He had a hard time trying to understand their logic


    for the decisions they made. Like why did their mother decide to move to Paris just to get away from


    their father only to miss him every night? Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to stay closer so they could talk


    about whatever separated them in the first ce?


    Still, it would be nice to have a daddy. Whenever they went to one of their mother¡¯s shows she and Aria


    spent a lot of time matching clothes and having fun shopping. It would be nice if he could do that too.


    He wouldn¡¯t even mind wearing a suit if it meant he could match his daddy.


    But still. There had to be a reason their mommy and daddy weren¡¯t together and he doubted they


    would be willing to get back together so easily, especially their mother. After all she left home toe


    all the way to Paris. There had to be a reason she did that. At the very least their daddy would probably


    have to apologize before their mother gave him another chance.


    ¡°We should make sure daddy apologizes,¡± Caden finally says. ¡°Mommy will probably be more willing to


    agree if he did that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Aria sighed. There really was no reason to fight her brother on that point. When Caden got an


    idea in his head he seldom just let it go. ¡°Fine. Part one, we show daddy we are here. Two we spend


    time with him so he can get to know us. That way he will have a reason to really make it up to mommy


    if he wants to keep seeing us. Three, we let mommy and daddy talk and make up.¡±


    Caden nodded. It sounded okay. At least it sounded doable but he wasn¡¯t certain it would be enough to


    bring their family together. He bit his lip, ¡°Do you think that will be enough?¡±


    Aria frowned. Her brother had a point. Anyone could say they are sorry and just walk away. They had


    to make it so their daddy wouldn¡¯t walk away. They had to show him and their mommy that being a


    family was better than not being a family. Aloud she said, ¡°Part one we show ourselves to daddy. Part


    two we spend time with him so we can all get to know each other. Part three we make mommy and


    daddy have a proper talk. Part four we show them that being a family is best. Part five, daddy


    proposes!¡±


    Caden nodded. That seemed like a logical n. But for any of it to work they had to get to America, or


    their daddy had toe to Paris. He wasn¡¯t sure how they would do that but their grandpa said he


    wanted to bring their parents back together so perhaps they could rely on him for that part. In any case


    they had a n.

 Book One: Chapter 40: Bonus Story Five

    Book One: Chapter 40: Bonus Story Five


    Movie Night


    Julius poured melted butter over the bowl of steaming popcorn before lightly shaking salt over it all. It


    might have been quicker to pop it all in the microwave but that popcorncked a certain vor. Air-


    popping it and mixing it like this was how he remembered doing it when he was a kid and it brought


    back the movie nights they used to enjoy when he was little.


    ¡°Hurry up, daddy!¡± Aria called impatiently from the living room. She and her brother had been excited


    when he brought up the idea of movie night. It seemed Macey hadn¡¯t instituted any special nights like


    that to entertain them. When they wanted to y a game they had game night, when they wanted to


    watch a movie they had movie night.


    When he first arrived in Paris he went along with it. After all he didn¡¯t have anything scheduled and no


    work to do. Instead he filled his days spending time with his babies and wife. They naturally saw fit to


    give him a proper tour and even introduced him to their favorite street performer. He didn¡¯t mind ying


    tourist. But things were different now. As soon as he started setting up the new office calls came in and


    he was suddenly very busy.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the twins to start chaffing with the idea of sharing their parents¡¯ attention. They


    were especially distressed with sharing their father they only just met themselves. That was when he


    suggested official movie and game nights making it easier to ensure they had plenty of time together.


    He didn¡¯t think the twins would be very interested in it but they immediately embraced it.


    Chuckling he set down the salt and carried the two bowls out of the kitchen. Their new apartment was


    not all that different from their previous one. Like the old one the kitchen, dining room and living room


    were part of an open concept with no clear delineation from one to the next. Unlike the old apartment


    their new one had three bedrooms. The third bedroom had been prepared to function as the baby¡¯s


    nursery.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    At first Julius considered getting a house or an evenrger space so all three kids would have their own


    rooms but Macey thought the expense too high and the twins loudly dered they wanted to share


    their room. For now, it was all right. Depending on the sex of the baby they could change to rooms as it


    grew up. If a boy the baby and Caden could eventually share a room, if a girl then Aria would be


    sharing a room. But he was getting ahead of himself. It was still a good two weeks before the baby


    would be born and there was plenty to do.


    Monday he had his meeting with Herr Leon about his new business proposal. He had only just finished


    setting up their foreign offices and already they were being inundated with calls. It seemed the DaLair


    reputation preceded him or perhaps it was Leon¡¯s doing. Leon was a respected businessman all across


    Europe so having him introduce Julius to some colleagues opened doors that would have otherwise


    remained closed.


    Not that he really had to worry about work. If he wanted to he could easily retire and live the rest of his


    lifefortably even while raising three kids. In fact when he first moved to Paris to be with Macey and


    the kids he treated it as something of an extended holiday. For weeks he leisurely toured the city with


    Macey or just the twins if she had a previous engagement. Though on the surface it appeared as if he


    was just having fun he was familiarizing himself with his new home. Learning thenguage took longer


    but it gave him ample time to spend with the twins as well as reconnect to Macey.


    They had been apart for six years and he wanted to make up for every single minute not just with her


    but the twins who had never met him. If not for the fact his father told them about him they wouldn¡¯t


    have even known his name.


    The thought soured Julius¡¯s mood. It wasn¡¯t that he was ungrateful toward his father. If not for


    Augustus¡¯s intervention it is difficult to say want might have happened to Macey and the kids. But while


    he took care of Macey he never once told Julius the truth. Even knowing how desperately Julius was


    searching for her Augustus remained silent. And not just silent, he actively hid her and helped her slip


    out of the country underneath Julius¡¯s nose.


    Julius couldn¡¯t help but feel betrayed. His children were five years old before he evenid eyes on them


    all because of his father. At the same time his father had been seeing them regrly. Augustus had


    been there for their birth and made trips to see them on their birthdays and holidays in addition to


    speaking to them through video calls.


    While his father was having fun with his children Julius had been snared by the worst kind of harpy, one


    that had almost destroyed hisst chance with Macey. If he had only known a little sooner it would have


    saved so much trouble down the line. In reality though, he had no one to me but himself.


    When he first married Macey he still considered her a friend of the family. He had numerous


    rtionships with a variety of girls and women all of whom were obsessed with his wealth. None of


    them loved him. To say he was disillusioned with the idea of love was putting it mildly. When Augustus


    proposed he marry Macey Julius had been against it. After all she was like a cousin, almost a sister,


    with how close they had been growing up.


    On the other hand she was safe. She had grown up alongside him and his brother and was like family.


    Her only connection to high society was the DaLairs themselves. She didn¡¯t have allies or ulterior


    motives. Macey was loyal to his family and wouldn¡¯t connive behind his back or so he thought.


    So he agreed to the marriage. It never urred to him she would genuinely be in love with him or that


    she had been for some time. Perhaps if he looked more closely he might have realized the truth


    sooner. Their wedding was a formal affair but not overly extravagant. He figured it was because his


    father didn¡¯t want to overdo it since it was an arranged marriage of sorts but now he knew it was due to


    Macey¡¯s influence.


    After seeing how she nned their vow renewal ceremony it was clear she had a way of controlling


    Augustus no one else could. There was no telling how many of his ideas she shot down to ensure their


    nuptials were tasteful and practical. Not even Rose had such a sess when it came to holding the


    reins on the DaLair patriarch. Paging through their wedding album Macey was the epitome of the


    blushing bride with a gentle, bright smile. It was clear their wedding was a day she had been longing


    and waiting for a long time. How could he have been so blind?


    The early years of their marriage he recalled were awkward. While he had previous rtionships


    Macey hadn¡¯t had a single one. Their wedding night in particr had required some careful coaxing to


    even get her to join him in the bed. He¡¯d had a few too many drinks greatly lowering his own inhibitions.


    In fact it was fair to say he was more than a bit horny. The memories were dim but he remembered he


    had still been careful with her and made certain she enjoyed their first time together as well as every


    time that followed after.


    Macey had no problem taking on domestic chores while he went back to work. He recalled both his


    father and brother were surprised to see him at work the very next day. At the time he hadn¡¯t thought


    anything about it; after all their union was out of convenience not love. Still it was strange they hadn¡¯t


    gone anywhere or had a proper honeymoon. Now that he thought about it there had actually been a


    few rumors concerning their marriage because he had gone back to work so soon. It seemed a lot of


    people took that as a sign it wasn¡¯t going tost long or that it had all been for show.


    After marrying him he would have expected Macey to be invited to a number of high ss events as a


    way to strengthen ties to the DaLairs and secure their support but she hadn¡¯t. In fact Macey didn¡¯t


    attend any event Rose was not also a part of and he was fairly certain only Rose received a proper


    invitation. Did that mean no one believed Macey was a proper DaLair in the first ce?


    Macey didn¡¯tin and he wasn¡¯t interested in needless parties anyway so he couldn¡¯t be bothered


    by it. Though he did recall Marchining once or twice asking him if he didn¡¯t care people were


    being so disrespectful to his wife. Julius brushed it off saying if it didn¡¯t bother her than it wasn¡¯t worth


    worrying about. But maybe it had bothered her. Macey was smart. She had to know she was being


    snubbed and yet she said nothing despite the fact she was a DaLair. One word from her and the entire


    family would have boycotted events hosted by those people. In fact maybe Augustus had done just


    that.


    Thinking back he did recalling walking in on a conversation between his father and a business


    associate concerning a g of some sort. The details of the event were lost to him but Julius quite


    clearly remembered his father saying, ¡®I don¡¯t think I will be going. If my dear daughter isn¡¯t wee


    then there is no point in showing my face.¡¯ After that Macey started receiving proper invitations at least


    to some events.


    He wasn¡¯t sure when the rumors of her cheating on him started. They always attended events together


    and Macey didn¡¯t know anyone there aside from his family so she never wandered far from Rose,


    March or himself. But somewhere along the way people started calling her shameless for hanging onto


    his family to improve her station. Then someone started a rumor she was actually flirting with other


    men who promised to buy her favors.


    Having known so many women like that in his past it was enough to enrage him. Instead of asking her


    about the rumors he simply turned his back on her. Was it the overwhelming sense of betrayal that


    someone he deemed a close friend would do that to him or the idea his entire family had been duped?


    He wasn¡¯t sure which stung more but it led to him drinking more and ignoring her any time she tried to


    talk to him not that she tried often.


    Macey had always been so full of life andughter when they were kids. But not long after the rumors


    started she became pale and quiet. Perhaps the rumors weighed heavier on her than he had thought. It


    was like she was being eaten up on the inside by them. No doubt she hadn¡¯t wanted to burden him with


    her problems but he was her husband. Who would support her if not for him?


    James Goodwell. The world¡¯s most shameless flirt and the worst example of chauvinistic male to ever


    exist. The only thing longer than his list of failed businesses was his list of sexual conquests. In fact he


    seemed to take a woman¡¯s wedding band as a personal challenge to seduce them giving no thought to


    how it ruined them afterwards.


    He knew better than to challenge March and never targeted Rose for his sick games. But with the


    rumors swirling around Macey and Julius¡¯s own inaction he no doubt smelled blood in the water. It was


    a rare opportunity to get one over on a DaLair so targeting Macey was definitely not an ident.


    As far as Julius knew Macey had never been hit on before and thinking back to that night he could


    picture the pair quite clearly. James stood too close leering as he took stock of her. Macey had always


    been gorgeous and possessed a natural beauty that certainly earned her jealous res from other


    women. She never bothered with diets and she had no interest in unattainable beauty standards. For


    her beauty was epting one¡¯s natural body type and hers was tantalizing curvy a fact he realized as


    James grasped her hand and slobbered all over it.


    Macey¡¯s usual gentle expression turned to revulsion in an instant and she jerked her hand away from


    him in disgust. Her face flushed with embarrassment and rage and she might have been ready to give


    him a piece of her mind if Julius hadn¡¯t suddenly appeared.


    He should have just hit the bastard but in his anger he had been blind to Macey¡¯s indignation. Instead


    of pummeling her solicitor like he should have he dragged her away and¡­he hit her.


    Julius froze mid-step as the memory came flooding back. He had actually raised his hand against her.


    Cold suddenly assailed him and he felt himself go pale. How could he have done that? What was


    wrong with him?


    ¡°Daddy,¡± Aria called. ¡°Daddy, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Aria and Caden were camped out on the floor in front of the TV waiting for their popcorn. The N*****x


    movie of their choice was already cued up and just needed them to select y for it to begin but they


    had been told they couldn¡¯t until everyone was ready.


    Macey and herrge belly were seated on the couch behind them. Julius insisted she sit and rx


    while he got their snacks in order. He had already brought them drinks. The twins¡¯ cs sat on a pair of


    coasters with straws tucked in the sses. They were allowed them on the promise they would be


    careful not to spill. Seeing Aria¡¯s worried gaze Macey shifted looking over her shoulder to see Julius


    frozen mid-step and pale as a ghost.


    ¡°Julius?¡± Macey asked. ¡°Julius, what is wrong?¡±


    Her voice stirred him from his stupor. His nk gaze drifted to hers and he let the memory slip away.


    Julius licked his lips wanting to say something to put them both at ease but found himself without a


    voice. What could he say to her after he had been so stupid?


    ¡°Julius, are you okay?¡± Macey asked again her face betraying her worry. She shifted forward as if to


    rise but he didn¡¯t want her getting up and possibly straining herself so close to her due date.


    He forced a smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Clearing his throat hepleted his delivery setting therger bowl on the floor between the twins


    where they could share it. Then he sat on the couch with the smaller bowl. Without a word Macey


    shifted to lean against him. He raised his arm and hugged her close as they settled together. She


    sighed reclining against him and bringing her feet up so she could lie morefortably. Tugging on her


    afghan throw she covered her swollen, aching feet.


    Despite his care and regr massages her feet remained a constant problem. They always ached no


    matter how much she kept off of them. On top of that they always seemed cold. Sometimes at night he


    was woken up from a dead sleep when she tucked her feet up against him trying to warm up. It was


    like a bucket of ice water was suddenly thrown on him.


    Once she wasfortable he slowly rxed and nodded to Caden who held the remote. Without a


    word Caden pressed y and the beginning credits began to dramatic music before settling on snail


    racing fan. The kids were already snickering as they reached for their popcorn. Julius sighed setting his


    popcorn bowl on hisp within Macey¡¯s easy reach.


    ¡°So are you going to tell me what is wrong?¡± Macey whispered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Julius asked feigning ignorance.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about how you were doing your best impression of a statue.¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡±


    ¡°You looked like you saw a ghost,¡± Macey insisted. ¡°So what happened?¡±


    ¡°I was just¡­remembering.¡±


    ¡°Remembering what?¡±


    ¡°The night you left.¡±


    Macey tensed. She looked at him wide-eyed and uncertain. Surely she couldn¡¯t have forgotten. There


    was no way she could have forgotten what happened¡­what he did¡­


    ¡°¡­Macey I¡­¡± Julius hesitated. What could he say? ¡°I should have broken James¡¯s jaw for even


    speaking to you. Instead I¡­Macey I¡­God I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± Macey shushed him cing her fingers to his lips. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Macey, how could you possibly forgive me after what I did¡­Macey I¡­¡±


    Macey gave him an exasperated look before pulling back her nket. She grasped his hand and pulled


    it to her swelled belly. Scrunching her brow she repositioned it and held it in ce.


    A momentter he felt a shock run through his hand and up his arm as the baby kicked. Julius held his


    breath and waited. A second passed and he felt another kick. Macey sighed and looked at him again


    her face warm and her eyes bright.


    ¡°Do you know what that is, Julius?¡± she asked. ¡°That¡¯s your baby telling you to stop worrying about the


    past. If you want to worry about something, worry about the future¡­because you¡¯re going to be a


    daddy.¡±


    Julius sucked in his breath staring into her shining green eyes. He wondered if all women glowed like


    her when they were going to be mothers or if the phenomenon was unique to Macey. One thing he was


    certain of¡­none could be more beautiful than her. A smile softened his expression as he tugged the


    nket back up to cover her.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Macey smiled and he couldn¡¯t resist kissing her.


    He¡¯d never get tired of how her lips tasted or how soft and pliable they were against his. Julius pulled


    away with a sigh. His pants were already feeling ufortably tight. When was thest time they had


    spent a passionate night together? He couldn¡¯t recall. It had to be a least three or four months,


    sometime before she started herst trimester.


    Since Macey was only carrying one baby this time the doctor okayed intercourse for as long as they


    were bothfortable with it. Frankly Julius had been relieved. After so long apart his sexual drive was


    rather high and he wasn¡¯t ready to abstain from indulging. He craved her, wanted to taste her, pleasure


    her and touch every inch of her.


    Macey was surprisingly receptive. He thought she would be hesitant after the pregnancy was


    confirmed. Much to his surprise her sex drive seemed to increase as it progressed. Not that he was


    going toin about her lowered inhibitions but it was almost too much even for his starved libido.


    When her stomach began to really show her drive finally calmed and he almost breathed a sigh of


    relief. But now the weeks of only heavy petting and passionate kisses felt more like teasing knowing


    she was content to cuddle and sleep.


    Knowing he was going to regret itter Julius leaned close to her again kissing her deeply. God, did


    she have to taste so good?


    ¡°Daddy, mommy, you¡¯re missing the movie with all your kissy facing,¡± Ariained.


    Macey pulled away in mock horror and looked at her, ¡°Aria!¡±


    Julius cleared his throat as Caden also turned to look at them with a questioning gaze. Without a word


    Julius held up his hand and twirled his finger in a sign the young pair should turn around and pay


    attention to the snails on screen as they harvested tomatoes and tried to avoid crows. Snickering Aria


    and Caden obeyed looking again to the screen.


    Julius sighed as Macey chuckled snuggling against him. So this is what fatherhood was like. For years


    he endured Frederickmbasting parenthood like it was a disease, the end to all fun and games. But


    this¡­was good. Julius kissed the top of Macey¡¯s head as he gazed at the six year olds. No. This was


    just about perfect.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± Macey whispered.


    ¡°Yeah. I do.¡± Julius rested his cheek on her head. ¡°This feels really good.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because we¡¯re d you¡¯re here and we don¡¯t want you disappearing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere Macey. I promise. You¡¯ll never have to do anything by yourself again.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She sighed. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll rub my feet tonight?¡±


    Julius chuckled, ¡°Of course, baby. You don¡¯t even have to ask. I¡¯ll always be here for you.¡±

 Book One: Chapter 41: Bonus Story Six

    Book One: Chapter 41: Bonus Story Six


    And Baby Makes Five


    Macey stirred. It waste. A nce at the clock confirmed it was one o¡¯clock. She sighed wondering


    what had woken her. Turning she thought to ask Julius if he was awake as well only to find his side of


    the bed empty. Startled she sat up. Was that why she had woken?


    She took careful stock of the room. Nothing seemed out of ce. Even the baby monitor remained on


    the bedside, green light quietly blinking. But something felt wrong. It was too quiet. There should be


    some soundsing through the monitor as the baby moved around but it waspletely silent.


    Shivering with apprehension she stood and quickly pulled on a robe.


    Stepping out of the bedroom she paused finding a warm light glowing from the kitchen. Seated on the


    couch and relying on this light was Julius. He sat cradling a small bundle noisily suckling from a bottle.


    Caught off guard Macey stood memorizing the scene in her mind as she leaned on the door way. This


    was a sight she never thought she¡¯d see, a sight she sometimes dreamed of seeing when the twins


    were little.


    It hadn¡¯t been easy when the twins were babies. Despite Victoria¡¯s help there was still many times she


    had been on her own. While Caden usually remained quiet through the night Aria was quite loud. There


    were nights she simply wouldn¡¯t settle and Macey woke up on the couch with the baby in her arms after


    she had fallen asleep trying to nurse the hungry infant. Aria would often be quietly looking up at her as


    if waiting for her mother to waken before fussing again.


    No sooner would Macey seed in getting Aria to sleep again in the early morning hours then Caden


    would stir and demand attention from his mother. She would change him and bring him into the living


    room to feed him and hopefully allow Aria to stay sleeping for a little while longer. It was a constant


    juggling act that left Macey sometimes falling asleep at the table or even in the middle of her online


    sses her college allowed her to take to keep up with her studies.


    Victoria helped where she could but she also had sses. There were several days Macey was simply


    on her own with two babies demanding her attention. More than once she had broken down.


    * * *


    ¡°Macey what is wrong!¡± Victoria eximed as she entered the apartment.


    Two crying infantsy on the floor on nkets with their mother seated in front of them in tears. Taking


    in the situation is a moment Victoria disappeared into the bathroom to run a steaming bath. When she


    returned to the living room she pulled Macey to her feet and shoved her into the bath. With the mother


    taken care of she gathered up the loudest of the infants, Aria, taking care of her first. Changing the


    infant and feeding her Victoria quickly put the baby to bed before repeating the procedure with the


    other. Once the pair was contentedly napping Victoria settled in the kitchen to wait for Macey to emerge


    again.


    Macey stepped out of the bathroom in a robe her hair heavy and damp. For the moment her hair was


    fairly straight but that would onlyst as long as it was wet. As it dried her natural curls would return.


    ¡°Here.¡± Victoria said sliding a cup of steeping tea toward her.


    Macey grimaced but sat down and lingered over it. She had fallen asleep while soaking in the tub but it


    hadn¡¯t been restful as she listened to Victoria quickly and efficiently take care of the twins. As hard as


    she tried it seemed she simply couldn¡¯t be the mother she wanted to be.


    ¡°Macey, look at me.¡±


    With a sigh she looked up to see Victoria staring at her intently. Despite how intense her look was it


    was still kind and more than a little worried. Macey wasn¡¯t sure what she should say to alleviate her


    friend¡¯s concern.


    ¡°Macey, you are a good mom. You are a great, fantastic, awesome mom.¡±


    ¡°Vicki.¡±


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Say it Macey. Say you are a good mom.¡±


    Macey sighed.


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°I am a good mom.¡±


    ¡°You are a great, fantastic, awesome mom.¡±


    ¡°Vicki¡­¡±


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°I am a great, fantastic, awesome mom.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now keep saying it.¡±


    ¡°Vicki¡­¡±


    ¡°I mean it Macey. Do you think it¡¯s easy to do what you are doing? You¡¯re going to college. You have


    not one but two babies. They are adorable and perfect but they outnumber you. Do you think that is


    easy?¡±


    Macey hesitated.


    ¡°I mean one would be hard enough, but you have two. Two babies that need your constant attention.


    Two babies that need you to feed and change them and hold them and love them. Two babies who


    keep you up at all hours and you¡¯re here alone, taking care of them by yourself. Do you honestly think


    anyone else could do what you are doing right now?¡±


    ¡°But you handled them so easily right now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I also got a full night¡¯s sleep and just came from the caf¨¦ where I had a leisurely lunch,¡± Victoria


    said. ¡°Macey, I could never do what you are doing. One baby would break me. I¡¯d need a team of


    nannies to help me.¡±


    Macey didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Look, I know we¡¯ve talked about this before and you don¡¯t want to do it¡­but I really think you need to


    hire an au pair.¡±


    ¡°Vicki¡­¡±


    ¡°Macey look at me. I¡¯m worried about you. Sweetie you need to sleep. You can¡¯t keep stretching


    yourself this thin anymore. I won¡¯t allow it. I¡¯ll go over your head if I have to.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call your father-inw.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a man and he¡¯s been in charge so long he¡¯s forgotten he can¡¯t bend the universe to his will. But


    what he can do is hire an au pair for you,¡± Victoria said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough to know he really does care


    about you and wants the best for you and the kids. And that is fine. He can foot the bill for an au pair


    too.¡±


    Macey shook her head.


    ¡°Macey, it¡¯s not a sin to rely on other people. You don¡¯t have to do everything on your own. Look you


    can get someone part time at least so you can actually rest. It¡¯s okay to be selfish and take care of


    yourself too. Let me and your father-inw help. You can¡¯t keep going on like this. How much sleep did


    you getst night?¡±


    Macey breathed deep. In truth she didn¡¯t remember, maybe an hour between nightly feedings. Deep


    down she knew it wasn¡¯t enough. Perhaps Victoria was right and she was pushing herself too hard.


    Augustus told her to call him for anything.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll talk to dad about possibly getting an au pair, but only part time so I can focus on my sses


    a little. I need to catch up on the work.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Good.¡± Victoria breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s all I ask.¡±


    Victoria would take her victories where she could with someone as stubborn as Macey. She didn¡¯t want


    to upset her friend so she held back what she really wanted to say. They had spent many nights talking


    about Macey¡¯s one-sided love so Victoria knew all there was about her friend¡¯s past but she wasn¡¯t


    satisfied. Love or not, marriage or divorce, he should at least be helping her take care of the children


    they had brought into the world if nothing else. Yet Macey was insistent not to involve him. He didn¡¯t


    know she was pregnant when she left so there was no need to drag him into it now.


    Victoria had been keeping tabs on Macey¡¯s ex. While Macey insisted he probably moved on with his life


    with another woman Victoria saw no evidence of that. He was certainly a drinker but there was no sign


    of a new woman. Augustus expressed his desire to bring the two back together. After what Macey went


    through Victoria couldn¡¯t agree no matter what the old man said but at the same time it was not hard to


    see Julius wasn¡¯t moving on either.


    Macey imed her love was one sided and he never cared for her but that isn¡¯t what Victoria saw. It


    was clear her leaving had a devastating effect on the man she imed never loved her. Perhaps it was


    her French sensibilities at y but Victoria was certain Julius not only cared about Macey but, in fact,


    loved her. If only she could meet the man then she would know for sure and until she was sure Victoria


    would never suggest Macey get back with her ex. Still¡­he should take responsibility for the kids he


    helped to bring into the world.


    For now Victoria would settled on Macey hiring an au pair. With help she could get some rest and focus


    on her own health in addition to the babies. If Macey was nervous about hiring someone Victoria would


    be right there to help her sort through the applications. Together they would find someone they both


    could trust.


    * * *


    Macey smiled at the scene in front of her now. How different it was from when she had the twins.


    Juggling toddlers in addition to a baby certainly wasn¡¯t easy but she also wasn¡¯t alone. Julius was intent


    on doing his part not that it didn¡¯te with difficulties. Watching him change a poopy diaper for the


    first time was video worthy and Victoriamented on missing the opportunity.


    One whiff of the diaper had the poor man gagging to the point of doubling over much to the twins¡¯


    amusement. Macey herself could barely contain herughter as he first tried to change the diaper using


    tongs and his nose stuffed with cotton. Even now she could recall his protests.


    * * *


    ¡°God, Macey! I can taste it! Why can I taste it? Will you stopughing? It¡¯s not funny. What the Hell did


    this kid eat?¡±


    ¡°Breast milk as I recall,¡± Macey finally managed to speak. ¡°And I believe youined how jealous


    you were the entire time you watched me breast feed him.¡±


    Julius face suddenly reddened though she didn¡¯t know if it was from embarrassment orck of oxygen.


    He clenched his jaw trying to keep hisposure but she wasn¡¯t about to let him off the hook so easily.


    ¡°What goes in has toe out, you know.¡±


    ¡°Macey,¡± he looked at her with desperation. ¡°Can you¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh no daddy. I had to change two diapers at the same time for two years. I¡¯m sure you can handle


    one.¡±


    Mention of her struggle to care for the twins without him steeled his resolve. Turning back to the


    squirming infant in front of him he set aside the tongs and took the process in front of him seriously.


    Following Macey¡¯s instruction and with no small amount of gagging he managed to removed the dirty


    diaper and clean the infant¡¯s bum. As he slipped on the new diaper the baby decided it had to pee


    suddenly bing a fountain.


    ¡°What the!¡± Julius jerked back in surprise.


    ¡°Oh, that happens.¡± Macey said.


    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°That happens all the time with boys,¡± Macey exined. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the sensation of being changed or


    just a reaction to the cool air. Who knows? You just get used to it.¡±


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You just get used to it.¡± Julius repeated looked at her with horror.


    ¡°Come on, daddy. Go ahead and finish. Toss that diaper and get a fresh one.¡±


    * * *


    The twins watched the spectacle thinking it was hrious and told the whole story to their aunts. Both


    Victoria and Rose agreed it was the funniest thing they had ever heard and both said she should have


    filmed it. Macey stifled a chuckle as she crossed the room and reached the exhausted dad in front of


    her.


    She ran her fingers through his hair gently stirring him awake. Julius sighed looking up at her, ¡°Macey,


    what time is it?¡±


    ¡°Still the middle of the night,¡± she said, ¡°what are you doing out here?¡±


    ¡°Coda started fussing,¡± he answered looking down at the content baby in his arms.


    Since the bottle was nearly empty he removed it and lifted the baby up to burp him. The baby¡¯s burp


    came out like a hiss of air. Coda stared up at his father with eerily calm, gray eyes. For the most part he


    was a quiet baby. He watched the world withrge, wondering gaze as if contemting how it all


    worked.


    Naturally he was far too young to have suchplex thoughts but Macey certainly saw some


    simrities between Coda and his older brother. Caden had been a calm baby as well. Even at a few


    weeks old he already seemed to have a grasp of his family. Though Coda fussed when strangers held


    him he waspletelyfortable in his parents¡¯ arms. He didn¡¯t seem to have a preference between


    his mother and father though he clearly preferred them over others.


    That didn¡¯t surprise Macey in the least. Caden had always preferred being held by his mother. In fact


    he would start fussing almost immediately when other people held him. He had been okay with Victoria


    and eventually warmed up to Dillon but he fussed continuously when Paul tried to hold him. For some


    reason he was okay with Augustus despite the fact his grandfather¡¯s infrequent visits.


    Coda was a little more gregarious having no issue being held by multiple people including Victoria,


    Dillon, Augustus, March, Rose and even Jude. Paul was an infrequent visitor so perhaps the baby¡¯s


    reaction to him was less than favorable. Though Macey recalled Paul had been a little awkward with


    Caden and Aria in the beginning as well it was strange he didn¡¯te around more often.


    She wondered if he was ufortable with their growing family circle. With the twins their only family


    rtion had been Augustus but this time everyone had flown to Paris to see the baby. Paul only


    maintained a small circle of friends and sometimes even avoided his own show openings making


    Macey wonder if he just didn¡¯t likerge crowds. Even so she hoped he woulde around more


    often. She would hate for Coda to grow up not knowing his adoptive uncle.


    ¡°So, you got up with him?¡± Macey asked.


    ¡°Yeah, of course. You were sleeping so well I didn¡¯t want him to wake you up,¡± Julius nodded. ¡°You


    work too hard. You should take a break now that he¡¯s here.¡±


    Macey smiled leaning close and kissing him. His lips eagerly answered her making her wonder when it


    was they hadst made love. She had been too ufortable in theter stages of her pregnancy for


    such activities and after the birth she was tired and needed healing, but now¡­


    ¡°Macey?¡± Julius asked as their lips parted.


    ¡°Has anyone told you how hot you look ying daddy?¡±


    Julius raised a brow before his gaze widened. His face flushed with anticipation no doubt doing the


    mental math himself for when theyst coupled. He swallowed hard saying, ¡°Macey¡­¡±


    ¡°You should put the baby back to bed,¡± Macey said standing. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you¡­daddy.¡±


    She walked back to the bedroom hearing his soft mutter, ¡°Shit. Coda, do your daddy a favor and go to


    sleep, little man.¡±


    Macey snickered to herself as she softly closed the door and slipped back into bed. It was still warm


    and she found herself nodding off rather quickly. She didn¡¯t hear him when he returned to join her but


    his arms circled around her and pulled her against him.


    ¡°You better not be asleep, Macey,¡± Julius said with a rather gruff voice.


    Though she was still drowsy she couldn¡¯t help butugh at the desperation in his voice, ¡°Does that


    mean you¡¯ve been having a hard time?¡±


    ¡°Damn it Macey, you really shouldn¡¯t use the word hard in a sentence right now,¡± he buried his face in


    her neck and sucking on her sensitive skin.


    The stubble on his chin tickled and sheughed at his enthusiasm, ¡°Poor daddy, so neglected.¡±


    ¡°And what are you going to do about it?¡± he challenged raising his head to meet her gaze.


    ¡°Well,¡± she ran her fingers through his hair eliciting a groan, ¡°isn¡¯t that supposed to be my question?


    Who carried your baby for nine months?¡±


    ¡°Macey,¡± he leaned forward his mouth hungrily enveloping hers. His hand caressed her slipping


    between her thighs and pressing against her entrance. ¡°I¡¯m going to make you regret teasing me.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she shifted her hips grinding against his hand. ¡°Are you going to make it worth my while?¡±


    Smiling he leaned close, ¡°As you wish.¡±


    His fingers plunged into her as he swallowed her apanying moan. She wasn¡¯t expecting her first


    orgasm toe so quickly but she clenched around his fingers as her body suddenly convulsed.


    ¡°J-Julius,¡± she moaned breathlessly.


    ¡°We¡¯re only getting started,¡± he whispered close to her ear. ¡°You have no idea the things I¡¯ve been


    dreaming about doing to you.¡±


    ¡°Show me,¡± Macey¡¯s hips pressed against him as she came down from her first wave of euphoria.


    ¡°Show me everything.¡±


    Julius chuckled, ¡°d to know I wasn¡¯t the only one suffering. Patience, babe. We have all night, plenty


    of time.¡±


    He trailed kisses down her neck to her partially exposed chest. Her pajamas of choice were a silky,


    short ck bit of lingerie that wasn¡¯t particrly revealing but drove him wild nheless.


    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Macey moaned as his mouth found her breast and teased it as his fingers continued teasing


    her within. ¡°Julius¡­¡±


    Her next orgasm came readily and left her shaking. She was already panting but she wanted more and


    tugged impatiently at his sweat pants. Julius almost growled as he pulled away to be rid of it himself.


    Almost immediately the baby monitor suddenly came to life with a single baby cry.


    They froze in their passionate embrace looking over at it as Coda continued to whimper as if talking to


    himself. Julius held his breath willing the baby back to sleep.


    Please, little man, back to sleep. Just this once for your daddy. Please.


    As if hearing his father¡¯s silent plead the baby quieted and obediently fell back to sleep.


    ¡°Thank god,¡± Julius praised before silencing Macey¡¯sughter with a kiss. ¡°Are you ready for this?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Macey sighed feeling his hard member pressing against her entrance. ¡°You do realize this is


    how we got three kids in the first ce.¡±


    Julius groaned. Were women more fertile just after they had a child? He wasn¡¯t sure but he ached with


    holding himself back. His gaze settled on hers as he said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll buy a house.¡±


    Macey snickered but her mirth was quickly reced with a moan as he pushed himself into her. After


    that there was no room for critical thinking.

 Book One: Chapter Forty-Two: Bonus Story Seven

    Book One: Chapter Forty-Two: Bonus Story Seven


    Time Marches On


    Paul sighed as he stepped out of the car and adjusted his tie. He waste. The g was set to begin at


    five and it was already approaching six. Even so there was still plenty of time left. He breathed on his


    hand and sniffed before digging out a breath mint. There hadn¡¯t been time to brush his teeth and he


    had a few drinks to steel his nerves. This was not going to be easy.


    Since the baby¡¯s birth he avoided Macey and the kids feigning work. It wasn¡¯t aplete lie. He did


    actually have a couple instations toplete. In the past he always hurried back to Paris after his


    work was done. Now he lingered in whatever city or country he found himself in usually in a depressed,


    asionally drunken stupor.


    If Macey thought his sudden absence strange Victoria was good enough to cover for him. So far it had


    worked though he missed the kids and Macey. As much as he longed to spend some time with them he


    knew if he did he would have to see him too.


    Julius DaLair. He was practically everything Paul despised about the human race. Julius was born to


    riches. He had never known a time of hardship and unted his wealth with expensive cars and tastes.


    Women fawned over him and men were jealous of him. Julius DaLair could have anything he wanted


    whenever he wanted never mind if his actions hurt someone else. Somehow this man captured


    Macey¡¯s heart.


    She gave everything to this man without thought to the consequences and she paid the price. Julius


    betrayed her trust and broke her heart. But she was strong and left him before he could do more


    damage. Yet despite learning her lesson the hard way she still loved the man who hurt her. He


    managed to win her back and she remained at his side even now and cementing them together were


    not one or two but three kids.


    He still didn¡¯t know why Caden and Aria were so epting of a father they had never known. Julius


    had been absent from their lives for five years and yet they weed him with open arms. They clung


    to him and proudly dered him to be their father to anyone who asked.


    After their first confrontation Paul had done some research and uncovered Julius¡¯s drinking binges and


    public indiscretions. He waited expecting Julius to reveal his true colors again ready to step in to


    protect Macey and the kids but remarkably Julius seemed to have much more self control.


    Though he was known to be a drinker Paul never saw him have more than one or two sses of wine


    and never once did Julius appear out of control. It seemed he was staying on his best behavior in front


    of the twins. When he first moved to Paris Julius had not been in a hurry to look for work choosing to


    spend as much time with Macey and the kids as he could to make up for the years they lost. Paul might


    have called him a freeloader if not for the incredible wealth he possessed. In truth Julius never needed


    to work so treating his time in Paris as an extended holiday was only natural.


    Instead of returning to America Julius remained in Paris ready to start a new branch of his family¡¯s


    others did. Yet he hadn¡¯t failed. Incredibly Julius¡¯s gamble paid off and hispany was rapidly


    climbing the business hierarchy. It was almost more than Paul could stand but the hardest part to


    tolerate was Macey¡¯s happiness.


    It was clear she was overjoyed to have Julius in her life again. When she learned she was pregnant


    again she was so excited she practically glowed. Knowing the challenges she faced with her first


    pregnancy Paul expected Julius to fail to support her. After all the man had no experience with a


    pregnancy or the difficulty it ced on the mother. But once again Julius surprised him. Not only did


    Julius remain steadfastly by her side he was ready to answer any of her requests.


    He took over much of the cooking and cleaning duties so she could rx. When her feet hurt and


    began to swell he was there to rub them withoutint. If she needed a nap he took the kids out so


    she could sleep in peace. Though his business was getting busier he made time for her and the kids


    instituting game and movie nights to ensure they were all together. Even Victoria was impressed at how


    Julius juggled home and work.


    When the baby came Julius continued to prove himself. He not only helped manage the twins which


    would have certainly been enough, he also helped with the baby. Julius took turns getting up forte


    night feedings and incredibly even changed diapers. Granted he had to wear a mask but he changed


    them nheless. Just a few weeks ago Macey sent an excited text. Coda said his first word: da-da.


    Showing his invitation Paul stepped into the well-lit venue. Macey¡¯stest work hung from the rafters in


    floating frames rather than on temporary walls. It presented her photography in a more dynamic fashion


    and kept the space open. Hertest series was entitled Baby Days. Macey was always inspired by real


    life so it was no surprise to him that the ten photographs centered around the new baby.


    Paul quietly wandered the gallery looking at the mostly ck and white photographs featuring building


    blocks, stuffed animals even a mobile all taken from a low angle representing the perspective of the


    baby. Each photograph had one color that was highlighted out of the otherwise gray tones. He didn¡¯t


    know if it was because the baby was a boy but the color for each photograph was the same: blue. It


    added a contrast to the gray tones and also softened the images giving them more life than if they had


    been left purely ck and white.


    He studied the photos with a smile. Macey had a unique way of making the mundane sacred. It was


    what made her work so special and why so many people gravitated to her photographs.


    ¡°Uncle Paul!¡± and excited voice greeted.


    He turned to see Aria and Caden nearby. Aria was wearing a blue, velvet dress with a white skirt. Her


    usually unruly hair was tamed in a pair of pigtails with sparkling butterfly barrettes. Beside her Caden,


    incredibly, was wearing a suit with a small bow tie and boutonniere matching the rich color of his


    sister¡¯s dress. Caden always hated suits and restrictive clothing but now he wore them at every formal


    function withoutint.


    ¡°Hello there wee ones.¡±


    ¡°You missed Coda¡¯s birthday,¡± Aria¡¯s face suddenly scrunched together.


    ¡°Awe, yes. I did. I apologize for that,¡± Paul smiled. ¡°I was in the middle of arge project and couldn¡¯t


    leave it.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­okay.¡± Aria sighed. ¡°But don¡¯t do that again. Mommy was sad you missed it.¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to remember that.¡± Paul nodded. In truth he deliberately postponed thepletion of the


    instation to ensure he wouldn¡¯t be able to attend the birthday. It might have been childish and more


    than a little cowardly but he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to attend knowing he would have to face Julius


    again.


    ¡°Paul, I¡¯m so d you came.¡±


    He looked up to see Macey approach. Without hesitation she gave him a weing hug. For a


    moment he indulged in her embrace. He knew her attention waspletely plutonic but he couldn¡¯t


    help wishing there was more between them. Stepping back he admired her dark blue gown. It had a


    satin finish and hugged her curves. After she had the twins Macey oftenined about the effect it


    had on her body and for a long time afterwards would only wear baggy clothes. But now she had a new


    confidence in her body even after giving birth to Coda and she had a lot to be confident about.


    She looked stunning. Whenever he saw her she took his breath away and this time was no different.


    Macey was practically glowing her expression was so bright and at ease. Her hair was tamed in a thick


    French braid and a topaz ne graced her neck. She had never been one for jewels and he had a


    sneaky suspicion who purchased such an extravagant ornament.


    ¡°I could hardly stay away. Your work is always awe inspiring.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you,¡± Macey lightly blushed at thepliment.


    ¡°Daddy, we¡¯re over here!¡± Aria called.


    The others turned to greet the neer as Paul¡¯s expression hardened. He clenched his jaw to brace


    himself for this confrontation. Mentally prepared he watched his rival approach.


    Unsurprising Julius wore a finely tailored suit that matched the one Caden wore. In his arms he carried


    the one-year-old Coda. The baby wore a white shirt with blue vest and pants that matched the color


    theme the rest of the family adhered to for the night. Unlike his brother who had always fought against


    wearing restrictive clothing Coda seemedfortable in his party clothes.


    ¡°How was it?¡± Macey asked as Julius reached them.


    ¡°Just wet this time,¡± Julius said with obvious relief. It was clear he still had a hard time with poopy


    diapers though he never refused to change them.


    ¡°Such a good boy,¡± Macey cooed caressing the baby¡¯s pudgy cheeks eliciting giggles.


    ¡°Mum,¡± Coda said as he chewed on his binky. Paul wasn¡¯t sure if the baby meant to say mom or if it


    was the consequence of babbling with his plug in his mouth. It was adorably sweet in either case.


    Julius chuckled kissing the baby¡¯s temple. Despite the baby¡¯s shockingly bright, red hair there was no


    doubting his parentage. In fact he was almost a perfect copy of Caden and was sure to look just like


    their father as he grew up to say nothing of his clear, gray eyes. Coda clung to the hem of his father¡¯s


    suit with his pudgy fingers as he gazed around the crowded room but remarkably showed no fear.


    ¡°Paul,¡± Julius greeted him with a simple acknowledgement.


    ¡°Julius,¡± Paul echoed the greeting.


    As far as he knew Julius never spoke a word about their first confrontation when they first met in New


    York. Paul was grateful for his discretion but also irritated by it. Julius¡¯s words from that night still rang


    in his mind.


    She has always been mine¡­and always will be.


    That¡¯s right. Julius and Macey had known each other since they were children. She developed a crush


    and fallen in love with him when they were still just kids. They married at the behest of his father but


    Julius fell in love with her of his own ord. Now that he acknowledged and embraced his feelings


    Macey was indeed his. Tenderly kissing the infant Macey caressed Julius¡¯s cheek and kissed him. It


    was only a small kiss but the feelings behind it were far more passionate. No matter where they were


    Macey always had a special smile for Julius that was given to no one else.


    Paul swallowed down his jealousy. This was Macey¡¯s big night and he wouldn¡¯t ruin it. No. This time he


    would be a good friend even if he wanted more. That was the way it had to be.

 Book Two: Chapter Two

    Book Two: Chapter Two


    ¡°Okay Alexis, stare straight ahead for me.¡± Doctor Ericka was gentle as she shined a light and studied


    her young patient¡¯s eyes. ¡°Good. Now without moving your head track the light as I move it.¡±


    Alexis¡¯s gaze flickered as she watched the light move steadily in and out of her limited range of vision.


    Doctor Ericka nodded and turned to herputer making notes. The steady cking of the keyboard


    was the signal the examination was over. Alexis remained seated on the table while her mother


    anxiously waited for the results.


    ¡°Well?¡± Lynn prompted when the doctor hesitated.


    ¡°As you know Miss Carter Alexis¡¯s eyesight has been rapidly deteriorating,¡± the doctor said. ¡°Alexis, be


    honest, how is your eye sight really?¡±


    ¡°I can tell light from dark,¡± Alexis shrugged. It was how she was able to track the light despite the gray


    fog that consumed her vision. ¡°Honestly though, it doesn¡¯t really bother me.¡±


    ¡°Lexi,¡± Lynn gasped at her daughter¡¯s nonchnt attitude.


    ¡°Alexis, would it be all right if your mom and I talk for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Alexis said getting off the table.


    Taking out a foldable cane that snapped to its full length she used it to sweep the area in front of her to


    the door. Reaching it she let herself out and headed to the nurse¡¯s desk where the waiting room gave


    her a ce to sit.


    Once she was gone the doctor turned to the anxious Lynn. Like everyone else Ericka had drawn her


    own conclusions concerning the children¡¯s birth but having known Lynn for several years now she


    realized the rumors surrounding the other woman couldn¡¯t be true.


    Lynn was a kind and genuine person. Her love for her children could not be denied. The kids hadn¡¯t


    missed a single appointment or booster shot. It was clear she sacrificed everything to ensure the kids


    remained healthy. In fact, aside from Alexis¡¯s chronic failing eyesight, none of the kids had ever


    suffered more than a cold. Such care just didn¡¯t fit the image of a promiscuousdy of the night.


    Undoubtedly there was more to the story of the triplet¡¯s birth but it wasn¡¯t a doctor¡¯s ce to pry into the


    private lives of her patients. Once the door was closed she sighed and said, ¡°Miss Carter, I think we


    have to realistic. You heard Lexi herself.¡±


    ¡°But¡­it¡¯s not hopeless, right?¡±


    ¡°Degenerative conditions are progressive and very difficult to treat,¡± Ericka exined. ¡°The prognosis


    for them is inevitable. I hoped Alexis¡¯s blindness could be slowed but the process for her has been


    unexpectedly rapid. That says nothing about you. Lexi is very happy and healthy. It¡¯s just the nature of


    the condition.¡±


    ¡°So¡­there¡¯s nothing that can be done?¡± Lynn asked tears blurring her vision.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been reading up on different developments. There is a surgeon who has been doing some


    impressive work and has had some sess with patients simr to Lexi. But the treatment is still


    experimental¡­and very expensive.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Lynn finally broke down.


    Try as she might, as hard as she worked, it all came down to money and how much she would never


    have. Her children would always suffer because of her shorings.


    ¡°It will be okay, Miss Carter,¡± Ericka handed Lynn a tissue. ¡°You raised a strong and intelligent


    daughter¡­¡±


    * * *


    Alexis sat with a sigh. She supposed this day was inevitable. Ever since she was six her field of vision


    had rapidly diminished. Her peripheral narrowed giving her tunnel vision but that too eventually failed.


    Her world had faded into a gray mist. Telling light from dark was about all she was capable of doing


    now though she was good at faking it at least for her mother¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Right this way, gentlemen. This is one of our waiting rooms. This floor is mainly for routine


    appointments and initial diagnosis,¡± the hospital director exined as he led his guests through. ¡°This


    area in particr is for our patients with sensory disabilities.¡±


    ¡°Oh Director, could you look at this please?¡±


    ¡°Pardon me,¡± the Director excused himself to meet the nurse hurrying up to him.


    With grunts his guests remained at the nurses¡¯ station. Though Alexis could not see them she knew


    there were two. Both walked with a confidence born of someone who knew the world was theirs. Even


    more distinctive was their aftershave. One in particr was very expensive. She could tell by the


    choke with one sniff.


    Her brothers often made fun of her obsession with smells iming she was part bloodhound. But it


    wasn¡¯t as if her sense of smell was any better or worse than theirs, she just paid more attention to it


    because she couldn¡¯t rely on her sight. It was the same with her hearing.


    Their footsteps were distinctive. They were probably wearing loafers rather than sneakers. Even their


    clothing had a particr sound as it rubbed against itself while they waited. Most likely silk or satin


    which meant they were probably wearing suits and expensive ones at that.


    Even without her sight she could gleam a lot of information about the two men waiting nearby. They


    were alone, unapanied by children so it was unlikely either were a parent of a patient. They were


    rich or came from money so even if they had children she doubted they would use this hospital¡¯s


    services. The way the director was acting indicated they were probably investors here to make a


    donation.


    ¡°You know it¡¯s rude to stare,¡± a gruff male voice interrupted her internal debate.


    ¡°Oh? I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Alexis easily answered.


    ¡°Excuse me? Who are you?¡± the man asked.


    His demand alone was enough to tell her he was someone used to getting what he wanted. It only


    made Alexis more determined to frustrate him. She didn¡¯t owe him answers and she hated people who


    thought so highly of themselves they dismissed others. Those were the kinds of people where it was


    fun to take down a notch.


    ¡°Who am I? Well, let¡¯s break this down shall we? One, I¡¯m almost ten years old which makes me a child


    ording to modern convention. Two, this is a children¡¯s hospital so it stands to reason I am a patient.


    Three, this waiting room is for appointments concerning vision and hearing impairment. Which would


    mean your earlierment about me staring was incredibly rude, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re¡­blind¡­¡± he said slowly putting the pieces together as sheid them out.


    ¡°There, you see, that wasn¡¯t so hard to figure out,¡± Alexis said with a smile that caused her sightless


    green eyes to sparkle.


    The man¡¯spanion chuckled saying, ¡°She¡¯s got spunk. You have to give her that, Si.¡±


    ¡°Where are your parents?¡± the first asked more gently this time though Alexis had no need for his


    sympathy.


    ¡°Parent,¡± she corrected though she didn¡¯t exin her absentee father. ¡°Mom¡¯s talking to the doctor


    about whether or not I could get my sight back.¡±


    ¡°Can you?¡±


    ¡°If there is a way I¡¯m sure it¡¯s too expensive,¡± Alexis shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m fine the way I am.¡±


    The entire conversation was spoken in a matter-of-fact tone. Alexis came to grips with her vision loss


    long ago. That wasn¡¯t to say there weren¡¯t things she missed, like her mother¡¯s face or her brothers.


    She could still picture them clearly when she wasst able to see them but that vision was like a time


    capsule. Alexis would never see them mature or age except in her imagination.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the wait, gentlemen. Oh Lexi, are you here for an appointment?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m here for my three thousand mile checkup,¡± she answered and smiled in the direction of the


    hospital director.


    ¡°How¡¯s your mother?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s talking to Doctor Ericka.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good.¡± His voice took a dismissive tone. ¡°If you need anything let the nurses know.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡± Alexis saluted feigning interest.


    The Director was like most people assuming her mother was some promiscuous slut and that was as


    far as his interest in her went. Alexis overheard him solicit her mother once despite the fact he was a


    married man. Her mother quickly ended the conversation and ushered Alexis away. Since then she


    always had her guard up around him and saw no reason to be overly friendly with him. As long as he


    was civil she would treat him in kind. If he stepped over the line his wife would soon learn about his


    extramarital affairs.


    ¡°Shall we gentlemen?¡±


    ¡°Good bye, youngdy,¡± the man who had been talking to her said.


    ¡°Later, old man,¡± Alexis shot back.


    * * *


    ¡°Mister Prescott?¡± Director Weston asked as the other hesitated.


    Shaking his head Ss let his retort go and followed after his host. Beside him Thomas, his right hand


    man and best friend, chuckled.


    ¡°What?¡± Ss red at him but Thomas wasn¡¯t intimidated.


    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d see the day Mister Big Bad Executive was intimidated by a child.¡±


    Ss grunted though there was no denying it. The girl¡¯s attitude caught him off guard not that he had


    much experience with children. Even so he didn¡¯t think it was normal for one to be so brazen.


    ¡°I hope Lexi didn¡¯t bother you,¡± Director Weston said. ¡°She¡¯s a good kid. They all are?¡±


    ¡°They?¡±


    ¡°Her and her brothers,¡± Weston answered. ¡°Triplets. They were born here as a matter of fact, in our


    maturity ward.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Thomas said.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be easy to raise three children on your own but their mother seems to handle it even with Lexi¡¯s


    medical needs.¡±


    ¡°What about their father?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s never been in the picture,¡± Weston shook his head.


    ¡°You think he abandoned his family?¡± Thomas asked as they reached the elevator. He was an avid


    mystery reader and all puzzles intrigued him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say and it¡¯s not my ce to specte on the lives of our patients,¡± Weston said.


    The elevator arrived and the trio stepped on. Ss remained silent as Thomas conversed with their


    host. Something still bothered him about the young child who was the center of their conversation. Her


    attitude was not that of someone ashamed of their lot in life despite the fact she came from a poor


    home. He did sense some resignation to her blindness but it was not depressing in the least.


    All of this was to her credit as far as Ss was concerned. He couldn¡¯t stand people who thought the


    world owed them something because they had been given a bad hand. Yet there was something off.


    There was something almost familiar about the girl he couldn¡¯t quite ce. Her green eyes practically


    begged him to remember something important.


    While he debated this he had watched the Director interact with the girl. She treated him with equal


    sarcasm whichforted Ss. For some reason he didn¡¯t like the idea of the girl being friendly with


    someone else which was ridiculous. But something about the Director¡¯s attitude toward the girl irritated


    him. There was something almost licentious in his voice which rubbed him the wrong way. Could the


    Director be interest in her mother?


    Ss was certain the Director was married and the thought he might have carried on a rtionship with


    a patient¡¯s parent disturbed him. Could the Director be the girl¡¯s father? No. Ss dismissed the idea as


    soon as it formted. He didn¡¯t know why he cared but for some reason he hated the very idea that the


    Director was in any way connected with the girl.


    For that reason he remained silent as Thomas and their host spoke. Stepping onto the elevator his


    mind still desperately tried to grasp a memory lost to him. As his gaze drifted outward he saw the child


    stand as another figure arrived.


    The new figure was a petite woman wearing an oversized jacket over her waitress uniform. While the


    girl had straight hair her mother had natural wavy hair that was secured in a half-up style. Reaching her


    daughter the woman wrapped her in a hug bowing her head. Why did he suddenly have the urge to


    rush to their side?


    The pair stood like that as the elevators closed. Only when they were out of sight did Ss shove away


    the strange yearning in his chest. Why was he reacting like this? They didn¡¯t have anything to do with


    him.


    * * *


    ¡°Are you okay mom?¡± Alexis asked still wrapped in her mother¡¯s arms.


    Lynn didn¡¯t answer immediately trying to control her tears. She hadn¡¯t realized how tightly she held onto


    the hope her daughter¡¯s sight would be saved until now. The doctor made Alexis¡¯s prognosis quite


    clear.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay mom. I¡¯m fine.¡± Alexis said squeezing her tight. ¡°Look on the bright side.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


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    ¡°Now I don¡¯t have to see my brothers¡¯ stupid faces anymore.¡±


    Lynn chuckled. Her children never ceased to amaze her. The tears that threatened to fall dried up and


    she managed a haggard breath before releasing Alexis from her embrace. Kissing the top of her head


    Lynn said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s celebrate.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Celebrate what?¡±


    ¡°Celebrate the fact you won¡¯t have to watch your brothers stuff their faces when we bring them


    McDonalds.¡±


    Alexis giggled, ¡°That sounds good, mom.¡±


    With an arm around her shoulder Lynn directed her daughter toward the exit. They were far from being


    okay. Alexis knew her mother would put on a brave face in front of them saving her tears for a private


    moment but eventually her mother would ept the truth. Alexis and her brothers would watch their


    mother for awhile and be careful not to upset her until then¡­which meant it was a good thing their


    mother didn¡¯t know their weekend ns.

 Book Two: Chapter Three

    Book Two: Chapter Three


    Ss sighed as he took his seat in his reserve booth. At least here he no longer had to worry about


    people bothering him. No matter where he went people osted him hoping to win a powerful ally or


    patron. It was even worse among this crowd.


    Tonight was the All Boroughs Music Competition. It started out as a charity and friendlypetition for


    public and private schools to show off their most talented musicians. There were trophies as well as a


    cash prize for the winning school in the form of a schrship to the school¡¯s music program.


    Over the years it had be more elite. Fewer schools participated now and the ones that did were


    mainly private and charter schools. The schrship was still offered but now the main prize was


    bragging rights as well as automatic advancement to the All City Music Festival the following spring.


    Like any businessman Ss was always careful to bnce his charitable donations and activities with


    his business interests. That was one of the reasons he agreed to Director Weston¡¯s request for a


    sponsor to new wing for the hospital. It was also the reason why he was here. He never missed any


    notable musicalpetition or recital that took ce throughout the year. His continued presence to


    such events naturally brought him plenty of attention.


    Not surprisingly many people encouraged their children to participate hoping to impress him and garner


    favoritism before approaching him with business proposals. Ss certainly couldn¡¯t criticize their


    ingenuity but that wasn¡¯t why he was here. He came to these events to rx, to remember, and maybe,


    just maybe, to find someone.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Thomas asked standing at the ready should he need anything. Despite the


    fact they were friends they were also employer and employee. ¡°That kid from the other day must have


    really thrown you for a loop.¡±


    Ss grunted his mind returning to the strange, brave girl from the children¡¯s hospital. There was no


    denying she often came to mind at the oddest moments. She was brazen and without fear, full of pride


    and not afraid to speak her mind even to aplete stranger.


    But it was her green eyes that simply wouldn¡¯t let him rest. They drew him in practically demanding him


    to remember something important. If only the Director hadn¡¯te back when he did Ss felt if he had


    been given a little more time his mind would have finally deciphered the uncanny feeling that made his


    hair stand on end. Even now his thoughts hovered over a precipice it didn¡¯t dare cross.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Ss finally said. ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy the night.¡±


    ¡°Fine with me,¡± Thomas agreed but couldn¡¯t help giving his friend a concerned look.


    At almost thirty, Ss Prescott enjoyed more sess and privilege than most people twice his age


    could hope for. But this didn¡¯t bring him joy. Money and power were not the things Ss treasured or


    coveted. What Ss wanted, what he needed, what he never voiced aloud was a family: wife and


    children.


    Ever since high school Ss had been pursued by a number of girls and women. Some he soundly


    rejected others he entertained but never took seriously. None seeded in touching his heart, a heart


    that was reserved for one woman and one woman only.


    Her name was permanently etched in Ss¡¯s soul and one he never voiced aloud. Thomas was afraid


    to even mention it himself. Despite his obsession the object of his desire remained hidden and out of


    his reach.


    Mercifully the lights dimmed freeing them from further conversation as the host appeared on stage to


    wee the audience, ¡°Hellodies and gentlemen. Wee to the forty-eighth annual All Boroughs


    Music Competition. We have over a hundred participants from thirty schoolspeting this year, our


    biggest yet. So let¡¯s sit back and enjoy! To start things of we have Birch Wathen¡¯s String Quartet.¡±


    The crowd pped politely as three young boys and one girl walked on stage to take their ces. It


    took a few minutes for them to prepare their instruments and sheet music. Then they finally began to


    y.


    Once they finished the crowd politely pped again and they exited to join their family and friends in


    the audience. Stage hands moved chairs and music stands preparing for the next act before it was


    announced. And so the night progressed. Some schools were represented by a single musician others


    by a whole band. This particrpetition did not put limits on participation as a result schools with


    more resources sentrger groups for a more impressive presentation.


    Ss watched impassively. Despite his record of attendance he was no lover of the arts or of music in


    particr. The musicians on stage were a far cry from professionals so he didn¡¯t expect much from


    their performances either. He came because a single vision drove him too, a vision and a belief he


    would eventually find what he was looking for.


    Not surprisingly Riverdale had sent an entire orchestra to deliver the crowning moment of the night.


    Despite being his alma mater Ss was not impressed. He sensed nothing special in these children


    who were undoubtedly the sons and daughters of his own ssmates.


    ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s it,¡± Thomas sighed. After thestpetitor there would be a brief intermission


    before the winners were announced but Ss never stayed that long. He always left early to avoid


    overeager parents hoping their children¡¯s performances impressed him.


    ¡°And now for the finalpetitor of the night, Anna Silver Public School, Miss Alexis Carter.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Thomas scoffed. ¡°Why would they make anyone follow that?¡±


    The crowd seemed to agree some had already headed for the doors in anticipation of the break when


    the announcement was made. Their surprise only deepened as a young girl in a simple ck dress


    with pin-striped sleeves emerged from off stage. In her hand she carried a long flexible cane she swept


    back and forth in front of her as she made her way across the stage.


    ¡°All right, Lexi!¡±


    ¡°Go, Lexi! Go!¡±


    Cheers erupted somewhere in the crowd as the blind but proud youngdy made it center stage where


    the piano waited. Her cane bumped the bench and she bowed slightly touching the bench before she


    sat. With practice ease she closed her cane and set it on the piano where sheet music would normally


    be but of course there was none.


    Under the audience¡¯s scrutiny she ran her fingers across the keys tapping one as she adjusted her seat


    and made herselffortable. She took a breath then began to y.


    The moment the girl appeared on stage Ss and Thomas immeditately recognized her. Thomas


    looked to his friend but Ss was fully focused on the girl. Why was she here? Was it a sign? What did


    it mean? Then she began to y.


    The piece was instantly recognizable, Beethoven¡¯s F¨¹r Elise, even if one didn¡¯t know it by name. In fact


    five of the otherpetitors had also yed the piece but this was different. She had no sheet music


    so she yed by memory alone and more than that she didn¡¯t just y the piece as it had originally


    beenposed.


    The melody was there but she added her own flourishesprising new and different octaves making


    the piece moreplex, personal and alive. She swayed with the rhythm of her music eyes half-closed


    with a serene expression of pure love and joy for the music. The melody built up to an amazing


    crescendo sweeping over her listeners entranced with her ying.


    Ss himself was on the edge of his seat captivated. Once, only once, he had heard such masterful


    ying. It too was yed by a youngdy on the verge of womanhood. Her hair was a bountiful mane


    of rich chestnut hair and her eyes were a clear sparkling green. Vision of her ying flitted in his mind


    ovepping with the one in front of him now. The vision fit like mirror images. Aside from the fact the


    girl in front of him had straight hair it was a perfect match¡­but that was impossible, unless¡­


    He twitched as a sudden pain enveloped his chest. No. It couldn¡¯t be. Not that¡­anything but that.


    Her ying naturally tapered off after its climax. Slowly the girl straightened, rxing as the melody


    slowed. Removing her left hand she finished with her right gently tapping out the same signature notes


    she started with letting them hang in the air like a question.


    Satisfied she picked up her cane and scooted to the end of the bench. Standing she bowed once to the


    audience before extending the cane and turned leaving the same way she had entered.


    For several moments the crowd watched in stunned awe until a sharp whistle and cheer erupted from a


    dark corner, ¡°Yeah Lexi!¡±


    ¡°Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!¡±


    The crowd stirred rising to their feet and apuding in the first and only standing ovation of the night.


    Quietly exiting the stage the girl did not pause but she smiled broadly.


    ¡°Umm¡­Boss? Ss?¡±


    ¡°The girl. Find her. Bring her here.¡±


    ¡°H-how? I mean, it¡¯s not like she¡¯ll recognize me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how. Bring her!¡± Ss snapped.


    ¡°Right.¡± Thomas turned and promptly left their private box.


    By the time he reached the entry hall at least half of thepetitors and their parents were mingling


    over the refreshments provided. Thomas was not as recognizable as Ss and the gathered crowd


    ignored him as he threaded his way through. He scanned the gathering but finding a single girl among


    so many was impossible and he still didn¡¯t know what he would say to her.


    ¡°Hey Lexi!¡±


    ¡°Over here, sis!¡±


    Thomas paused, his eyes drawn toward the voices. In a rtively quiet corner he saw a pair of young


    boys identical down to their shoes. Both had ck hair and blue eyes, a rarebination. Both wore a


    in white dress shirt, ck cks and tennis shoes even though it was supposed to be a ck-tie


    affair. Their short hair was a bit shaggy and fell into their eyes but that didn¡¯t seem to bother them.


    Thomas stood transfixed the boys looked so much like someone else he thought he was caught in a


    time warp. As stunned as he was he still brought out his phone snapping quick pictures of the pair as a


    tall blonde beside them tried to keep them quiet.


    ¡°You two are so stupid!¡± a new voice dered as the girl Thomas had been sent to retrieve reached the


    trio.


    ¡°Did you hear us cheering?¡± one of the boys asked.


    ¡°Of course I did. All of Brooklyn heard you,¡± Alexisughed as the pair enveloped her in a hug. ¡°What


    did you think Auntie Tracy? Was I good?¡±


    ¡°Sweetie, you yed just like your mother,¡± the blonde said. ¡°She would be so proud! It¡¯s a shame she


    had to workte tonight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t think she¡¯d like this crowd and you know what she says about music¡­It doesn¡¯t put


    food on the table,¡± Alexis sighed.


    Her aunt grimaced replying, ¡°She didn¡¯t used to be that way, you know¡­Is that why you swore me to


    secrecy about where we were going tonight?¡±


    ¡°This was Miss Johnson¡¯s idea to try to get money for the school¡¯s music program,¡± Alexis exined.


    ¡°Mom would never agree to it so that¡¯s why Sean forged her signature on the permission slip.¡±


    ¡°Which is also secret,¡± one of the boys dered.


    ¡°I swear on my oath as awyer not to reveal anything my client tells me in confidence,¡± Tracy said,


    ¡°but if your mother finds out she¡¯s going to kill me.¡±


    ¡°So let¡¯s make sure she doesn¡¯t find out,¡± Alexis held out her pinkie. Both boys and their aunt hooked


    their pinkies around hers. ¡°We never speak of this night¡­ever.¡±


    ¡°Pinkie promise,¡± the others dered.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Tracy asked.


    ¡°Not for anything here,¡± Alexis shook her head. ¡°We should get back before everyone else. It¡¯s hard


    enough navigating this ce without the crowd.¡±


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go,¡± Tracy agreed.


    Each boy hooked one of their sister¡¯s arms. Since before they could remember they had always done


    this and always in the same order: Sean on her left and Theo on her right. In the middle Alexis couldn¡¯t


    use her cane but she also didn¡¯t need to. She knew her brothers wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to her.


    With their aunt trailing them they returned to the auditorium unaware of the observer taking pictures.


    Thomas returned to his anxiously waiting friend. Ss nearly leapt out of his seat demanding, ¡°Where is


    she?¡±


    Shaking his head Thomas answered, ¡°There were people waiting for her. I couldn¡¯t sneak her away.¡±


    ¡°People waiting¡­who?¡±


    ¡°Her brothers and aunt, I think.¡±


    ¡°Aunt? Not her mother?¡±


    ¡°No. I took pictures.¡±


    Thomas took out his phone and cued up the first image before handing it over. Seeing the two boys


    Ss sucked in a breath. ck hair, blue eyes, even the slope of their noses and angle of their jaws


    matched his own. The resemnce was more than uncanny. There could be no denying their


    parentage. He didn¡¯t need a DNA test to prove it, no one would.


    ¡°Director did say they were triplets, and the girl said she was ten,¡± Thomas said. He was no expert but


    certainly triplets were not an everyday event especially with identical twin boys and a fraternal sister.


    Ss flipped through the photos watching as the boys greeted their sister enveloping her in a double


    hug that was more like a huddle. It was obvious there were strong bonds between them. His gaze


    eventually settled on the blonde in close attendance.


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Their aunt,¡± Thomas said. ¡°At least, they called her Aunt Tracy.¡±


    ¡°Tracy,¡± Ss repeated. He wracked his mind trying to recall his ssmates. Was there a Tracy?


    ¡°I think she¡¯s awyer.¡±


    ¡°Lawyer?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something she said, about her oath never to reveal her clients secrets,¡± Thomas said, ¡°I think


    she was actually telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°Lawyer¡­Tracy¡­¡± Ss muttered. Something about that sounded familiar but his mind had suffered


    too many shocks to connect the dots.


    The lights dimmed and the night¡¯s host appeared on stage as thest stragglers returned to their seats.


    Tapping his microphone the announcer said, ¡°And now we havee to the moment you have all been


    waiting for. Third ce goes to¡­¡±


    Ss wasn¡¯t listening. His focus was on the pictures Thomas had taken. He couldn¡¯t stop looking at


    them. How? How could this be? Unless¡­no¡­that was impossible.


    ¡°And tonight¡¯s grand prize goes to the Riverdale Pep Band!¡±


    Ss looked up at the mention of his alma mater. His mind was numb but even he knew the wrongness


    in the announcement. How could they have won against Alexis¡¯s superb ying? He wasn¡¯t the only


    one confused if the sporadic apuse was anything to go by.


    ¡°How does bringing the most people constitute a win?¡± Thomas muttered. They weren¡¯t the only ones


    unsatisfied.


    * * *


    ¡°Boo! Boo!¡±


    ¡°I demand a recount!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Someone shoot the judges!¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are they deaf or just dumb?¡±


    ¡°Yo! The judges have been paid off!¡±


    ¡°Boo!¡±


    ¡°Sean, Theo,¡± Tracy tried to shush them. ¡°Come on you two.¡±


    ¡°But auntie, this is a crock!¡± Theo insisted. ¡°Lexi was clearly the best. Right sis?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We knew it was a long shot,¡± Alexis shook his head. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s beat the crowd out of


    here.¡±


    Still unsatisfied the boys nheless acquiesced to their sister helping her out of the seat and down


    the row. Luckily they had chosen seats on the end and close to the door. They left the auditorium as it


    erupted with murmurs and gossip. No one could deny they had witnessed something magical as well


    as a crime of favoritism. Whether they knew it or not the trio had made asting impression and started


    an inquiry that would overturn thepetition¡¯s directorship.


    None of this meant anything to the trio but another inquiry certainly would as Ss turned to his friend,


    ¡°I want to know everything about those three and I want it yesterday.¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Four

    Book Two: Chapter Four


    ¡°What did you find out?¡± Ss demanded from his chair behind his desk.


    It had been an unsatisfying morning with a fussy Board of Directors and their pettyints. Making


    it worse had been his exhaustion. Since the musicpetition he hadn¡¯t been able to sleep. The


    moment his closed his eyes, visions of the past and present danced through his mind. But now was the


    moment he had been waiting for. Thomas stood in front of him with a folder at the ready filled with three


    days of research.


    ¡°Alexis, Sean and Theodore Carter,¡± Thomas announced setting down copies of three birth certificates.


    Ss wisely chose not to question how they were obtained.


    Picking up one he read it carefully not realizing he was actually holding his breath. All three were


    essentially identical aside from the name: Alexis ra Carter; born January 18; Mother: Lynn Hildegard


    Carter; Father: (Unknown).


    ¡°Father Unknown?¡± Ss repeated letting out a slow breath. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, usually it means a woman slept with so many men she doesn¡¯t know who the father is.¡±


    Thomas fell silent at Ss¡¯s deadly re. It wasn¡¯t often he was on the receiving end but he felt the


    same pressure from it as others did.


    ¡°Alternatively, it could also mean a one-night stand,¡± Thomas said which did nothing to ease his friend¡¯s


    gaze. ¡°It could also mean she didn¡¯t want to reveal the father so she intentionally left it nk.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t want to reveal the father,¡± Ss repeated. ¡°Lynn Carter.¡±


    That was not the name he expected but¡­perhaps it wasn¡¯t just the father¡¯s name she was trying to


    hide. Maybe¡­


    ¡°I trust this isn¡¯t all you have.¡±


    ¡°No. The kids go to Anna Silver, it¡¯s a public school on the Lower East Side. We were able to follow


    them both to and from their home as well as their mother¡¯s work from there.¡± Thomas took several


    photographs from a folder showing exteriors of the school. All and all it was rather in but well


    maintained, clean and orderly. ¡°This is their mother.¡±


    Thomasid down more photos of the kids as they walked down the street with a woman. Ss sucked


    in a breath. It was her. There was no mistaking it. She was ten years older but she was as beautiful as


    ever. Her mane of dark, brown waves was pulled back in a half-up style and her green eyes sparkled


    with her smile as she walked with one arm around her daughter, who was a carbon copy of her.


    The boys preceded their sister and mother asionally walking backward as they conversed. At the


    gate she gave each of her children a hug, fondly nting a kiss on their foreheads before sending them


    off. They waved to her before each boy took one of their sister¡¯s arms and led her to the school


    entrance.


    Their mother watched from the street. Only when they were out of sight did her smile fade and a sad,


    yearning expression settled on her face. The strain of years of strife turned down the corners of her


    mouth as she huddled in a worn out, oversized coat faded and frayed from age. It was a stark contrast


    to the children whose clothes were new, clean and properly fitted. It was obvious she sacrificed her


    own necessities in favor of providing the best she could for three growing children.


    ¡°Did you find out where they are living?¡± Ss asked as he stared at her despondent image.


    ¡°An apartment, also on the Lower East Side¡­it¡¯s not¡­in the greatest neighborhood,¡± Thomas added


    carefully.


    ¡°And where she works?¡±


    ¡°¡­She¡¯s a waitress.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ss looked up from the image giving Thomas a startled expression. Did he just hear that


    right?


    ¡°She works at a diner,¡± Thomas exined setting down several photos.


    Ss looked at them reluctantly. Each depicted a small diner that seemed pulled out of the fifties tucked


    away in a small corner of a dark street. In each Ava stood in her dusty pink uniform, white tights and


    shoes waiting tables and serving customers. Though she wore a smile something about it was fake,


    manufactured. The light never reached her eyes the way it did when she was with her children.


    ¡°¡­A waitress¡­¡± Ss muttered. How? Why? Who did this to her? She should have been ying for


    sold out concert halls not bussing tables.


    He looked at the birth certificates again. January eighteenth. Was there something special about that


    date that made him cringe? Then his gaze settled on the year¡­ten years ago. Ten years.


    ¡°If a child is born in January, when would it have been conceived?¡±


    ¡°A normal pregnancy is forty weeks, or about ten months,¡± Thomas said having already prepared for


    this question, ¡°but ording to my research multiples are usually born early. For triplets, eight months


    is normal.¡±


    ¡°That would make it May,¡± Ss quietly stated.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    May¡­Ten years ago¡­the hotel¡­but it couldn¡¯t be¡­Ava would never¡­Ss nearly shook with is pent-


    up rage. It just wasn¡¯t adding up. He had only ever been with one woman and that was a mistake¡­


    unless¡­


    ¡°The woman who was in the hotel room, who was she again?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Thomas opened another folder. This one was much thinner and the information much older.


    ¡°Natalie Lopez. She was a maid.¡±


    ¡°A maid¡­¡± Ss rubbed his temple. He was missing something. It was like a puzzle but they were


    missing the crucial piece that would make the picture clear.


    Thomas watched him with concern. Since the musicpetition Ss seemed to be obsessed. It was


    clear the boys bore a striking resemnce to him but that was merely circumstantial.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I want to talk to Natalie. Find her.¡±


    ¡°Ss, are you sure you want to open that up again? It¡¯s ancient history.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion. Just find her. And I want surveince, guards, on the kids and their mother


    at all times. If anything happens to them¡­¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Thomas nodded not needing to hear more and moved to gather up the pictures.


    ¡°Leave them.¡±


    With a sigh Thomas set down the folder and departed for his next assignment. Once he was alone


    Ss sat in silence staring at the photographs. He picked up one with Lynn standing at the school her


    face serene. It was a face forever etched in his mind.


    * * *


    Avalynn Carlisle was the youngest daughter of his father¡¯s rival. She was a year behind him in school


    so he didn¡¯t have much contact with her. On top of that her older sister, Marilynn, was annoying and he


    didn¡¯t have a favorable opinion of the family due to its history with his own. But Avalynn was different.


    The first time he noticed her was at the All Boroughs Music Competition. It was smaller then. She


    stepped onto the stage unassuming and shy but when she yed she became someone new:


    confident and alluring. Her face was serene as she yed and became lost in the world her music


    opened.


    Ss sat in his family¡¯s private booth alongside his motherpletely enthralled. From that day on he


    could think of nothing else and he was desperate to know more about her. Since they were in different


    years they had no sses inmon making it more difficult to meet her. He had no talent for music


    so there was no point to trying out for the band. The only possible way to meet her was at school


    functions and dances.


    But there his ns were thwarted by his father. Richard Prescott was eager to make connections and


    set his son up with the daughters of his business associates. Every dance he was forced to escort a


    new girl for the night. Even so his eyes always looked for Ava and followed her as she wandered the


    fringes, shyly mingling.


    Avalynn had a quieter personalitypared to her boisterous sister andcked confidence in social


    situations but her unassuming nature only attracted him more. She didn¡¯t put on airs or unt her family


    name. If anything she almost seemed embarrassed by it. With only minimal makeup she was easily the


    most beautiful girl in the room. It always amazed him no one else seemed to notice. No one asked her


    to dance and he was spared from the jealousy of seeing her with another boy.


    As the years progressed his hesitation to approach her continued and the opportunity to speak to her


    evaporated once he graduated. He went on to college leaving her behind but he never forgot her. He


    made new friends, friends who like to party, drink and sleep around. None of those activities appealed


    to him. In his mind he quietly nned how to approach Ava once they met again.


    His friends called him uptight and a party pooper but he didn¡¯t think much of it. After their first year they


    all came to New York to celebrate and rx. Their constant badgering finally made him agree to go out


    and drink with them if only to shut them up but he didn¡¯t know what they nned. The drink was spiked


    and once they were sure the drug was in effect they brought him to his hotel room and left him with a


    girl letting the rest happen naturally.


    When Ss woke his head was pounding, his throat was dry and he waspletely naked. Groggily he


    sat up trying to recall what had happened and found his memory locked in a strange fog. Turning he


    found a naked woman in his bed and connecting the dots became easy despite his unhelpful memory.


    Rage unlike anything he¡¯d ever known boiled over.


    Furious he retreated to the bedroom to wash off the lingering scent of her on him. He dressed fully


    intending to abandon her as she was but she woke too soon. She sat up holding her head, moaning as


    if suffering from a hangover but he was in no mood to be gentle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much they paid you but this should be more than enough to keep your mouth shut. If


    you try to contact me¡­If I hear one word about this from anyone¡­It¡¯ll be thest thing anybody will


    ever hear from you.¡±


    She stiffened immediately at the sound of his voice, her head bowed as she clutched the bedspread to


    her chest in a mock show of modesty. The dark brown waves of her hair hid her face from his view but


    he didn¡¯t want to know her and he didn¡¯t want to remember her. Ss tossed a check at her and left.


    What happened to her afterwards he hadn¡¯t thought about since. Why would he care about the fate of


    some prostitute or maid willing to sell her body for a cheap joke?


    But what if it had been Ava? Why would she agree to that? Was she tricked just as he was? Did they


    force her intoplying?


    A shiver went down his spine at the thought of how the petite form gripped her head the moment she


    woke. It was certainly a sign of a splitting headache. If they drugged her nothing would stop him from


    hunting them down and punishing them all again.


    He would know the truth as soon as he met with the maid. And if it turned out it was Ava in his room¡­


    his hand grasped a picture of her and the kids¡­If it was her¡­He had to find some way to convince her


    to allow him to into their lives.


    ¡°¡­Ava¡­Why?¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Five

    Book Two: Chapter Five


    ¡°Here you are burger and fries and your short stack,¡± Lynn said as she set the tes down in front of


    the corresponding customer. ¡°Anything else I can get you gentlemen?¡±


    ¡°Just your number, baby cake,¡± one leered stroking her hand.


    Lynn removed it trying not to show her revulsion. Through a stiff smile she said, ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s not on the


    menu.¡±


    ¡°Come on, baby. Sit with us and chat for awhile,¡± the other joined his friend. ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard


    and could use a break, yeah?¡±


    ¡°I have other customers,¡± Lynn backed a step and retreated behind the counter. She paused at the sink


    looking at her shaking her hands. Even she didn¡¯t know if she was shaking from anger or fear.


    ¡°You all right?¡± Gretchen asked eyeing the pair at the table. If they had gotten more persistent she


    would have intervened and kicked them out. She didn¡¯t need that kind of business hanging around her


    diner.


    ¡°Fine. Just the usual.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on them.¡±


    At sixty years Gretchen had never known a life beyond food service. She was careful with her money


    and eventually she and her husband had been able to buy their own restaurant. It was a far cry from


    the upscale establishments elsewhere but the food was good and it was theirs. He passed on some


    time ago forcing Gretchen to make do with a hired chef and taking on some of the cooking duties


    herself.


    When Lynn saw the help wanted sign it had actually been for a cook but Gretchen hired her on the spot


    as a waitress sensing the young woman was in dire straits. A few monthster when Lynn began


    showing her rapidly progressing pregnancy, it was all the confirmation the older woman needed. She


    never asked about the father. When Lynn couldn¡¯t find a babysitter Gretchen encouraged her to bring


    the triplets to work volunteering to watch the trio herself while Lynn minded the tables.


    Gretchen and her husband never had kids of their own so being able to y doting grandma was fun.


    She purchased toys and games and books to distract the trio getting new stuff as they grew. Lynn


    would never ept unearned money but Gretchen snuck in extra meals whenever she could to help


    out especially with two growing boys and secretly giving Lynn the majority of the tips which should have


    been an even split.


    ¡°Let me know if they get to be too much,¡± Gretchen reiterated. She had no qualms tossing out rude


    customers.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lynn shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­Why do men have to act like that?¡±


    ¡°You mean dressing up sexual harassment like they¡¯re doing us a favor?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°A question for the ages,¡± Gretchen shrugged. ¡°Men are pigs and they¡¯ve been allowed to get away


    with it for so long we automatically end up a bitch if we call them out on it.¡±


    Lynn shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why they¡¯d even pay attention to me anyway. I mean. I¡¯ve had


    three kids.¡±


    ¡°Hate to tell you this but you don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve had three kids with that petite figure of yours,¡±


    Gretchen chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t even look old enough to have had three kids.¡±


    Lynn rolled her eyes. She had lost her girlish figure long ago. Her body was riddled with stretch marks


    from carrying the triplets. Her breasts sagged from breast-feeding them and she still retained a bit of


    extra weight around the waist she couldn¡¯t seem to lose. No one had to say it, she knew her body


    definitely changed from what it used to be and would never be a bodyparable to Tracy whose form


    was still tone and trim.


    Gretchen chuckled knowing better than to argue. There was no cure for how a woman viewed her own


    body. The ideal body image continually foisted on them was tall, leggy proportions that simply weren¡¯t


    realistic for most body types. Lynn¡¯s petite form was well-proportioned. If anything she was too thin due


    to long workdays and moderate meals. But her body was that of a mature woman, one who had three


    children. What she viewed as ws were merely the body¡¯s natural changes that urred as a result.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Theo excitedly called as he and his siblings entered. He held the door as Sean ushered in their


    sister.


    ¡°Hey mom!¡±


    ¡°There you three are,¡± Lynn hurried out of the kitchen and around the counter to greet them. She


    quickly took Alexis into her arms and kissed the top of her head. Theo and Sean received simr


    greetings when it was their turns. ¡°I hope they were good for you Tracy.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Tracyughed. ¡°They¡¯re such good kids. And the boys take good care of their sister.¡±


    ¡°You mean I do a good job of taking care of them,¡± Alexis corrected. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t around they¡¯d be in


    trouble twenty-four, seven.¡±


    ¡°No we wouldn¡¯t,¡± Sean argued.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I mean, we have to sleep some time,¡± Theo agreed with a smirk.


    ¡°Well I better get going,¡± Tracy said, ¡°I got a meeting after lunch.¡±


    ¡°All right well thanks for picking them up,¡± Lynn hugged her. ¡°Stop byter?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, depends on how my next meeting goes. I may need to vent.¡±


    Lynn chuckled as Tracy departed before turning back to her three troublemakers, ¡°All right. I still got a


    few hours left so you three: homework.¡±


    ¡°Kay.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Lynn shooed them down to a table in the corner that had long been reserved for the trio. The baby toys


    were long gone but there was still a collection of board games stashed beside it to keep them


    entertained during their mother¡¯s long shift when they invariably finished their homework too quickly.


    Theo slid into the booth first allowing Alexis to sit on the outside while Sean sat across from her. She


    immediately pulled out a tablet with foldable keyboard. Alexis didn¡¯t want to even think about how


    expensive the tablet was. The school had purchased it as part of a grant to make lessons assessable


    to students with disabilities. It madepleting her homework a far simpler task. Sean plugged it into


    the outlet as she inserted one of her earbuds. She left the other out so she could listen to her brothers


    too.


    Theo reluctantly pulled out his homework annoyed by his sister¡¯s responsible attitude. Sean followed


    suit as they simultaneously chose their math book first. It took a few moments for Alexis to start up the


    program that would read off her math problems and describe any visuals she couldn¡¯t see.


    The program was something the school had purchased as part of a suite for her and other kids who


    were visually impaired through she was the only one legally blind. The tablet technically belonged to


    the school though they had given it to her to use for the term. This was theirst year of primary school


    before moving to a middle school. She wondered what their new school would be like and if it would be


    as essible as their current school. Alexis just hoped they wouldn¡¯t treat her like an invalid. She


    wouldn¡¯t stand for that.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Gretchen said delivering three sses, ¡°Sprite for Theo, Root Beer for Sean and Sweet


    Tea for Alexis.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± the trio smiled. After ten years Gretchen knew their drink preferences by heart.


    ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t tell your mom but here are some mushroom poppers, potato skins and cheese


    curds,¡± Gretchen winked. ¡°I¡¯ll bring dinner around a littleter.¡±


    The trio chuckled. Gretchen was like a grandmother and always offered them any snacks they desired.


    Knowing how much their mother hated taking advantage of her generosity they kept their requests to a


    minimum but it was rude not to ept what she offered freely. Left alone they turned their attention to


    their homework.


    * * *


    Outside the diner a ck SUV pulled up behind another. The upants watched as the trio were


    dropped off. A few minutester the blonde who had given them a ride departed driving off in her


    unremarkable sedan.


    Inside the SUV sat two rather burly men which made even the roomy interior of the vehicle seem


    cramped. Both maintained a regr workout routine that included defensive andbat training. As


    members of Prescott¡¯s private security team they were never sure when they would be deployed or for


    what purpose. More often than not they were set to secure a venue and prevent party crashers. But


    this time their mission was quite different.


    Four men were chosen and given several photos depicting a petite, cute brte and three children.


    Their mission was to guard them in secret. They were split into two two-man teams: one to watch over


    the woman, the other to watch over the children. To aid them they had been given their home address


    on the Lower East Side, the kids¡¯ school and the diner.


    No other information had been given: no names and no indication how long this watch was to continue.


    All they knew was that these four had caught their boss¡¯s attention and he wanted them protected.


    Since the teams were forbidden from making contact and were to act as if invisible implied the


    foursome were unaware of their boss¡¯s attention. A tap on the passenger window startled them and


    they rolled it down. Unsurprising it was a member from the team assigned to watch the woman.


    ¡°Hey Mike,¡± they greeted.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. After she dropped the kids off they had a normal day at school. It¡¯s frustrating we can¡¯t


    go inside though. And it¡¯s impossible to vet everyone who enters the building. School staff is one thing


    but then there are all the parents of their ssmates.¡±


    ¡°Two grown men armed with tactical gear might be frowned upon in a school setting.¡±


    The others chuckled. Their boss certainly had the clout if he wanted to exercise it but for now he


    wanted them to maintain their distance. It wasn¡¯t so bad now but it was alreadyte November and


    winter was around the corner.


    ¡°Got that right. We can¡¯t even patrol the perimeter unless we want to attract attention. The only action


    was at recess. The boys are pretty good basketball yers. How about the mother?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been working since she got here,¡± Mike said. ¡°Taking orders, bussing tables. Just a normal


    waitress.¡±


    ¡°Yeah normal. This is weird isn¡¯t it? Why would the boss be interested in a normal family? At first I


    thought it might be some secret information ring but¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean like an info broker?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. I mean it would be real easy for kids to pass notes in school or even for a waitress


    to pass something off while she¡¯s serving.¡±


    ¡°You read too many novels.¡± Mike shook his head.


    ¡°No kidding. You saw thest one he was reading?¡± the driver asked. ¡°What was it called? The


    Foxglove Files by Rosemary Thomas or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Hey that is a really good one and ording to the author¡¯s blurb they spent over a year working in a


    school to make certain they got the details right. You know what they say: truth is stranger than fiction.¡±


    ¡°I suppose¡­maybe one of us should check it out,¡± Mike said.


    ¡°No contact. Remember?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make contact. I¡¯m just going to order a coffee and get a closer look at what she¡¯s


    doing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°If I take off my coat and holster and go in street clothes they won¡¯t even know. I mean, they¡¯re just


    civilians.¡±


    The others shared a look, ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll move down the street. Two identical SUVs will attract attention.¡±


    Mike shrugged. It seemed like they were needlessly concerned but it didn¡¯t matter. Once he could


    observe their targets more closely he would figure out the mystery swirling around them. Returning to


    the other vehicle he exined the situation to his partner before removing his jacket and shoulder


    holster. Once those were gone he grabbed a loose button up to go over his tee-shirt. To hide his


    earpiece he took it out of his ear and tucked into the shirt¡¯s cor. Once he was done he did look like


    any other civilian on the street.


    With a nod to his partner Mike headed across the street and entered the diner. As he let the door close


    behind him the woman they had been assigned to watch passed by with two arms loaded with four


    tes.


    ¡°Hello there. Just have a seat anywhere. I¡¯ll be right with you.¡± She continued on to a booth with two


    couples. ¡°One burger, no tomato; chicken sandwich; fish fillet and mushroom swiss.¡±


    She set the tes down carefully cing them in front of the appropriate person. None offered to assist


    despite the precarious nature of the delivery but she seemed used to it.


    Mike headed in the opposite direction selecting the booth across from the trio of ten-year-olds. His


    gaze swept over their table noting the open text books and math problems with a quick nce as he


    sat down. The diner had a long, narrow floor n. There was a long front counter lined with stools and


    booths lined up along the wall. On the other side it opened up to include a couple of tables but on this


    end it remained just a narrow aisle between booths.


    ¡°All right, here we go,¡± the woman arrived a minuteter with a cup and carafe. Pouring him a cup of


    coffee she also gave him a menu. ¡°Here you go. Sugar and cream are on the table. I¡¯ll give you a few


    minutes to decide.¡±


    Mike muttered thank you even as she was off to her next table. He watched her as she cleared finished


    tes, collected the tip and wiped it down with practiced ease. It was clear she had preformed these


    tasks for years.


    ¡°Can I have a refill?¡± a customer held up a cup.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± she said retrieving the carafe from its hot te and filled the cup without missing a beat.


    Mike eyed the simple, two-sided menu finding many traditional fair foods and fast food options: mostly


    fried or grilled. There was nothing trendy but this kind of menu was also rather nostalgic. In fact the


    diner itself with the interior d¨¦cor harkening to the fifties and would be quite familiar to anyone who had


    lived it. He hadn¡¯t intended to order anything but now a short stack sounded good.


    ¡°Okay, what can I get you?¡± the woman returned taking out her order pad and pencil.


    * * *


    Alexis, Sean and Theo quietly worked on their ss studies. In truth they really didn¡¯t have much to do


    even though their teachers gave them elerated lessons. From early on theirprehension was


    distinctly advanced for their ages. Doingplex math solutions in their heads was a simple task and


    their reading level was much higher than their ssmates. In the third grade a teacher took them to


    task for not paying attention and they had to exin they weren¡¯t paying attention because they already


    knew the answers.


    Not believing them the teacher had them take a basic skills test for fifth graders only to have them pass


    without a single wrong answer. After that they were given a series of tests before it was clear their


    learning had to be elerated. Though their school work still wasn¡¯t very challenging at least it was


    asionally entertaining.


    Alexis listened as theputer program read a lesson about ancient Egypt. Across from her Sean


    tapped his pencil but it wasn¡¯t from boredom. It was morse code. They learned it years ago allowing


    them to pass messages to each other without speech.


    ¡®Check out the guy next to us. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a normal customer.¡¯


    ¡®What makes you say that?¡¯ Theo tapped back.


    ¡®He¡¯s paying too much attention to everything else. Like he¡¯s casing the ce or waiting for someone to


    join him or he¡¯s watching someone.¡¯


    ¡®Who do you suppose?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s dinner rush. And he¡¯s sitting so he can watch most of the diner at once.¡¯


    ¡®Well there¡¯s a simple way to find out,¡¯ Alexis tapped. ¡®Theo watch him. When something catches his


    attention, cough. Sean watch the diner. When Theo coughs note who¡¯s moving around.¡¯


    ¡®Good n.¡¯


    The brothersplied. Being blind Alexis couldn¡¯t assist but she did shift her attention to the strange


    man her brother pointed out. She noted the scent of his aftershave had a distinct peppermint smell. It


    didn¡¯t quite cover the smell of cigarette smoke and tequ meaning he had a few vices he was trying to


    disguise. He sat quietly as he ate his pancakes so she knew he wasn¡¯t particrly nervous or prone to


    fidgeting. That meant he was confident, maybe even trained. A trained observer, maybe even a


    professional?


    Theo coughed. A few minutester he cleared his throat. He did it one more time before reaching for


    his drink while they waited for Sean¡¯s results. They knew from experience that three times was enough


    to set up a pattern others would notice so it was important to switch up signals after that.


    ¡®He¡¯s watching mom.¡¯


    ¡®Are you sure?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah. She was the only one moving each time.¡¯


    ¡®Why would he be watching mom?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯


    ¡®Make sure you two memorize what he looks like. We¡¯ll have to keep an eye out for him on the way


    home.¡¯


    ¡®Got it.¡¯


    ¡®At least the walk home won¡¯t be boring.¡¯

 Book Two: Chapter Six

    Book Two: Chapter Six


    ¡°Have a good night.¡± Gretchen called as they made their way to the door. ¡°Be careful on the way home.


    If it¡¯s too cold I can give you a ride.¡±


    It was eight-thirty and though the diner was open another three hours Lynn had reached the end of her


    shift. Now that the dinner rush was over it would be quiet the rest of the night especially during the fall


    and winter which were their slowest seasons.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll be fine tonight,¡± Lynn assured her.


    ¡°Bye Gretchen!¡± the trio happily waved before heading out into the chilly evening.


    ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± Lynn said before following.


    Sean and Theo walked on either side of Alexis linked arm in arm while their mother a few steps behind


    they walked down the street. It was several blocks to reach home, almost forty minutes, but it was


    shorter and more direct than taking the subway which would take them out of their way.


    As they walked Sean began tapping his sister¡¯s arm with a message she ryed to Theo on her other


    side, ¡®We¡¯re being followed. ck SUV. Don¡¯t look too hard.¡¯


    ¡®No kidding. It sticks out like a sore thumb.¡¯ Theo struggled not tough. It wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to


    cause their mother needless worry by drawing her attention to it.


    ¡®What exactly are they doing?¡¯ Alexis asked wanting to get a sense of their movements and patterns.


    ¡®They drive up a half block or so. Park and wait for us to pass then they move again.¡¯


    ¡®Okay. Next time we pass the SUV Theo turn around to talk to mom. See if you can get a look at who¡¯s


    behind the wheel. Make sure you grab the license te.¡¯


    It was slightly frustrating to have to rely on them without contributing but there was nothing for it. Theo


    let go of her arm and turned to face their mother. He walked backward as they continued down the


    sidewalk.


    ¡°Hey mom they¡¯re taking us to the aquarium on Friday. What¡¯s your favorite animal there?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Lynn smiled. ¡°I guess it would have to be the penguins.¡±


    ¡°Penguins? Why because they are cute?¡±


    ¡°Well yes they are cute waddling around in their little tuxedos. But they are also monogamous. That¡¯s


    pretty rare when ites to animals.¡±


    ¡°I thought animals pair up all the time.¡±


    ¡°Oh they might for a season. The next time they may choose a different partner and when they do pair


    it¡¯s only for the mating part. Most males don¡¯t help in baby rearing at all.¡±


    ¡°So the animal world is full of dead-beat dads huh.¡± Theo snorted.


    ¡°But penguins are different. They stay together and raise their chicks together and the next year they


    find each other again.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± Theo nodded as if satisfied and turned around. ¡®I don¡¯t recognize the driver but the other guy is


    definitely the one from the diner.¡¯


    ¡®What the heck do they want from mom?¡¯ Seanined.


    Alexis mulled over her own thoughts, ¡®Just keep an eye on them for now. We¡¯ll figure it out at home.¡¯


    They talked about their day and interesting ss work as they walked knowing how much their mother


    liked to hear updates. Alexis eventually dropped back to walk with their mother. Lynn hugged her close


    unaware of their ongoing vignt watch of their observers. It turned out there were two SUVs. About


    halfway home the SUVs switched but the pattern remained the same. The boys noted the license


    tes and men inside waiting to discuss it at home.


    Reaching the old, drafty apartmentplex the trio was d to get off the street. Theo collected the


    mail and they headed upstairs. Though the building had an elevator it hadn¡¯t worked in the ten years


    they¡¯d lived there.


    Lynn sighed when they finally reached their apartment on the fifth floor. Ushering them inside she shut


    the door and relocked it also locking the two extra dead bolts before taking off her coat. Her feet ached


    and she was chilled from the walk but she grinned and bared it. The boys were growing like beans and


    would need new jackets next year. Their needs came before herfort.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡±


    ¡°Okay mom.¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    Taking off her shoes Lynn headed to the bathroom. Even before the water started Sean and Theo


    headed to the windows peaking between the blinds. Theirs was a corner apartment which gave them a


    view of two streets.


    ¡°Got ¡®em,¡± Theo announced. ¡°SUV on the corner.¡±


    ¡°Just one?¡± Alexis asked.


    ¡°Looks like. The other might be on the other side or they watch mom in shifts.¡±


    Alexis thought about that, ¡°Maybe at night. But I don¡¯t think both SUVs are for her.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°I think the other one was for us and since we¡¯re all in for the night now there¡¯s no reason to have two


    hanging around.¡±


    ¡°It does seem like overkill for one person,¡± Seanmented. ¡°But what makes you think they are also


    watching us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hunch.¡±


    ¡°Why though?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure that out once we find out who owns the vehicles. Sean?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± He grabbed her school tablet from her bag.


    Setting it on the coffee table he connected to a neighbor¡¯s WiFi and set up hiswork to disguise his


    IP before heading to his destination: the DMV. Theo retrieved a drink from the fridge before flopping on


    the couch beside his brother. Alexis sat cross-legged in the chair waiting for the results. Neither of them


    asked what he was doing since neither would be able to follow.


    ¡°Did you get the make and model?¡± Sean asked. All vehicles looked the same to him.


    ¡°Ford Escape. Probably 2010 or so,¡± Theo answered easily. ¡°I doubt they¡¯d go for thetest model but it


    certainly wouldn¡¯t be older than that either.¡±


    First license te?¡±


    ¡°PR¡ª1834.¡±


    ¡°And the second?¡±


    ¡°PR¡ª1211.¡±


    Sean¡¯s brow scrunched together as he stared at the small screen.


    ¡°Can¡¯t find them?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°No. I got it. But they are owned by the samepany.¡±


    ¡°Company cars? Well that¡¯s not surprising,¡± Theo shrugged.


    ¡°Who owns them?¡± Alexis asked.


    ¡°Prescott Industries.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a bunch of pricks.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our father¡¯spany, Theo,¡± Alexis said.


    ¡°Oh¡­so I was right.¡± Theo chuckled.


    ¡°When did you figure it out?¡± Sean looked to his sister who was certainly the fastest thinker of the three.


    ¡°The musicpetition,¡± Alexis said after a moment. ¡°It¡¯s attended by a bunch of social elites so there


    was a chance either our father or grandfather would attend. No one else would have a reason to follow


    us or mom around.¡±


    Ever since they could remember their mother never spoke a word about their father and they never


    asked. Their mother was not so tight-lipped when she thought they were asleep. More than once she


    and their aunt stayed upte sitting at the kitchen table talking. Usually it was their mother¡¯s quiet sobs


    that woke one or more of the siblings. But it was through those conversations they pieced together the


    truth about their parents.


    Their mother¡¯s real name was Avalynn Carlisle. She was one of two heirs to Carlisle Enterprises. Their


    mother should have been living afortable life but her sister had drugged her, set her up to take a


    fall and ruined her reputation. Their maternal grandfather disowned her.


    To make it worse their biological father Ss Prescott was the Carlisle¡¯s greatest rival. He had teamed


    up with their aunt to use their mother and tossed her away like garbage. Never once had he tried to


    contact her or make amends. In fact they were quite certain he had no idea they even existed. So why


    the interest now?


    ¡°I thought you said you met our father at the hospital,¡± Theo said. ¡°You said he acted like he had no


    idea who you were.¡±


    ¡°I did. He did. If the director hadn¡¯t said his name I wouldn¡¯t have known it was him. I never told him


    mine.¡±


    ¡°Fine but he wouldn¡¯t connect your name to mom anyway,¡± Sean argued. ¡°I mean Alexis Carter


    wouldn¡¯t mean anything to him.¡±


    ¡°True but I doubt it¡¯s my name he recognized. You two say all the time I look just like mom and Aunt


    Tracy says I y just like mom used to.¡±


    ¡°So you think seeing you y clued him in?¡± Sean asked. ¡°Even so¡­why would he care? He dumped


    her.¡±


    ¡°He is still single and he doesn¡¯t have any other children¡­¡± Alexis said.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding. You think he really cares about that?¡± Theo suddenly sat up.


    Prominent family businesses relied on the reputation of their founders to prosper. Everything the family


    did reflected on the business including whether or not the business was likely to continue into the future


    based on the family¡¯s heirs. It was why the DaLair¡¯s reputation was growing while Tomlinson¡¯s faded.


    Ss was young enough not to worry about such things just yet but he might also be feeling pressure to


    provide an heir since he did not have siblings himself.


    ¡°Well there¡¯s only one way to find out,¡± Alexis said, ¡°we¡¯re just going to have to ask him.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Always. Sean you still have ess to Prescott Industries¡¯ mainframe don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Sean nodded.


    A simple phishing scam had granted him ess to not only Prescott Industries but also Carlisle


    Enterprises. Once he had ess he quietly burrowed deeper into their respective systems gathering


    passwords, codes, even going as far as to create his own admin ounts to give himself better ess


    to various systems. As of yet he hadn¡¯t attempted to manipte their systems and as long as he didn¡¯t


    act it was unlikely his presence would be detected.


    ¡°Unless they delete my ounts I¡¯ll always have ess,¡± Sean shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not like a hole in the


    sand where I need to keep digging or it will fill in.¡±


    ¡°Then send him an email.¡±


    ¡°And what am I going to say?¡±


    ¡°¡­Say¡­We know your secret. Bring $500,000 in unmarked, non-sequential bills to the penguin


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    enclosure at the New York Aquarium. Noon, Friday.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to ask for 500K might as well make it a mil,¡± Theo argued.


    Alexis shook her head, ¡°No. If we ask for too much he¡¯ll take it as an actual threat. We want him to think


    we¡¯re amateurs or else he¡¯lle down with a whole goon squad.¡±


    ¡°You know, sometimes you scare me, sis,¡± Theo said.


    ¡°And what is that supposed to mean?¡±


    Sean sighed, ¡°All right. Give me a moment to work this through a few moreworks¡­although I


    suppose it¡¯s fine if he traces it since he already knows where we live.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to talk to him anyway?¡± Theo asked. ¡°We already know he¡¯s garbage.¡±


    Alexis didn¡¯t answer right away. Though they only knew bits and pieces of the story something their


    mother said during thete night talk sessions bothered her. She said her sister had met some guys at


    the bar bragging about the trick they were ying on a friend. If true there was a chance their father


    was not a willing participant. On top of that, though their conversation at the hospital had been


    somewhat stilted he hadn¡¯te across as the bastard they usually cast him. She didn¡¯t know why she


    wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt but there were questions she was desperate to ask if given


    the opportunity.


    ¡°What about the two guys tailing us?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll lose them when we have to. It¡¯s not too difficult to fool adults.¡±


    ¡°True that,¡± Theo agreed.


    Sean nodded as he worked to ess one of his dummy ounts. Mimicking the IP of aputer


    onsite he typed out the message Alexis dictated and sent it to their father. If he had aputer at


    home he would read it immediately otherwise it wouldn¡¯t be delivered until the next morning. In either


    case there wasn¡¯t any going back now. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what their father would think when


    he read it.

 Book Two: Chapter Seven

    Book Two: Chapter Seven


    ¡°Mister Prescott.¡±


    Ss was in a hurry but paused as one of his subordinates rushed to catch up. It had been two days


    since Thomas was sent to locate the maid and he was beginning to lose patience. Try as he might to


    keep it contained he felt his control slowly slipping. But he couldn¡¯t afford to lose his temper at work.


    For now he had to keep up appearances that there was nothing out of the ordinary going on.


    ¡°Sir¡­I was wondering if you contacted DaLair about Tomlinson?¡±


    ¡°I have. He assured me they aren¡¯t interested Tomlinson Tech.¡±


    ¡°Then that should drastically reducepetition for the acquisition.¡±


    Ss nodded uninterested in specting further. While any acquisition could grow his ownpany


    into new markets Tomlinson was ultimately a small gain if they seeded. And he had bigger


    concerns. When would Thomas hurry up and find the maid? He had to know the truth. Was it Ava in


    that bedroom? Were the kids really his?


    ¡°Mister Prescott.¡±


    Ss turned to see Thomas approach. Sidling close Thomas whispered, ¡°She¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Ss dismissed his first solicitor and followed after Thomas without another word.


    Thomas led him to his office which had the blinds drawn for privacy. He ushered Ss in where a


    slightly heavyset woman sat on one of the couches. She wore a gray maid¡¯s uniform. Her long, straight


    ck hair was tied behind her head andy down her back. Fidgeting in her seat she kept ncing at


    the man standing beside the couch. On the surface he appeared to be there for her convenience


    should she require anything but he was actually guarding her preventing her from leaving before her


    interview with their employer.


    Ss¡¯s brow furrowed. His memory from ten years ago was admittedly fuzzy but he was certain the


    woman in his bed had wavy brown hair. Or was his mind ying tricks on him because he wanted it to


    be so? ncing at Thomas he strode forward making his way to the sitting area. The guard stiffened at


    attention nodding to him. The maid twisted in her seat to nervously watch his approach.


    Ss sat across from her studying his guest. She kept her eyes averted obviously used to being


    ignored and ufortable under scrutiny. Her skin was softly tan and as her name suggested she was


    of Hispanic descent. None of this mattered to Ss as he quietlypared her to his memory. They


    were about the right height but that was it. No matter how he looked at her she just didn¡¯t match the


    woman in his memory.


    ¡°Miss Lopez,¡± Ss said causing her to flinch. ¡°Do you have any idea why you are here?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. She spoke in clear English with no hint of an ent. With that he was safe


    in assuming she was not a recent immigrant. Possibly even second or third generation citizen if he


    wanted to guess.


    ¡°Ten years ago you worked at the Conrad. Remember it?¡±


    ¡°I worked at many hotels.¡±


    This was neither a brag nor evasion. It was the simple truth of any serving or retail position that one¡¯s


    ce was constantly at threat. One customerint, whether warranted or not, could mean the end


    of their job and subject them to the dangers of unemployment. People with clear ethnic features were


    often targets of overly-entitled customers and Natalie was no different so her resume tended to be long.


    She couldn¡¯t say she was never at fault but it wasn¡¯t easy meeting expectations of people who set them


    with no regard to reality and what was impossible.


    ¡°I¡¯m only interest in one. Let me refresh your memory,¡± Ss said as Thomas ced a folder in his


    hand and pulled out a photocopy of the check he had written. ¡°Ten years ago you cashed this.


    Remember where you got it?¡±


    Natalie swallowed hard saying, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. My mother was sick. We needed the money. I¡ªI found


    it in the room¡­no one seemed to miss it.¡±


    ¡°Slow down. You found it in the room?¡± Ss asked. He was already on the edge of his seat.


    ¡°Yes. I was cleaning. And a woman rushed out of the room. She was in tears. I went in after she left


    and found the check. I held onto it but no one asked for it¡­and we needed the money. I¡ªI will pay you


    back.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t necessary.¡± Ss shook his head. Somehow he wasn¡¯t surprised by this news but it left him


    feeling empty because that meant¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t care about the money. I would like to know about the


    woman. Do you remember anything about her?¡±


    ¡°¡­I never saw her face clearly,¡± Natalie answered. ¡°She was petite. Brown hair. My mother would say


    she had the good hair. I think¡­she was pretty.¡±


    ¡°Would you be able to identify her if you saw a picture?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe? I¡¯m not sure. I only saw her for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Then what about these?¡±


    Ss spread out four pictures Thomas had prepared. One featured Ava and the other three were


    random woman with simr features. All were candid street shots. Natalie leaned forward biting her lip.


    She shook her head as she debated with herself. Finally she separated two photos and studied them


    more carefully.


    ¡°I think¡­maybe this one?¡± She selected a photo.


    Ss tried to hide his reaction as he saw her pick: Ava. Despite her hesitant choice he couldn¡¯t help but


    take it as confirmation of his suspicions. A hollow pit opened in his stomach. What had he done?


    ¡°James will take you back,¡± Ss finally said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She stood clearly confused and he didn¡¯t me her. It certainly wasn¡¯t every day


    someone simply forgave a $100,000 debt.


    ¡°Oh, Miss Lopez¡­how is your mother now?¡± Ss asked.


    ¡°She is good.¡±


    ¡°Good. James.¡±


    The man who had been guarding her politely escorted her out. Ss sat back in his chair trying to


    control the rapid beating of his heart. Ava¡­It was Ava all along¡­The woman he had longed for,


    searched for¡­and he had sent her away with his own words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if she could be considered a reliable witness¡­but at least we know she wasn¡¯t the one in


    the room,¡± Thomas said watching him close.


    ¡°¡­It was Ava¡­¡± Ss whispered. ¡°¡­Dear god, it was Ava all along¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s odd she never tried to contact you,¡± Thomasmented. ¡°It can¡¯t be easy raising three kids alone


    especially when one hasplex medical needs.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t¡­not after what I said to her,¡± Ss stood pacing to the window overlooking the


    cityscape. He ran his hand through his hair.


    He was a father¡­a father of three. He had spent ten years looking for the woman of his dreams and


    she had been under his nose the entire time and, worse, he was the one who banished her. How did he


    not recognize her? Ava!


    ¡°Ss? Ss!¡± Thomas struggled to get his attention. ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Are our men still watching her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I put a unit on her and one on the kids.¡±


    ¡°Keep them in ce.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Ss clenched his hands desperately wanting to punch something but he had no one to me but


    himself. This was all his fault.


    Ten years ago Avalynn Carlisle simply disappeared. There were rumors and gossip she had been


    caught in the middle of a scandal but Ss immediately dismissed them. Ava simply wasn¡¯t that kind of


    woman¡­her sister maybe¡­but not Ava. Despite all of Marilynn¡¯s indiscretions she continued to be


    Carlisle¡¯s cherished daughter. Why then had Ava been disowned? None of it made sense.


    It never urred to him she would change her name and try to make it on her own with three kids. But


    that is what she had done. She was out there right now, less than a mile from him and he hadn¡¯t known


    it. Ava.


    ¡°What was the eye condition Alexis suffers from?¡±


    ¡°¡­She didn¡¯t say. I don¡¯t think she was born that way so it¡¯s most likely a degenerative condition that


    worsens over time,¡± Thomas said though that was just a guess. Medical records were private so they


    wouldn¡¯t have ess unless Ss imed his custody rights¡­at least legally speaking.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ce to start. Look into it. If there is a way to bring back my daughter¡¯s sight I want to know


    about it.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even have a paternity test in hand¡­you sure it¡¯s wise to im them?¡±


    ¡°You doubt they are mine?¡±


    ¡°Aside from the fact the boys look just like you¡­that girl¡­she¡¯s definitely your daughter with that


    attitude of hers. No, I don¡¯t doubt it.¡±


    ¡°I need to bring them home¡­but how? What can I even say to her or them that will make up for what I


    did?¡±


    * * *


    Ss sighed sinking into the chair of his home office and loosened his tie. If he was a drinking man he


    would certainly have one now. He still couldn¡¯t believe it, was afraid to believe it. He finally found Ava.


    But she wasn¡¯t alone. She was a mother of three¡­and he was the father. It didn¡¯t seem possible.


    Ten years. He had missed ten years of their lives. Ten years he hadn¡¯t been there. Ava raised them


    alone without support and without financial aid. His hands trembled at the mere thought of her plight.


    He should have been there to take care of her. He couldn¡¯t imagine how scared she must have been


    and yet she refused to seek his help. She did it all on her own but she deserved better. He would do


    whatever it took to earn her forgiveness.


    Hisputer chimed alerting him to a new message. Ss raised a brow. Thinking it might be Thomas


    with news about Alexis¡¯s condition he leaned forward to select the message without looking at the


    sender. The message was short but he leapt to his feet in rage. Grabbing his phone he dialed


    Thomas¡¯s number waiting impatiently for his answer.


    ¡°Yeah Si?¡± Thomas sighed. If he was referring to him by his nickname than it was safe to assume he


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    was alone.


    ¡°My condo, now!¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± Thomas¡¯s answer was cut off as Ss hung up staring at the message willing it to change.


    Whoever sent it had a death wish if they thought they could threaten his children and get away with it.


    Agonizing minutes past before Thomas finally arrived. He only lived a few floors down but his damp


    hair suggested he had been in the shower when he had been called. Entering the disturbingly empty


    condo he called, ¡°Ss?¡±


    ¡°In here.¡±


    Thomas followed the sound to the study. There he found Ss on his feet radiating rage he seldom felt


    from his long time friend. Ss turned a cold, hard gaze on him as if not seeing him for several


    moments.


    ¡°Exin this!¡±


    Thomas flinched before approaching. He leaned over the desk and read the message disyed


    saying, ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know,¡± Ss said. ¡°Who the hell sent this?¡±


    Thomas nced at the sender. It wasn¡¯t a long string of numbers as he might have suspected but the


    domain name made him pause. He was no expert but if he didn¡¯t know better he would say it had been


    sent from inside the office. Did that mean someone in thepany knew about the kids? Did they


    honestly think they could threaten their boss? Why would they only ask for $500,000? Gossip papers


    would pay three times that much for this kind of scoop.


    ¡°It looks like it came from thepany¡¯s email,¡± Thomas finally said. ¡°We¡¯ve been careful but it¡¯s not


    out of the realm of possibility someone noticed¡­especially when we brought in Miss Lopez.¡±


    Ss sucked in a breath. He had left the matter entirely to Thomaspletely trusting his discretion.


    Had someone else noticed? Were they stalking Ava and the kids even now?


    ¡°They are only asking for 500K. Whatever they think they know I don¡¯t think they know everything.¡±


    Ss slowly rxed. Perhaps they thought Miss Lopez was a person of interest in which case they


    wouldn¡¯t know anything about Ava. Even if the maid spoke to someone she didn¡¯t know Ava¡¯s name or


    anything about the kids. A clever person would assume Ss was looking into the mystery woman and


    perhaps they might guess the reason why but they didn¡¯t have any names and no reason to even


    suspect Avalynn Carlisle.


    ¡°So what do you want to do?¡± Thomas asked. ¡°Should we ignore it? Call their bluff?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. I want to meet them and find out what they know. If $500,000 is all they need to keep silent then


    it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll get the money ready.¡±


    Ss nodded. He still couldn¡¯t rxpletely. Even if this person didn¡¯t know about the kids directly


    he was far from the only person who attended the musicpetition. Someone else could easily make


    the connection from Alexis to Ava. Their resemnce was uncanny and their ying too distinct. He


    had to find some way to protect them.

 Book Two: Chapter Eight

    Book Two: Chapter Eight


    Emerson Carlisle massaged his temples. On theputer screen was an unttering picture of


    Marilynn partying in a club her face practically glowing from the alcohol in her system. Her dress was


    extremely short, barely covering her. Over the years she appeared more and more in the gossip


    columns and it was getting harder to ignore. Worse it was beginning to affect business.


    Carlisle Enterprises was a family business, not unlike the DaLairs, Prescotts and Stantons. Investors


    looked to Emerson and his family to gauge the vitality of thepany. Marilynn¡¯s binge partying was


    not viewed favorably and he had no other children or grandchildren so thepany¡¯s future also had


    an unfavorable outlook especiallypared to the DaLairs who had seen an incredible spike in


    investors and interest since Julius¡¯s wedding and birth of his third child.


    As if the pictures themselves were not enough of an insult there were thements that followed. He


    paged down thement section with considerable ire.


    What a skank!


    Does she have no self-respect!


    Talk about a cheap whore!


    For a bottle of tequ this too can be yours for the night boys! Don¡¯t all you bid at once!


    Can you just imagine how many diseases she¡¯s carrying?


    Look on the bright side. She¡¯s probably barren so there is zero chance of her breeding. Thank God!


    Can you imagine what hell-spawn she would unleash into the world?


    Emerson shook with fury at thements directed toward his daughter but there wasn¡¯t much he could


    do about it. Hiswyers already informed him free speech ensured people could say what they pleased


    especially online. Even if he seeded in shutting down one site there were hundreds of others. He


    also couldn¡¯t argue considering the pictures posted of her. Where did he go wrong?


    ¡°Sir, a man from the Eagle is here.¡±


    Emerson hesitated. The Eagle was one of therger gossip magazines. In fact he was on their website


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    now. He really didn¡¯t feel like talking to anyone associated with it but this might be a chance to clear the


    air and maybe salvage his daughter¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°Show him in.¡±


    Emerson waited as momentster a young man was shown in. His visitor was dressed rather messily:


    cargo pants, nnel shirt and scuffed, leather jacket. Yet the look on his face was anything but humble.


    Seeing the corporate mogul he smirked and didn¡¯t look the least bit intimidated as he strode up to the


    desk.


    Offering a hand he smiled, ¡°Mister Carlisle.¡±


    Emerson didn¡¯t move merely stared at the offered hand. With a sigh he gestured for the man to take a


    seat.


    Smile fading the man cleared his throat and sat down but didn¡¯t lose the arrogance of a salesman.


    There was something about his confidence that irritated Emerson. This person was far below him and


    should have been intimidated at the very least. Yet the man was rxed sitting back in his seat and


    bringing a leg up to rest on the opposite knee.


    ¡°Exactly how can I help you?¡± Emerson asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about you helping me. It¡¯s about what I can do for you,¡± the man replied sounding even more


    like a salesman.


    Emerson raised an eyebrow. He wasn¡¯t one to be easily hooked and he certainly wasn¡¯t going to be


    taken in by carnival barker.


    ¡°I hear you¡¯ve been having family issues,¡± the man said earning a re. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of ugly rumors


    around your daughter¡­and no other heirs to insure yourpany¡¯s future either.¡±


    ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°A picture is worth a thousand words but how about a video?¡±


    The man took out his phone and selected a video saved on it. Handing it to Emerson he sat back as


    the familiar melody of Beethoven¡¯s F¨¹r Elise issued out. Emerson reluctantly epted the phone


    expecting apromising video of Marilynn but sucked in a breath by what he saw instead.


    On the small screen was a young girl seated at a piano. Her green eyes were partially closed as she


    swayed to the melody she yed. It was as if she was one with the music. It poured out of her heart


    inviting everyone in. He had only seen one other y like this.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Emerson looked up at the man his aloof fa?ade crumbling.


    ¡°It is the girl who should have won the All Borough¡¯s Music Competition,¡± the man said. ¡°Herst name


    might be different but she looks and ys an awful lot like someone you tried to erase, Avalynn


    Carlisle.¡±


    Emerson flinched at the name he had struck from the family records. Avalynn had been a quiet and


    docile child, pure and innocent. Or so he had thought. Ten years ago scandal crushed his opinion


    revealing her to be the worst conniving liar he had ever seen. He had such high hopes for her but he


    couldn¡¯t believe she would betray him like she did. Could this be¡­was this really¡­


    ¡°Name,¡± Emerson repeated.


    ¡°Carter. It¡¯s not really that different from Carlisle if you think about it.¡±


    ¡°What proof do you have?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t enough?¡± the man genuinely looked puzzled.


    Anyone who saw the girl¡¯s performance would agree with him. On top of that brown hair and green


    eyes wasn¡¯t exactly amonbination but it was known as hereditary traits of the Carlisle family.


    Though his hair was graying Emerson passed the unique features to both of his daughters. Not to


    mention the fact that Carter was certainly derived from Carlisle.


    Although, now that he thought about it, no one else had drawn his same conclusions. The girl had been


    ate entry when the winner had all but been decided. Her talent took many by surprise as was the fact


    she was clearly blind. Several people pitied her but she hadn¡¯t asked for pity. She let her music speak


    for her which no one else had done.


    Perhaps ten years was too long to stir the memory of everyone else. Scandal tended to eclipse talent


    though personally the man didn¡¯t put much stock in rumor and gossip despite his upation. Avalynn


    Carlisle never once graced the gossip pages unlike her sister who seemed content to be a spectacle.


    She was sweet, refined and often overshadowed. Perhaps that was why they had forgotten her


    supreme musical talent.


    ¡°Just what sort of proof do you want?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°A picture of her mother at the very least. Preferably together¡­and her name.¡±


    The man considered this. He understood the other¡¯s need for caution. Controversy swirled around his


    cherished daughter. If he was to suddenly announce the return of his shunned daughter, let alone


    granddaughter, it would be quite the shock to the elite world he lived in. It could make or break his


    But if this proved his salvation Emerson would reward the person who made it possible handsomely.


    That was the reason why he hadn¡¯t offered the story to his editor. The money the magazine could offer


    simply didn¡¯tpare to having Carlisle owe him a favor.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll get you pictures and a name. I¡¯ll throw in their address too.¡±


    ¡°Two days,¡± Emerson said. His patience would notst longer than that despite his intent to step


    carefully.


    Nodding the man took his phone back before departing. It wasn¡¯t the immediate answer he wanted but


    more information meant he could ask for more money.


    Once the man had left Emerson sat back in his chair with the memory of the child¡¯s performance


    swimming in his mind. Ten years ago he turned his back on his daughter. He had no choice. The girl


    had betrayed him. Marilynn told him everything. She had no reason to lie about her only sister. He


    would have expected her to lie to protect her sister. Furious he kicked Ava out without a second


    thought and cut her offpletely.


    He expected her toe crawling back begging for mercy and forgiveness. Instead she disappeared.


    After six months he grew tired of her stubborn pride and sent his men to drag her back but they found


    no trace of her. It was as if Avalynn Carlisle dropped off the face of the world.


    Emerson finally understood he didn¡¯t know anything about his daughter. He didn¡¯t know her friends or


    who she might turn to. He simply had nowhere to start looking for her. She had always been quiet and


    obedient. Never had he suspected the strength residing in her. Could it be she had actually decided to


    raise her child on her own rather than seeking her family¡¯s aid? Was she trying to punish him by inviting


    more scandal? He simply didn¡¯t understand what was going on in her mind.


    Leaning forward he tapped his inte.


    ¡°Mister Carlisle?¡± his secretary quickly answered.


    ¡°Have Connore to my office.¡±


    ¡°Right away sir.¡±


    Emerson stood and moved to the window overlooking the city. This time he would find her¡­this time


    she would act like the studious daughter she was meant to y or he would make her regret it. Either


    way his granddaughter would certainlyply. He didn¡¯t know what kind of life they had been living but


    there was no way his granddaughter would turn down the chance for a better one.


    He was sure of it.

 Book Two: Chapter Nine

    Book Two: Chapter Nine


    ¡°All right kids, orderly fashion please,¡± the teacher announced. ¡°Remember this is a public ce so we


    are going to conduct ourselves like responsible young men and women. Keep close to your buddy.


    Now we are heading to the Educational wing first.¡±


    Alexis slipped her arms into those of her brothers. Luckily their ss had an odd number of students


    and they made a natural group of three. They had waited anxiously for this day. Finally they would get


    answers directly from their father.


    ¡®Those goons are following us,¡¯ Theomented tapping on his sister¡¯s arm in their secretnguage


    which she ryed before answering.


    ¡®Is the one from the diner here?¡¯


    ¡®No. He must be watching mom again.¡¯ Theo didn¡¯t know why but it made him anxious.


    ¡®It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t think he intends to hurt her.¡¯


    ¡®I think you¡¯re giving him too much credit.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe.¡¯ Alexis was fully willing to ept the fact she was giving their father some credit he hadn¡¯t


    earned.


    She only had a brief conversation with him but it was enough to give her an impression of the man and


    he didn¡¯t feel like one of their aunt¡¯s usual henchmen. In fact he seemed fairly personable and it was


    hard to think of him strictly as a viin. But it was just a feeling.


    They headed into the exhibit with their attention divided. Listening to the keepers they also kept an eye


    on their shadows. Time slowly ticked down to their confrontation. Sean read off the various information


    cards for Alexis¡¯s benefit though she found it difficult to focus.


    ¡®Guys, I think someone is taking pictures of us.¡¯ Theo tapped.


    ¡®Really? Who?¡¯


    ¡®Some weird guy with a beard.¡¯


    ¡®Can you be more specific?¡¯ Sean asked.


    ¡®Four o¡¯clock. Cargo pants. Leather jacket. Big camera.¡¯


    ¡®Looks like a professional camera. Could be a photographer¡­or¡­¡¯


    ¡®A reporter,¡¯ Alexis supplied after considering her brother¡¯sments.


    ¡®Why would he be taking pictures of us?¡¯


    ¡®Us? Or just me?¡¯


    ¡®Good question. We¡¯re so close together it¡¯s hard to tell.¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s a touch pool around here, right? When we get there let¡¯s split up and see who he¡¯s focused


    on.¡¯


    ¡®Right.¡¯


    When they finally reached the touch pool Sean and Theo left Alexis petting a spotted ray. Each circled


    the pool in a different direction pretending to be enthralled by the urchins and rays. After several


    minutes they returned to their sister each tapping the same message.


    ¡®He¡¯s only taking pictures of you, sis.¡¯


    To their surprise their sister wasn¡¯t the least bit shocked as if she suspected as much. Her next answer


    made both almost fall over.


    ¡®Then he must have been sent by our grandfather.¡¯


    ¡®Seriously?¡¯ they both tapped.


    ¡®Has to be. If it was our father he would be taking pictures of all of us. If it¡¯s just me then I¡¯m the only


    one he knows about because I was the only one on stage.¡¯


    ¡®So what? We¡¯re chopped liver because we don¡¯t y piano?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s what you are concerned about?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s getting close to lunch guys, focus. We have to shake our new tail.¡¯


    ¡®So let¡¯s use the goon squad,¡¯ Sean suggested. ¡®We wanted to get rid of them too anyway.¡¯


    ¡®Right. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do¡­¡¯


    * * *


    Jake sighed trying to seem interested in the aquarium full of fish and aquatic animals. His focus was on


    the trio of kids wandering with their ssmates. It was remarkable how close the siblings seemed to


    be. The brothers walked on either side of their sister keeping her safe and out of harm¡¯s way. If either of


    them were bored with their mission they certainly didn¡¯t give any sign.


    When he and his partner parked at the school Jake had thought it would be another boring day until the


    school bus pulled up. Suddenly it was a flurry of activity as the teacher, their aides and other


    chaperones wrangled the ss. Luckily they had parked at an angle that gave them a proper view to


    see their targets board the bus with everyone else.


    Sensing their day was going to get a whole lot more interesting they followed the bus to the aquarium


    and followed the group of boisterous kids at a discreet distance. Jake nced at his partner who


    seemed to be taking particr interest in some of the exhibits. Apparently he had never been to the


    aquarium and was enjoying the experience. As long as they did their job and the kids returned safely to


    the school it didn¡¯t matter if they were a little distracted.


    Jake shook his head looking to their targets to see one of the brothers had disappeared. He jerked to


    attention scanning the crowd but didn¡¯t see the boy. Jake¡¯s gaze returned to the other two. They didn¡¯t


    seem overly concerned with their brother¡¯s absence as they touched one of the hands-on models. The


    pair chattedfortably about the model as if unaware of their missing sibling.


    ¡°Hey watch it, jerk!¡± a voice suddenly dered. ¡°And why are you taking pictures of kids anyway? You


    some sort of pervert? Perv alert! Perv alert!¡±


    Jake immediately turned to the voice to see the missing brother circling a man who indeed had a


    camera pointed in the direction of the siblings. Laughing the boy ducked back into the crowd leaving


    the man facing a rather stunned throng of kids and adults whose trip was suddenly disrupted. The man


    seemed frozen as if not sure how to exin himself. While he hesitated Jake and his partner moved in.


    They appeared like security guards so the crowd did not bat an eye as they quietly gripped the man¡¯s


    shoulders and escorted him away. Once out of sight of the crowd the pair became less friendly. Jake


    snatched the man¡¯s camera while his partner kept the man under control. Not only did the digital


    camera have pictures of kids but they were all of the young girl they themselves were tasked with


    protecting.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Jake demanded.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± the man said. ¡°You have no right to detain me. I¡¯ll call the police.¡±


    ¡°Assuming you still have your fingers,¡± Jake retorted causing the man to fall silent. ¡°So let¡¯s try this


    again¡­¡±


    * * *


    Ss stood at the edge of the penguin enclosure looking at the small birds that were quitefortable


    in the New York fall chill. Beside him Thomas held a case with the ransom money. To keep a low profile


    both were dressed casually though they certainly didn¡¯t fit in with the crowd. As it was close to lunch


    most visitors had moved on to the caf¨¦.


    Thomas nced at his friend. In all these years he couldn¡¯t recall a time Ss looked so angry or on


    edge. They still hadn¡¯t been able to track where the email came from. At the risk of revealing too much


    Thomas had employed the lead of the IT department to look into it but the only result was that the


    email¡¯s IP was from inside the building meaning either someone in thepany had sent it or


    someone had infiltrated thework.


    Even now IT was checking thework¡¯s firewall trying to find how a hacker might have breached it.


    Thomas expected a full report once they returned to the office. For now they had to wait blindly for their


    solicitor to show themselves.


    ¡°We meet again, Mister Prescott.¡±


    They tensed at the voice sharing dubious looks before turning around. Seated on a rock no more than


    ten feet away was the young girl they had unknowingly met in the hospital, the same young girl who


    had shined on stage, the young girl whose blind eyes sparkled with amusement at their silence.


    Alexis leaned back drawing a knee to her chest and hugged the leg as she waited for them toe out


    of their stupor. In truth she also had to catch her breath. Losing the camera man and their shadows had


    been easier than slipping away from their chaperones. In the end Theo had to make up another


    distraction.


    ¡°¡­How long have you known?¡± Ss finally found his voice. Was it wrong to want his daughter to call


    him dad?


    ¡°That you are our biological father? Since I was five,¡± she shrugged making him suck in his breath. ¡°I


    didn¡¯t know it was you at the hospital until the director said your name though.¡±


    Ss fought a nervous twitch as his hands became mmy. He hadn¡¯t forgotten that first meeting


    either. Despite his ignorance at the time it had been the first conversation he had with one of his


    children. He had been impressed with her resilience and quick wit then and he still was.


    ¡°Mom never told us about you,¡± Alexis continued. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know we know. She thinks we were


    asleep when she and Aunt Tracy talked about you. We put the rest together on our own.¡±


    Ss forced him to swallow back his disappointment. So Ava never told them about where they came


    from. But his children were smart and learned it on their own.


    ¡°We also know she wasn¡¯t born Lynn Carter if that¡¯s your next question,¡± Alexis confirmed his


    suspicions. ¡°We know all about the Carlisle family. To be honest we find them disgusting. They¡¯ll get


    their karmic payback soon enough.¡±


    Ss¡¯s brow furrowed at that. It seemed she was referring to something specific almost as if they


    nned the downfall themselves. But that was impossible they were only ten¡­then again¡­just who


    sent him the email?


    ¡°Sean is very good withputers,¡± Alexis benignly smiled. ¡°He and Theo are both very observant. For


    future reference if you n on having someone followed you should choose less conspicuous vehicles.


    Shiny, ck SUVs tend to stick out in the slums.¡±


    Thomas struggled to hold back augh. He had authorized the security teams to use thepany¡¯s


    fleet vehicles. Naturally they chose SUVs because it allowed them to take extra equipment. No one had


    voiced concerns that the vehicles might be too noticeable parked on a street alongside older, broken


    down cars.


    Ss red at him as Thomas had been in charge organizing the team. How could such a detail be


    overlooked? Didn¡¯t he insist the team keep low profiles?


    ¡°If it¡¯s any constion¡­mom hasn¡¯t noticed yet,¡± Alexis added.


    ¡°¡­You-you haven¡¯t told her?¡± Ss asked.


    ¡°That you¡¯ve found us? No. Of course not. She would totally freak out thinking you¡¯re about to dump us


    all in the Hudson and erase us.¡±


    ¡°Why would she think that?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she after how you threatened herst time?¡± Alexis demanded. ¡°I¡¯m sure teaming up


    with our sadistic aunt to drug and rape our mother was hrious but there are consequences even for


    people like you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­I was never¡­¡± Ss stuttered shaking with shock and rage that anyone, least of all his


    own children, would think he was capable of such atrocities.


    Alexis tilted her head waiting for him to continue. She was being deliberatelybative to force some


    kind of reaction. If he was angered he wouldn¡¯t be able to lie so easily. His replies would be more


    see him the break in his voice made it clear she had touched a nerve.


    ¡°My friends thought I was too uptight and wanted me to loosen up so they drugged me and put a


    woman in my bed¡­¡± Ss¡¯s voice cracked as he confessed the truth. ¡°I thought she was someone my


    friends paid to sleep with me¡­I thought she was one of the hotel maids¡­If I had known¡­I didn¡¯t know


    it was Ava.¡±


    Alexis remained silent absorbing the story noting every time his voice broke. Her brothers often called


    her a human lie-detector but it was because she learned to pay attention to how people spoke as much


    as what they said. She didn¡¯t sense any deception from the man in front of her. In fact he sounded


    devastated.


    ¡°¡­I would never hurt Ava¡­Not Ava¡­If I had known it was her¡­If only I had seen her face I¡­¡± Ss


    bowed his head unable to finish the thought. ¡°I heard a rumor her family kicked her out for some


    scandal but I knew it had to be a mistake. Ava would never¡­Are you telling me she was drugged that


    night? By her sister?¡±


    Alexis sensed his gaze was focused on her again. She almost felt sorry for him. The pain and anguish


    her mother suffered could not be erased nor forgiven. Someone had to pay¡­but perhaps the man in


    front of her was as much a victim as her mother. Perhaps he was worthy of a little mercy and some pity.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s done is done, I suppose,¡± she said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    Ss frowned. What did she mean? Of course it mattered. Or¡­were the kids truly ying judge and


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    jury of their mother¡¯s tormentors. Were their ns finished?


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out eventually so I might as well tell you¡­Finding out her sister secretly hated her and


    learning her father¡¯s love was fickle to the point of being a lie didn¡¯t bother mom as much as you might


    think. But having her high school crush break her heart really destroyed her,¡± Alexis said.


    ¡°¡­Her high school crush?¡± Ss muttered under his breath. Did that mean what he thought it meant?


    Was it possible she had feelings for him? His Ava?


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t believe in love anymore,¡± Alexis continued. ¡°She knows now that there is no such thing as


    true love. There is no prince charminging on a white horse. I think that¡¯s the real reason she


    stopped ying piano. If there is no magic in the world than music serves no purpose.¡±


    Ss froze unable to reply. He had always been practical and logical. That was why he immediately


    noticed Ava. In a dull, colorless world she radiated life. It couldn¡¯t be that she lost it. He didn¡¯t want to


    believe it but then he remembered the pictures of her at work: the way her smile never reached her


    eyes. Had she truly lost that sense of life?


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Alexis stood.


    ¡°W-wait, please.¡±


    ¡°The teachers will start looking for me if I don¡¯t get back,¡± Alexis said. ¡°Oh you can keep the money. We


    didn¡¯t really want it. We just needed you to take the meeting seriously.¡±


    ¡°W-wait¡­¡±


    Thomas¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Ss red at him as he checked the number.


    ¡°I¡¯d answer if I were you,¡± Alexis said. ¡°It¡¯s probably the goon squad wanting to ask you what they


    should do with the guy who was taking pictures of us.¡±


    ¡°Of you?¡± Ss jerked to attention.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s a magazine photographer who thought our grandfather would be a bigger payday than the


    paper¡­of course that¡¯s just a guess. You going to answer or what?¡±


    Ss turned his attention back to Thomas as he answered, ¡°Jake, what is it? What? A man taking


    pictures of the kids? Where are you? Just outside the Educational building at the aquarium?¡±


    Thomas looked to Ss who was growing more agitated, ¡°Tell them we¡¯ll be right there. Alexis¡­¡±


    Ss looked back toward the girl only to find she had vanished as easily as she appeared. He looked


    around in disbelief. Despite being blind it was clear she had no difficulty navigating the world. He


    couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.


    His children were proving formidable people. Alexis had the attitude and confidence worthy of a CEO.


    In addition she was smart and Ss was certain even he couldn¡¯tpare to her critical thinking.


    Though he had yet to meet his sons it was clear they were not to be taken lightly. They had spotted his


    men easily and Alexis just confessed one was exceptional withputers: exceptional enough to


    infiltrate a top 500pany without a trace.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Thomas asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see this man who was taking pictures of my children.¡±


    Thomas nodded leading the way. Tucked behind a corner of the educational building housing the touch


    pools they found Jake and Matthew with a nervous man between them. They had confiscated the


    man¡¯s camera and phone which they turned over to Thomas allowing them to view the pictures all of


    which featured Alexis with at least one of her brothers.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± Ss demanded.


    ¡°Well it seems he¡¯s misced his wallet¡­but he ims he¡¯s Roy Austin, a photographer for the Eagle,¡±


    Jake answered. ¡°He says he saw the girl y at the musicpletion and recognized her so he went


    to the girl¡¯s grandfather.¡±


    Ss clenched his fists to keep them from shaking. It was just as Alexis predicted. His daughter never


    ceased to amaze him. He looked to the man nervously staring at him in awe.


    ¡°You know who I am?¡±


    ¡°S-Ss Prescott¡­but why would you care about some girl¡­¡± the photographer paled recalling the two


    boys who had been escorting her. At the time he hadn¡¯t thought much of them believing they were just


    part of the same ss. They bore a striking resemnce to the man in front of him but then. ¡°Wait do


    you mean¡­she¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Smart man. Just not smart enough,¡± Ss red at him. ¡°My daughter saw youing from a mile


    away¡­So what happens now?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t want trouble,¡± Roy insisted. Prescott and Carlisle both had ruthless reputations. It was not a


    good idea to get on the bad side of either. He had taken the chance to go to Carlisle because it seemed


    safe enough but now he had stepped into something much bigger. Emerson Carlisle¡¯s granddaughter


    was Ss Prescott¡¯s daughter which meant a storm was about overtake New York that was sure to turn


    it on its head.


    ¡°And yet here you are¡­threatening my daughter.¡±


    ¡°N-no. That¡¯s not. I didn¡¯t mean¡­I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°How much does the old man know?¡±


    ¡°I showed him a recording of her performance,¡± Roy admitted. ¡°And I might have mentioned herst


    name is Carter. But that¡¯s it, I swear.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough,¡± Thomas shook his head.


    There weren¡¯t many articles about the musicpetition but Thomas had read them and several not


    only mentioned Alexis by name but also included the name of her school. It would not be difficult to


    track her from there. Thomas himself had started in the exact same ce to find them. The only


    difference was they didn¡¯t seem to know about the boys yet.


    ¡°So why are you here?¡± Ss demanded.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t believe me. He wanted me to get pictures of her with her mother so I headed to the school.


    He gave me a couple days I figured I could take my time to get the shots.¡±


    Ss held out a hand and Thomas gave him the case they had brought. Without a word he offered it to


    the photographer. Roy nervously took it wondering what was inside.¡±


    ¡°$500,000,¡± Ss said. ¡°You will disappear for a week. Do that and I¡¯ll forget about this. I hear anything


    about you in that time, you make contact with Carlisle again, and the offer will be forfeit. I will track you


    down and I will find you.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. Absolutely.¡± Roy nodded clutching the case. This was more than he expected from Carlisle.


    Thomas handed him back his camera, its memory card now erased. Then the man fled.


    ¡°Boss?¡± Jake looked to Ss. ¡°You sure it¡¯s okay to let him go?¡±


    ¡°He already gave Emerson too much information,¡± Ss sighed. ¡°If the old man isn¡¯t stupid he¡¯ll follow


    up with his own people. He¡¯s probably already has them looking into it.¡±


    Thomas nodded.


    ¡°I just need to buy a little time.¡±


    ¡°A little is right. I know you wanted to take this slow but¡­¡±


    Ss grimaced. He intended to sweep Ava off her feet the moment he found her but the situation was


    far moreplicated than he could have imagined. There were children involved, their children, and


    there was no denying her current situation was in part his fault. If only he hadn¡¯t allowed his anger to


    rule him ten years ago.


    ¡°Um, boss¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ss looked at the nervous Jake.


    ¡°You said the girl is your daughter.¡±


    Ss nced at Thomas who merely shook his head. There had been no reason to brief the men on


    such information especially when they needed to control rumors.


    ¡°Yes. She is. The boys are mine too.¡±


    Jake and Matthew shared shocked looks. This was not the answer they had expected. Suddenly


    watching the children and keeping them from harm was even more vital.


    ¡°Why are you two here?¡± Thomas asked.


    ¡°The kids had a field trip,¡± Jake said. ¡°They were on their way to lunch when we snagged the guy.¡±


    ¡°Where,¡± Ss demanded. He couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He had to see them.

 Book Two: Chapter Ten

    Book Two: Chapter Ten


    ¡°Finally you guys are back,¡± Theo whispered as Alexis and Sean slipped back with the group.


    Lunch was almost over so they hurriedly gobbled their sandwiches. Despite his impatience he let them


    knowing it had to be difficult to face their father even with his sister¡¯s nerves of steel. They just


    managed to finish eating before the teachers called them to gather. Lining up with the rest of the ss


    Alexis hooked her arms through those of her brothers allowing them to continue their silent


    conversation.


    ¡®So what was he like? Up tight? A real jerk right?¡¯


    ¡®Actually no. He was nice¡­awkward but nice.¡¯


    ¡®How can you say that after what he did to mom?¡¯


    ¡®I know¡­but¡­I don¡¯t think he meant it. It sounds like he¡¯s as much a victim as she was.¡¯


    ¡®I agree,¡¯ Sean seconded. ¡®He said his friends drugged him to loosen him up by sleeping with a woman.


    He thought they paid a maid to do it. You should have seen his face. He seemed devastated it turned


    out to be mom.¡¯


    ¡®You sure he wasn¡¯t just acting?¡¯


    ¡®No. It wasn¡¯t an act.¡¯


    Theo didn¡¯t argue. If there was one thing he could always count on it was his sister¡¯s intuition.


    ¡®So what did you do with the photographer¡¯s wallet?¡¯ Alexis asked.


    ¡®I left it on one of the tables. Someone will find it and turn it in.¡¯ Theo shrugged. He wasn¡¯t really


    concerned whether the reporter received it or not. The hassle of recing his credit cards was the least


    punishment he deserved for interfering.


    ¡®Well anyway¡­We¡¯ll have toe up with a n about our grandfather. We may have to elerate


    our time table,¡¯ Alexis announced bringing both of her brother¡¯s to attention.


    Ever since learning the truth about their maternal family the trio had been nning their revenge on


    everyone who hurt their mother. Ss Prescott had also been on their list which was why Sean had


    gone to the trouble of infiltrating hispany. Now it seemed unnecessary¡­at least for now. There


    were plenty of others in need of theireuppance starting with their aunt.


    For her they had already begun. Sean programmed bots to floodment sections of any news outlet


    reporting on her party activities with unttering critiques. He also created bots toment on her


    social media posts with the same feature. Her reputation was already abysmal to start with but their


    goal was to ruin itpletely. It was no secret she flirted with the idea of being an actress but the bad


    press the triplets continually instigated quickly dried up her offers. That was only the start. The final


    blow wouldeter.


    The punishment for their grandfather was different. Several years ago the Trent family ran afoul of the


    DaLairs and was practically wiped off the face of the world. It was an inspiration for the triplets. Their


    revenge would only beplete once they sessfully recreated the event with the Carlisles. Time


    was naturally on their side. They were only ten after all and since no one knew they existed they could


    work from the shadows without interference from either party.


    But it was different now. Their father knew of them and so did their maternal grandfather. They needed


    to change their strategy if they were going to go through with their n. For now Alexis was willing to


    wait to see what their father would do but as for their grandfather¡­she wasn¡¯t so sure.


    ¡°Okay kids we¡¯re now entering the Ocean Voyage so let¡¯s stay together and have fun.¡±


    * * *


    Ss stood back watching as the triplets followed along with their ss. Sean and Theo stood on either


    side of their sister protecting and guiding her through the exhibit. They stopped periodically marveling


    at the sharks and fish swimming all around them. Sean read every disy they passed for Alexis¡¯s


    benefit.


    Theo started dancing in ce singing Baby Shark immediately bringing his siblings toughter as well


    as some of their ssmates. The trio trailed after their ss as if in their own little bubble. It seemed


    odd to Ss they didn¡¯t make more of an effort to socialize with the other kids. Then again the trio had


    always been together allowing them to form deep bonds others simply couldn¡¯t touch. It wasn¡¯t any


    wonder the brothers guarded their sister so closely or that they would make such an impressive united


    front.


    Ss stood watching them with a mixture of pride and concern. How would he convince all three he


    wanted to be in their lives and that he wanted their mother now more than anything? It was intimidating


    to be so outnumbered and hecked experience with children.


    He did not have the advantage of surprise. They already knew who he was to them. Worse they knew


    what happened ten years ago though there seemed to be some confusion. Alexis said her mother had


    also been drugged in a plot conceived by her aunt. It certainly didn¡¯t surprise him to know Marilynn was


    so devious but to think she would do something so reprehensible to her own sister. And worse his


    children actually believed he had been a part of the plot. It was enough to make him sick. Alexis


    seemed willing to listen to his side at least. Ss hoped his sons were as open-minded as her.


    But what of Ava? Did Ava also believe he had been a part of her sister¡¯s plot? At the very least she


    must think he was heartless for the way he walked out on her and abandoned her to her fate. How


    could he convince her it wasn¡¯t true? Would she even consider forgiving him?


    Alexis mentioned her mother having a crush and her heart had been broken by that same person. She


    seemed to imply he was the object of her mother¡¯s desire. If that was true then that meant¡­Ava had


    been in love with him? Could it really be the woman he desired for so long harbored the same feelings


    for him? Ss cringed as he recalled thest words he said to her.


    God, what have I done?


    Pain enveloped his chest knowing he hurt her but even he hadn¡¯t known she had feelings for him. And


    her wounds ran deep.


    Alexis imed her mother no longer believed in love and that was the real reason she no longer yed


    music. The very idea Ava refused to y left him feeling empty. He had to find some way to make it up


    to her and if he was lucky mend her heart to allow him back into it. She was too important to simply let


    her be. He had to fix this¡­somehow¡­


    ¡°Ss?¡± Thomas prompted watching him closely.


    ¡°Jake, you and Matthew keep close eye on my children. Do not let anything happen to them.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Jake nodded as he and Matthew shared a look. They were still wrapping their head around


    the fact Ss had children but they would not risk failing to protect them and incur his wrath.


    ¡°Thomas,e with me,¡± Ss said giving one more look to the triplets before departing. There was


    someone he had to see right now.


    Reaching the car Ss sat in the passenger seat rubbing his temples. He had to see her, in person, not


    in pictures. He had waited long enough. Concerned Thomas slid into the driver¡¯s seat before


    prompting, ¡°Back to the office?¡±


    ¡°The diner.¡±


    Thomas sucked in a breath. There was only one ce he could possibly mean. Without a word


    Thomas started the car and pulled into traffic. He wasn¡¯t certain what would happen when they reached


    their destination he only hoped Ss wouldn¡¯t do anything rash.


    * * *


    Mike sighed as he stretched in his seat. Beside him his partner had nodded off. Watching the diner day


    in and day out was rather monotonous. Mike expected a woman to have a more varied routine: grocery


    shopping, trips to the hair and nail salon, but their target only ever seemed to work.


    He just couldn¡¯t figure her out or why Ss Prescott would be interested in her. She was pretty enough


    but ordinary. There was nothing extravagant or morous about her. She was a hard worker in fact she


    might work too hard and she was a devoted mother. None of those traits screamed: Attention!


    Maybe if he talked to her he would learn the answers to his puzzle but he didn¡¯t dare go back into the


    diner and risk being recognized. As a security officer his number one priority was to go unnoticed that


    way he could move freely even in a crowd.


    ncing at his rearview mirror he noticed a ck sedan pull behind them. A secondter he


    recognized the driver just as his phone rang. Smacking his partner to wake him Mike picked up the


    phone, ¡°Yes sir?¡±


    In the car behind Thomas looked at the SUV saying, ¡°Anything unusual happen?¡±


    ¡°No. Looks like the regr lunch crowd. This ce tends to attract a small but loyal clientele.¡±


    In today¡¯s age of whole foods, vegetarians and diets the diner¡¯s dated d¨¦cor and food options was


    definitely something of a niche attracting older people who were looking for something nostalgic but


    also younger people looking for something different. There were several older folks enjoying a quiet


    meal but also a younger couple indicating that its appeal was broader than one might give it credit for.


    ¡°Boss, are we¡­¡±


    ¡°Maintain your position. We¡¯re just following up.¡± Thomas hung up and studied the diner. He saw


    several guests but there was no sign of the server.


    Beside him Ss suddenly jerked to attention. Thomas nced at his friend then turned back to the


    diner following the other¡¯s gaze. Outside beside the restaurant and just visible from their position was a


    dumpster. As they watched Ava emerged wearing a coat over her uniform as she hauled arge bag of


    garbage.


    With strength belying her small frame Ava flung the bag into therger container. Stepping back she


    hugged herself rubbing her arms as a sudden breeze brought a chill. She grimaced remaining outside


    a few moments more before retreating inside.


    She reappeared inside a few minutester after discarding her jacket and washing her hands. The


    moment she appeared at the counter a customer signaled for coffee. Ava grabbed the carafe from its


    hot te and refilled the cup with a smile. She repeated this twice before new guests stepped in to take


    seats at a booth.


    Ava brought them a pair of coffee cups filling them as she greeted them and asked if they needed more


    time only for them to rattle off their order without looking at her. Without missing a beat Ava wrote down


    the orders repeating it back before departing. Ss scowled at how they dismissed her. They should be


    the ones vying for her attention.


    His gaze followed her the next few minutes as she refreshed coffee, cleaned tables and served all the


    while maintaining a forced smile that had be a natural expression over the years. Those who


    didn¡¯t know her would make the mistake of thinking she was happy but there was no warmth in the


    expression and her gaze remained t. It was clear she was anything but happy.


    Ss frowned. Ten years had taken their toll. A decade of struggles raising three children on her own


    weighed on her shoulders. It shouldn¡¯t have been this way. He should have been by her side taking


    care of her, supporting her, loving her.


    He wanted nothing more than to cross the street, sweep her off her feet and carry her out the door. But


    he hesitated. Did he have the right to do so after abandoning her? Would she ept him? Would she


    be happy? Or would she be terrified?


    Ss sucked in a breath. If she were angry he would understand. Her anger he could take but not her


    fear. He recalled again the way she trembled, clutching the nket to her naked chest as he stood over


    her enraged by his friends¡¯ actions and by what he thought she was. She had to have been terrified of


    him and the threat he made. It wasn¡¯t any wonder she never tried to contact him after the triplets were


    born or when Alexis was diagnosed with her condition.


    Ss leaned back running his hands through his hair. If only he realized it was her that day. If only he


    asked her to raise her head. He would have recognized her immediately even in his self-righteous


    rage. Why did he take his anger out on her? She didn¡¯t deserve it especially after what Alexis told him.


    Ss gritted his teeth. Marilynn Carlisle. She was a crude, disgusting creature. He had never met such


    an egotistical, wretched person as her in his life. It was hard to believe she was even Ava¡¯s sister. The


    two wereplete opposites. But how could she have done that to her own sister? Just thinking about


    it caused his rage to boil. If it was thest thing he did he would make her pay for inflicting such harm


    on Ava. But first¡­he had to find a way to win Ava¡¯s heart and keep her at his side where she belonged.


    Somehow¡­


    Ss looked to the diner again watching as she moved from table to table. She was too thin. Even from


    a distance he saw she was tired. She was pale, too pale. Her hair was dull and stringy though that


    could also be due to lower quality products. He refused to allow it to continue. But how could he


    approach her without frightening her?


    ¡°Ss?¡± Thomas prompted after a while. ¡°Did¡­you want to go in?¡±


    He hesitated. Every fiber of his being screamed Yes! but he couldn¡¯t risk frightening her. It wasn¡¯t like


    him to be indecisive. He always knew his path but suddenly he didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°No,¡± he finally said. ¡°I need¡­I need a little more time.¡±


    Thomas nodded starting the car. He had never seen Ss like this before. But perhaps it was to be


    expected. The woman he loved and looked for the past ten years had been right under his nose the


    entire time. What was worse she had been caring for his children without aid or support.


    Ss never showed much interest in children before and now he was a father of three no less. If they


    were normal kids it would be one thing but they were anything but normal. Thomas hesitated to say it


    but they were clearly geniuses. They had to be in order to infiltrate thepany¡¯s security system at


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ten years old. Ss was definitely in over his head even if he didn¡¯t realize it yet.

 Book Two: Chapter Eleven

    Book Two: Chapter Eleven


    ¡°Alexis your mom is here to pick you up,¡± the teacher announced.


    Alexis tilted her head and frowned. Why would her mother be there? She should be at work. It was


    Monday and three days since she met their father at the aquarium. They had been waiting for him to


    make his next move but so far he hadn¡¯t made an appearance. She was beginning to think they might


    have scared him off. But now her mother was here?


    She didn¡¯t have a doctor¡¯s appointment and it was strange her mother would only ask for her. Her hair


    stood on end as another thought urred to her. Biting her lip she said, ¡°Okay. Can my brothers escort


    me since I left my cane at home?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sweetie. Go right ahead but boyse back quickly.¡±


    With nods her brothers stood helping her pack away her work. Alexis seldom brought her cane to


    school since her brothers were always close at hand. Thanks to that the teachers were also used to


    such requests. Alexis was familiar enough with the schoolyout she could easily find her way by


    herself particrly without other students rushing around but there was no reason to tell the teachers


    that.


    Theo carried her backpack as they led her out of the ssroom and headed down the hall. She could


    feel their nervousness though she tried to remain calm.


    ¡°This is weird, right?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Do you have an appointment you forgot about?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Alexis shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s probably our grandfather. He moved faster than I thought he would.¡±


    ¡°It could be our father,¡± Sean said.


    ¡°No. He would have asked for all three of us.¡±


    ¡°So¡­what do we do?¡±


    ¡°Mom will be waiting at the office. We¡¯ll see if she¡¯s alone or if someone is with her. Then we¡¯ll decide.¡±


    They walked steadily but tried not to hurry. Thest thing they wanted to do was attract unnecessary


    attention. Nearing the office they slowed and stopped before rounding the corner. Theo peaked beyond


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    confirming their mother was waiting with two men in suits. They weren¡¯t as burly as the man who had


    of some sort.


    ¡°So¡­what do we do?¡± Theo asked after describing what he saw for his sister¡¯s benefit. In his mind he


    imagined various scenarios they could use to rescue their mother and escape pursuit.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go. Mom must be terrified,¡± Alexis said.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll go too.¡± Sean said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Theo seconded.


    ¡°No,¡± Alexis shot them down. ¡°Our grandfather doesn¡¯t know about you two yet.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°You guys need to get to theputer room and infiltrate Carlisle Enterprises. Mom and I will probably


    need help getting out once we¡¯re there. We need to be prepared. We are entering the belly of the


    beast.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Got it.¡± Sean said immediately understanding her thoughts.


    He could ess the building¡¯s security easily enough and use the cameras to watch over them. Once


    he was in the system he could also control various areas to distract pursuit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Theo hesitated. He didn¡¯t like the thought of their mother and sister going alone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Our father¡¯s men are still watching us so he has to know what is going on. I don¡¯t think


    he¡¯ll just stand by and we can use them.¡±


    Theo chewed his lip. Honestly he wasn¡¯t sure if they should consider that a good thing or a bad one.


    Alexis and Sean might believe their father was worth giving a chance but he would not be so easily


    swayed.


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll head to theputer room,¡± Theo finally agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t think any ss will be using it so


    we won¡¯t have to worry about questions.¡±


    Sean agreed.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Alexis gave each aforting pat then she stepped out and headed for the office counting her


    steps.


    She walked with her arm extended and fingers brushing the wall. To anyone casually watching she


    looked like she was a typical, yful, ten-year-old girl. Only those who knew her knew she was using


    the wall as her guide to avoid wandering off track.


    Nearing the office she called, ¡°Mom.¡±


    Lynn turned at her daughter¡¯s voice. She was surprised to see Alexis approach alone since the boys


    never left their sister unattended. She hurriedly closed the distance and pulled her into a firm hug.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, mom,¡± Alexis whispered before the men hemmed them in.


    ¡°Miss Carlisle, it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    Lynn¡¯s embrace tightened as she cringed. Ten years she hadn¡¯t even thought of the name. When she


    heard it in the diner she had froze.


    * * *


    ¡°Be right with you,¡± Lynn said as she cleared a table without looking at the new arrivals.


    ¡°You¡¯ll being with us now, Miss Carlisle.¡±


    Lynn froze feeling herself go cold as she broke into a sweat that had nothing to do with the hours on


    her feet. Straightening she turned to see two men in business suits but their presence was far more


    frightening as was the guns tucked under their jackets.


    ¡°Your father has summoned you¡­and his granddaughter,¡± the man said without exnation.


    ¡°Lynn honey, something wrong?¡± Gretchen askeding out of the kitchen. ¡°Can I help you


    gentlemen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lynn hurriedly shook her head. ¡°My father sent them for me. Just let me get my coat.¡±


    Lynn ducked into the kitchen removing her apron and grabbing her jacket. Gretchen eyed the men


    before stepping into the kitchen as Lynn made hasty preparations.


    ¡°You in trouble, sweetie?¡±


    ¡°The less you know the better,¡± Lynn answered. ¡°If I go with them they¡¯ll leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I asked. Besides what could they do to me?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know,¡± Lynn said after a moment. ¡°After we go, call Tracy and let her know what


    happened. It¡¯ll be fine. Promise.¡±


    * * *


    Though she said she would be fine she wasn¡¯t really sure. She had no idea why her father would look


    for her after ten years. Lynn barely had time to write Tracy¡¯s number down. She wasn¡¯t sure if Tracy


    could help but she wanted someone to know what happened and where she had been taken.


    Despite the unusual situation Alexis was poised even assuring her mother everything would be fine.


    They sat together in the back of the sedan holding hands. She remained quiet and listened to every


    word the men said though it wasn¡¯t much. It was just as well she couldn¡¯t see or she might have been


    tempted to see if the ck SUV was following. Beside her, her mother nervously fidgeting not sure


    what wasing. Alexis wished she couldfort her mother but she couldn¡¯t risk alerting the men in


    the car.


    To pass time she counted between turns guessing the length of the drive. It was exceedingly short and


    she could only guess when they crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. Naturally she knew where her


    grandfather¡¯spany was located so the direction of travel was no great surprise.


    Eventually they came to a stop in a parking lot. Judging by the echo she knew they were underground


    but this too wasn¡¯t surprising. The men escorting them immediately got out and waited for them to exit


    not bothering to open their doors. Alexis snorted in disgust but it gave her the opportunity she was


    waiting for to speak with her mom.


    Squeezing her hand Alexis said, ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, mom. Sean and Theo aren¡¯t far. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Not wanting to risk angering their guards Alexis exited and waited for her mother to join her. She knew


    her words had not alleviated her mother¡¯s concerns but she couldn¡¯t offer more now. It was a shame


    they kept their activities and preparations secret from her but they hadn¡¯t wanted her to worry.


    Alexis leaned on her mother hoping their continued contact would bring herfort even if her words


    didn¡¯t. The men said nothing escorting them to an elevator. The ride was both short and long. Alexis


    could only guess they were on an express elevator of sorts as it didn¡¯t stop on any of the lower floors


    and kept going to what she assumed was the executive floor. She doubted her grandfather wanted to


    advertise to his employees who he was entertaining.


    As she expected stepping off the elevator it was a short walk to a spacious office. Dimly she heard the


    cking of keyboards and idle office chatter but it was indistinct. They were definitely not being


    escorted through the main area of the floor probably an off hallway. They were ushered into the office


    quickly and left alone without even being offered a seat.


    Almost immediately the phone rang. Without hesitation Alexis left her mother¡¯s side and approached


    the desk. Her mother whispered her name in panic but Alexis picked up the receiver.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hi, sis. If you feel along the right side of the phone near the bottom you¡¯ll feel three buttons. Press the


    second one to put it on speaker and hang up the receiver so we can listen in.¡±


    Alexis did as instructed and returned to her mother before she could truly panic. No sooner was she


    back at her mother¡¯s side than the door opened and a new presence filled the room.


    Lynn sucked in her breath as her gaze fell on her father. In ten years he seemed to have aged twenty.


    Yet he stillmanded attention and obedience. His suit was finely pressed, his thinning hair styled


    with mousse and colored though he was due for another session as gray was showing at his temples.


    In his youth he had been handsome and now he was distinguished even when his expression twisted


    in disgust as his gaze settled on her.


    Lynn¡¯s heart faltered. Deep down she always hoped perhaps to be forgiven but those hopes were


    dashed in an instant. She meant nothing to him, like a bug crawling on the floor.


    ¡°Just when I thought you couldn¡¯t sink lower,¡± Emerson announced as he walked to his desk. ¡°A


    waitress? Just how much do you intend to insult your family you wretched, ungrateful girl?¡±


    Lynn trembled. She had done her best. Why wasn¡¯t that enough? She made a life for herself and her


    children without help. Didn¡¯t that count for something? Alexis squeezed her mother¡¯s hand in silent


    support like a rock in a storm.


    ¡°I have gone to great pains to have these drawn up quietly,¡± Emerson said, ¡°if you know what is good


    for you, you will sign.¡±


    ¡°W-what is that?¡± Lynn hesitated.


    ¡°Custody papers. I will be taking Alexis. You will not see her or make any contact with her. You will


    disappear from her life and never show your face to me again.¡±


    ¡°¡­But she¡¯s my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think can take better care of her? With me she will be given all the best opportunities.


    With you she¡¯ll rot in a sewer.¡±


    Lynn bit her lip. It was true she didn¡¯t have the same means as him but she gave everything to her


    children and loved them unconditionally. Surely he had nothing topare to that.


    ¡°What do you think, youngdy?¡± Emerson turned his attention to his granddaughter. ¡°I have a bright


    shiny piano waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Alexis asked. ¡°So you can trot me out in front of your friends like a trained monkey? Hard


    pass. I¡¯ll stay with my mom.¡±


    Their guards shared nervous nces. No one dared speak to Emerson Carlisle like that before


    especially not in his own office. For his part Emerson remained silent. His eyes were pools of rage not


    that Alexis could see nor cared if she could.


    ¡°You show up after ten years, drag my mom from work and me from school like your some Lord of the


    Land?¡± Alexis continued. ¡°You are a disgusting old man with no sense of morals. You¡¯re a puss filled


    abscess on the world¡­and you have to go.¡±


    ¡°Now see here, youngdy, you would do well¡­¡±


    ¡°No! You see here, old man. If you at least started with an apology I might have entertained you, but no


    one, and I mean no one, talks to our mother that way!¡±


    ¡°Our?¡±


    ¡°Right boys?¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Twelve

    Book Two: Chapter Twelve


    Theo sighed for the tenth time as he peaked down the hallway. After sessfully making it to the


    monitor. Minutes ticked by and Sean¡¯s fingers continued to fly over the keyboard without pause.


    ¡°Awe,e on,¡± Theo finally said. ¡°It can¡¯t be that hard to get in.¡±


    ¡°What? I got in ages ago,¡± Sean snorted. ¡°I already pulled up the security cameras so we¡¯ll know as


    soon as Alexis and mom arrive.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Theo left his post to see his brother wasn¡¯t kidding. The screen disyed live feed from


    several cameras monitoring a parking garage. ¡°So what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Drumming up some troops.¡±


    ¡°Say what now?¡±


    ¡°Hacker forums. I¡¯m getting as many as I can for a cyber attack on Carlisle Enterprises.¡±


    Theo nced at the open chat on his brother¡¯sputer but couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of the code


    they used. Finally he said, ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. We need a distraction to get Lexi and mom out safely. That¡¯s where these guyse in.


    While they are in the system my activities are less likely to be noticed.¡±


    ¡°So these other hackers are all going to attack thepany¡¯sputers at the same time? But what


    good is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s aplexputerwork and every byte of data we monopolize is going to slow it down and


    possibly shut it downpletely. Think about it. Every second Carlisle Enterprises is shut down is


    millions of dors in loss,¡± Sean exined, ¡°and while our grandfather¡¯sckeys run around in a


    panic I can sneak Lexi and mom out undetected. Saves us some work and keeps me from burning all


    of my backdoors.¡±


    ¡°And the others are okay with this?¡±


    ¡°Hackers aren¡¯t evil we¡¯re just smart and we do things to prove we can. I¡¯m challenging them to a duel


    to see who can cause the most havoc not that anyone will be keeping score. It doesn¡¯t matter who wins


    as long as Lexi and mom are safe.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°There they are,¡± Sean said pointing to a camera feed. Sure enough their mother and Alexis emerged


    from a sedan nked by several men and were escorted to a freight elevator.


    Sean quickly cycled through feeds to keep eyes on them as they were escorted to the executive office.


    It was a stroke of luck when the men departed leaving the pair alone. Picking up the phone he dialed


    and waited watching Alexis move toward the sound to pick it up. He gave instructions quickly not


    wanting to be caught and sheplied readily. Now they had eyes and ears in the room.


    All the while he egged on the other hackers to hurry so the fun could begin. He knew not everyone


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    wouldply but he only needed a few. When Alexis threw down her gauntlet a descent majority had


    sessfully infiltrated thepany and bombarded the system with their own viral concoctions.


    * * *


    ¡°Boys? What are you talking about?¡± Emerson demanded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t do you own research do you? Typical rich boy. I bet you paid people to do your homework


    too.¡±


    Before he could answer the office door was flung open by a panicked IT member, ¡°Sir!¡±


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to be disturbed!¡± Emerson red at the young man.


    ¡°But sir¡­we have a big problem! The whole system is under attack.¡±


    ¡°Stay here!¡± Emerson ordered the mother-daughter pair as he and his men followed the new arrival out.


    Two remained at the door as their grandfather hurried to a secureputer to see what was


    happening for himself.


    ¡°Nicely done,¡± Alexis said out loud.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± her brother¡¯s voice answered. ¡°Got a little help.¡±


    ¡°Figured. Now what?¡±


    ¡°I got you an out but you have to move quickly. When the fire rm sounds count to ten then leave.


    Turn right and follow the crowd to the stairs. There will be a short hallway on your left that leads to the


    freight elevator. I¡¯ll hold it for you. Once you get to the first floor turn left and leave out the side exit. It¡¯ll


    be unlocked. There you¡¯ll find your chariot.¡±


    ¡°ck SUV, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Okay got it.¡± Alexis gripped her mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Stay with me mom. I told you everything will be all


    right.¡±


    ¡°But Lexi, what is going on?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll exinter. Promise. We¡¯re ready, Sean.¡±


    ¡°Here we go.¡±


    Secondster the fire rms sounded shing emergency red lights on the startled workers. Many


    hesitated, grabbing coats and purses rather than fleeing in a hurry. The guards left at the door seemed


    at an equal loss unsure what they should do. They tried their radios only to receive nothing but static.


    Thinking something must have truly happened they joined the crowd as they streamed toward the


    stairs. As with drills the elevators would automatically drop to the first floor and would not take any


    passengers.


    Counting to ten Alexis opened the office door, turned right as her brother instructed and led her mother


    along the wall with the stragglers who still made a decent crowd. They moved quickly and were long


    gone before anyone thought to check on them.


    As they continued with the crowd Lynn stepped forward to protect her daughter from overeager jostling.


    Alexis held tight to her mother angling to the opposite wall seeking the hallway Sean assured her was


    there. Momentster they stepped into the small hallway and out of the streaming crowd. Alexis felt


    along the wall locating the elevator controls and tapped the button. A ding sounded as the doors


    opened and she pulled her mother onto it before they were noticed. The doors closed and the elevator


    descended.


    Alexis breathed a sigh of relief already feeling safer.


    Her mother didn¡¯t seem to share her relief, ¡°Lexi, what is going on? Was that your brother on the


    phone? Why isn¡¯t he in ss?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­yeah that was Sean on the phone. Theo was probably right next to him.¡±


    ¡°How? Did they do all of this?¡±


    ¡°No. Sean recruited some allies to help create a distraction. The fire rms were definitely him though


    and making sure this elevator was avable for us was him too.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°We probably should have told you sooner but we didn¡¯t want you to worry.¡±


    ¡°What have you three been doing?¡±


    ¡°Plotting our revenge.¡±


    ¡°Revenge?¡±


    Before Alexis could respond the elevator came to a stop. Lynn hesitated as the doors opened. Taking


    her hand Alexis stepped off and turned left. As Sean told them the emergency exit was straight ahead


    and they soon found themselves on the crowded street. Office workers were milling around the building


    looking up expecting to see smoke. Sirens wailed as fire trucks arrived adding to the confusion. Lynn


    watched wondering if they would be arrested.


    ¡°Mom, do you see a ck SUV?¡± Alexis suddenly asked.


    Lynn slowly turned spying such a vehicle and said, ¡°There¡¯s one across the street.¡±


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s go,¡± Alexis tugged her toward the street.


    ¡°Lexi! Wait!¡± Lynn held her back checking both ways before crossing. Though thest few minutes had


    been overwhelming nothing would interfere with her instinct to protect her children.


    * * *


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you sir, it¡¯s chaos out here right now,¡± Mike said.


    ¡°What do you mean chaos?¡± Thomas¡¯s voice asked over the phone¡¯s speaker.


    ¡°There are cops and fire trucks. I don¡¯t know what happened but it¡¯s big,¡± Mike nced at his partner


    who shook his head in equal bewilderment.


    Less than an hour ago they settled in for another long day outside the diner only for it to be interrupted


    by a pair of men in suits who arrived in a nondescript sedan. They knew at a nce the pair were not


    businessmen any more than they were.


    When the pair exited minutester with a terrified woman between them Mike and his partner couldn¡¯t


    be more surprised especially when they realized it was the same woman they had been tasked with


    guarding. Mike made a quick U-turn to follow as the sedan drove away while his partner called their


    boss for instructions.


    Their shock was only heightened when the sedan pulled up to the kids¡¯ school. Parking some distance


    from the other team they watched as the woman was escorted inside only to reemerge momentster


    with the girl huddled close. The girl didn¡¯t seem all that affected even as her mother cowered between


    the men in suits. If anything she looked angry. But where were the boys?


    ¡°Yeah, they have the woman and the girl now,¡± his partner said as Mike watched the proceedings


    gripping his steering wheel with white knuckles. ¡°No. No sign of the boys. Got it. We¡¯re supposed to


    stay with the mother and daughter. The other team will stay to keep watch over the brothers.¡±


    Mike merely nodded pulling out of their parking space to follow the sedan again. He wasn¡¯t sure if he


    was surprised or not when the sedan disappeared into an underground parking structure. Not having


    an authorized card to enter they were forced to park on the street to wait while keeping their boss


    updated.


    Suddenly the back door opened and a young girl climbed in scooting over to make room as her mother


    joined her in the back seat. Mike and Don turned in surprise their mouths open in shock though neither


    dared protest.


    ¡°Hurry mom, close the door before anyone sees us,¡± Alexis insisted before turning her attention to the


    other upants. ¡°Hello again, Mister Peppermint. How are you?¡±


    Mike mutely stared looking from her to her mother and back again before her words finally clicked,


    ¡°Mister Peppermint?¡±


    ¡°Oh sorry, that¡¯s my nickname for you based on your aftershave.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± Thomas¡¯s voice demanded over the phone¡¯s speaker.


    ¡°Oh? Is that your boss?¡± Alexis leaned forward. ¡°What¡¯s your name boss man?¡±


    ¡°¡­Thomas¡­¡±


    ¡°Cool. Just call me Lexi, everyone else does. Mom and I are out of the building and sitting in your


    going to happen next. Oh if you could send the other team to pick up my brothers that would be great.


    They¡¯re still at the school I presume. What¡¯s the name of your guys anyway?¡±


    ¡°Their names?¡± Thomas asked confused by her authoritative rambling.


    ¡°Well yeah. Mom is going to have to call the school and let them know who¡¯s picking up my brothers.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Jake Clements. He¡¯s the head of that team.¡±


    ¡°Got it. So you call and tell your guys the n and mom will call the school. We¡¯ll meet you at your


    headquarters or whatever. Hey Smoky, you have a phone my mom can borrow right?¡±


    Mike watched as his partner hesitated before handing his phone to the surprisingly pushy ten-year-old.


    She took it immediately handing it off to her stunned mother.


    ¡°Here mom. Call the school and say your¡­cousin Jake is picking up Sean and Theo.¡±


    ¡°¡­My cousin?¡± Lynn looked at her daughter in confusion.


    ¡°They¡¯ll ask less questions if you say he¡¯s a family member from the start.¡±


    Lynn hesitated but there didn¡¯t seem to be anyway to dissuade her daughter from this course of action.


    In truth she was also feeling more and more anxious with the boys still out of her sight. It would be far


    easier to protect all of them if they were together. Biting her lip sheplied with her daughter¡¯s


    request without any more objections.


    Alexis smiled buckling herself in even as the men in the front seats continued to stare at them. Finally


    Thomas¡¯s voice broke the silence with a simple order, ¡°Bring them in.¡±


    ¡°R-right,¡± Mike nced at their unexpected visitors onest time before turning around in his seat and


    starting the vehicle. He had a lot of questions but he doubted he would get the answers, or like them.


    After hanging up with the school Lynn buckled herself in and looked at the men in the front seat before


    looking again to her daughter and demanded, ¡°Lexi, just what is going on? Who are these people and


    how do you know them?¡±


    ¡°They work for Ss Prescott,¡± Alexis answered feeling her mother tense even before she reached over


    and grasped her mother¡¯s mmy hand. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, mom. Trust me.¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Thirteen

    Book Two: Chapter Thirteen


    Ss fled the board room practically hysterical at how long it had taken for them to reach their


    consensus about thepany¡¯s projected profits for the next quarter. None of it mattered when Ava


    and Alexis were in trouble. Thomas met him as he exited and quickly fell into step.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Where are they?¡± Ss demanded.


    Thomas had sent him a short text warning him, Carlisle knows. While they had always been business


    rivals there was only one reason for such a message. Emerson had discovered Ava and the children.


    As soon as he received it Ss had been ready to storm out of the meeting and straight to Emerson¡¯s


    office to demand them back. Nothing could stop him from iming his family.


    Only Thomas could sessfully hold him back with a timely update that only Ava and Alexis had been


    summoned meaning the old man didn¡¯t know or care about the boys. Ss wasn¡¯t certain which but had


    been convinced to wait for more information.


    ¡°She and the girl arrived a few minutes ago and the brothers are on their way.¡±


    Ss sucked in a relieved breath. Thomas had been sending him updates as the meeting dragged on


    keeping him abreast of the situation though it felt like torture. What did he care about quarterly reports


    and projected earnings when Ava was in trouble?


    ¡°Are they all right?¡±


    ¡°Well, Lexi seems fine but I think her mother had quite a scare. Mike and Don said she hasn¡¯t spoken a


    word since calling the school. She may be in shock.¡±


    Ss gritted his teeth. He supposed her reaction was to be expected. After ten years her father


    suddenly retrieved her and Alexis without warning. He wasn¡¯t certain what happened inside the Carlisle


    office but Emerson was known to be a harsh taskmaster and had thrown out his own daughter without


    a trace of remorse.


    After experiencing that Ava now unexpectedly found herself swept up by her father¡¯s greatest rival and


    the father of her children. A man viewed even more ruthless than her father. Ss couldn¡¯t me her


    for being apprehensive but he didn¡¯t want her to be afraid of him. That was why he hesitated to


    approach her in the first ce. He wanted her to know she was safe and he wouldn¡¯t let anyone hurt


    her.


    Reaching his office he hesitated before entering. Mike and Don stood near the door nodding to him as


    he stepped inside. Alexis sat on the couch contentedly munching on a muffin. The coffee table was


    lookedpletely undisturbed.


    Ss¡¯s gaze scanned the room before finally finding Ava. She stood at the window overlooking the city


    with a pensive look on her face. Still wearing her jacket and waitress uniform she hugged herself


    rubbing her arms as if fending off a chill. Ss frowned. Was she cold? He did keep the office at a


    steady sixty-two degrees. Perhaps that was too cold for her. Should he offer to turn up the heat or just


    order it to be done?


    He tried to shake the second guesses intruding into his thoughts. His hesitation nearly cost him


    everything. If he had approached sooner he could have safely absconded them to one of his properties


    well out of Emerson¡¯s reach. Ss took a deep breath before crossing the room. His heart hammered in


    his head as he drew near the woman who upied his mind for so long. She wasn¡¯t a dream. She was


    really here.


    ¡°Ava.¡±


    She flinched at his voice and turned. Her green eyes were wide with fear and uncertainty. She didn¡¯t


    know what he wanted or how she would escape his wrath. What could she even say to him?


    But the look that met hers was not what she expected. His gaze was steady but concern lined his face


    with a deep frown. There was no anger that she could detect. In fact he almost seemed afraid of her.


    But why? He held all the power. She had nothing that couldpare and no way to stop him if he


    insisted on taking the kids away from her just as her father had.


    ¡°Ava, are you all right? Did he hurt you?¡± Ss asked stirring her from her thoughts.


    ¡°¡­N-no. He didn¡¯t.¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°Lucky for him then. If he had¡­¡± Ss let his words and thoughts fall silent not wanting to continue less


    he scare her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Ava asked startled by his sudden confession. ¡°W-why would you¡­¡±


    ¡°I should have been there. I should never have allowed him to get that close to you. I won¡¯t let it happen


    again.¡±


    Ava opened her mouth only to snap it shut without a word. That was not something she expected. She


    studied him more closely. Why did he look like a child begging for forgiveness?


    ¡°Ava I¡­¡±


    ¡°Lexi!¡±


    They turned as Sean and Theo suddenly barged in fresh from school. Theo was still lugging her


    backpack which he tossed into a chair along with his own before he and his brother leapt on the couch


    to embrace their sister.


    ¡°Jeez, you dorks,¡± Alexisughed. ¡°You act like I¡¯ve been gone for a week. It¡¯s only been like an hour.¡±


    ¡°Yeah an hour since you were held hostage by a total perv!¡± Theo dered. ¡°That old man is going to


    pay big time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, today was only step one,¡± Sean agreed. ¡°Next time we¡¯ll be better prepared. We¡¯ll shut the


    whole ce down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be easy now that we yed our hand though.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I got so many backdoors into that ce. It¡¯s practically Swiss cheese,¡± Sean


    shrugged grabbing a soda off the table. ¡°Today was just for fun beside most of it was done by other


    hackers. They¡¯ll never pin it on us.¡±


    Alexis nodded. Leave it to Sean to n ahead. Her knowledge ofputer hacking was limited though


    she trusted his abilities. Employing other hackers to create a distraction was a smart move and it was


    unlikely anyone would notice their activity though the smokescreen.


    ¡°So how long do you think it will take to repair the damage?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll probably have to shut down and restart the entirework to clear out all the garbage from


    today.¡± Sean thought about it. ¡°But the shutdown is damage enough. Every minute they are down is


    millions down the drain.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s a start, I guess.¡± Theo sighed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll let them getfortable for now,¡± Alexis announced, ¡°and consider our next step.¡±


    Thomas sent Ss a shocked look. Though the kids looked and acted normal enough their


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    conversation was anything but what one would expect from kids their age. Even so their excitement at


    being reunited was palpable.


    ¡°What are you three talking about?¡± Ava demanded breaking the tension.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Theo eximed bouncing to his feet and running toward her.


    He threw his arms around her hugging her close like a child starved for attention. Ava¡¯s arms


    immediately encircled him and she leaned forward to kiss the top of his head. She let out a relieved


    sigh. All her babies were ounted for and safe but now she couldn¡¯t hold back her desire for


    answers.


    ¡°I think you three better exin yourselves.¡±


    ncing at his siblings still seated on the couch Theo took their mother¡¯s hand and led her to the


    sitting area. Sitting her down beside Alexis Theo sat next to her while Sean moved to the coffee table


    allowing them all to hold her hands. It filled Ss with a sense of pride to see how his children treated


    their mother with such esteem and care.


    ¡°Okay mom,¡± Alexis leaned her head on Ava¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The truth is¡­we know. We know your name


    isn¡¯t the one you were born with and you changed it from Avalynn Carlisle to Carter. We know Emerson


    Carlisle is your father, our grandfather, and Ss Prescott is our biological father. We also know it was


    your sister who set you up ten years ago resulting in us even being born in the first ce.¡±


    Ava sucked in a breath trembling at their confession. All of them gripped her hands giving herfort


    and waited for her to calm down. After a long moment she finally asked, ¡°H-how long?¡±


    ¡°Since we were, like, five.¡±


    ¡°¡­That long? How? I never told you¡­¡±


    ¡°We overheard you and Aunt Tracy talkingte at night when you thought we were asleep,¡± Theo


    admitted. ¡°And we¡¯ve been nning our revenge on all the people who hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Your revenge?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the best mom in the world,¡± Alexis said. ¡°We¡¯ll never forgive anyone who hurt you or let them


    get away with it.¡±


    Ava stifled a sob as tears blurred her vision. The love of her children surrounded her like a warm


    embrace. So she wasn¡¯t a failure. She had done something right after all.


    ¡°Which brings us to what happens next,¡± Alexis said, ¡°right Mister Prescott?¡±


    Ss grimaced at the title. He didn¡¯t like them treating him with such indifference but he hadn¡¯t earned


    the title he most wanted. It would take time for him to grow closer to them and gain their trust. First he


    had to keep them safe.


    ¡°I guess it does,¡± Ss nodded.


    Ava hesitantly looked up at him. Her eyes ssy with tears but also shining with fear at what he would


    say or do next.


    ¡°First, I need to get you four somewhere safe,¡± Ss said taking a seat across from them. ¡°Then we


    need to make sure Emerson can¡¯t touch you.¡±


    ¡°How do we do that? He¡¯ll figure out where we live soon enough since he already knows where we go


    to school and where mom works,¡± Theo demanded.


    ¡°And he¡¯ll also figure out there is actually three of us now,¡± Alexis said. They got lucky this time


    because he only knew about her and never bothered digging deeper.


    ¡°For now you¡¯ll stay at my vi,¡± Ss said.


    ¡°Vi?¡±


    ¡°My family owns several. There is one on the Upper West Side. It might actually be under my mother¡¯s


    name. It¡¯s small enough that a minimal security force can keep it secure and there is plenty of room for


    all of you. Thomas can pick up your things from your apartment and you can stay there.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Ava wanted to protest.


    ¡°Does it have a pool?¡± Theo asked.


    Ss nodded, ¡°It¡¯s inside and heated but it does haverge windows so it almost feels like it is outside.


    There¡¯s a hot tub as well.¡±


    ¡°Cool. It¡¯ll be like staying in a hotel.¡±


    Sean rolled his eyes.


    ¡°What about school?¡± Ava asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost fall break,¡± Alexis reminded. ¡°We can tell them we¡¯re taking a long vacation. It¡¯s not like we


    need to be there and we can always take online courses to make up for it.¡±


    Ava chewed her lip.


    ¡°Ava.¡±


    Hesitantly she met Ss¡¯s pleading gaze.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll keep all of you safe.¡±


    Ava sucked in a breath. She wanted to scream why? But it was stuck in her throat. Did he really care


    about her? Did she dare trust him? But she also couldn¡¯t face her father alone again. She simply wasn¡¯t


    strong enough. Mutely she nodded in submission.


    ¡°You know what that means, boys,¡± Alexis announced.


    ¡°Right.¡± Sean reached into his back pocket and removed a phone.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s mine!¡± Jake eximed.


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Sean nodded. ¡°I needed a way to ess the building security somehow.¡±


    ¡°You too, Theo,¡± Alexis said.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah.¡± Theo stood removing not one but three wallets from his various pockets.


    ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡±


    ¡°And mine!¡±


    He rolled his eyes removing a set of keys next and adding it to the growing pile on the table before


    sitting back down.


    ¡°Are you some kind of master pick-pocket?¡± Thomas asked reiming his wallet from the pile.


    ¡°A magician never reveals their secrets,¡± Theo said with a grin. ¡°If this meeting went south we were


    going to need wheels and travel funds.¡±


    He winked as he snagged some of the junk food on the table. Thomas raised an eyebrow and looked


    as Ss rubbed a temple. They were definitely out of their league when it came to these children.

 Book Two: Chapter Fourteen

    Book Two: Chapter Fourteen


    ¡°Wow! Check this ce out! It¡¯s huge!¡± Theo dered as they paused inside the foyer.


    A step behind him Sean whistled. Their father called it a vi but the brownstone was more like a


    mansion. Who would have thought such a ce existed even on the Upper West Side? Behind them


    came their security guards now acting as porters carrying in the duffels the kids packed during their


    brief return to their apartment. Their mother followed guiding Alexis though thetter now possessed


    her cane. Still it helped having a sighted person guide her during initial visits.


    ¡°Let me take your coat,¡± Ss gently urged helping Ava out of her threadbare jacket.


    The more he looked at it the more faults he found. It wasn¡¯t just frayed. It actually had several holes. It


    was faded making its original color difficult to ascertain: perhaps camouge green? There were also


    mud and salt stains from years of use and wearing it in inclement weather. The first chance he got he


    would take them out for new wardrobes and toss the jacket out.


    ¡°Hey look! It evenes with a butler. Hey Jeeves! How¡¯s it hanging?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the butler said giving the boy an odd stare before looking to his employer. ¡°Sir.¡±


    ¡°Duncan,¡± Ss acknowledged. ¡°This is Ava. The kids are Alexis, Sean and Theo. They¡¯ll be in your


    care so I expect nothing but the best.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Duncan nodded his gaze taking in the young, petite woman, her reserved daughter and


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    rather boisterous sons. He had a lot of questions to which he didn¡¯t expect to get answers but he had a


    few guesses. ¡°Madam, it is my honor to serve.¡±


    ¡°¡­Th-thank you,¡± Ava nodded. It had been a long time since she stayed anywhere with servants at her


    beck and call. Even the ones her parents employed were not nearly so personable usually dismissing


    her. She didn¡¯t want to be a bother.


    ¡°You can ask Duncan for anything,¡± Ss assured her gently rubbing her shoulder. He wanted to


    Would you like to freshen up before dinner?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. That sounds fine,¡± Ava agreed. With an arm around Alexis she guided her to the stairs. ¡°Sean.


    Theo.¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡± Theo called reappearing from another room where he had wandered.


    Duncan imed the girl and boys¡¯ duffels from the security detail leaving them with Thomas for their


    new instructions. Ss took Ava¡¯s bag himself without a word guiding her up the stairs and down the


    hall. He wanted nothing more than to take her to his own bedroom but knew it was too soon. Instead he


    guided her to a room a few doors down.


    This one wasvishly decorated with rich, warm tones. The curtains were heavily brocaded with thick


    embroidery. A M hung over the mantel with an antique vase full of flowers that were changed


    weekly regardless of whether the room was upied. All the furniture was well-oiled, antique wood


    and carefully restored fabric. Ava slowly turned taking it all in mentally calcting the value.


    Ss set her bag on the bed watching her. He hopedfortable surroundings would help her rx but


    it seemed she was only bing more anxious as she stood in her uniform hugging herself and


    rubbing her arms. Ss quietly approached covering her nervous hands with his own. She stiffened as


    he leaned close kissing her temple.


    ¡°¡­S-ss?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I finally found you,¡± he said.


    ¡°¡­Found me? Why would you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for ten years,¡± Ss said slowly turning her to face him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I didn¡¯t


    find you sooner.¡±


    Ava opened her mouth but closed it not sure what she should say. She wanted tough or call him a


    liar but his gaze held her silent. His eyes were so gentle and expression earnest. Had he really looked


    for her? But why after he told her to disappear from his sight?


    ¡°Ava, I didn¡¯t¡­I didn¡¯t know it was you that day,¡± Ss finally spoke the words he wanted to say.


    ¡°You¡­didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°No. My friends thought¡­They wanted me to loosen up so they slipped something in my drink and¡­


    When I woke up and saw you I thought¡­God I thought you were a maid they paid or¡­I never saw


    your face. You never looked at me. I never dreamed it would be you¡­¡±


    Ss hung his head unable to continue. If only he had controlled his temper. He didn¡¯t dare meet her


    gaze expecting her to be upset or disgusted with him. When she remained silent he clenched his jaw


    and slowly raised his head bracing himself. Her eyes were wide, questioning, uncertain.


    ¡°¡­You were drugged too?¡± Ava asked. Yes, her sister had said something about college boys bragging


    about the trick they yed on their friend. ¡°And you didn¡¯t know it was me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said those things to you. If I knew it was you I¡­I never would¡­It¡¯s my


    fault for venting my anger at my friends on you. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°No it¡¯s not,¡± Ss said startling her with his firm voice. ¡°Don¡¯t forgive me that easily, Ava. Not after ten


    years. I owe you ten years and I¡¯ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.¡±


    Hesitantly he reached up to gently stroke her cheek with his fingertips before tucking a stray hair


    behind her ear. He wanted to hold her but her fear was too great. She wasn¡¯t ready but she would be.


    He would win back her heart no matter how long it took.


    ¡°¡­Ss¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­You don¡¯t have to say it,¡± Ss leaned forward kissing her forehead. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll take care of


    you. I¡¯ll take care of our children. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you or them. You aren¡¯t alone anymore, Ava.


    I¡¯m here.¡±


    Ava¡¯s shoulders shook as she trembled trying to contain her sobs. His arms wrapped around her


    pulling her against his chest as the tears she had been holding back burst forth. He held her silently


    stroking her hair and back letting her release her pent up emotions as she clung to him. She needed


    this release so he let her tears fall but he swore he would never let her cry again.


    Ava quieted her tears finally spent. She slowly calmed still wrapped in his warm embrace. The chest


    she was pressed against was firm but he held her so gently. The finely tailored shirt covering her


    benefactor had been ruined by her tears. Realizing who was holding her she shuddered and tried to


    push away.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You never have to apologize to me, Ava,¡± Ss assured her refusing to let her go. ¡°How about a bath


    to calm your nerves before dinner?¡±


    She nodded.


    He guided her to the private, luxury bathplete with Jacuzzi tub and rainforest shower. Ss took a


    moment to show her the bath and shower controls before filling the tub and leaving her but not before


    embracing her again and kissing her temple whispering, ¡°Take all the time you need.¡±


    Left alone Ava breathed deep to calm her racing heart. Why was he being so kind to her? Didn¡¯t he


    hate her? Didn¡¯t he hate her family? Or maybe¡­Maybe he really didn¡¯t recognize her back then?


    Maybe he really did care about her and the kids¡­maybe¡­


    Or was it a trick? Her father tried to force her to sign away the custody rights of her kids. Maybe Ss


    was simply trying to trick her into doing the same¡­maybe¡­


    But she didn¡¯t want to believe that. Her heart ached from its previous rejection and from the years she


    watched him from the shadows. She wanted to believe him but could she? Could she put her faith in


    him? Would he turn on her again?


    Her head pounded from the contradictory thoughts running through her head. She rubbed her temples


    forcing them to the side. She would think about thatter. Her gaze fell on the inviting tub now filling


    with steaming water. First thing first¡­a bath to sooth her frayed nerves.


    * * *


    Ss emerged from his room fresh from a shower and a change of clothes. He now wore jeans and


    long-sleeved t-shirt. Though he stayed at the brownstone infrequently his closet was full of clothes for


    any asion including a rxing dinner with his family. It felt good to be out of the restrictive suit and


    he hoped the kids would be more apt to warm up to him now. Sighing his mind returned to Ava.


    He finally held her in his arms. She turned to him forfort. It was a far cry from what he wanted but it


    was a start. He would do whatever it took to gain her trust. It didn¡¯t matter how many hoops she made


    him jump through. He would do it.


    Stepping out of his room he found Thomas waiting for him, ¡°Everything in ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Thomas said. ¡°Mike and the rest will be running security here from now on. They¡¯ll also escort


    them whenever they go out. They¡¯ve gone to grab their gear and when they return Duncan will show


    them to the servants¡¯ wing for their amodations.¡±


    ¡°Good. Next step is to get in contact with a trustworthy hospital.¡±


    ¡°Hospital?¡±


    ¡°For paternity tests. I want the children¡¯s birth certificates amended as soon as possible before


    Emerson makes his next move. He won¡¯t stay quiet for long now that he knows about the kids.¡±


    ¡°Right. With his daughter¡¯s reputation in the gutter he¡¯s desperate to reim his family¡¯s standing.¡±


    ¡°He has no right to im Ava and he will not be allowed near the kids.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s true.¡±


    Ss turned at Duncan¡¯s sudden appearance. The older man had served his family since Ss was


    only a boy and watched the young man grow up. In fact Ss might have spent more time in the care


    and presence of the butler than his own father. Now Duncan had a thoughtful look on his face. Thought


    Ss hadn¡¯t given him warning or exined the children¡¯s presence there was no doubting the strong


    resemnce of the boys to the man in front of him.


    ¡°The boys do bear a remarkable resemnce to you. And the youngdy?¡±


    ¡°I have every intention of marrying her¡­if she¡¯ll have me.¡±


    ¡°Then I wish you the best of luck,¡± Duncan nodded fighting a smile. ¡°I assure you they will have the best


    care and will want for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Oh, Ava doesn¡¯t like tomatoes. Sauces are fine just not the actual vegetable. She has an


    allergy to chocte as well. I¡¯m not sure about the kids.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Miss if they have any preferences or allergies.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Anything they want make sure they get it. I¡¯ll take them shoppingter.¡±


    He knew the kids could not be bought. It would take time to earn their trust and, he hoped affection, just


    as it would take time to win Ava¡¯s heart but he owed them ten years. He was their father and he would


    provide them with everything they could need or want from now on. Ss only hoped they wanted him


    in their lives.


    ¡°Oh Duncan, adjust the temperature of the house to seventy.¡±


    ¡°I thought you preferred it kept cooler, sir.¡±


    ¡°My preferences don¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t know if it is nerves or because she is so thin but Ava seems to be


    prone to catching chills. I want to make sure it isfortable for her here.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Duncan nodded this time he didn¡¯t bother hiding his smile.

 Book Two: Chapter Fifteen

    Book Two: Chapter Fifteen


    ¡°So¡­What do you think of, you know, our father?¡±


    Theo gave a nomittal shrug at his brother¡¯s query as hey at the foot of Alexis¡¯s bed.


    The butler had shown them to their rooms without so much as a question concerning the origins of the


    four people his employer suddenly brought home. Originally the butler had given them each their own


    room. When the boys insisted on sharing the older man merely nodded and assured them that


    arrangements would be done by the end of the day. In the span of one dinner he had rearranged one of


    the rooms moving a secondrge bed into it.


    Other furnishings had been moved out to make space but it in no way looked like an afterthought. The


    beds were situated on either side of the room with a writing desk beside each. There was also a small


    breakfast nook for meals taken in their room. There was still ample space as well as shelves that had


    been cleared for books and their own amusements after Theo had mentioned Lego? models in


    passing. In addition to having their own walk-in closet their bath was shared with their sister allowing


    them easy ess for their ndestine meetings like this one.


    When Alexis first entered her room she had walked the perimeter using her cane to sweep the area in


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    front of her as she memorized steps between obstacles. The butler had quietly watched her navigate


    the room asking her how she wanted things arranged or anything changed. Alexis had made simple


    suggestions like changing the table of her breakfast nook from a square one to a round one as corners


    hurt when bumped into idently.


    Duncan had apparently taken the notes to heart. In addition to changing out the table he had also


    changed the bed to something with rounded edges as well as side tables. As in her brothers¡¯ room the


    shelves had been cleared of needless decorations in preparation for new additions. The butler had


    asked about her preferences including books and the like.


    Alexis thought this amusing given she couldn¡¯t see to read them but then he asked if she could read


    Braille. That she found interesting. He also asked about food preferences and allergies. It seemed the


    butler cared deeply about making themfortable and Alexis hoped this arrangement would work.


    Dinner with their father had been predictably awkward as the butler served them several courses


    starting with soup, a sd, a main course and dessert. It seemed he had already been informed or


    otherwise familiar with their mother¡¯s preferences. Her sd noticeablycked the sliced tomatoes


    theirs included and she had been given extra croutons on top of the feta cheese she liked. Dinner was


    pasta which the boys noisily dug into with gusto. Theo was bold enough to ask for seconds.


    Though they were given parmesan cheese a quick taste of the liquid in their sses confirmed they


    had been given almond milk since Alexis informed the butler her brothers werectose intolerant.


    There was nothing life threatening in it and the boys still enjoyed ice cream when their mother allowed


    it but it was better to limit their intake of dairy whenever possible. It seemed the warning had definitely


    been taken to heart though Alexis wasn¡¯t sure just when the butler had gone out to purchase almond


    milk for her brothers since she doubted he had it on hand.


    As she gleaned from their previous conversations their father wasn¡¯t adept at keeping a conversation


    with ten-year-olds. In the end it turned into a game of twenty questions as they fired one question after


    another at him and he asked questions in return. The questions were simple enough: favorite colors,


    favorite foods, games they liked and so on. He was at least trying to get to know them. Even though


    Alexis couldn¡¯t see him she could tell most of his attention was directed to their mother though he


    hesitated to speak to her.


    After dinner the kids bid their mother good night and gathered in Alexis¡¯s room topare notes.


    Leaning against her padded headboard Alexis said, ¡°I think he¡¯s trying. I mean, he¡¯s awkward but that¡¯s


    to be expected. Mom¡¯s had ten years of practice.¡±


    ¡°I second that,¡± Sean agreed as he quietly typed away on her school tablet.


    From the beginning he sensed no malice in their father. In fact he seemed genuinely broken up


    because of what happened ten years ago. There was no deception in his story either, Alexis confirmed


    it. It seemed both their parents had been victims. What was more he watched Ss carefully throughout


    dinner noting the way he looked at their mother longing to be closer to her. Sean believed Ss really


    did have feelings for their mother but it remained to be decided whether they would support him.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± Theo finally said. ¡°I really wanted to hate him¡­but he is nice and it¡¯s obvious he has


    feelings for mom.¡±


    ¡°The question is does she have feelings for him?¡± Sean asked. Figuring out their mother¡¯s feelings was


    more difficult.


    At dinner she was abnormally quiet refusing to look anyone in the eye and only spoke when spoken to


    as if afraid of offending their host and being kicked out on the street. She didn¡¯t even try to reprimand


    Sean and Theo when they got a little wild with their demands. They understood she was nervous and


    probably a little afraid of their father given how their parents parted ways but her aversion was much


    more deeply seeded. Alexis suspected her silence at the table was something their mother had learned


    dining with her family when she was a child. Their grandfather struck Alexis as a domineering man who


    expected obedience and silentpliance.


    ¡°She does,¡± Alexis said leaving no room for debate. ¡°She¡¯s just buried her feelings for so long she¡¯s


    afraid to acknowledge them anymore.¡±


    ¡°So¡­what do we do? Do we¡­help him?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alexis said after a long moment. ¡°He needs to earn mom¡¯s love himself but we also don¡¯t have to


    work against him.¡±


    Sean and Theo considered this before agreeing. This made the most sense to them. If their father was


    serious he would do whatever was necessary to earn their mother¡¯s love. Secretly Alexis hoped he


    would. She had a feeling it was the best and only way to get their mother to y music again and that


    was something she desperately missed.


    ¡°Moving on¡­what about our grandfather?¡± Alexis asked.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re in the news,¡± Sean announced. ¡°Carlisle Enterprises Victim of Major Cyber Attack FBI


    Says.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± Theo smirked.


    ¡°Have they connected it to us?¡± Alexis asked concerned.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it,¡± Sean said, ¡°though the article doesn¡¯t really give much details. I mean, it is an


    ongoing investigation. I can deep dive the FBI I suppose but that would be risky.¡±


    ¡°No. Leave them be. They aren¡¯t our target. What about getting back into thepany?¡±


    ¡°No problems there. There¡¯s no way for them to plug all the holes. It¡¯s practically a sieve. I¡¯m sure the


    FBI is having a field day analyzing theirwork trying to track all the breeches.¡±


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll have toy low for awhile,¡± Alexis dered. ¡°At least until the FBI is done with their


    investigation. We¡¯ll have to keep an eye on our grandfather though. He¡¯ll be moving on us soon.¡±


    ¡°What do you think he¡¯ll do?¡±


    ¡°He wants custody of us, or at least me. When he can¡¯t find us he¡¯ll try to draw mom out by suing her


    for custody rights,¡± Alexis said after some thought.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Theo scoffed.


    ¡°Should we be worried?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°Courts generally favor the mother when ites to custody hearings,¡± Alexis said, ¡°so his only hope of


    winning will be to prove mom is unfit.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Theo snorted.


    ¡°Evidence is on mom¡¯s side,¡± Sean agreed. ¡°The apartment is clean, we have all our boosters and we


    all have straight A¡¯s in school.¡±


    ¡°True. If he can¡¯t find evidence to support his im he will probably try to make it up,¡± Alexis said. Their


    grandfather struck her as a man who would do anything to get his way, legal or not.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Alexis chewed her lip before saying, ¡°It¡¯s time to consult Aunt Tracy. Drop her a chat. She¡¯s the expert


    when ites to legal stuff.¡±


    ¡°She should still be in the office,¡± Sean agreed opening a new window. ¡°Let¡¯s see if she¡¯s paying


    attention.¡±


    * * *


    Ava snuggled deep into the heavyforter. As much as she tried to find fault with their treatment she


    couldn¡¯t. Ss was a charming and attentive host. Though he kept minimal staff, the butler was kind


    and considerate even asking about any allergies she and the children might have.


    Dinner itself was simple though served in several courses. The elegance was lost on the kids who did


    not try to curb their usual animated nature. It was bad enough when they kept asking for seconds but


    they actually got a little too rowdy and though Ava wanted to reprimand them she didn¡¯t dare.


    Growing up her father insisted on silence during meals. One was only allowed to speak when spoken


    to. While he often asked Marilynn how her day was and she regaled him with extravagant


    embellishments he never asked Ava about her day less it was an update about her piano lessons. The


    kids had the advantage of being rted to Ss by blood so she hoped that would ensure fair


    treatment but she was nothing to him and couldn¡¯t risk offending him by being harsh with the children.


    Yet he had also tried to talk to her while learning about the kids¡¯ likes and dislikes.


    Her brow furrowed. Come to think of it¡­the butler had asked about allergies but she didn¡¯t remember


    telling him about her preferences. Yet during dinner her sd was the only one without tomatoes and


    the only one with crumbled feta cheese included alongside the croutons. How did he know she didn¡¯t


    like tomatoes? It didn¡¯t make any sense. Not even her own family knew that about her.


    She sighed turning over to look up at the canopy above her. There were too many questions. Why was


    he treating them so well? Why was his gaze always soft and loving when she dared meet it? Was it


    guilt? Wasn¡¯t he angry with her? Did he want something from her? Was he nning to take the kids


    away from her?


    Ava had a lot of questions but no answers. Her mind buzzed with them and shey awake a long time


    without getting anywhere trying to answer them. The only one who knew the answers was Ss but did


    she have the courage to confront him?

 Book Two: Chapter Sixteen

    Book Two: Chapter Sixteen


    ¡°Whoa! Check it out!¡± Theo marveled. ¡°This ce is huge!¡±


    After three days they had settled into the brownstone with their father and even got used to the ever


    present butler. After addressing concerns over his sudden departure from work their first day Ss had


    been working from home to spend more time with them. The attention seemed to make their mother


    nervous but the kids recognized he was trying to make up for lost time.


    In twenty-four hours he learned to recognize Theo from Sean a feat that even their Aunt Tracy had not


    that. Another result of his extended time with them allowed their mother to be more ustom to


    his presence. She was still notfortable but she looked over her shoulder less and had rxed


    somewhat.


    Since it was the weekend Ss announced his ns to take them shopping. They now stood in Macy¡¯s


    in awe of the sheer size of the store. Their mother had taken them shopping many times but the


    discount department stores she usually frequented simply didn¡¯tpare.


    ¡°Clothes, shoes, winter jackets,¡± Ss said, ¡°games, toys¡­anything you need or to entertain yourselves


    go ahead and grab it.¡±


    Theo and Sean shared a look before smirking. Well if their father was offering why not spend his


    money? Though they neverined with what their mother was able to provide their wish lists were


    exceedingly long as it was for any ten-year-old. Guiding their sister the trio quickly disappeared among


    the racks with their guards struggling to keep up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go overboard,¡± Ava called though her entreat fell on deaf ears.


    ¡°What I said applies to you too,¡± Ss said his arm encircling her.


    Ava flinched shaking her head, ¡°I don¡¯t need anything.¡±


    Gently he took her hand fingering the frayed edges of her jacket before asking, ¡°Not even a new coat?¡±


    Ava blushed looking away. It was true her coat had seen better days even before she found it on the


    racks at the Salvation Army. In fact her entire wardrobe could be described that way. While the kids


    neverined about not having the trendiest name brands she made sure to take them shopping


    often as they grew out of their old things.


    On the other hand, she usually shopped at thrift stores for herself to save money. While the clothes she


    bought were clean and in good condition it was clearly older in style. Even the navy sweater, turtleneck


    and jeans she wore all had clear signs of their age leaving her looking rather shabby next to Ss who


    wore a wool turtleneck, leather jacket and pressed trousers all clearly purchased new and by brands


    she didn¡¯t dare name.


    ¡°Ava,¡± Ss gently curled a finger under her chin and turned her face toward his. His gaze was gentle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t reject the things I can provide. Please let me take care of you.¡±


    She opened her mouth to protest but snapped it shut again when no words formed. Why was he being


    so kind and gentle to her? Didn¡¯t he despise her for failing to provide their children with the best life


    possible?


    ¡°Ava please,¡± his tone was pleading, desperate for her eptance.


    ¡°¡­Mister Prescott¡­¡±


    ¡°Ss.¡±


    Ava blinked.


    ¡°With you it is always just Ss. You can ask me for anything.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ava bit her lip unsure how she should act. What did he want her to say? Finally she said, ¡°¡­Ss you


    don¡¯t have to go out of your way to be nice. I¡¯m fine with what I have so there¡¯s no need.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    She blinked her attention snapping back to his face. He frowned looking troubled.


    ¡°You say you¡¯re fine but you¡¯re not.¡±


    Ava hugged herself chewing the inside of her mouth desperately trying not to fidget under his scrutiny.


    Was she really so transparent?


    ¡°Ava, you¡¯re not alone anymore. I¡¯m right here.¡± His arm pulled her close into an embrace that was


    the things I can provide. Let me be here for you.¡±


    She fought tears willing herself not to cry in public. How many lonely nights had sheid awake fretting


    over the next day? Paying bills, buying groceries, clothes, shoes¡­the kids needed so much especially


    two boys growing like weeds. She did it alone because she had no choice but did she have a choice


    now?


    ¡°¡­Ss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll always be here for you.¡± He kissed her temple. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it alone. Let me


    help.¡±


    She sighed leaning into him. It felt so good to be held, to hear his gentle assurances. Was it wrong to


    trust him? Would she be too reliant on him? What would happen to her if he suddenly changed


    his mindter?


    ¡°Ava¡­please.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    His embrace tightened and he released her reluctantly. As she tried topose herself he gently


    wiped away a lingering tear. Letting his hand rest in the middle of her back he led her toward the


    women¡¯s section.


    ¡°The kids.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They have four of my security personnel watching over them,¡± Ss assured her even as


    Thomas shadowed them. ¡°Let¡¯s shop for you, starting with a coat.¡±


    Ava let him guide her without further argument. She kept watch for the kids wanting to warn them not to


    go crazy on this trip. It wouldn¡¯t due to annoy Ss and possibly lead to him kicking them out. The


    incident with her father left her scared and unsure. She wouldn¡¯t let her father breakup her family but


    she didn¡¯t know how to fight him. He had so much more power than she did. For now Ss was a shield


    but there was no guarantee he would help her against her father.


    ¡°Ava what are you thinking about?¡±


    She jerked to attention realizing they were among the women¡¯s coats. Shaking her head she answered,


    ¡°N-nothing. It¡¯s not important.¡±


    Ss watched her with concern but she ignored him as best she could. Instead she focused on the coat


    racks. Ava considered several particrly a belted, wool one in red that looked warm and ttering


    before settling on a cheap brown one. He looked at it with a disappointed frown but handed it to


    Thomas instructing him to take it to the cashier. Thomas gave him a knowing nod.


    Then Ss guided her onward to shop for sweaters, pants even shoes and boots. Ava had been


    determined to stop at only the coat but at his insistence she reluctantly chose a few cheap offerings in


    each category. So preupied she didn¡¯t notice Ss and Thomas select the items she left behind.


    Anywhere her gaze lingered was enough to cue them to her suppressed desires. Each time she


    passed on something seeking a lower price tag Ss¡¯s frown deepened.


    He wanted her to be extravagant and demand more of him. For ten years she fended for herself, taking


    care of the kids. She sacrificed her own needs for theirs surely she needed more than what she settled


    for. Frugal was one thing but Ss sensed something deeper in her reluctance¡­as if she had never


    been given much to begin with but how was that possible?


    Carlisle Enterprises was hugely sessful and Emerson was known to dote on his daughter. Marilynn


    had expensive and extravagant tastes that were known throughout the city. Yet Ava was so much


    quieter and demure¡­could it be she had never been allowed the same opportunities? He would have


    to make it clear to her she didn¡¯t have to act like that anymore but he had to do it carefully so as not to


    overwhelm her.


    Eventually they returned to the checkout where a cashier had been set aside to dutifully ring in their


    purchases. Ava stared in disbelief at the mounds of clothes being folded and bagged. There was a mini


    mountain of shoes and boots in boxes as well as basketballs, sleds, video games and tforms, stacks


    of Lego Technic? sets,ptops, books and board games enough to fill a hundred Christmas wishes.


    ¡°Kids!¡± Ava turned on the trio, ¡°what is all of this?¡±


    ¡°He said to choose anything we wanted,¡± Theo shrugged twirling the basketball in his hand.


    ¡°This is too much,¡± Ava shook her head. ¡°Now I want you to put some of it back.¡±


    ¡°How much of it?¡± Sean asked. ¡°I mean the guards already took like half of it to the car so¡­¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Ava gasped shaking her head. What was she going to do now? Surely Ss would be annoyed


    by the immense cost.


    ¡°There you are Mister Prescott. Have a good day,¡± the cashier said with a smile handing him his card.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Ss?¡± Ava stared in disbelief. Did he really pay for it all without protest?


    ¡°Ava?¡± he stepped up to her gently taking off her coat.


    ¡°Ss you didn¡¯t need to pay for all of that. The kids just got over excited. They can put some back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I told them to pick anything they wanted,¡± he answered helping her into a new coat as


    Thomas tossed the old one in the garbage.


    ¡°But¡­it isn¡¯t necessary,¡± Ava protested suddenly realizing the jacket she wore was the red one she


    rejected earlier. ¡°Ss this isn¡¯t the coat I picked.¡±


    ¡°But it is the one you wanted.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes but¡­I mean no¡­I¡­¡±


    ¡°Ava,¡± Ss gently cradled her face in his hands, ¡°let me take care of you please. It¡¯s okay to be a little


    selfish.¡±


    Ava trembled. How she wanted him to but she couldn¡¯t risk irritating him. Surely he wouldn¡¯t have


    patience for the kids¡¯ antics forever. He was the city¡¯s most eligible bachelor. Kids would only get in the


    way of his lifestyle.


    ¡°Boys, doesn¡¯t your mother look good in red?¡± Ss turned to Sean and Theo.


    ¡°Yeah mom! You look hot!¡± Theo said.


    ¡°You look really pretty mom,¡± Sean seconded.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re outvoted,¡± Ss chuckled tucking the coat around her following it up with a soft,


    woven scarf. ¡°Please ept it.¡±


    Ava was at a loss for words and could only nod. Ss¡¯s arm circled around her drawing her close as he


    kissed her temple. He slowly released her not wanting to push her too much. It was bing clear it


    was a long road ahead to proving how serious he was and how deeply he was devoted to her. She


    would see it in time. He wasn¡¯t going to lose her a second time.


    ¡°Now, shall we eat?¡± Ss asked.


    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m starved!¡± Theo loudly dered as he and Sean fell in ce to guide their sister between


    them while the security guards finished hauling their purchases.


    ¡°And then after that we¡¯ll head to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Hospital?¡± Ava repeated. ¡°Why there?¡±


    ¡°For the paternity tests.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she came to a sudden halt not sure if she heard correctly.


    Ss halted with her as he exined, ¡°Once I dere Lexi and the boys my heirs the shareholders are


    going to want proof. As much as I¡¯d like to tell them to shove off it¡¯s easier to appease them.¡±


    ¡°Dere them your heirs?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m their father and as my children they are entitled to everything I have and as their mother


    so are you.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Ava,¡± Ss pulled her close stopping her protests, ¡°for ten years my life has been iplete because


    you weren¡¯t in it. I want you and the kids in my life, Ava. I won¡¯t let anythinge between us or keep


    us apart¡­especially your father.¡±


    ¡°My¡­father¡­¡±


    ¡°If I know anything about Emerson he isn¡¯t going to quit after one loss.¡±


    Ava shivered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you. I won¡¯t let him hurt you again.¡±


    As much as she wanted to believe him she couldn¡¯t. Why would he risk his whole reputation for them?


    For her?

 Book Two: Chapter Seventeen

    Book Two: Chapter Seventeen


    ¡°¡­Boss¡­Boss?¡­Si!¡±


    Ss jerked out of his idle thoughts to see Thomas standing at his desk. Thomas grimaced at his


    friend¡¯s deep frown. Unfortunately it was bing amon expression. He hoped that finding the


    woman Ss had been chasing for years would have solved his problems but it seemed to have only


    caused more.


    After their shopping spree the kids certainly loosened up. Duncan installed a t screen TV in the boys¡¯


    room recing the Van Gogh above the mantel. They could be heard at odd hours ying online and


    even coerced their security detail to join their games. Each now had their ownptop. The one in


    Alexis¡¯s room was loaded with several programs for the vision impaired. Dozens of books had been


    special ordered and delivered all written in Braille which Duncan helped her arrange on her shelves.


    Theo had already assembled two of his Technic Lego? sports cars together disying them on his


    shelves while a third had just been started.


    The kids were certainly settling in to their new home and making their rooms their own. Ava on the


    other hand was still as reserved as ever perhaps even more so now. She seemed intent to make him


    forget she was there and not draw his attention. Sensing she needed a little space Ss elected to go


    back to the office but his thoughts continued to wander back to the woman who consumed his mind.


    ¡°Things not going well?¡±


    ¡°I took too long.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Ten years was too long.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡±


    ¡°Ava has always been gentle. She never wanted to make waves or cause trouble. People overlooked


    her, dismissed her. She never learned to speak her mind or demand respect. She¡¯s so used to denying


    her needs and suppressing her wishes she can¡¯t even express them anymore.¡±


    Thomas nodded. If there was one word to describe Avalynn it was mouse. She was quiet, unassuming,


    never asking for anything even things she needed. When it came to her children she was a more


    assertive. Though he, Duncan and the security personnel struggled to keep up and monitor the kids


    one word from Ava was all it took to rein them in. The triplets were far more out-going and rowdy to the


    point of chaos yet they deferred to their motherpletely. She never had to raise her voice.


    Thomas never dealt with children and he was quite certain Ava had no idea how amazing it truly was.


    He never saw anything like it especially considering the kids¡¯ undeniable intelligence. Thomas would


    have thought they would be more rebellious but they were wholly devoted to their mother and never


    acted out against her.


    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± Thomas asked.


    ¡°I have no choice but to take it slow,¡± Ss said standing and moving to the window overlooking the city.


    A light snow had fallen overnight and he imagined the kids were probably out in the backyard making


    the most of it. ¡°I need to coax her out. And maybe she¡¯ll start trusting me.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am you can¡¯t go in there!¡±


    They turned at the muffled protest in time to see the office door fly open revealing a tall, lithe blonde.


    She wore a business suit and her hair was tamed in a bun but her face was twisted in anger as she


    boldly imed, ¡°Oh he¡¯ll see me¡­Right now.¡±


    Ss looked to Thomas for answers but the other merely shook his head. The blonde looked familiar


    but for the life of him Thomas couldn¡¯t ce her.


    ¡°And what business do you have with me?¡± Ss asked. ¡°Miss¡­¡±


    ¡°Lamont, Tracy Lamont.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Thomas finally recalled why she looked so familiar. ¡°You¡¯re Aunt Tracy.¡±


    Ss remained confused for a moment before recalling the kids mentioning their aunt. ncing at the


    waiting secretary he waved her off. With a nod the woman closed the door leaving the trio alone.


    Without hesitation the blonde strode up to him and demanded, ¡°Just what do you intend to do with


    Ava?¡±


    ¡°Marry her¡­if she¡¯ll have me.¡±


    Her mouth fell open. Though she had been ready to respond his replypletely blindsided her. It


    wasn¡¯t the one she expected especially not from him: Ss Prescott infamous bachelor with no interest


    in women.


    ¡°Shall we sit?¡± Ss gestured to the couches.


    Mutely Tracy nodded. Letting herself be escorted she slumped into the leather upholstered seat unsure


    how she should take all of the information in. When the kids Skyped her they said they were fine and


    staying with their father. At first she thought it was a joke since they didn¡¯t even know who their father


    was¡­at least that is what she thought until Ava called her to exin everything in detail.


    Ss sat across from her watching her closely. His mouth twitched with a smile. Was it only a few days


    ago he sat in the same spot across from his family? If his kids referred to this woman as their aunt then


    she was family too. But, more importantly, he needed answers.


    ¡°Miss Lamont, have you known Ava long?¡±


    Tracy looked up her blue eyes studying him closely before saying, ¡°We¡¯ve been friends since middle


    school even though I was a grade ahead of her.¡±


    ¡°Then I have a question,¡± Ss said, ¡°I know there is no way Ava would willingly take part in my


    roommates¡¯ tasteless joke¡­but how did she end up in my hotel room ten years ago? Lexi said it was


    because of her sister.¡±


    Tracy hesitated. Her first instinct was to tell him to talk to Ava but she knew Ava struggled to forget the


    whole incident. Perhaps it would be best for her to exin it now and spare Ava the embarrassment.


    With a sigh she leaned back into the couch and studied the man in front of her.


    Ss Prescott was not a man to be taken lightly. It was the reason why Ava had always been afraid of


    him finding her and the kids. Tracy thought he looked stern and humorless. He was the kind of person


    who stood alone and she pitied any woman who eventually found herself with him because he wouldn¡¯t


    spare her a thought. In front of her now though was a man who seemed devastated by the events of


    ten years ago. He seemed genuinely concerned for Ava so she couldn¡¯t help but want to tell him the


    absolute truth.


    ¡°Marilynn.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Thomas asked.


    ¡°Her sister,¡± Ss said. ¡°Marilynn Carlisle.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Thomas nodded. ¡°But why would her sister do that to her own sister?¡±


    ¡°Because Marilynn is a conniving, heartless bitch,¡± Tracy said. ¡°As kind and sweet as Ava is Marilynn is


    her pr opposite and she¡¯s always been jealous of Ava.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Thomas asked. As far as he knew Marilynn had always been the more popr sister. Why


    then would she be jealous of her sister?


    ¡°Marilynn always traveled the most popr circles,¡± Ss agreed. Ava was always on the fringes. It


    didn¡¯t make much sense to him either.


    ¡°Right and Ava didn¡¯t,¡± Tracy agreed, ¡°but that didn¡¯t matter to Marilynn. It wasn¡¯t about poprity. Ava


    is sweet and kind. There is just something that draws you in and when she ys¡­well you¡¯ve heard


    her so I don¡¯t have to tell you.¡±


    Ss nodded.


    ¡°Marilynn can¡¯t stand to see someone else in the spotlight. She belittled and bullied Ava all the time.


    She spread rumors in school all to keep Ava on the fringes.¡±


    ¡°But not you?¡± Thomas asked.


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not a stupid sheep willing to go wherever I am led,¡± Tracy gave him a withering look.


    ¡°And I can think for myself. Ava always wants to see the good in others even when there is none and


    she always felt inferior to Marilynn. Marilynn was their father¡¯s favorite so Ava never dared speak a bad


    word about her. All Ava ever wanted was her family¡¯s love and eptance. Unfortunately her parents


    are trash and her sister is a psycho.¡±


    Ss grimaced but didn¡¯t argue. There was a reason his family had long been at odds with the


    Carlisles. They had no sense of loyalty or honor. Though others might have found it surprising how


    quickly Ava had been abandoned Ss did not. Emerson Carlisle was ruthless and would cut ties with


    anyone who did not bring value to him. Ss gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.


    ¡°I was away at college,¡± Tracy sighed after a moment. ¡°If I had been there¡­Ava would never have


    made it to that bedroom. Ava isn¡¯t a drinker. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s ever had more than a single ss of


    champagne in her life. Marilynn slipped a drug into Ava¡¯s drink but Ava is such a light weight it probably


    wasn¡¯t even necessary.¡±


    Ss breathed deep to calm his rage as Tracy shook her head.


    ¡°Marilynn confessed the whole thing after the fact just to rub it in Ava¡¯s face, including how she met


    these college guys at the bar who needed a willing girl to y a trick on their friend¡­which apparently


    was you.¡±


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ss¡¯s gaze turned cold. Marilynn practically sold off her sister all to ruin her in the name of petty


    jealousy because shecked actual talent herself. And he had fallen into the trap as well.


    ¡°If it¡¯s any constion¡­I don¡¯t think Marilynn had any idea it was you,¡± Tracy said. ¡°If she knew it was


    you she probably would have offered up herself instead.¡±


    Thomas snorted. He cleared his throat before asking, ¡°You know all of this for fact?¡±


    ¡°Marilynn told Ava and Ava told me,¡± Tracy said. ¡°After her father banished her from the family Ava


    called me because she didn¡¯t have anyone else to turn to. I drove four hours from campus to New York


    to pick her up. I was ready kick that mansion door down, give them a piece of my mind and punch


    Marilynn in the face but Ava just wanted to leave. So I took her back with me. Luckily I lived in an off-


    campus apartment so it wasn¡¯t a problem. We spent the weekend drowning her sorrows in ice cream.¡±


    Tracy allowed a small smile at the memories of that time. Ava was almost her old self again after a


    tortuousst year of high school. The dream ended when Ava received her rejection letter from Julliard


    resending her eptance, then her positive pregnancy test.


    Even Tracy couldn¡¯t say what went on in Ava¡¯s head as the reality of the situation settled in. But in the


    end Ava came to the only logical conclusion she could: if she wanted a loving family she would raise


    one herself.


    ¡°Ava wasn¡¯t afraid of having a baby. She actually seemed pretty excited all things considered. But I


    don¡¯t think anyone is prepared to be told they are going to have twins.¡±


    ¡°Twins? Wait¡­there are three of them,¡± Thomas said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tracy smiled. ¡°The boys were hugging their sister so tight we didn¡¯t realize there were three of


    them until the pregnancy was almost to term.¡±


    Ss echoed her smile. It seemed his sons were protective of their sister from the very beginning. And


    all were devoted to their amazing mother. In that he had noints at all.


    ¡°Were you serious about marrying Ava?¡± Tracy suddenly asked.


    Ss jolted from his thoughts. He met her gaze steadily before answering, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But ten years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Ten years ago my roommates spiked my drink and ced a woman in my bed to get me to loosen up.


    I thought she was a maid they paid for the night. I had no idea it was Ava. I never saw her face and I


    would never have even imagined it was her. I took my anger at my friends out on her. If I had known¡­¡±


    Ss fell silent rubbing his forehead fighting his own shame. He had lost control of his temper and it


    cost him everything. He chased Ava away and she had been forced to raise their children alone. He


    wasn¡¯t there to hold her or their babies. How could any of them forgive him?


    ¡°You really didn¡¯t know it was Ava?¡±


    ¡°She never looked at me and I would never expect her in¡­that sort of situation.¡±


    ¡°And you really want to marry her.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been looking for her for ten years¡­ever since she disappeared. I never thought¡­It never


    urred to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Why though? Why would you¡­Wait. Are you¡­do you love her?¡±


    ¡°Ever since I first saw her y when we were kids.¡±


    ¡°But in school you were always with other girls.¡±


    ¡°The daughters of my father¡¯s business associates,¡± Ss waved a dismissive hand. ¡°They meant


    nothing.¡±


    ¡°All this time¡­¡± Tracy slumped back staring at him for once speechless and seeing him for the first


    time. She remembered her conversation with Ava when they found out she was pregnant. Tracy urged


    Ava to demand some support from Ss but Ava refused. If they had approached him back then Ava


    and the kids¡­


    Ss Prescott¡­the most popr guy in high school with a new girl every week. Ss Prescott¡­the


    youngest CEO to take over his family¡¯spany. Ss Prescott¡­New York¡¯s most eligible bachelor


    with no interest in women. Ss Prescott¡­


    ¡°Ava always had a crush on you,¡± Tracy said quietly. ¡°She never tried to catch your eye. She could


    neverpete with the girls you were with. She didn¡¯t think you could ever be interested in her, a


    Carlisle.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about her family,¡± Ss grunted.


    ¡°What about yours? They okay with you marrying a Carlisle?¡±


    ¡°I got where I am because I don¡¯t let anyone stand in my way when I want something,¡± Ss coldly


    replied.


    ¡°For Ava¡¯s sake I hope so,¡± Tracy said. ¡°She won¡¯t be able to stand having her heart broken twice.¡±


    Ss flinched. He wouldn¡¯t allow that.


    ¡°Well if the kids are willing to give you a chance I guess I can too.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ss blinked.


    ¡°They Skyped mest night to exin what happened. I was getting worried after Ava¡¯s call so I¡¯m d


    they did. I don¡¯t know how you did it but they are willing to let you have a chance.¡±


    ¡°A chance at what?¡± Thomas asked confused.


    ¡°To win their mother¡¯s heart, jackass,¡± Tracy rolled her eyes at him before looking back to Ss. ¡°But


    don¡¯t get too excited. You have to win Ava back yourself. They aren¡¯t going to help you. They just won¡¯t


    interfere. Considering how protective they are of their mother you should know that is a huge


    concession.¡±


    Ss nodded. He had no doubts.


    ¡°Well I need to go.¡± Tracy stood with a sigh.


    ¡°So soon?¡± Thomas smirked. ¡°You barged in here so suddenly.¡±


    Tracy raised a brow saying, ¡°Well maybe you should consider upping your security if you have a


    problem with uninvited guests. Anyway I have a big case to prepare for.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah my best friend is going to have to defend her parental rights from her worthless father,¡± Tracy


    scowled.


    Ss and Thomas tensed in surprise.


    ¡°The kids filled me in. With all his family troubles Emerson isn¡¯t going to let this opportunity pass by.


    He¡¯ll go after custody of all of them just to hurt Ava, but he especially wants Lexi.¡±


    ¡°He touches one hair on their heads, he¡¯s a dead man,¡± Ss scowled.


    ¡°What are you nning?¡± Tracy asked. ¡°How do you think you can stop a grandfather from seeing his


    grandkids?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m their father and once the paternity tests are filed it won¡¯t matter what he has to say.¡±


    ¡°Paternity tests? So you don¡¯t trust Ava¡¯s word?¡±


    ¡°My faith in her is not an issue,¡± Ss eyed her coldly. ¡°When I announce the children as my heirs my


    shareholders and board members will demand proof. To prevent interference it is best to obtain it now


    while few know about them.¡±


    ¡°Interference?¡± Tracy asked. ¡°How could one interfere with a paternity test?¡±


    ¡°By switching samples or forging results,¡± Thomas answered. ¡°It¡¯s happened before.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh. All right. Well I have to go.¡±


    ¡°You will be representing Ava during the custody hearing assuming there is one?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Custody battles aren¡¯t my specialty but I¡¯ll be damned before I let anyone take my niece


    and nephews from their mother. Why?¡±


    ¡°Send me the bill. Spare no expense and take whatever precautions you think are necessary.¡±


    ¡°As if I would ever charge my best friend¡­but you? Sure.¡± Tracy gave him a wink before letting herself


    out.


    Ss¡¯s brow furrowed wondering just how Ava and Tracy had met and what made their bond so strong.


    He could hardlyin. It wasforting to know Ava had a dedicated and loyal supporter.


    ¡°Man she¡¯s something else,¡± Thomas whistled. ¡°And hot as hell.¡±


    Ss looked over his shoulder raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°What? Everyone loves leggy blondes,¡± Thomas shrugged. ¡°Oh right¡­you prefer petite brtes.¡±


    He fell silent at Ss¡¯s warning re. Ss moved to his desk, ¡°Keep an eye on Emerson. Let me know


    the moment he makes his move.¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Eighteen

    Book Two: Chapter Eighteen


    ¡°Good afternoon, ma¡¯am,¡± the butler nodded as Ava entered the kitchen. ¡°May I get you anything?¡±


    ¡°N-no. Sorry.¡± Ava backed a step. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I wasn¡¯t allowed toe here.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon, ma¡¯am?¡± Duncan approached. ¡°I can assure you there is no ce here you are not


    allowed to go.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­¡±


    ¡°If you are hungry please allow me to prepare anything you wish.¡±


    ¡°N-no. That¡¯s all right,¡± Ava shook her head. She and the kids had already enjoyed an extravagant


    lunch so she certainly wasn¡¯t hungry. ¡°I was just going to get a ss of water.¡±


    ¡°Of course, allow me.¡± With a nod Duncan took out a ss, ced it under the ice maker and poured


    Perrier before giving it to her with a gentle smile.


    Ava hesitantly epted. She wasn¡¯t used to being waited on. Normally she was the one serving. It felt


    nice to be treated with consideration but also made her self-conscience. This was Ss¡¯s home and


    she was only a guest yet the staff was treating her like the mistress of the house.


    To an outsider it might look like they were merely being considerate but to someone who had grown up


    with servants Ava recognized the subtle nuances, little gestures that separated how staff treated family


    from guests. But why would they give her that courtesy? The children she understood since Ss was


    their father but that had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am? Is there anything else I can give you?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. You don¡¯t have to do any of this,¡± Ava quietly said still holding the ss. Tap water would have


    been just fine.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you are mistaken, ma¡¯am. We are merely giving you the courtesy you deserve.¡±


    ¡°¡­But why?¡±


    ¡°It is not my ce to say. If you wish to know the answer to that you¡¯ll have to ask Master Ss.¡±


    Ava flinched at the thought. How could she? How could she face him after what she had done? Wasn¡¯t


    he disgusted with her? Would he take the kids away from her and leave her out in the cold like her


    father intended to do? Her greatest fear was being left alone¡­was that her destiny? To be forgotten?


    ¡°Ma¡¯am? Are you all right?¡±


    Ava blinked back tears and looked to see the butler looking at her with concern. Ava stepped back


    retreating from the kitchen clutching the ss as she went. Her thoughts were swirling. What did the


    butler mean by this was no less than she deserved? She wasn¡¯t the Lady of the House. She had no


    status even as the mother of the triplets so it did not benefit the staff to even notice her.


    Lost in thought her wandering eventually brought her to the study. The walls were lined with oak


    bookshelvesden with hardbound novels to suit just about any preference. There were also paintings


    Ava was certain were originals and not cheap copies. At one end was arge table perfectly


    serviceable for someone wanting to work. On the other end was a seating area withfortable, richly


    upholstered furniture all situated in front of a tall picture window that let in plenty of natural light. But


    what caught her attention was the piano.


    A baby grand piano sat near the seating area. It gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the window.


    Silently she crept up to it hesitantly sitting on the bench. Setting the ss aside she lifted the lid


    covering the ivory keys. Ava let her fingers slide over the wlessly smooth surface. How long had it


    been since she yed?


    She couldn¡¯t remember, probably not since teaching Alexis. Ava wondered if Alexis still yed. It had


    been awhile since either dragged out the keyboard hidden away in a closet. Ava missed those days


    watching Alexis learn Twinkle Twinkle and eventually F¨¹r Elise. Sometimes they yed side by side


    having fun with a Chopsticks duet as well as Heart and Soul. But any piece could be made into a duet if


    the ones ying had the skill and talent to work together. If they did the piece would be a living


    thing adapting and changing ording to their moods and whims.


    Alexis had skill and talent. She would certainly blow minds away on stage but she would never get the


    chance. Even with the right connections it was hard to enter the music world and Alexis had none. Was


    there a point to dreaming something impossible? Ten years ago Ava learned the answer was no. With


    a sigh she closed the lid and stood. Dreams like that belonged in the closet: out of the way and


    forgotten.


    ¡°Ava, why don¡¯t you y?¡±


    She froze at the deep, gentle voice. Spinning she found Ss watching her from the doorway. There


    was a look of concern on his face, almost pained. Ava bit her lip. She had been avoiding him ever since


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    their shopping excursion. All the clothes he bought her hung neatly in her closet but she hadn¡¯t worn


    any of them besides the coat. She couldn¡¯t afford to annoy him or take advantage of his generosity. As


    long as the clothes stayed pristine they could be returned.


    ¡°And why don¡¯t you wear the clothes I gave you?¡± Ss slowly approached as she struggled to hold her


    ground.


    Ava hugged herself. The sweater she wore had seen better days but despite its faded color and frayed


    edges it was good enough for her. It had always been good enough but standing in front of him she felt


    shabby and inadequate, ashamed she couldn¡¯t afford better.


    ¡°Ava.¡±


    She flinched realizing how close he suddenly was. When had he approached? What should she say?


    What did he want from her?


    His expression was soft nothing like the stern one he always used for pictures and certainly nothing like


    the enraged voice from ten years ago. Gently he raised his hand brushing her hair from her face before


    stroking her cheek. Ava blinked not certain how she should take his kind gestures or the smoldering


    desire in his gaze.


    ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± Ss softly said.


    Ava¡¯s brow furrowed. Did she hear him right?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ept the things I can give you, the things I want to give you?¡±


    Ava opened her mouth to reply then snapped it shut. How could she exin to him? Could he ever


    understand?


    ¡°Ava?¡±


    Frustrated tears blurred her vision and she couldn¡¯t keep her voice from trembling, ¡°It¡¯s all¡­so easy for


    you. You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to walk down the grocery store aisle debating over a carton of milk or


    orange juice¡­or putting back a pack of chicken for $6.47 because you found one for $5.97¡­or having


    to listen to your children beg for Nikes? knowing they would have to settle for some cheap athletics


    brand. You¡¯ll never know what it¡¯s like to try so hard knowing you¡¯ll always be inadequate¡­that


    someone else could do a better job¡­¡±


    ¡°Ava stop!¡± Ss suddenly pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Just¡­stop. Is that what you think? You think


    buying the kids some clothes and games makes me a parent? Do you think anything I could buy them


    would be close to the love and care you¡¯ve given them?¡±


    Ava shuddered.


    ¡°You are their mother, Ava. They love you more than anything in the world. Do you think one shopping


    trip is enough for me to earn that kind of loyalty? You are a good mother, Ava. I could not ask my


    children to have a better one. And I¡¯m in awe of you.¡±


    Ss fell silent as she shook with sobs. She tried to keep them in but her entire body trembled. His


    embrace tightened. He ran his fingers through her hair as his heart pounded in his ears. She was


    hurting with a deep seeded pain and he was to me. He didn¡¯t have the knowledge to heal her. All he


    could do was hold her andfort her.


    ¡°I¡¯m here Ava. I¡¯m here. You¡¯ll never be alone again. I swear it.¡±


    It was a long time before her sobs quieted and she leaned against himpletely exhausted. He


    scooped her up cradling her bridal style as he carried her out of the study. Ss headed up the stairs


    toward the bedrooms.


    Theo and Sean stumbled down the hallwayughing as Alexis followed a step behind shaking her


    head. They came to a halt as their gaze fell on Ss carrying their exhausted mother in his arms. Her


    eyes were red from crying and she seemed to have cried herself to sleep.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Theo demanded.


    ¡°She just released some much needed tears,¡± Ss said kissing her forehead. ¡°She needs to rest now.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Alexis said opening the door to their mother¡¯s room.


    Ss carried Ava inside. Sean hurried to pull back the covers allowing Ss toy her down and tuck


    her in. Ava stirred as he kissed her forehead again wishing her sweet dreams. Her brow furrowed and


    she reached out for his sleeve as he tried to pull away.


    ¡°¡­Please¡­don¡¯t go¡­¡± she whispered barely loud enough to hear. ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid¡­to be alone.¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± Ss hesitated only a moment before lying beside her. Pulling her into his arms he held her as


    he ran his fingers through her hair. ¡°You¡¯ll never be alone again, Ava. I¡¯ll always be here.¡±


    She shivered but snuggled into his embrace whimpering quietly. Without a word Alexis climbed into bed


    alongside her mother and snuggled close to her patting her shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯re all here mom,¡± she said.


    The boys followed their sister¡¯s example until all were crowded around their mother offering her


    support. Their loyalty and care brought a smile to Ss¡¯s face but it was overshadowed by his own


    concern. Just what had her family done to her to make her so self-deprecating? How many years had


    she suffered in that hellhole?


    His embrace tightened. He would never forgive them. One way or another they would pay. Ss held


    Ava close as her breathing slowed and she fell into proper sleep. Right now her wellbeing was more


    important.


    * * *


    Ava stirred. The room was dark. How long did she sleep? Surely she hadn¡¯t slept the whole night. Her


    memory was hazy but she recalled the piano and Ss finding her¡­


    Oh god! Did she actually yell at him? What would he do now? She tried to live quietly and avoid his


    attention but now he would certainly have something to say. Ava had to do something before then.


    Maybe she could still escape his wrath.


    ¡°Shh¡­sleep,¡± a husky voice said and she felt a warm embrace tighten around her.


    Ava realized she was snuggled against a warm chest. Startled she looked up to see Ss¡¯s face close


    to hers. Lazily he opened his eyes to meet her gaze. He raised a hand and gently stroked her hair with


    a small smile softening his expression.


    ¡°Sleep Ava.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ss.¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. ¡°We¡¯ll talkter. Sleep.¡±


    Perhaps it was wrong but she sumbed to his suggestion. It felt good to be held. For once she was


    not alone. This was what her heart longed for.

 Book Two: Chapter Nineteen

    Book Two: Chapter Neen


    For the first time in weeks Ava woke rested and she wasn¡¯t alone. Alexis snuggled beside her while


    Sean and Theo lounged at the foot of the bed. Seeing them she couldn¡¯t help but smile but she also felt


    the pain of regret knowing Ss was not with them. Perhaps his presence had only been a dream. And


    yet she could still feel his arms around her.


    ¡°If you¡¯re wondering where Mister Prescott went he got a call from work,¡± Alexis yawned. ¡°It sounded


    pretty serious.¡±


    ¡°He¡­did?¡± Ava turned to look at her trying to fight the hope blooming in her chest. So it wasn¡¯t a


    dream. He had really been there and he held her so tenderly like she was a precious treasure. But why


    would hefort her? Didn¡¯t he hate her?


    ¡°I think he likes you mom,¡± Alexis said after a moment.


    ¡°¡­What? I¡ªI¡¯m sure it¡¯s not¡­Do you think so?¡± Ava hesitantly asked. Was it wrong for her to hope it


    was true?


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have carried you up to your room or tucked you in or held you if he didn¡¯t,¡± Alexis said.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ava bit her lip. Was all of that true? Did he do that for her? Or was he trying to earn the kids¡¯ trust? Her


    head ached from the paradoxes running through it. What was she going to do?


    ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s morning so we should get ready for breakfast,¡± Ava announced. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower


    and you three should wash up too.¡±


    ¡°Kay.¡± Alexis readily agreed.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Sean and Theo gave muffled replies as they continued to doze.


    They watched as their mother stood and retreated to her private bathroom. After a moment Sean finally


    spoke, ¡°I thought we agreed we weren¡¯t going to help him.¡±


    ¡°A little nudge doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± Alexis said. ¡°Besides I thinkst night was the first time mom slept without


    tossing and turning.¡±


    As much as they wanted to deny it what their sister said was true. Their mother had always been a light


    sleeper and prone to waking at odd hours. They remembered waking early hoping to surprise her with


    breakfast only to find she was already awake. As they grew bigger the boys began to notice their


    mother was getting thinner, paler and the dark rings around her eyes were darker. Their mother


    seemed to be slowly wasting away right before their eyes and they didn¡¯t know how to help her.


    Butst night their mother hadn¡¯t stirred at all. She slept deeply,pletely rxed in their father¡¯s


    arms. He held her all night long never once trying to disengage or leave her. As much as they hated to


    admit it their parents did look good together.


    ¡°¡­So are we going to help him now?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s still too early to give him our full support,¡± Alexis said. ¡°But we can nudge mom here or there. I


    think he really does want to take care of her. You heard what he told the butler before he left didn¡¯t


    you?¡±


    ¡°You mean that thing about getting rid of mom¡¯s old clothes so she would wear the new stuff he


    bought?¡± Sean said.


    Alexis nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about that?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°He wants mom to wear the clothes he bought her because they are nicer. You know mom never buys


    anything new for herself,¡± Alexis said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sean agreed.


    Their mother didn¡¯t hesitate to buy them new clothes but she always made due with secondhand things


    for herself. In fact it had been several years since she bought anything for herself so her clothing was


    getting more frayed the longer she wore it without recing it. Their mother deserved a new wardrobe


    and needed one.


    Though Theo was hesitant to admit it their father did seem to care about their mother¡¯s wellbeing. The


    shopping trip might have been too much too soon but it was clear he wanted to make up for the time he


    missed.


    ¡°I read something interestingst night,¡± Sean said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It seems Prescott Industries beat out Carlisle Enterprises for several key acquisitions.¡±


    ¡°Is that news?¡± Theo sighed. ¡°They¡¯ve always been rivals.¡±


    ¡°But Prescott¡¯s never specifically gone after the same contracts as Carlisle before. This time they were


    determined to win the bids.¡±


    ¡°Meaning what?¡±


    ¡°Meaning our father might just be seeking revenge for mom too,¡± Alexis said, ¡°same as us.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± Theo asked sitting up.


    ¡°It might be too early to say for certain¡­but I think so,¡± Sean said. ¡°The DaLairs did the same thing to


    the Trents remember?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Theo shook his head and earned his brother¡¯s rolled gaze. ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°If he is aiming at the Carlisle¡¯s it might make things easier for us,¡± Alexis said. ¡°A two-prong attack will


    be more effective.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± The brothers agreed.


    Ever since they decided to eliminate the people responsible for their mother¡¯s suffering they had faced


    several difficulties. First of all they didn¡¯t have the capitol to truly hurt their grandfather¡¯spany. They


    simply didn¡¯t have the means to buy them out or outbid their projects. The second difficulty was that


    while their grandfather was a despicable person he was an excellent and honest businessman. Sean


    found no dirty deals or tax evasion in his deep dive through thepany¡¯s finances.


    If there was even one or two under the table deals to take advantage of it would make it far easier to


    hurt thepany¡¯s image. Right now their grandfather¡¯s biggest weakness was their aunt. Marilynn¡¯s


    antics were outrageous. It was the reason why they employed so many bots toment, share and


    criticize her. Her shoddy reputation damaged the image of thepany as a whole and it was the best


    they could do so far.


    ¡°Okay here¡¯s our next move,¡± Alexis said. ¡°We need bots to spread the news of their failed projects.


    Highlight the bids they lost to Prescott and make it look like they are falling behind. That should make


    investors think twice. Also highlight our little escapade with the hack. If they are too ipetent to


    protect their files it¡¯ll make others lose trust with them.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Sean agreed.


    ¡°How is that going anyway?¡± Theo asked. ¡°They figure out how the hack was done?¡±


    Sean shook his head. So far the FBI hadn¡¯t made a single arrest. They were hampered by the multiple


    foreign IPs that led the attack. With such a smokescreen it was unlikely their tampering would be


    noticed and it was highly unlikely they would suspect ten-year-olds in the first ce.


    ¡°Welle on,¡± Alexis stood. ¡°That¡¯s enough strategizing. Let¡¯s get ready for breakfast.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, can I help you?¡± Duncan asked as Ava lingered in the hall.


    She wore insted, ck leggings and a cashmere turtleneck. Both were warm andfortable in the


    bedroom to discover all of her clothes were missing. All that was left was the wardrobe Ss bought


    her.


    ¡°¡­Um I was wondering what happened to my clothes,¡± she hesitated.


    ¡°Forgive our intrusion but Master Ss believed your old clothes were unnecessary now that you had


    new ones. He wants to make sure you arefortable. To that end he has also asked me to increase


    the temperature to seventy. Is that warm enough or shall I increase it further?¡±


    ¡°N-no. That¡¯s fine. I¡­Seventy is perfect,¡± Ava nodded hugging herself.


    She always had difficulty when it was cold. Her wardrobe mainly consisted of sweaters and sweatshirts


    tobat the chill that always seemed to reside in her bones. They also hid her thin, boney body. Ava


    knew she didn¡¯t eat nearly enough but her worry suppressed her appetite and she never finished a full


    meal.


    The effect on her body was getting more noticeable and not wanting the kids to worry she generally


    wore oversized clothing. Though her current outfit wasn¡¯t all that different from what she normally wore


    it was correctly sized and fitted for her frame though it was a bit baggy because she was underweight.


    ¡°If you find anything ufortable or not to your liking please inform me,¡± Duncan nodded. ¡°The


    Master wishes us to meet all of your needs.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± A ghost of a smile softened her expression.


    Ss was being extremely considerate and no one had done that for her before. Maybe it would be


    good to let herself rx at least a little bit?


    A ringing phone interrupted further conversation. Moving to answer Duncan stood listening to the caller


    on the other end saying, ¡°Yes Miss Carter is right here. Of course. Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s for you. She ims she


    is your friend, Miss Tracy Lamont.¡±


    ¡°Tracy! Yes I¡¯ll take it,¡± Ava eagerly grasped the phone. ¡°Tracy a lot has happened¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The kids exined everything.¡±


    ¡°They did?¡± Ava hesitated wondering when the kids could have contacted their aunt and exactly what


    they might have told her. Tracy knew they were staying with Ss though Ava had left out some details.


    ¡°Yeah. We are going to have a very long talk missy, but right now there is something else that takes


    precedence.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Your father is suing for custody of the kids.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s what!¡± Ava stumbled back quivering from just the memory of facing him.


    ¡°I heard it through the office gossip¡­although I¡¯ve been expecting it so I¡¯ve also been keeping an eye


    out.¡±


    ¡°You expected this?¡±


    ¡°Alexis said your father practically kidnapped both of you,¡± Tracy said. ¡°He isn¡¯t one to give up¡­so


    yeah I expected this.¡±


    Ava sighed. She should have expected it as well. Maybe she did. That was why she epted Ss¡¯s


    offer so readily. She shivered. Her father was ruthless and wouldn¡¯t stop until he got what he wanted.


    He wouldn¡¯t show mercy just because she was his daughter if she was in the way.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m here!¡± Tracy practically shouted over the phone. ¡°I¡¯ve already been preparing.¡±


    ¡°Y-you have?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m your counsel after all. I may not specialize in custody hearings but I¡¯ve been


    researching them. Tailor gave me some pointers. I have a few things to go over with you and some


    friends for you to meet.¡±


    ¡°O-okay,¡± Ava agreed. ¡°Um¡­Tracy I appreciate this but you know I can¡¯t pay¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Everywyer does pro bono work besides Mister Prescott already said he¡¯d


    foot the bill for everything.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ss said that?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. He said to spare no expense and to call on him if there are any issues.¡±


    Ave fell silent. Ss really said that? When did they even meet? Why did it seem everyone was


    suddenly on friendly terms and talking to each other behind her back? Just what was going on?


    ¡°Ava? Ava! Are you still there?¡±


    ¡°¡­Y-yes. I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing. We are not going to let him take the kids away from you. You hear me.


    We¡¯re going to fight and he is going to lose. He has no idea the ho¡¯s nest he just kicked.¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Twenty

    Book Two: Chapter Twenty


    ¡°Be seated,¡± the bailiff instructed after Judge Matthews took his seat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± the judge said, ¡°Custody hearing. Mister Emerson Carlisle versus Miss Avalynn (Carlisle)


    Carter.¡±


    The judge looked up from his paperwork. On one side of the room sat Emerson Carlisle, respectable


    and sessful businessman on the other a petite young woman and three ten-year-olds. The woman


    looked haunted and nervous but the trio behind her was ready for battle. They didn¡¯t spare the


    opposing party a single nce sitting up straight waiting for it to begin.


    Usually custody battles were between Human Services and the parents if they proved ipetent.


    Sometimes it was a battle between family members, most often the parents. Generally one would


    expect a father to be on his daughter¡¯s side to support her through these hearings rather than being the


    opposing party.


    Ava took a deep breath trying to calm her racing heart. They had prepared two weeks for this hearing.


    Tracy insisted on a number of odd requests but Ava put her full trust in her friend andplied with


    everything asked of her. Now she was truly thankful for the new wardrobe. Though she was still thin,


    she didn¡¯t look shabby. Despite her worry she had been sleeping better and eating regr meals under


    Ss¡¯s and Duncan¡¯s careful watch.


    ¡°Mister Carlisle you im your daughter is an ipetent mother and that her children are in danger if


    they stay with her,¡± Judge Matthews said. ¡°Present your case.¡±


    Emerson¡¯swyer stood casting a nce at Ava. She met his gaze reluctantly and saw something she


    could almost ssify as pity. Though she couldn¡¯t remember his name she did recall he had been her


    father¡¯s counsel for decades. He was as familiar with her and her sister as any uncle or aunt, perhaps


    more so given her actual rtives lived on the other side of the country.


    Ava wondered if he tried to dissuade her father from this course of action. Even if he did she doubted


    he held his opinion for long. Her father wouldn¡¯t hesitate to trade him for anotherwyer if he refused to


    ¡°Yes, your honor. It is our belief that it is dangerous for the children to remain in Miss Carlisle¡¯s care.


    They will be much better off under their grandfather¡¯s care who has the means to insure a privileged


    life.¡±


    ¡°Objection,¡± Tracy stood, ¡°since when does privilege equate to happiness or good? My client has raised


    three kids on her own without assistance. They have never missed a single medical appointment. They


    have all suggested and approved shots and boosters. They also maintain straight A¡¯s in school. Exactly


    where is my client¡¯s abilities as a mothercking?¡±


    ¡°She has been living under an assumed name¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean a legally changed name,¡± Tracy corrected. ¡°For less than a hundred dors anyone can do


    it.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Her father¡¯swyer stared hard at Tracy clearly annoyed by her interruptions but there also seemed a


    note of approval. It was almost as if he was d she was refuting him so readily. Lawyers didn¡¯t like to


    lose but maybe he didn¡¯t really want to win this time. Or maybe Ava was reading too much into his look.


    ¡°Get on with it!¡± Emerson grumbled.


    His harsh tone made Ava flinch. There was no mercy in his demeanor and though she avoided meeting


    his gaze she felt it boring into her. Why? Didn¡¯t he have a shred of sympathy and love for his daughter?


    Did she really mean nothing to him?


    ¡°What a grouch,¡± Theo muttered ring at his grandfather. Neither he nor his brother had any difficulty


    meeting his gaze or throwing their own daggers in his direction. ¡°Keep your eyes off our sister, pervert.¡±


    Emerson stiffened at Theo¡¯s bold usation drawing the attention of the judge as well as everyone


    else in the courtroom. He felt his face warm under the scrutiny of the recorder, bailiff, judge and


    mother and she would look like a doll when she yed for his associates just like Ava used to.


    ¡°Young man that is not appropriatenguage in the courtroom,¡± Judge Matthews gently admonished.


    ¡°Then tell him to turn around and stop leering over here,¡± Theo retorted. ¡°He keeps looking at Lexi like


    she¡¯s a piece of meat. It¡¯s creepy.¡±


    The judge cleared his throat hiding a smile. It was good to see brothers so eager to protect their sister.


    Sibling rivalry wasn¡¯t umon especially in homes with limited resources but the triplets maintained


    close bonds. They were truly a united front.


    ¡°Youngdy, Miss Alexis, are you ufortable?¡± the judge asked.


    ¡°Lexi¡­and I¡¯m fine. The geezer can look all he wants. He¡¯ll get nothing from me.¡±


    Emerson leapt to his feet sputtering with rage, ¡°How dare you talk to me like that!¡±


    ¡°And who are you?¡± Alexis asked. ¡°Mom raised us for ten years and you haven¡¯t so much as sent a


    postcard let alone support. The only reason you¡¯re even interested in us now is because you think I¡¯ll


    be your personal trained monkey. But you can forget it. I won¡¯t be ying anything for you.¡±


    ¡°Order!¡± the judge rapped his gavel. ¡°Mister Carlisle, sit down and refrain from engaging with the


    defense. Kids if you feel ufortable please let me know. Counsel continue.¡±


    Emerson¡¯swyer cleared his throat and took a breath before continuing,¡± Your honor, Miss Carlisle has


    undoubtedly done the best she could but a small, cramped apartment surrounded by drug dealers is


    hardly an appropriate setting for three impressionable children.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a crime to be poor now?¡± Tracy argued. ¡°There are hundreds of thousands of kids living in


    households below the poverty line. Their parents struggle to put food on the table, shoes on their feet


    and clothes on their backs. There are days they go hungry save for their school lunch. Is your client


    going to take all of them under his roof as well? My client has used every avable means at her


    disposal to provide for her children.


    ¡°Her apartment is clean, pest and vermin free. She makes use of food pantries and subsidized


    programs to help her meet her children¡¯s needs. Not once in any of their appointments has any doctor


    or nurse noted anything but the kid¡¯s excellent health and care. Sure they don¡¯t have luxuries but all of


    their needs are met.¡±


    With a sigh Emerson¡¯swyer hesitated before making his final argument, ¡°Your honor, it hase to


    our attention that there is drug use in the home. Such an environment is uneptable for children.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Ava stuttered. Drugs? Were they serious?


    ¡°I have here a police report. Acting on an anonymous tip they raided Miss Carlisle¡¯s apartment and


    found several drugs present in ratherrge quantities,¡± thewyer offered a paper to the judge. ¡°It is


    uneptable for a mother to expose her children to such things.¡±


    His gaze slid to Ava seeing she had be ashen, pale and listless with the usation. He spared


    her a moment of pity but she didn¡¯t see it. How was it even possible? Did her father really¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s okay mom,¡± Alexis and her bothers immediately swarmed around her hugging her.


    Theo scowled at their self-righteous grandfather now looking rather smug. If he thought he could get


    away with framing their mother like this he had another thinging. No amount of money would save


    him.


    ¡°I hope you have more than a piece of paper, Counselor,¡± Tracy said solemnly. ¡°These are serious


    usations and I hope you are prepared for the consequences.¡±


    Emerson¡¯swyer hesitated meeting her deadly stare. There was no surprise in her gaze almost as if


    she expected this situation. Ava had all but broken down but those around her defiantly red at him. If


    the boys were a little older he might actually have feared for his life.


    ¡°Y-yes. Officer Tyson is here to give his testimony.¡±


    A man in civilian clothes stood. After being sworn in he was seated in the witness stand and Emerson¡¯s


    ¡°State your name for the court please.¡±


    ¡°Tyson Smith.¡±


    ¡°And your upation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a sergeant. I am part of the Drug Enforcement Administration of New York.¡±


    ¡°And how long have you been a part of the DEA.¡±


    ¡°Ten years.¡±


    ¡°Have you gone on many raids?¡±


    ¡°Yes. More than I can count.¡±


    ¡°Have you raided homes with children present?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately yes. It¡¯s moremon than you think. Nothing will keep an addict from their next high.¡±


    Ava shuddered as the officer¡¯s gaze swept over her. Was he actually using her of endangering her


    children like that? Alexis¡¯s grip on her hand tightened infort.


    ¡°Would you exin to the court how you came to raid Miss Carlisle¡¯s apartment?¡±


    ¡°An anonymous tip stated they saw Miss Carlisle buying drugs outside her apartment. They also


    informed us there were children present. We had a representative for Social Services apany us as


    we always do when children as suspected to be present. When we got there no one was home but we


    did find evidence of drugs and drug use.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Emerson¡¯swyer nodded returning to his client. Emerson looked particrly pleased.


    ¡°Miss Lamont would you like to cross examine the witness?¡±


    Tracy stood up, ¡°Officer Tyson. You said you have taken part in several raids. Safe to say you have


    seen it all?¡±


    ¡°Well there are always a few surprises but I¡¯ve seen a fair amount.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what drugs were found in Miss Carter¡¯s apartment?¡±


    ¡°Marijuana, Ecstasy and Cocaine.¡±


    ¡°And that variety didn¡¯t seem odd?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well. A little. Drug addicts tend to be loyal to their particr high. They don¡¯t often mix opposing


    effects, but is has been known to happen.¡±


    ¡°And where were the drugs found?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­the marijuana was found in the used bedroom, the Ecstasy in the bathroom and the cocaine


    was in the kitchen, actually on the kitchen table.¡±


    ¡°And you found nothing unusual about this?¡±


    ¡°Objection, your honor,¡± Emerson¡¯swyer stood. ¡°Counsel is leading the witness.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking an officer with ten years experience his thoughts on a raid he conducted. How is that


    leading, your honor?¡±


    ¡°Overruled. Officer?¡±


    The officer cleared his throat, ¡°Well to be honest. Yes it was odd.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­drug addicts tend to be secretive especially around children. They don¡¯t like to show their


    children that side of themselves. It¡¯s like they are ashamed of their actions even though they can¡¯t stop


    themselves. They hide drugs and paraphernalia in ces their children aren¡¯t likely to go, like in their


    bedroom. It¡¯s unusual to find drugs in the open or public areas of the home.¡±


    ¡°So why leave one drug out in the open but hide another?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. Some addicts do their drugs openly in front of their children and leave it out in the


    open all the time. In Miss Carter¡¯s apartment we found it both ways which never urs.¡±


    ¡°Never?¡±


    ¡°Never in the ten years I have been part of the DEA.¡±


    ¡°That is very interesting.¡±


    ¡°And that wasn¡¯t the only oddity.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°The proportions were off.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well there was over thirty Ecstasy pills and well over five grams of cocaine but only two joints. That¡¯s


    not typical for a user.¡±


    ¡°So the proportion of drugs and cement in the apartment was not typical of what you would normally


    see. Is that what you are saying?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Given the irregrities in the raid what is the likelihood the evidence was nted?¡±


    ¡°Ob-objection, your honor!¡±


    ¡°Withdrawn,¡± Tracy shrugged returning to her seat. She shot Emerson a disgusted look. Though he


    tried to maintain a superior air her questioning had chipped away at his confidence. ¡°Your honor, I¡¯d like


    to call my own witness concerning this raid.¡±


    Emerson choked back a protest. He stared at her wondering how it was she had prepared for this


    usation which was meant to be a surprise.


    ¡°Very well. You may step down Officer Tyson. Your witness, Counselor?¡±


    ¡°Doctor Emily Schrodin.¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Twenty-One

    Book Two: Chapter Twenty-One


    A bright-eyed woman took her seat after being sworn in. She was dressed professionally in a simple


    suit and skirt. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a neat bun and she studied the courtroom through


    rimless sses.


    ¡°Doctor could you state your profession please?¡± Tracy asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a forensic technician. I am currently employed with the Metropolitan Forensics Lab.¡±


    ¡°And what do you do there?¡±


    ¡°Mostly DNA testing concerning missing persons but we also process evidence gathered at crime


    scenes.¡±


    ¡°Does this include drug testing?¡±


    ¡°Some but that¡¯s usually done at a differentb.¡±


    ¡°Is it safe to say you deal mostly with evidence directly tied to people then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah that sounds right.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever processed drug tests?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course. That is quitemon.¡±


    ¡°What would you say is the biggest downfall of such tests?¡±


    ¡°Well timing mostly. All drugs are processed differently by the body so they all exit the body differently.


    Marijuana is known to stay in the body for a long time but Ecstasy only a very short time before it


    bes untraceable.¡±


    ¡°Any other difficulties?¡±


    ¡°Drug tests are also indiscriminant. Certain substances can cause a person to fail a test even if they¡¯ve


    never taken a drug in their life such as poppy seeds. A drug test will read positive for Opioids if a


    person had eaten anything containing poppy seeds such as a muffin or bread sometimes up to two or


    three dayster.¡±


    ¡°Objection, is this questioning going anywhere?¡± Emerson¡¯swyer stood.


    ¡°Merely establishing Doctor Schrodin¡¯s expertise.¡±


    ¡°Overruled. Continue Counselor but get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Given the deficiencies of standard drug tests are there better ones?¡±


    ¡°Yes actually. An analysis of the hair is best.¡±


    ¡°Hair? Really?¡±


    ¡°It sounds strange but it¡¯s true. We spend so much time and money coloring it, cutting it and styling it


    but in actuality it is aplete record of everything we¡¯ve ingested, smoked or imbibed. And the longer


    the hair is the further back we can look sometimes months.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that urate?¡±


    ¡°A few years ago we solved a kidnapping case using hair. The kidnapper sent some of the victim¡¯s hair


    as proof of life and we were able to determine where she was being held using the chemical additives


    present in the water she drank. So yes, it is very urate.¡±


    ¡°Your honor, I¡¯d like to submit this to the court,¡± Tracy pulled a paper from her briefcase. ¡°This is an


    analysis of hair samples provided by my client, the kids and myself as a control. Doctor Schrodin, you


    are familiar with this test, yes?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I collected the samples and performed the tests myself. My colleague was also given


    samples to act as a double blind control. Our results were the same.¡±


    ¡°And what are the results?¡±


    ¡°There is absolutely no sign of drug use in any of the samples.¡±


    ¡°Objection. Is this the witness¡¯s opinion or fact?¡±


    ¡°It is fact,¡± the Doctor answered easily. ¡°We didn¡¯t even find any traces of ibuprofen or acetaminophen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor,¡± Tracy smiled. ¡°Your honor I¡¯d like to submit this to the court as well. It is a copy of


    a police report. People living across from my client¡¯s apartment called 911 to report a break-in.


    ording to the witness statement two men in hoods climbed the fire escape and pried open her


    window to enter her apartment. Police responded but at the time of their arrival the perpetuators had


    already fled. The responding officers knocked on her door and when no one answered they left. Given


    the timing of this break-in and the supposed anonymous tip I would be inclined to argue it is highly


    likely the perpetrators broke in to leave something.¡±


    ¡°Y-you have no proof!¡± Emerson suddenly stood.


    ¡°Neither do you, Mister Carlisle,¡± Tracy said with a smile. ¡°And I don¡¯t need proof, only reasonable


    doubt.¡±


    Emerson fell silent.


    ¡°The knowledge Ick for custody hearings I more than make up for in experience with criminal cases.¡±


    ¡°H-how¡­¡±


    ¡°Order! Order!¡± Judge Matthews rapped his gavel. ¡°Mister Carlisle I suggest you sit down and let your


    Counsel do their job.¡±


    ¡°Well he¡¯s doing it poorly! This break-in proves the area isn¡¯t safe for the children!¡±


    ¡°Mister Carlisle, sit down or I will find you in contempt of court. Miss Carlisle, or Carter¡­which do you


    prefer?¡±


    ¡°Carter,¡± Ava answered after a moment of hesitation but she managed to say it without stuttering.


    ¡°Very well. Miss Carter do you have another ce to stay?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve actually been staying somewhere else the past several weeks.¡±


    ¡°You have? And where have you been staying?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Ava hesitated but Alexis leaned close whispering, it¡¯s okay mom. ¡°¡­We¡¯ve been staying with


    the kids¡¯ biological father.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Emerson leapt to his feet again.


    ¡°Order! Order! Mister Carlisle, sit down.¡±


    ¡°Your honor,¡± Emerson¡¯swyer stood. ¡°ording to the children¡¯s birth certificate their father is


    unknown. Now if Miss Carlisle-Carter lied when filling it out that is a problem.¡±


    ¡°I never actually said he was unknown,¡± Ava quietly said. ¡°When I got to the hospital the nurses asked


    about the father but I just shook my head because he wasn¡¯ting. They assumed the rest. I just


    didn¡¯t correct them.¡±


    ¡°And why didn¡¯t you?¡± the judge gently asked.


    ¡°He and I¡­weren¡¯t together at the time and I¡­didn¡¯t think he wanted to be so¡­I left it.¡±


    ¡°And where is the father now?¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Ss stood leaving the seat he had taken in the back of the courtroom. He and Thomas had


    entered shortly before themotion over the raid began. Everyone was so focused on the events at


    the bench they didn¡¯t mark his appearance so all were suitably surprised save for Alexis who had


    caught the scent of his cologne.


    ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Ss Prescott,¡± he approached ignoring Emersonpletely and gazed at Ava with concern.


    It had taken everything in him not to interfere when the usations of drug use was tossed about. How


    dare they use her of something like that? His Ava!


    ¡°Prescott,¡± Judge Matthews took a deep breath recognizing the name immediately.


    ¡°This has nothing to do with you!¡± Emerson dered.


    ¡°As these are my children, I think it does.¡±


    ¡°Miss Carter,¡± the judge rapped the gavel for order, ¡°is Mister Prescott the father?¡±


    Not trusting her voice she nodded, ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    ¡°Your honor I already filed paternity tests with the records office to update their birth certificates,¡± Ss


    added. ¡°And I¡¯m hoping to change their names soon as well.¡±


    ¡°I take it then you intend to stay in the children¡¯s lives.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Their mother¡¯s too¡­if she¡¯ll have me.¡± Ss turned approaching Ava before dropping to


    one knee and taking out a ring.


    Ava stared wide-eyed at the gold band lined with diamond chips. For a ring it was understated but she


    wasn¡¯t one for impressive disys of wealth. She looked up from the ring staring at him wondering


    what he was thinking.


    ¡°Say yes, mom,¡± Alexis whispered. ¡°I think he means it.¡±


    ¡°Ava, will you marry me?¡± Ss asked watching her with a gentle gaze.


    She hesitated receiving a nudge from Tracy when she remained silent. Ava hesitantly answered, ¡°¡­Y-


    yes.¡±


    Smiling Ss slid the ring on her finger before standing and pulling her to her feet. He held her close


    waiting for her to stop trembling. The kids cheered swarming around them. Though they were still


    unsure about their father they wanted to put on a good disy for the court.


    ¡°Objection!¡±


    ¡°Your honor!¡±


    ¡°Order! Order!¡± the judge demanded. ¡°Considering the evidence presented¡­I hereby dismiss this


    case.¡±


    ¡°Your honor!¡±


    ¡°Mister Carlisle before you even think about appealing these results I suggest you should wait for the


    results of Social Service¡¯s investigation and think long and hard about how you want to approach your


    daughter and grandkids in the future. Mister Prescott congrattions.¡±


    Ss gave the judge a nod but his focus was on the woman in his arms. She had said yes but he knew


    she was still uncertain. One way or another he would erase all her doubts.


    ¡°Excuse me Miss Lamont, can I see that police report?¡± Officer Tyson asked quietly approaching.


    ¡°Help yourself,¡± Tracy said. ¡°I have as many copies as you need. Thanks again, Emily.¡±


    ¡°No problem. This was actually kind of fun,¡± the scientist smiled.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± Tracy asked a woman in a rather in tweed suit.


    ¡°I¡¯m from Human Services.¡±


    ¡°You have something to say to my client? Are you here to use her of being an addict too?¡±


    ¡°I will leave that to the police to determine but I do have questions concerning fraud.¡±


    Ava shuddered. Ss¡¯s embrace tightened as he red at the woman.


    ¡°Fraud?¡± Tracy repeated.


    ¡°Well¡­she¡¯s received sizable aid over the years which she was given in part because her regrettable


    circumstances, circumstances that were created due to her omission of the truth.¡±


    ¡°So you jumped to conclusions and expect my client to shoulder the guilt?¡± Tracy demanded.


    ¡°If money is all you are concerned with send me the bill,¡± Ss stared at the woman with a scowl.


    ¡°Every penny used to feed, clothe and house my children, every hospital and dental bill. I¡¯ll pay every


    cent if that¡¯s all it takes to keep you from harassing my fianc¨¦e and mother of my children. But that is


    thest charity you should expect from me. Come after her again¡­and it will be thest thing you do.¡±


    The woman shuffled back from his prating re. Unable to hold his gaze she answered. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯ll


    have to speak to our finance department.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Ss dismissed her with a frown. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Ava.¡±


    He helped her into her coat and gently escorted her to the door.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard thest of this, Prescott!¡± Emerson fumed.


    ¡°Looking forward to it Carlisle,¡± Ss smirked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about contacting Ava or my


    children again.¡±


    Emerson shook with rage. This was not what he nned. He intended to secure custody of his


    granddaughter. The boys didn¡¯t mean anything to him. He would have been happy to toss them back


    into the slums with their mother.


    ¡°You have no right to keep me from my grandchildren.¡±


    ¡°As their father I have every right,¡± Ss eyed him coldly.


    With a protective arm around Ava he headed for the door. Emerson gritted his teeth ready to demand


    he turn around when he became aware of the kids. Turning he saw the trio, or at least the boys, eyeing


    him with the same cold stare of their father and wondered how they had learned it so quickly or


    perhaps it was hereditary.


    ¡°This is yourst warning, old man,¡± Alexis said, ¡°don¡¯t bother our mother again or you¡¯ll be sorry.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a threat. It¡¯s a promise.¡±


    ¡°How could you side with that person against your own family?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no family or ours. Our family wouldn¡¯t chase our mother out of her own home and abandon


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    her,¡± Alexis said. ¡°I wondered how it was that someone would side with that heartless wench we have


    to call aunt but now I see you are just like her. Only a monster would send a perfect angel like our mom


    away and keep that despicable devil by his side.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk about your family like that.¡±


    ¡°Truth hurts, doesn¡¯t it? Well it doesn¡¯t matter. Once we¡¯re done with you the Carlisles will be only a


    memory because we¡¯re going to erase you from history and there isn¡¯t anything you can do about it.¡±


    ¡°Lexi, boys,¡± Ss paused at the door.


    ¡°See ya, old man.¡±


    ¡°Later gramps.¡±


    ¡°And stop looking at our sister you perv!¡±


    The kids called out their farewells as they took their usual positions with Alexis in the middle escorting


    her to where their parents waited.


    ¡°Is everything all right?¡± Ava asked as they reached them.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Alexis disengaged from her brothers and wrapped her arms around their mother.


    Ava hugged her back holding her close. Tears blurred her vision. She almost lost them today. Never


    once did she imagine her father would be so ruthless that he would stoop to ndering her and even


    frame her. Did she really mean so little to him?


    ¡°Ava,¡± Ss¡¯s arm circled around her as he kissed her temple. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Home. Ava nodded leaving into him. Home sounded good.

 Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Two

    Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Two


    ¡°So tell me how the heck you knew about the raid?¡± Thomas asked as they made their way down the


    stairs to the street where a limo waited. Duncan acting as chauffeur stood beside it ready to usher them


    inside.


    ¡°Custody battles aren¡¯t my usual fare,¡± Tracy replied with a shrug. ¡°I specialize in criminal cases so I


    have a lot of friends in the criminal justice system. I asked them to keep an ear out for any calls in or


    around Ava¡¯s apartment building. They gave me a heads up¡­but really it was Lexi¡¯s idea.¡±


    Tracy dropped her voice so the content family behind them didn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°Lexi?¡± Thomas nced at the girl. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s bright and a schemer. We knew Emerson would try to prove Ava was an unfit mother which was


    why I made sure to have the kids¡¯ medical files and school files on hand. Lexi is the one who brought


    up the possibility of her mother being framed. So that¡¯s why I called in a few extra favors to have Emily


    analyze their hair. It was just a precaution but she thought it was great fun.¡±


    Thomas chuckled shaking his head. He didn¡¯t know if he was more impressed by Alexis or Tracy for


    anticipating and preparing for such things. It was clear both were clever and astute and he wasn¡¯t


    certain who learned from whom.


    ¡°Amazing.¡±


    ¡°You got that right. ¡®Bout time you noticed.¡± Tracy gave him a wink.


    Thomas felt his face warm realizing he spoke aloud. His startled reaction caused her to snicker but she


    didn¡¯t feel like letting him off the hook easily.


    ¡°You just make sure you¡¯re security boys are up to snuff. Emerson isn¡¯t going to give up and if anything


    happens to Ava or the kids I¡¯lle after you first.¡±


    Thomas blinked, ¡°You sound¡­very serious.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am. And don¡¯t forget it.¡± Tracy turned walking down the sidewalk with a wave. ¡°I have a meeting


    to get to. Ava, kids call youter.¡±


    ¡°Bye Auntie Tracy!¡± the trio called after her even as they turned their attention to Thomas.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have feelings for our aunt, do you?¡± Alexis asked.


    ¡°What? No. Of¡­course not.¡±


    ¡°Too bad. Because she¡¯s awesome.¡± Alexis shrugged as her brothers escorted her to the waiting car.


    ¡°Home Jeeves,¡± Theo said as they climbed inside.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Duncan nodded controlling a smile. The children¡¯s casual demeanor was growing on him.


    Thomas looked after Tracy¡¯s retreating form a moment longer before following the kids inside. Sensing


    someone watching her Ava looked over her shoulder to see her father ring down at her. She


    shivered.


    ¡°Ava?¡± Ss felt her shudder then followed her gaze. Spying Emerson he scowled. He slipped his arm


    around her waist and pulled her close kissing her temple. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Ava. I¡¯m right here.¡±


    She rxed leaning into him. Ava was still unsure if she should allow herself to rely on him but she also


    couldn¡¯t face her father alone. Surely it would be okay this time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ss gently directed her into the waiting car and gave Emerson one final re before


    following.


    The kid chatted easily as the limo pulled away from the curve. Sean dug into the mini-fridge for water


    while Theo yed with the automatic windows and Alexis prodded Thomas hoping to get him to admit


    his attraction to Tracy. Normally Ava would have admonished them for being so boisterous but now she


    remained quiet twisting the ring on her finger as she tried to convince herself it was going to be okay.


    Reaching the brownstone the kids burst out of the car immediately heading for the nearest snow pile.


    With ungloved hands they packed snowballs and unleashed them on the adults. The action finally


    brought Ava out of her stupor.


    ¡°Kids!¡± Her exmation came even as Ss shielded her from the unexpected onught.


    ¡°Why you!¡± Thomas found his own snow pile andunched a counter attack while Ss herded Ava to


    the door.


    Somehow Duncan made it there before them and held the door as they escaped within. Once Ava was


    safe inside Ss shook off his coat calling, ¡°All right, inside before you get frostbite.¡±


    ¡°Ohe on!¡± Theo yelled back unimpressed. ¡°It¡¯s not even that cold!¡±


    ¡°Duncan¡¯s made a special dinner to celebrate and you won¡¯t get any covered in snow!¡±


    ¡°Oops! Come on!¡± Theo and Sean immediately took their sister¡¯s hands and led her inside. Shaking off


    snow the trio hurriedly shed their coats practically flinging them at the waiting butler.


    ¡°Kids!¡± Ava gasped as their rude behavior but Duncan merely chuckled.


    ¡°They are excited to be home,¡± Ss said helping her out of her jacket pleased to see it was the red


    one he bought her. ¡°Duncan, did you move everything as I asked?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. It is all arranged as you instructed.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°What is arranged?¡± Ava asked not sure if she would like the answer. After today she had enough


    surprises.


    ¡°You¡¯ll like it, promise,¡± Ss assured her pulling her into his arms.


    She stiffened in his embrace and was slow to rx. Though she said nothing Ss felt her reluctance


    and uncertainty. Did she still think he would eventually chase her away? Was his intentions not clear?


    ¡°I was going to save it forter but let me show you now,¡± Ss said after a moment.


    ¡°But the kids¡­¡±


    ¡°Thomas and Duncan can mind them for now. Come on.¡±


    With one arm around her waist he gently guided her to the stairs and up toward the bedrooms. Ava bit


    her lip as they walked past the rooms given to the kids and herself unsure where he was leading her.


    He finally stopped at the final bedroom opening the door and ushered her in.


    Like the others she had seem this one wasvishly decorated in rich, dark colors alongside expensive


    artwork. Yet there was also something grandiose about it that made it feel different from the others.


    Intuitively she knew this was the master bedroom. Ss stood behind her gently wrapping his arms


    around her waist and held her close.


    ¡°You probably already know this is my room,¡± he whispered. ¡°Now it¡¯s yours too.¡±


    ¡°¡­M-mine?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± He kissed the back of her head before leading her to the walk-in closet at least twice the size of


    the one in her original room. ¡°I had Duncan move all of your things in here. That side is yours.¡±


    Ava stared into the closet. One side was lined with men¡¯s wear. The other side held her clothes though


    they barely took up a quarter of the avable space.


    ¡°We¡¯ll work on filling it,¡± Ss assured her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­that¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    ¡°Ava,¡± he slowly turned her to face him. He cupped her face forcing her to meet his gaze. ¡°You are the


    mother of my children, my fianc¨¦e and soon to be wife. This is the very least you deserve. Let me take


    care of you the way I should have been doing from the beginning.¡±


    Ava could barely contain her pent-up emotions. Was she just hearing things she wanted to hear? Was


    it a trick? Was she a fool for wanting to believe him?


    ¡°Ava, I love you,¡± Ss said carefully enunciating each word wanting to take away her lingering doubts.


    Tears welled in her eyes.


    ¡°Shh¡­.Ava. It¡¯s all right.¡±


    Leaning forward his lips brushed hers. She didn¡¯t resist. He hesitated a moment longer before


    capturing her mouth fully. Her lips were so soft, pliable and wanting. She moaned softly as he pressed


    for entry letting his tongue twist around hers. Slowly easing back as they parted he stared into her


    startled gaze. Her cheeks were flushed as she tried to process what just happened.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting to do that for ten years,¡± Ss whispered.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He smiled leaning close again. This time he captured her mouth with more force as he pulled her


    against him. Hesitantly her hands moved and her arms wrapped around him. He felt her fingers tangle


    themselves in his hair and a shiver of pleasure surged through him. Groaning he pulled back meeting


    her gaze.


    ¡°Ava.¡±


    Before he could formte the words he leaned into her again crushing his lips against hers. After one


    taste he just couldn¡¯t stop. Everything in him called for more. Her body quivered as his hands slipped


    under her shirt caressing her skin. She moaned but didn¡¯t try to pull away.


    ¡°Ava, do you want this?¡± He huskily whispered.


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    Without another word he peeled off her top kissing down her neck. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons


    of his shirt so he helped eager to feel her skin against his own. Guiding her to the bed he tugged off her


    pants before lowering her onto the waiting mattress. All thought to a family dinner was lost as he


    reveled in the feast in front of him.


    Shedding thest of his clothes he joined her, his hands caressing her. She whimpered as he traced


    her ribs still prominent despite the meals his staff had been providing and the weight she gained. But


    there was still time to make that right. He kissed down her throat to her chest.


    ¡°¡­S-Ss.¡± She gasped as he found her breast sucking on it hungrily. Pleasure tingled through her.


    She shuddered with an unexpected orgasm as his teeth teased her nipple.


    ¡°Ava,¡± he whispered, ¡°was that what I think it was?¡±


    She moaned unable to answer. His hand moved between her thighs pressing against her moist


    entrance as his thumb rubbed her clit. Ava whimpered surprise. Ss hummed as he nibbled at her ear.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re ready for me,¡± he teased.


    She felt her face warm even as her back arched pressing her entrance against his hand as if her body


    had a mind of its own. Ss sucked in his breath. He had been ready to tease her a little while longer


    but it was clear what her body wanted and he couldn¡¯t deny his need for her.


    Pressing his hard member against the moist folds of her entrance he coated it in her natural lubrication.


    He groaned as he pushed his way inside of her warmth. His entrance was slow allowing her body to


    amodate him until he was fully sheathed within her. Ava whimpered as her body stretched and


    epted him. She tensed causing pain to erupt through her.


    ¡°Easy¡­rx Ava,¡± he whispered encouragement letting her get used to him.


    Slowly she rxed and the pain eased.


    ¡°There you go,¡± he continued to whisper encouragement.


    He pulled out of her and she briefly wondered if it was over before he thrust inside her again. She


    moaned as he slowly found his rhythm. Her body rocked with his pace. She shuddered with another


    orgasm as her body clenched around him. Ss groaned his motion slowed drawing out her pleasure.


    As she rxed his pace increased. Her mind was muddled by the sensations coursing through her. Her


    fingers curled into the bed spread as if it was the only thing maintaining reality.


    ¡°Ava, open your eyes.¡±


    She forced her lids open to see his face close to hers. His expression seemed strained from controlling


    himself but his gaze was lit with a cold fire full of possession. The intensity scared her but the pleasure


    he gave with each thrust consumed her.


    ¡°¡­Ss.¡±


    Whatever she wanted to say was cut off as her body reached another peak. This time his body


    shuddered unable to hold back as he filled her with his warm seed. He groaned reveling in his release.


    Finally, she was his.


    They came down from their climax together panting to catch their breath. Kissing her he gently pulled


    out. She whimpered tears seeping from her eyes.


    ¡°Shhh.¡± He whispered gently wiping her tears away as hey beside her and pulled her into his


    embrace. ¡°Sleep, Ava. Sleep.¡±


    She snuggled against him rxing as he gently caressed her. When she was asleep he carefully


    disengaged himself and retreated to the bathroom. He returned with a towel, carefully cleaning her and


    made her morefortable. Then he rejoined her tucking her in before pulling her back into his


    embrace. She had turned in her sleep so now her back was toward him but this just meant he could


    hold her closer as he spooned her. Bted he realized they would miss the celebratory dinner Duncan


    prepared. But in truth he wasn¡¯t particrly bothered and fell into contented sleep.

 Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Three

    Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Three


    Ava stirred. Her body was warm and rxed. In fact she felt rather heavy and moving took effort. She


    blinked awake taking in the room. Something felt off. Had the position of the windows changed? It was


    difficult to tell with the long, heavy curtains.


    But the bedspread was also different from what she remembered. She was positive her sheets were


    maroon but the ones sheid on now were ck and gray. When did¡­wait¡­Her mind went nk


    before recent memories filled it like a tidal wave. Did they really?


    She stiffened jerking fully awake. An arm around her waist tightened pulling her close against a firm


    chest. With a groan Ss stirred, ¡°Sleep Ava. There¡¯s no need to be awake now.¡±


    ¡°Ss?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± His breath warmed her ear as he kissed her and held her close. Her heart hammered in her


    head at his close proximity. Ava tried to ease away but he held her tight refusing to let any space


    between them.


    ¡°Ss, you don¡¯t have to¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve waited ten years Ava I¡¯m not letting you go now.¡±


    ¡°You really did look for me?¡±


    ¡°Ever since I returned from college and I heard what happened, how your parents¡­¡± Ss couldn¡¯t find


    the words to describe the rage that threatened to boil over then and now. ¡°If only I¡¯d recognized you


    then¡­I¡¯m so sorry Ava.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°No it¡¯s not,¡± Ss propped himself onto his elbow and gently rolling her on her back so they could


    speak face to face. ¡°Ava you have a very bad habit of saying everything is fine when it¡¯s not. Bad


    enough my so called friends yed their joke on me but then they dragged you into it.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­it¡¯s all¡­¡±


    ¡°Ava, no. It¡¯s not.¡± He stroked her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive them for what they did to you. I¡¯ll hunt each


    and every one of them down¡­them and your sister. I should have maintained control of the situation.¡±


    ¡°Ss, you didn¡¯t know what they were nning to do. You couldn¡¯t have done anything to change what


    happened.¡±


    ¡°Ava you shouldn¡¯t forgive me so easily,¡± Ss shook his head. ¡°I should have handled the next


    morning differently. I should have been taking care of you from the beginning: you and the kids. It¡¯s my


    fault you struggled so much.¡±


    Ava opened her mouth to protest but remained silent. It was clear Ss harbored a lot of guilt for what


    happened ten years ago and for how she and the kids fared afterward. She had been terrified of him


    since the hotel incident but seeing him now he looked vulnerable and pained. Though she didn¡¯t


    remember their first night together,st night he had been tender and gentle with her, practically


    worshipping her body. Reaching up she gently caressed his cheek.


    His blue eyes flickered with passion as he leaned into her touch. Catching her hand he kissed her palm


    then leaned over her to kiss her long and slow. His hand caressed her hip pulling her close until she felt


    his stiff member press against her.


    ¡°S-Ss¡­¡± she moaned as he kissed down her neck savoring the feel of her soft skin.


    He nibbled at her ear stopping only when her stomach growled. Pulling away he looked at her grinning


    mischievously, ¡°We missed dinner. Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well I¡­yes.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t have you missing a meal,¡± he sighed pulling away and reaching for the phone beside the bed.


    Selecting the line for the kitchen he waited for an answer before ordering dinner to be brought up to the


    room. Sighing he turned back to her and held her close. As much as he wanted to continue what they


    started he would have to wait until after their meal. Soon enough there was a knock on the door.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Ss called without leaving the bed. He didn¡¯t move or release her as Duncan entered.


    Without looking at them Duncan wheeled in a small trolleyden with tters on warming tes. He


    set the table arranging cutlery as well as tes and sses. Once his tasks wereplete he left


    without a word. Ss remained unmoved though Ava huddled against him as if trying to hide. Her


    modesty after theirst activity brought a smile to his face and Ss dly held her close.


    Once they were alone again he was slow to stir not wanting to break their embrace. Then her stomach


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat, beautiful. Then we¡¯ll get back to where we left off.¡±


    Ava blushed as he disengaged and left the bed disappearing into the bathroom. She slowly sat up


    clutching theforter to her chest. Unconsciously she shivered. She couldn¡¯t help but recall how she


    had woken up in the hotel room in a simr fashion, minus the headache or queasiness.


    ¡°God you are beautiful.¡±


    She looked up startled at Ss¡¯s sudden return. He was now dressed in a robe and carried another


    which he presented for her use. Blushing she looked away only for him to catch her chin and turn her


    face back to his. Kissing her he offered her the robe again.


    Ava quickly wrapped herself in it before epting his hand and standing. Her body protested the


    movement and she leaned against him. His arms wrapped around her tenderly.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just a little sore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was a little overeager,¡± Ss kissed the top of her head. ¡°Are you going to need help?¡±


    ¡°No. I think I can make it to the shower on my own.¡±


    ¡°All right¡­though if you wantpany I am here.¡±


    ¡°Somehow I don¡¯t think we¡¯d do much washing if we were both in there.¡±


    Ss chuckled his embrace tightened, ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. In the interest of feeding you as soon as


    possible it is probably better if I stay out of it¡­this time. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He reluctantly let her go and watched her retreat into the bathroom. Closing the door she leaned


    against it trying to calm her racing heart. What was she thinking? What if this was a trick? What if he


    got tired of her? What if¡­


    She looked at her hand and the sparkling engagement ring. It was small but elegant and the diamond


    chips glittered even in dim light. It was not the statement piece that a lot of people preferred but clearly


    it had been chosen with care and consideration. What was more if fit her hand perfectly. There was no


    need to resize it. How did he know her ring size? Was it wrong to keep it?


    She blushed remembering his touch, how he caressed her, kissed her. When he looked at her she felt


    wanted and when he told her she was beautiful it felt good. Was it wrong to want more?


    Ava moved to the mirror to stare at her reflection. The dark circles under eyes were lighter. Despite


    their recent activity she felt rested. She was a little sore but the usual muscle pain she endured was


    gone. In fact¡­


    She rolled her shoulder and turned her head. Her neck popped and cracked releasing tension it lived


    with for years. Ava sighed as her body rxed. What she craved was a massage to be rid of the


    lingering aches but that was probably impossible. Still a spa day sounded like heaven. Maybe Ss


    would be fine with it if she asked.


    Remembering he was waiting for her Ava retreated to the shower. The control panel made her pause. It


    was far moreplicated than the one in her room but she recalled the system her parents had in their


    home. There were music as well as water settings. She selected the default option not wanting to mess


    too much with the panel before stepping in.


    The water was hotter than she expected but it felt good. For years she lived with a permanent chill but


    now it seemed to be melting. She sighed, stretched and weed the small pops as her aches


    dissipated. Even the stubborn tightness in her shoulders eased. It was a pain that had lingered since


    she started working at the diner.


    Oh¡­she suddenly recalled the diner and Gretchen. With everything that had been going on she hadn¡¯t


    spared a thought to her job or the woman who had been so kind to her. A wave of guilt assailed her.


    She would have to apologize. Hopefully Gretchen would be forgiving. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose her


    job.


    He kept promising to take care of her but after ten years it felt strange not to be working. She suddenly


    had no schedule. She could sleep aste as she wanted, read, bathe, eat¡­she could do as much or


    as little as she wanted. As far as she could tell the staff had been told to see to her and the children¡¯s


    needs and not bother her so she could rest and rx. It was sort of like being in a hotel as Theo


    originally proimed.


    But this couldn¡¯t go on forever.


    Her mind unsettled she stepped out of the shower. As she dried she couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how


    soft her skin felt. Normally it felt dried out after a shower but now it definitely felt smoother. It was


    probably the products. Everything here was luxury goods. Shrugging back into her robe she quietly


    padded to the mirror to brush through her hair helping it dry faster. Not for the first time she thought


    about cutting it. It would make care easier.


    Sighing and not wanting to make Ss impatient she exited the bathroom. She found Ss preparing


    their meal, pouring each a ss of wine. He had changed into a pair of sweatpants leaving his toned


    torso bare. He looked up at her return and his gaze immediately softened.


    Without a word he closed the distance between them and embraced her. She leaned into him loving


    the way he made her feel loved. Kissing her temple he gently led her to the table and helped her sit.


    Once she wasfortable he offered her one of the tters revealing beef stroganoff and gratin


    potatoes.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind. I told Duncan to make something hardy and filling,¡± Ss exined. Though


    she had gained some weight since arriving at the brownstone he still worried about her. After making


    love to her he was keenly aware of how much she still needed to gain.


    ¡°Hearty and filling?¡±


    Ss leaned over kissing her hand, ¡°You need to gain more weight, love. You¡¯ve sacrificed everything


    including your health to raise our kids but not anymore. I won¡¯t allow it.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­um¡­I should probably go back to work.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going back to the diner.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Ava fell silent at his stern expression.


    ¡°If you want to work I won¡¯t stop you but not there, not that kind of work,¡± Ss said. ¡°Did you really like


    it that much?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was nice in its way. Feeding people and watching them enjoy what you cooked for them.


    Gretchen said I should take over for her one day since she didn¡¯t have anyone else to leave the diner


    to.¡±


    ¡°Then do that,¡± Ss said. ¡°Start your own restaurant. French, Italian,fort food. It can be anything


    you want. You can choose the d¨¦cor, the wait-staff, the chefs.¡±


    ¡°Me? My own restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°You think I could?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who Gretchen is but she thought you would be good at it¡­so is it really so hard to believe


    it yourself?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Ava hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about business.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what sses are for,¡± Ss shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯te out of the womb ready to run a multi-billion


    dorpany.¡±


    Ava snickered trying to contain augh. Her face flushed with embarrassment but Ss reached for her


    hand and kissed it. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to wipe the smile from his face if he tried. Not only had


    she genuinely smiled and evenughed she did so in response to one of hisme attempts at a joke.


    ¡°You are so beautiful when youugh.¡±


    Ava cautiously looked up to see him smiling warmly. She never imagined he could have such a gentle


    expression. Ever since his men helped her escape her father he had been nothing except kind, tender


    and considerate.


    Growing up her father had been king of his castle. The only time he came close to smiling was when


    she yed. That momentary joy never tranted topliments. Instead he would reiterate the rules


    she was supposed to follow. She was a woman therefore she should always defer to a man and obey


    without question. Her father sheltered her, fed her and would choose the husband she would spend the


    rest of her days with. After her husband was chosen she would be expected to be subservient to him.


    But Ss said nothing of the sort. He constantly called her beautiful and asked about what she wanted


    to do and encouraged her. He said she was strong and smart, treating her like she was something


    precious. His embrace was protective and gentle.


    ¡°Ava?¡±


    ¡°You make me feel special.¡±


    She looked up to see his expression was soft while his eyes almost seemed to burn with passion. It


    was too intense for her to hold for long and she looked away only to have him lean forward and gently


    turn her face back to him.


    ¡°I love you Ava. You are the most special person to me, always.¡±


    She opened her mouth to speak but he gently silenced her with a caressing finger.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it back¡­not until you are sure.¡± He smiled his expression taking on a hint of


    sadness. ¡°Let¡¯s eat before it gets cold.¡±


    Mutely she nodded.

 Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Four

    Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Four


    Ava woke feeling rested and secure. Dim gray light filtered past the edges of the thick curtains. It was


    morning. She shivered thinking of the chill that should have pervaded her bones. Yet she remained


    warm andfortable. An arm tightened around as Ss held her secure against himself.


    After they finished dinner he carried her back to bed and made love to her again. Her body quivered


    remembering how he touched her. His caresses were strong but gentle, tempered to bring her the


    greatest pleasure. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was intuition or learned but he found and teased every sensitive


    spot. Her father always imed sex was a dirty thing. Was it wrong for it to feel so good?


    ¡°Morning beautiful,¡± Ss said in a voice gruff from sleep. His embrace tightened and he kissed the


    nape of her neck.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Ava replied her skin tingling where he touched.


    He chuckled at her reaction. Ava felt her face warm but there was no denying how good it felt to be in


    his arms. She wouldn¡¯t mind waking up every morning like this.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Ss asked nibbling on her ear.


    ¡°Oh just¡­how nice it is to wake up like this,¡± Ava blushed, ¡°and that I wouldn¡¯t mind waking up like this


    all the time.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± He sighed. ¡°I could stay here with you forever.¡±


    ¡°But you have to work today,¡± Ava argued. He had been spending more and more time with her and the


    kids never once mentioning work.


    ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t do from home.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the boss. It¡¯s fine.¡± Ss smiled stroking her hair. ¡°Besides, who is going to argue if I want to spend


    the day with my fianc¨¦e?¡±


    He imed her as his own so easily it made her shiver. It seemed he waspletely earnest his gaze


    smoldering as he gazed at her. His eyes were intense, possessive yet tender, just like his touch. Did he


    really care so much about her? She couldn¡¯t deny how good it felt to think so.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Ss asked sensing her mind was wandering.


    ¡°Last night you said, you said you loved me. It feels good to think it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Would you like me to say it again?¡± Ss asked. ¡°I¡¯ll say it a hundred times if you want. Because it¡¯s


    true. I love you Ava.¡±


    ¡°Ss¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± He caressed her lips. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it back until you¡¯re sure. We have time¡­and a


    wedding to n.¡±


    ¡°A wedding?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re serious?¡± Ava raised her hand to look at the ring on her finger.


    ¡°I have dreamed of the day I would make you mine, Ava. Every night it¡¯s all I think about. I would have


    married you right there in the courtroom. But I want you to have the wedding you deserve. It can be


    anything you want, anywhere you want. Whatever kind of wedding you¡¯ve dreamed about.¡±


    Ava¡¯s eyes watered. Did he really mean it? He wanted her to have the wedding of her dreams. He


    wanted her to have a job she wanted and believed she could do anything she wanted. It was too much.


    It was too different from what her father always told her. She couldn¡¯t reconcile the difference.


    ¡°Ava? What is it?¡± Ss frowned gently wiping away a tear.


    ¡°My dad¡­always said it was a woman¡¯s ce to be quiet and serve her husband. He said I should be


    obedient¡­¡±


    ¡°Ava,¡± Ss caressed her cheek bringing her to silence. ¡°Never mention that man again. And forget


    everything he ever said to you. He¡¯s a fool. You are so much more than he could ever imagine. And


    you¡¯ll show him how wrong he was about you¡­I can already see it. And I¡¯ll do anything you need me to


    do to help that daye faster.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me for that.¡± He kissed her. ¡°Are you ready for breakfast or do you want to


    stay in bed? I¡¯m good with either.¡±


    Ava blushed butughed at his candor. Ss chuckled kissing her again pleased he could make her


    as happy and confident as she deserved to be.


    ¡°I should get up. The kids will be awake soon.¡±


    ¡°All right. I won¡¯t argue.¡± Ss sighed letting her sit up.


    Ava winced and groaned as she tried to move. Her body protested every attempt and it almost brought


    tears to her eyes.


    ¡°Ava, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ss sat up beside her.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­really hard to move.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He hugged her. ¡°I might have overdone itst night.¡±


    ¡°Overdid it,¡± Ava muttered and blushed.


    ¡°I know the perfect cure,¡± he whispered. ¡°Wait here.¡±


    Ss slid out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Ava watched him go with a mixture of curiosity and


    apprehension until she realized he was naked. Blushing she hid her face in her hands mentally


    chastising herself. A few minutester she heard the bath running. Clutching the nkets to her chest


    she sighed, bath did sound nice. Was that his idea?


    Ss returned she looked up then immediately turned away. Her face burned. He was stillpletely


    naked. Chuckling he pulled the nkets away from her before gathering her in his arms and carrying


    her bridal style.


    ¡°You have nothing to be embarrassed by Ava,¡± he said. ¡°It all belongs to you. No one else is allowed to


    touch it.¡±


    Ava shivered, ¡°Ss that isn¡¯t funny.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be. I¡¯m very serious. You¡¯re the only woman I¡¯ve been with and the only one I¡¯ll ever be


    with. I¡¯m yours and you¡¯re mine Ava.¡±


    She rested her head on his shoulder. It felt nice to hear him say such things. Was it wrong for her to be


    happy he hadn¡¯t slept with anyone else?


    Carrying her into the bathroom he brought her to the tub filled with steaming water. A rxing aroma


    wafted from the water no doubt from some sort of scented oil. It wasn¡¯t an overpowering smell and she


    felt some of her tension ease as he stepped into the tub himself and slowly lowered them both into the


    water.


    Holding Ava across hisp he turned on the tub¡¯s jets and gently caressed her as the heat and water


    soothed aching muscles. Ava sighed leaning against him. Ss kissed her temple loving how she fit


    against him. He would love nothing more than to stay like this forever but he couldn¡¯t.


    Though he told Ava not to worry about his absence from work there were things he needed to catch up


    on. In addition he had to look over the invites he had been sent. Ava had not appeared in high society


    for ten years and now she was his fianc¨¦e. Her reintroduction must be perfect. He would not allow


    anyone to look down on her or hurt her. Soon enough everyone would treat her like a queen, as they


    should.


    ¡°Ss.¡±


    ¡°Yes beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­I think¡­Are you aroused?¡± Ava hesitated to ask feeling his member stiffen under her.


    Ss chuckled, ¡°Well it¡¯s to be expected when I¡¯m holding you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she looked back at him with confusion in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. Only the woman I love can affect me like this.¡±


    Her face flushed. He kissed her and held her.


    ¡°Just because it¡¯s there doesn¡¯t mean we have to use it, luv.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we could right now anyway.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Ava asked. ¡°Then how would we¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    He slid her from hisp, turning her and pulling her close so she now faced him straddling hisp. She


    gasped feeling his member press against her entrance as he kissed the nape of her neck caressing


    her.


    ¡°Oh¡­um¡­¡±


    ¡°You are the one in control,¡± Ss chuckled.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. What happens is all up to you.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Just do what feels good,¡± Ss suggested gently pulling her hips toward him letting his member ease


    into her.


    Ava gasped clutching him close. Ss sighed. This wasn¡¯t what he nned but he certainly wouldn¡¯t


    ¡°S-Ss.¡±


    ¡°Like I said. You¡¯re in control,¡± he whispered gently rocking her hips to start. ¡°As fast or slow as you


    want. Whatever feels good to you.¡±


    Ava bit her lip shifting to take over the motion herself. It seemed precarious at first and she was afraid


    to cause him pain. But his expression was rxed as he groaned softly.


    ¡°Mhmm. Just like that¡­¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Hey sis, you awake?¡± Theo knocked before he and Sean entered.


    In their old apartment the trio had shared a bedroom with the boys in a bunk bed. It was strange to


    have separate bedrooms even though the shared bath made visits simple.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexis said. She sat propped up on her pillows. In truth she had been up for some time


    contemting their next move. They had to figure out a way to keep their grandfather away from their


    mother or interfering with their parents¡¯ budding romance.


    ¡°You think mom¡¯s okay?¡± Theo asked lying across the foot of her bed.


    ¡°You heard Duncan. All of her things were moved into our father¡¯s room so I¡¯m sure they are together.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I know. That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    ¡°Really? You didn¡¯t seem to have a problem when you and Sean helped him pick out the engagement


    ring.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°You seemed pretty excited when he proposed.¡±


    ¡°It was kind of cool the way he did it in the courtroom,¡± Theo admitted. There was no mistaking the joy


    on their mother¡¯s face and it did seem like their father wanted to make her happy. ¡°Okay. Fine. I guess


    he¡¯s not all bad.¡±


    Sean and Alexis snickered.


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡± Theo sighed.


    ¡°Now we have to focus. Our grandfather¡¯s going to cause problems if we don¡¯t do something about


    him,¡± Alexis dered. ¡°Everyone seems to be content to just react to him but I say we go on the


    offensive.¡±


    ¡°So are we finally taking him down?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to be easy,¡± Sean argued. ¡°He¡¯s a terrible person and a trash father but he¡¯s a good


    businessman. Hispany is clean.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Theo snorted.


    ¡°It means we have our work cut out for us,¡± Alexis said. ¡°If he had shady dealings we could leak all of


    that and let the FBI do the heavy lifting.¡±


    ¡°But we got nothing.¡±


    ¡°More or less,¡± Sean agreed.


    ¡°What about another cyber attack?¡± Theo suggested. That had actually been kind of fun.


    ¡°We could but they¡¯ve probably ramped up security,¡± Sean said. ¡°Plus it only dropped their stock maybe


    two percent? They¡¯ve already recovered most of that. Not to mention each time we do it¡¯s going to draw


    attention and we run the risk of being found out.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Alexis agreed. ¡°We need to hit his weak spot.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°His family,¡± Alexis announced. ¡°Sean said it himself. He¡¯s a shitty person and a terrible father. Our aunt


    is his weakest point.¡±


    ¡°So we take her down¡­he goes down to?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll definitely take him down a few pegs,¡± Alexis said, ¡°and it will keep him too busy to bother us.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ve already been attacking our aunt,¡± Theo protested. ¡°It hasn¡¯t really affected him that much.¡±


    Sean nodded. He maintained surveince on all of their aunt¡¯s social media and regrly posted


    didn¡¯t stop her from partying and their grandfather continued to support her.


    ¡°About that. I¡¯ve been thinking we¡¯ve gone at this all wrong,¡± Alexis announced. ¡°Everyone has limits


    and our grandfather is no different. As long as our aunt doesn¡¯t cross the line he¡¯ll continue to support


    her.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The brothers nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Think about it. Our mom is a wonderful person. She¡¯s kind and gentle and never stepped out of line


    but he tossed her aside like she was garbage.¡±


    ¡°Meanwhile our aunt is lewd, self-indulgent and crazy,¡± Sean added.


    ¡°Right. So what separates them? What¡¯s the one thing our mom has done our aunt hasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­she¡¯s had us,¡± Theo hesitated.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s not a virgin,¡± Alexis dered. ¡°That¡¯s our grandfather¡¯s line. Cross it and you¡¯re out.¡±


    ¡°You think we if we prove our aunt is not a virgin he¡¯ll toss her out too?¡± Theo finally caught her


    meaning.


    ¡°Yes. But we won¡¯t know for sure until we can find the evidence.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Our aunt it smart,¡± Sean said. He had been deep-diving her social media for years and


    never found any concrete evidence.


    ¡°She¡¯s not that smart,¡± Alexis insisted. ¡°And sex has consequences or else we wouldn¡¯t be here. Unless


    our aunt is infertile I guarantee she¡¯s had to cover them up.¡±


    ¡°How could she hide a pregnancy?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she hid it. I think she got rid of it.¡±


    Her brothers shared a shocked look but it made perfect sense. Their aunt was a sociopath so she


    would do anything to maintain her status and she wouldn¡¯t harbor the least bit of guilt.


    ¡°If she did that she hid it very well,¡± Sean said.


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯re just not looking in the right ce,¡± Alexis said. ¡°Because of thosews they passed a


    while back a lot of state¡¯s ouwed it right? And she wouldn¡¯t get it done here¡­too many people would


    recognize her.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re thinking she went out of state,¡± Sean nodded heading to herputer.


    ¡°She might have even left the country and our aunt doesn¡¯t fly coach.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also willing to bet it wasn¡¯t a one-time thing. We need to look for multiple, infrequent trips to the


    same ce.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think she¡¯d switch it up?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not that smart. If it worked once she¡¯d keep doing the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s see where our aunt has been traveling.¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Five

    Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Five


    ¡°Here you are, ma¡¯am.¡±


    The chauffeur leaned in epting the slim hand reaching out and helped his employer exit the small


    limo. He was an older gentleman and had served the same family for years. In fact he had watched his


    employer go from a charming youngdy to a dignified matriarch.


    Opal Prescott was fully aware that aging brought changes but she didn¡¯t obsess with her youth as so


    many others did. Because of that she aged gracefully. Certainly she had a few wrinkles here and there


    but her face retained a natural glow. Her gaze was as bright and sharp as ever and people would be


    foolish to think she had lost a step.


    Many still sought her out to join their various projects. She was known to bepassionate and


    championed many causes as the Prescott matriarch. Dedicating her time and attention to social causes


    kept her busy unlike her husband. After giving the reins of thepany to Ss he lounged at home


    reading the Financial Times. She wished he showed more ambition to socialize but he was never very


    interested in her hobbies. Their marriage was founded on splitting responsibilities. Her husband took


    care of business and she made sure they made adequate charitable donations.


    She hadn¡¯t minded the division but now that Ss had taken over his father had nothing to keep himself


    busy. Her husband¡¯s chief concern was Ss providing heirs to carry on the family name and business.


    To that end he forced Ss to date numerous girls throughout high school. The girls were daughters of


    business associates. His hope was to grow thepany through merger but Ss steadfastly ignored


    these efforts and once he went to college he terminated these crude attempts from his father.


    To be honest Opal hoped Ss would have married before now as well. The idea of having a daughter-


    inw to share in her social endeavors rather tickled her. Being able to share it with a granddaughter


    even more so but she didn¡¯t want to force Ss into a rtionship either. It might have been an old


    fashion wish but she wanted her son to find and marry for love. But there was only one woman who


    would satisfy him.


    One thing she wouldn¡¯t tolerate was being ignored. Ss had ignored several of her phone calls. She


    didn¡¯t care how busy he might be it was uneptable. Hoping to take him off guard she had gone to


    the office only to be informed he was working from home that day. That was surprising in and of itself


    but when she went to his condo the housekeeper told her he hadn¡¯t been around for weeks and could


    be found at the vi.


    The Prescotts owned several properties many of which could be ssified as vis but there was only


    one Ss would use. They had long maintained a brownstone on the Upper West Side that had long


    been Ss¡¯s favored residence even more so than the family estate. Any time he needed a vacation or


    change of scenery from his Manhattan condo he would spend a weekend at the brownstone but she


    had never known him to stay for weeks on end as the housekeeper seemed to imply.


    Nheless she ordered her driver to take her there. Even from the street she could tell it was


    upied. Windows that usually remained closed were open. Curtains were drawn back and the small,


    close-knit group of housekeepers and cooks were certainly active and going about their duties.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Wait here, Charles. I won¡¯t be long.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Squaring her shoulders Opal marched up the steps and pressed the doorbell. Momentster the door


    swung open revealing Duncan who seemed very surprised to be receiving another guest. Despite his


    shock he maintained hisposure.


    ¡°Wee Madam.¡±


    ¡°Duncan, how are you?¡± Opal asked as she stepped in.


    ¡°Very well. Thank you for asking.¡±


    ¡°I was told Ss was staying here.¡±


    ¡°He is indeed. Shall I announce you?¡± Duncan asked taking her coat.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not necessary. Is he in his office?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    A young voice echoed through the house interrupting them, ¡°And now the finals for the Indoor Stair


    Luge!¡±


    The announcement was followed by a Whoop! of exmation as a young boy came barreling down the


    stairs on a stic, green toboggan. Making it down the curved staircase he rocketed across the floor


    and crashed into the opposite wall just missing the open door leading to the living room. Laughing the


    boyy on the sled catching his breath.


    ¡°Are you still alive?¡± a voice called from above.


    ¡°Yep!¡± the boy on the floor dered. ¡°Your turn! Don¡¯t wuss out!¡±


    ¡°Three! Two! One! Go!¡±


    Secondster the performance was repeated as a boy identical to the first came sliding down on an


    orange toboggan and crashed next to the first. The pairughed, high-fiving each other.


    ¡°You two are going to break your necks one day and I¡¯m not crying for you,¡± another voice dered as


    a girl descended the stairs.


    While the boys had ck hair and blue eyes she had brown hair and green eyes. Reaching thest


    step she looked down at the boys wrinkling her nose with disgust.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s going to wring your necks if she sees you like this.¡±


    ¡°What? You going to tell on us?¡± one of the boys asked.


    ¡°Like I¡¯d have to. You¡¯re making so much noise a deaf person could hear you,¡± she snorted. ¡°You two


    better calm down before she gets here. Oh. Hello?¡±


    The girl turned sniffing the air. She gazed in Opal¡¯s direction but there seemed something odd about it.


    The girl didn¡¯t quite look her in the eyes and seemed to look through her. It was several moments


    before the Prescott matriarch realized the girl was in fact blind.


    ¡°This is Madam Opal Prescott,¡± Duncan introduced. ¡°She¡¯s your father¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh cool,¡± the girl stepped down and came forward. ¡°It¡¯s very nice to meet you. I¡¯m Alexis and


    Tweedledee and Tweedledum over there are my brothers: Theo and Sean. How would you like us to


    address you? I suppose Grandma is too informal right? Should we just go with Missus Prescott for


    now?¡±


    Opal opened her mouth and snapped it closed as her gaze went from the girl to the boys and back


    again. Did Duncan just imply Ss was their father? Were these three rambunctious children really her


    grandchildren? How? When? Why hadn¡¯t he told her?


    ¡°I think we broke her,¡± Theo said when she remained silent.


    ¡°Do you, like, need to sit down?¡± Sean asked.


    Opal blinked slowlyposing herself, ¡°Forgive me. But¡­you are Ss¡¯s children?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re triplets,¡± Alexis said as if that exined everything. ¡°Sean¡¯s the oldest and Theo¡¯s the youngest


    though there really isn¡¯t much of an age difference, physically at least. Not that you¡¯d ever notice when


    they act like this.¡±


    Theo and Sean blew raspberries at her. Alexis shrugged as if there was no need to exin more.


    ¡°H-how old are you?¡±


    ¡°Almost ten.¡± The trio responded as one.


    Ten years? Opal eyes went wide recalling an incident now almost eleven years ago. But that would


    mean these children were conceived that night. And their mother¡­


    ¡°Can I ask¡­who is your mother?¡±


    Alexis tilted her head as she considered the request. It was a reasonable question. After a moment she


    answered, ¡°Avalynn.¡±


    ¡°¡­Avalynn Carlisle?¡±


    ¡°Well she changed her name to Carter before having us¡­but yeah.¡±


    Opal covered her mouth but couldn¡¯t disguise her shock. Yes. She recalled the rumors of a scandal


    which led to the younger Carlisle sister to disappear. At the time Opal was far more concerned with the


    incident involving Ss she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the gossip and she never connected the two


    but that meant¡­


    Tears blurred her vision as she gazed at the youngdy in front of her. Opal smiled, ¡°Can I hug you?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Alexis smiled.


    Shaking Opal stepped forward. She set her hands on Alexis¡¯s shoulders before pulling her into a firm


    hug. Not wanting to make her granddaughter ufortable she stepped back and said, ¡°You look just


    like your mother.¡±


    ¡°You know mom?¡±


    ¡°I saw her y once. It was at the All Boroughs Music Competition. She was ten or eleven, I think, and


    absolutely brilliant.¡±


    Alexis smiled pleased the woman in front of her remembered. Opal gently held her face stroking


    Alexis¡¯s cheeks as she studied her. Taking a breath she looked at the boys watching them.


    ¡°And you two look just like your father. Please call me Grandma. Nothing would make me happier.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Sean said.


    ¡°No problem Grandma-O,¡± Theo agreed.


    Opal smiled still hardly believing what was in front of her. Ss had a lot of exining to do but she


    couldn¡¯t be mad anymore. Sighing she said, ¡°I have to talk with that father of yours so¡­you three be


    good and no more of¡­that.¡±


    Alexis snorted. Her brothers chuckled but agreed. It certainly wasn¡¯t their intention to worry people


    needlessly. Opal nodded, satisfied, before she reluctantly took her leave and headed for the office.


    * * *


    ¡°How about the Midtown Holiday G?¡± Thomas suggested.


    ¡°No. Too small.¡±


    ¡°Then what about Soho¡¯s Christmas Tree Lighting?¡±


    ¡°No. It won¡¯t be good for her to be exposed to that much cold air.¡±


    ¡°Okay. The Tribeca Gift Exchange?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    Thomas sighed out of frustration. This had been going on for thest thirty minutes. No sooner had


    Ss finally sat down in his office to work he demanded Thomas to sort through his various invitations


    and pick out a suitable holiday party to attend.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it really matters which one you attend,¡± Thomas argued. ¡°Your presence alone will elevate


    any party.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about me. This will be Ava¡¯s first appearance in ten years. Everything has to be perfect for


    her.¡±


    ¡°Amen.¡±


    The pair suddenly stiffened as Opal stepped into the room and seated herself in a chair across from


    her son as Thomas stood.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, would you like coffee¡­¡±


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t be here long,¡± Opal studied her son closely. He didn¡¯t often work from home but he


    certainly looked more rxed in casual clothes. There was a slight blush to his cheeks no doubt


    brought on by the mention of the young woman she had yet to meet. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I just saw my


    grandchildren.¡±


    Ss sucked in a breath.


    ¡°The boys almost broke their necks tobogganing down the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Thomas,¡± Ss ran his fingers through his hair.


    ¡°Confiscate their sleds,¡± Thomas nodded before departing.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°How is Ava? Is she all right? It can¡¯t be easy raising three children alone. How did she manage? What


    was she doing at that hotel?¡±


    Ss leaned back. Leave it to his mother to already put the pieces together. After a moment he started


    at the beginning telling the story as it had been told to him before eventually moving on to how he first


    discovered the children and what their lives have been like. Opal remained silent growing pale as she


    learned what her grandchildren and their mother endured. Ss finished with Emerson¡¯s courtroom


    fiasco.


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Opal shook her head. ¡°How is Ava really?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­recovering. She¡¯s still much too thin but she¡¯s gotten some color back. She¡¯s sleeping and


    eating better. But¡­she¡¯s scarred after how her father treated her. It goes beyond just disowning her. I


    think she endured a lot of verbal and emotional abuse growing up.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past that man,¡± Opal scowled. ¡°Trying to frame his daughter for drug abuse, really. But


    there is something you¡¯re not telling me. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Something Lexi said. She said I broke Ava¡¯s heart. That she had a crush on me and when I dismissed


    her like I did¡­it broke her.¡±


    ¡°Guilt is not going to help you, or her.¡±


    ¡°I am aware.¡±


    ¡°But she still said yes.¡±


    ¡°She did.¡± Ss¡¯s lips twitched with a smile.


    Opal chuckled, ¡°You loved her for such a long time, ever since you saw her at the musicpetition. I


    still remember that day. You were so frustrated with your father I invited you along so you could rx. It


    must have been fate when you saw her y for the first time. You looked right at me and said, That¡¯s


    the girl I¡¯m going to marry.¡±


    Ss nodded. He remembered.


    ¡°Your father is in for quite a surprise. You know he nned for you to marry Jenna.¡±


    Ss snorted, ¡°She¡¯s nothingpared to Ava.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t argue that. There¡¯s something about her that rubs me the wrong way but she can do no wrong


    in your father¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m going to marry Ava.¡±


    Opal nodded. His eyes held the same look of determination as they did some two decades ago. Ss


    had a stubborn streak a mile wide and more than enough to match his fathers. Regardless of her


    husband¡¯s ns Ss had his own.


    ¡°In that case, how about Greenwich Holiday Charity G?¡±


    Ss raised a brow at her suggestion.


    ¡°It has a high profile but it¡¯s not terriblyrge so Ava shouldn¡¯t feel overwhelmed and you can introduce


    her. Are you bringing the kids?¡±


    ¡°Introducing Ava as my fianc¨¦e is sure to cause quite the uproar. The kids will be like dropping a


    bomb.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. You¡¯ll have to do it eventually but I agree Ava should have her own time in the


    spotlight,¡± Opal nodded.


    A knock interrupted them as Duncan pushed open the door and entered with a trayden with coffee


    and cups. He brought it to the table saying, ¡°Refreshments for you both.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Duncan but I really must go. It took me time to track down this wayward son of mine.¡±


    Ss grimaced.


    ¡°Maybe next time he¡¯ll answer my calls and we can avoid the game of hide and seek.¡±


    ¡°Yes mother.¡±


    Opal chuckled. It wasn¡¯t like Ss to ignore her in the first ce so she had known something was


    going on. But even she hadn¡¯t expected to find three grandchildren waiting for her.


    ¡°Can I see her before I go?¡±


    ¡°Duncan, where is Ava?¡±


    ¡°Miss Ava is in the study.¡±


    With a nod Ss stood as did his mother. The pair went in search of her. They found Ava curled up in a


    chair reading The Manchineal Scheme by Rosemary Thomas. So engrossed in the book she didn¡¯t


    notice their entry.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good one,¡± Opal said startling her. ¡°I heard the author lived in Paris six months studying


    photography and French cuisine before writing that.¡±


    Wide-eyed Ava hurriedly stood. She wore leggings with arge, oatmeal-colored sweater. Despite


    instructing Duncan to raise the house¡¯s temperature she still caught asional chills so Ss wasn¡¯t


    surprised to see she also had a nket.


    ¡°¡­Um. Hello,¡± Ava nervously greeted.


    ¡°Hello my dear,¡± Opal immediately stepped forward taking her hands in her own. ¡°You¡¯ll have to pardon


    my rude son for not introducing me sooner.¡±


    ¡°Son?¡± Ava nced at Ss and back again. ¡°Y-you¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Opal, your soon-to-be mother-inw,¡± she smiled. ¡°I saw the kids when I got here. I¡¯m so happy you


    are all finally here and safe.¡±


    ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. Ss has loved you for so long.¡± Opal smoothed her hair as ifforting a child.


    It took her only a moment to confirm Ss¡¯s fears. Ava had indeed suffered abuse, persistent and


    pervasive. Opal couldn¡¯t imagine the strength it took her toe this far on her own but she wouldn¡¯t


    be alone anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy he finally found you.¡±


    Ava blushed.


    ¡°If you need anything just ask me. I¡¯ll give you my number,¡± Opal took out her phone. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to


    call all right?¡±


    ¡°O-okay. That¡¯s nice of you but I don¡¯t have a phone.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t? Ss what have you been doing these past weeks?¡± Opal turned on him.


    ¡°Well I was nning to make it a Christmas surprise,¡± he fidgeted under his mother¡¯s scrutiny.


    ¡°Really, men,¡± Opal huffed. ¡°You better make sure my number is programmed into it.¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    Ava smiled stifling augh at how meek Ss became around his mother. Despite her attempts to


    control it she still drew their attention. Opal warmly grinned and Ss smiled broadly happy to see her


    joy even at the cost of his own dignity.


    ¡°You are so pretty when you smile,¡± Opal said and Ava blushed again. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to crack the


    whip when my son gets out of line, all right?¡±


    ¡°But I¡­¡±


    ¡°There is one truth in this world that has been in ce since the beginning my dear: men may think


    they rule the world, but women rule over men. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Six

    Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Six


    ¡°So what¡¯s this about?¡± Theo asked as he and his brother flopped on one of the couches in the living


    room.


    Alexis was ensconced on the other while their mother nervously stood by her. It had been two days


    since their grandmother swept in and they had suddenly been asked to join Ss in the living room.


    They were all a little apprehensive since it was the first time he summoned them since their arrival.


    Leaving them for a few minutes Ss returned with Thomas carrying several identical boxes. Thomas


    handed the boys each a box while Ss delivered one each to Alexis and Ava.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°ording to your grandmother I shouldn¡¯t be so slow about certain things,¡± Ss said. ¡°So these are


    early Christmas gifts.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Cool!¡± Theo eximed opening his box to reveal thetest iPhone?.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Sean opened his taking out the phone and immediately turned it on to browse its


    functions.


    Alexis opened her box taking out the phone. Her fingers found the power button and an electric voice


    said, ¡°Phone is on. Battery full. Voice notification and Talkback options on.¡±


    ¡°Whoa.¡±


    ¡°I made sure they set the essibility options for you,¡± Ss exined.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Alexis smiled. It would make using it far simpler.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Ss slipped his arm around Ava¡¯s waist and held her close as she finally opened the box to


    see a fourth phone.


    All were identical aside from the cases. Ava¡¯s was a silvery pink while Sean¡¯s was blue, Theo¡¯s green


    and Alexis¡¯s glittery white. All had a smooth finish except for Alexis¡¯s phone which was roughly


    textured.


    ¡°All the phones are already programmed with each other¡¯s numbers, mine, your grandmothers,


    Thomas and Tracy¡¯s. You can add others as you see fit.¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± Theo said already settled into a game.


    ¡°Ss, why?¡± Ava looked at him clutching the box.


    ¡°Because you deserve it,¡± He kissed her temple. ¡°Because mom is always right. Because I want to and


    I want you to be able to reach me whenever you need me.¡±


    He hugged her tighter.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Ava don¡¯t say no to the things I can give you, that I want to give you,¡± Ss pleaded. ¡°I want to take


    care of you Ava and I want you to have everything you deserve. I just hope that includes me.¡±


    Blushing she leaned against him. She wanted to tell him it was unnecessary but she knew he would


    still insist. It felt nice that he cared. Her father refused to allow her own phone saying she could use the


    servant¡¯s phone in the kitchen. She had expected nothing more here and was surprised when he let


    her use the office while preparing for court.


    ¡°And don¡¯t be afraid to ask Duncan for anything if I¡¯m not here,¡± Ss said. ¡°He¡¯s an excellent chauffeur


    and I¡¯m going to keep your security teams around for the time being so they can escort you.¡±


    ¡°Security teams? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because of your father,¡± Ss said. ¡°He¡¯s not done. I¡¯m not sure what he¡¯ll try next. I have to keep you


    and the kids safe.¡±


    Ava¡¯s eyes widened. Had she been too na?ve to think it was over with the end of the court hearing?


    Would her father really try something else now?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep you safe,¡± Ss assured her. ¡°I¡¯ve never let that old man take anything that


    belonged to me and I won¡¯t start now.¡±


    Ava shivered at the intensity of his gaze but she feltforted. No one had ever taken her side


    especially not against her father. It felt good. She leaned into him epting his embrace and its


    While their parents embraced Sean and Theo shared a look before gazing at their sister. Alexis sat with


    a pensive expression. As if feeling her brothers¡¯ gazes she nodded. Their father wasn¡¯t wrong. Taking


    care of their grandfather was their top priority.


    ¡°Today we¡¯ll go shopping,¡± Ss announced.


    ¡°For what?¡± Ava asked.


    ¡°For a dress. Next week is the Greenwich Charity G. It¡¯s the perfect ce to introduce my fianc¨¦e to


    New York.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The more people who know you¡¯re mine the safer you¡¯ll be.¡± Ss stroked her cheek. ¡°Will


    you go with me?¡±


    Ava didn¡¯t trust her voice but nodded.


    ¡°Good.¡± He kissed her.


    ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t go shopping,¡± Alexis said, ¡°at least not with you.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Ss asked.


    ¡°What I mean is we should call Auntie Tracy and go shopping with her,¡± Alexis said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be


    better to be surprised by mom¡¯s dress?¡±


    ¡°Lexi¡­¡±


    Thomas smiled knowing how much Ss had been looking forward to seeing Ava try on dresses.


    ¡°You have to work anyway, right?¡± Alexis asked knowing he had been spending most of his time with


    them while working from home but that would notst forever and there were certain things he couldn¡¯t


    get done without going to the office.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Thomas almost snorted trying to hold back hisugh. Ss shot him an annoyed look but there was no


    denying Alexis had a point. He sighed. This time he would ept defeat, this time.


    ¡°Well I was going to save this but¡­¡±


    Ss took out his wallet and handed a small card to Ava. She hesitantly epted staring at it in shock.


    It was a gold credit card with her name on it.


    ¡°Ss?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s yours. Use it to go shopping but you better buy at least five dresses.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°You hear that Lexi, boys. No less than five dresses.¡±


    ¡°You got it,¡± Sean readily agreed.


    ¡°Plus matching shoes and essories,¡± Alexis added.


    ¡°Lexi!¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Ss agreed.


    ¡°Ss.¡±


    ¡°Five dresses with matching shoes, clutches and whatever essories are needed,¡± Ss said, ¡°but I¡¯ll


    handle the jewelry myself. Thomas will arrange your security.¡±


    * * *


    Ava waited near the shopping center entrance. Sean was still ying with his phone¡¯s functions while


    Theo yed on an app. Only Alexis was paying attention to what was going on around them but that


    might have been more a consequence of her blindness since her new phone didn¡¯t have quite the


    same appeal as it did for her brothers. She stood close to her mother offering support as Ava kept


    nervously ncing at the four security members Thomas arranged. For simplicity he chose the same


    men originally sent to watch them.


    ¡°Ava!¡±


    They turned at the familiar voice as Tracy hurried up to them. Even before Ava could offer greeting


    Tracy enveloped her in a firm hug then stepped back to get a good look at her friend. Over the years


    Tracy watched Ava slowly sumb to the pressures of raising three children alone. She lost a lot of


    weight and grown paler. Her once shiny, brte hair became dull and stringy, her clothing was old


    and usually several sizes toorge.


    After only a month it was amazing how drastically she changed. Her clothing was new and better fitted


    to her petite frame. The dark rings under her eyes had faded and her skin had a healthy flush to it. Her


    hair had regained its natural sheen and body. But most importantly she had regained a good portion of


    the weight she lost.


    Tracy noticed some of the changes during the preparation for the trial but now Ava had developed a


    healthy glow and her eyes were even getting back their luster. It was like thest ten years were


    melting away leaving a young and vibrant woman behind.


    ¡°Ava, oh my god! You look fantastic!¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Ava self-consciously tugged at the red coat Ss bought her.


    ¡°Yes! You look great!¡±


    ¡°Well, I feel much better. I¡¯ve been getting a lot more sleep and I haven¡¯t worked at all. All I do isze


    around and eat. It¡¯s no wonder I gained so much weight.¡±


    ¡°No! You look fantastic! You were way too thin before and you¡¯re practically glowing!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Ava blushed.


    ¡°Absolutely. I guess Mister Scary Prescott isn¡¯t so bad after all. I¡¯m d he¡¯s treating you well,¡± Tracy


    sighed relief. Even after her conversation with Ss she worried for Ava¡¯s well-being but it seemed


    unfounded now. At herment about their boss the security team fought to contain theirughter


    drawing Tracy¡¯s attention. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Oh Auntie Tracy this is the goon squad,¡± Alexis introduced. ¡°Mister Peppermint is Mike. Old Spice is


    Don. Smoky is Jake and Lc is Matthew. He¡¯s the only one with a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°H-how did you know that?¡± Matthew stuttered. He hadn¡¯t even told his partner about his new girl.


    ¡°Because lc is not a scent men choose for themselves,¡± Alexis said. ¡°At least not cis men like you


    four. And your friends have almost no hope of getting a woman for themselves¡­except maybe Don.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°FYI, woman nowadays don¡¯t like a man who smells like a smokestack,¡± Alexis exined. ¡°They also


    don¡¯t like men who drink to excess. That¡¯s you Mister Peppermint. The aftershave does not hide it. One


    the other hand as far as masculine scents go a lot of woman like Old Spice¡­so there you go.¡±


    The four men shared sheepish nces while Tracy snickered at her niece¡¯s candor. Alexis had always


    been blunt when delivering facts which was often off-putting for those not prepared for it.


    ¡°Lexi that is not very nice,¡± Ava admonished before looking at her friend, ¡°and you are not helping.¡±


    Tracy cleared her throat, ¡°I can¡¯t help it. That was amazing. If I had half of Lexi¡¯s observational skills I¡¯d


    be the bestwyer in the country.¡±


    Alexis shrugged. It really wasn¡¯t anything special as far as she was concerned.


    ¡°So what are we shopping for?¡± Tracy asked.


    ¡°A dress. Ss wants to take me to a Christmas party.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Which one?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­um¡­¡±


    ¡°The Greenwich Charity G,¡± Alexis easily supplied.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to that one too!¡± Tracy smiled. As far as upscale parties went the Charity G was one of


    the smaller ones and not as exclusive with their guest list allowing people from multiple social


    standings mingle.


    ¡°You are?¡± Ava asked visibly rxing. At the very least she would know one person. The thought of


    attending the event wasn¡¯t quite so daunting now.


    ¡°So you need a dress. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Mom, he said to buy at least five dresses with matching shoes and essories,¡± Alexis reminded. ¡°He


    ns on buying her jewelry himself.¡±


    ¡°Lexi.¡±


    ¡°Oh good. I was worried he was trying to be cheap but that makes sense.¡± Tracy nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need five dresses.¡±


    ¡°Ava you¡¯ve been gone a long time so you may have forgotten how judgmental and conniving these


    people are. You won¡¯t be able to get away with wearing the same dress over and over again. So unless


    you want to go shopping every time you n on going out then getting several now is just smart.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Ava frowned. She was used to shopping frugally. In fact she couldn¡¯t remember not having


    a budget. Even growing up her father had been a stickler for controlling obscene spending though there


    always seemed to be plenty for Marilynn to use.


    ¡°So how are we paying?¡± Tracy asked. ¡°What¡¯s the budget?¡±


    ¡°Mom got a gold card, no limit,¡± Sean answered.


    ¡°No limit? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°I heard our father say it himself.¡±


    Tracy raised a brow at the casual way Sean referred to Ss. It was clear the kids still held reservations


    but they were willing to work with him. Ss had a lot of catching up to do to earn his ce. Even so it


    was a promising sign this estranged family could knit itself back together.


    It gave Tracy hope. Her chief concern was Ava and the kids¡¯ safety and wellbeing. As long as Ss


    lived up to his promises she would encourage Ava to reconcile with him.


    ¡°Well then¡­let¡¯s hit the dress shop!¡± Tracy announced hooking Ava¡¯s arm.


    Ave grasped Alexis as Tracy herded them on. She had a sinking feeling this trip was not going to be


    any easier than thest. Though Tracy was a familiar presence she was no less overbearing than Ss


    in her own way.

 Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Seven

    Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Seven


    ¡°Almost done mom. Don¡¯t move.¡± Alexis instructed as she carefully braided her mother¡¯s hair in the


    half-up style she preferred. The braids added a bit of texture and style so it was less in. ¡°There, what


    do you think?¡±


    Ava turned looking at her reflection. Alexis had done a braid on either sidebining them into one


    behind her head. Despite the fact it had all been done by feel the braids were remarkably uniform and


    even.


    ¡°Lexi, that¡¯s amazing. I have no idea how you learned to do that.¡±


    Alexis shrugged. She like using her hands and fiddling with her friends¡¯ hair was a natural diversion. It


    really wasn¡¯t worthy of praise.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ava stood and faced the bed where Sean and Theo yed on their phones. ¡°Boys, how do I


    look?¡±


    ¡°Wow! Mom you look hot!¡± Theo whistled.


    ¡°You look really pretty,¡± Sean seconded as their mother blushed.


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    A knock interrupted further discussion. The door swung open as Ss entered. He had carried on his


    own preparations in their room while Ava used Alexis¡¯s bath and bedroom. The kids insisted he should


    be surprised when he first saw her in her dress. Stepping into the room Ss froze as his gaze fell on


    her. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped.


    Ava stood in a sparkling silver gown that hugged her slim, curvy form. She wore matching shoes that


    peeked out from under the dress¡¯s hem. It had a sweet-heart neckline and thin shoulder straps.


    The triplets had debated between the five gowns before picking the one she should wear. Theo


    originally voiced support for a red dress but Sean was quick to point out a lot of people would choose


    red since it was a holiday color. A gold dress was shot down for the same reason. It had ultimately


    been Alexis who suggest the silver one. While a lot of people would choose white for the same reason


    as many would choose red, silver was more unique and their mother would stand out among the


    crowd.


    As Ss stood staring without saying a word Ava grew nervous. She rubbed her hands and anxiously


    asked, ¡°Is this okay?¡±


    Ss blinkeding back to himself. Crossing the room he reached her taking her hands in his and


    said, ¡°You look absolutely amazing.¡±


    She blushed as he kissed her hands. Tracy and the kids often told her she was pretty but it felt different


    when he said it. Perhaps it was the passionate gleam of his eyes that made it so.


    ¡°I have something for you.¡±


    Ss took a hinged case from his pocket. Opening it he revealed a rose gold ne. The pendant


    featured two hearts mimicking the infinity symbol and at the point of each heart was a sparkling


    diamond. Though simple in design it was stunning and Ava¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Was it really for


    her? Was it okay to wear it?


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Let me put it on you.¡± Ss smiled pleased by her reaction.


    Ava remained speechless as he stepped behind her and sped the ne. His arms slid around


    her waist as she looked at their reflection.


    ¡°I knew it would look beautiful on you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­You didn¡¯t have to get me this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small token of what you mean to me, Ava. Don¡¯t say no to that.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Ss kissed her temple holding her against him. He wanted nothing more than to shower her


    with such gifts but knew it would be too overwhelming for her.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to y kissy-face here you¡¯re going to miss the party,¡± Theomented reminding the


    adults they had an audience.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Ava eximed blushing.


    Ss chuckled, ¡°He¡¯s not wrong. Shall we?¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    Ava hesitated but allowed him to lead her to the front door. The kids trailed behind as far as the stairs


    and watched as Duncan helped their mother put on another of her new coats, this one a beige, trench


    coat style that would keep her warm even in her gown.


    Ss pulled on his own coat looking at the kids, ¡°If you three need anything don¡¯t hesitated to call on


    Duncan. All right?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Ava walked up to them giving each a nervous kiss. This was the first time she ever left them at home


    while she went out. A few weeks ago she would never have even considered it, ¡°Don¡¯t stay up toote


    and don¡¯t cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°Of course, mom.¡±


    ¡°Promise.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Ava stepped back still nervous even as Ss¡¯s arm came around her and he led her into the chilly


    night.


    ¡°Have fun!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    Outside Thomas waited beside the small limo only a littlerger than a sedan. He opened the door and


    held it as Ss helped Ava safely inside. Then both men circled to the other side to climb in


    themselves. As Thomas pulled away from the curb Ava tried to rx. She told herself tonight was


    nothing special but she couldn¡¯t make herself believe it. What if she didn¡¯t perform to Ss¡¯s


    expectations? Would he abandon her?


    Seeing her nervousness Ss reached for her sping her hand in his. With a smile he kissed her


    knuckle beside her engagement ring before saying, ¡°You have nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll be with you


    the entire time and the moment you feel ufortable we¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t if reflect poorly if we leave early?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. We don¡¯t have to cater to anyone Ava but rest assured they will cater to us just to keep us


    here because the longer we stay the more prestigious their party bes.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes but my first priority is you. Now and forever.¡±


    Ava blushed and nodded not trusting her voice. It felt good to be someone¡¯s priority, like she was truly


    special. Perhaps in Ss¡¯s eyes she was someone special. Why else would he care so much or do


    such nice things for her?


    In the past, her days never seemed to end and her worries followed her home. Ava¡¯s biggest fear was


    Ss finding her that was why she went to such great lengths to remain hidden as she struggled to care


    for her children.


    Yet since Ss found them he acted the exact opposite of what she assumed. He doted on her and the


    kids, taking them shopping, sheltering them in his home. Ava knew the kids were on the fence about


    him but they epted every gift. Caring for the children would have been enough but he catered to her


    as well. He insisted she rest, eat and rx. He bought her clothes and his lovemaking was tender and


    seemingly insatiable.


    It was almost too much for her to bear but she was certainly getting more rest. When shey in his


    arms sleep came easily and she didn¡¯t toss and turn like she used to. Anxiety induced nightmares were


    long forgotten and she woke refreshed for another day.


    He wanted her to do whatever she wished. If she wanted to work he encouraged her to pursue her


    dreams. Never once did he say she wasn¡¯t worthy of his time or attention. Instead he insisted she


    deserved it all. Herfort was the most important thing to him. It was all so new to her. Was it wrong


    to want it tost forever?


    The ride was mercifully short and she avoided further introspection. Reaching their destination Thomas


    pulled up at the curb and hurriedly opened her door before the valet. Ss let himself out and was there


    to take her hand leading her inside out of the cold. Thomas epted the valet¡¯s ticket and trailed after


    them. At the door they checked their coats letting Thomas handle the necessity of keeping the tickets


    before entering the main room of the venue.


    Here they found arge open space decorated with holiday lights, gands and poinsettias. Arge


    Christmas tree stood in the center surrounded by colorfully wrapped packages and Ava wondered if


    they were actually presents or just empty d¨¦cor staging. There were several seating areas with


    It was still early so there were barely a hundred people present. Some had small tes of hors


    d¡¯oeuvre taken from the buffet style tables or plucked from the serving trays being offered by the


    caterers. There was also a bar as well as servers offering champagne. Even before they were greeted


    by the host one such server approached allowing Ss to select two flutes of sparkling champagne. He


    offered her one gently nking their sses before taking a sip.


    ¡°Ah Mister Prescott! I¡¯m so d you decided to join us,¡± their host, a middle-age rather portly,


    gentleman greeted.


    The man had a thick beard which was ironic since he was also balding. He wore a clean suit but it was


    not quite as fine as his guests suggesting he didn¡¯t have the same disposable ie despite being the


    event¡¯s sponsor. If Ava remembered correctly from her youth apanying her mother the Greenwich


    Charity G was sponsored by a health organization and its proceeds were donated to various


    charities which changed year from year.


    ¡°Of course, all for a good cause,¡± Ss amicably shook his hand.


    ¡°Indeed. Oh, pardon me miss. You are?¡± the man turned to Ava.


    ¡°My fianc¨¦e,¡± Ss answered slipping an arm around her. ¡°Avalynn Carter.¡±


    Ava blushed but she smiled at their host, ¡°Hello. I love how you decorated for the holidays.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. Thank you.¡± The man stuttered surprised by Ss¡¯s bold announcement.


    Ava could practically see his wheels turning. No doubt Ss¡¯s introduction was a shock as he was


    known as New York¡¯s most eligible bachelor. Though she disappeared ten years ago her name had


    once been well-known. She wondered if he was trying to retrieve it now.


    ¡°Please, enjoy yourselves.¡±


    ¡°We intend to.¡± Ss escorted Ava further in.


    Ss did not have any particr area of interest in mind and saw no need to seekpany. People


    would seek him out once they realized he was in attendance. He merely had to wait for them to do so.


    Until then he was content to enjoy Ava¡¯spany. She was the only person there who mattered and he


    wanted to give her time to get used to being among peers again.


    Finally he settled for a rtively quiet area near the tree. Ava¡¯s gaze studied the eight-foot pine


    marveling at the delicate ornaments. Seeing her joy Ss made a mental note to have Duncan


    purchase a tree and bring the decorations out from storage. Normally Ss wasn¡¯t one to decorate for


    the holidays but now that Ava and the kids were with him it made sense to add homier touches. In fact


    it would be even better to allow Ava full rein to decorate as she pleased.


    ¡°Ava, would you like to decorate the brownstone?¡±


    ¡°Y-you want me to decorate?¡± she looked at him.


    ¡°Yes. My mother was the one who originally decorated it and I haven¡¯t had a need to change it but it


    could stand for some updating. I want you and the kids to feelfortable so don¡¯t be afraid to change


    it. Just tell Duncan what you want. He can get painters, even a construction crew if you want to do any


    major renovations.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be necessary.¡±


    ¡°I do. Make it however you want,¡± Ss insisted. ¡°It¡¯s your home and my mother always said men might


    be kings of their castle but women rule the roost.¡±


    Ava chuckled. She had no doubt Opal would say such a thing. Setting aside their brief meeting at the


    brownstone Ava had actually met the Prescott matriarch once before. While apanying her mother


    to various functions they had been introduced to Opal and there was no doubting the natural charisma


    thetter possessed especiallypared to Ava¡¯s mother who tended to be quiet and meek.


    ¡°I think your mother is very tasteful. I can see her influence in the brownstone¡¯s d¨¦cor. I wouldn¡¯t want


    to do anything dramatic¡­but maybe one or two small changes.¡±


    ¡°Anything,¡± Ss smiled sensing her respect for his mother. He pulled her close and kissed her. ¡°No


    budget necessary. Just tell Duncan what you want.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ava leaned against him. ¡°Does that include your bedroom?¡±


    ¡°Our bedroom and yes, especially that room. Anything make you ufortable?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just¡­a little dark.¡± She blushed.


    Ss chuckled, ¡°Change it anyway you want.¡±


    ¡°There you are!¡±


    Startled Ava turned as Tracy approached. She had forgotten Tracy was also attending the event. Tracy


    wore a navy blue gown, strapless and shorter than Ava¡¯s showing her toned legs. Given Tracy was


    almost head taller than Ava she had plenty of leg to show off.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Ava smiled.


    ¡°You look gorgeous, Ava. I mean it.¡±


    Ava blushed.


    ¡°I agree.¡± Ss nodded causing her blush to deepen.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m sure you¡¯d like to keep her to yourself but she should make a few rounds. I have the perfect


    people to start. So if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course not, as long as she¡¯sfortable with it.¡± He leaned forward and kissed Ava gently. ¡°Have


    fun and if anything happens call for me.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Ava.¡±


    Tracy tugged her away from Ss¡¯s protective embrace. Ava followed her but suddenly paused. Biting


    her lip she returned to him. Hesitating she reached for him pulling his face toward hers and pecked him


    lightly on the lips.


    Ss blinked surprise. His heart hammered in his head. It was the first time Ava initiated an intimate


    gesture. He was both shocked and thrilled by her action.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll call if I need you.¡±


    He could only nod unable to trust his voice. Blushing at her audacity she turned away and followed


    Tracy. Ss swallowed the lump in his throat trying to control the sudden urge to sweep her off her feet


    and seek a private room. Was there anything more attractive than a confident woman?


    ¡°Looks like someone is whipped,¡± Thomasmented. As always he was near at hand but


    unobtrusive. He was part of the scenery until needed.


    Ss clenched his jaw feeling his face warm but he wasn¡¯t particrly embarrassed. Taking a sip of his


    champagne he said, ¡°Keep a close eye on her and make sure she isn¡¯t bothered. I want this night to be


    perfect for her.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    ¡°Hey Ss!¡±


    He turned as another man approached. A few years younger than Ss he was making waves in the


    business world for taking over his family¡¯s holdings at such a young age.


    ¡°Lucas good to see you,¡± Ss nodded. ¡°I heard you¡¯re interested in the Tomlinson buyout.¡±


    The other man snorted, ¡°That¡¯s my grandmother¡¯s idea. She¡¯s supposed to be retired but she just can¡¯t


    help poking her nose in other people¡¯s lives.¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Eight

    Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Eight


    Marilynn sighed as she grabbed another ss of champagne. Her thick mane of brown hair had been


    straightened and highlighted to give her a lighter, trendier hairstyle. She wore a bright red dress with a


    low cut front and back. It seemed such a waste to show off her new look here but she hadn¡¯t been able


    to talk her way out of it.


    In the past Ava always apanied their mother to boring charity events. Even without her Marilynn


    was usually able to avoid them if sheined loud enough buttely her father had been in a bad


    mood. Though he refused to exin the details it was obvious he had lost out on some big deal. It


    didn¡¯t seem fair her social life suffered because of that but here she was drinking alone while her


    mother talked to one useless person after another.


    When they first arrived they heard a rumor Ss Prescott arrived with a date, and not just any date, but


    a woman he imed to be his fianc¨¦e. Marilynn was immediately intrigued but their informant couldn¡¯t


    tell them more. Wanting to see the woman who finallynded the city¡¯s hottest bachelor Marilynn went


    in search of the man himself. To her disappointment he stood alone speaking to some business


    associates. She hadn¡¯t the nerve to approach him and Marilynn shrugged off the rumor.


    Changing out her empty ss for another Marilynn suddenly froze not believing her eyes. A short


    distance away was a small group. In the center was a petite brte in a ssy silver gown. As the


    woman turned Marilynn was struck speechless¡­Ava?


    It had been some ten years since shest saw her sister. It was right after the incident in the hotel.


    Thanks to Marilynn¡¯s little joke Ava had been kicked out of the house and disowned. Even she had


    been surprised by the severity of their father¡¯s reaction. Ava disappeared forever shamed much to


    Marilynn¡¯s glee. How then was her sister standing in front of her in a dress Marilynn hadn¡¯t been able to


    afford? And why was everyone fawning over her like she was a princess?


    Marilynn¡¯s shock gave way to anger and she strutted toward the group ready to settle the score once


    and for all. Reaching Ava she loudly dered, ¡°Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.¡±


    Startled Ava turned. Her green eyes met those of her sister with a shocked expression but this faded


    almost immediately. Ava¡¯s gaze dulled in resignation. This wasn¡¯t a confrontation she expected tonight


    but perhaps it was unavoidable.


    ¡°And just what do you think you are doing here?¡± Marilynn demanded. ¡°This is an exclusive event. It¡¯s


    not for a disgraced woman who embarrassed her own family and was kicked out.¡±


    ¡°You would be the expert on disgraceful behavior,¡± Ava answered neutrally.


    ¡°What was that? Oh I see, you have a mouth now huh? It seems you have forgotten your ce.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me. Is there a problem?¡± a gentleman in a maroon suit approached. The red suit indicated he


    was part of the event¡¯s staff.


    ¡°Yes we have a problem,¡± Marilynn practically shouted, ¡°it seems any tramp off the street can wander in


    here.¡±


    Ava blushed at her sister¡¯s crudenguage. The women she had been pleasantly talking to shared


    ufortable looks but they were unwilling to inject their support for either sister. Beside her Tracy


    was fuming no doubt ready to leap in but Ava would rather avoid causing a bigger scene.


    ¡°Excuse me, miss,¡± the man turned to Ava. ¡°May I see your invitation?¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t asked for one at the door,¡± Ava said.


    ¡°Everyone is required to show their invitation,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Then my fianc¨¦e has it. You¡¯d have to ask him.¡±


    ¡°Like anyone would marry you!¡± Marilynnughed. ¡°Talk about shameless.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry miss but without an invitation I¡¯ll have to ask you to leave,¡± the man grasped Ava¡¯s arm.


    Removing her was the quickest way to bring a conclusion to the uproar that was disturbing the guests.


    Marilynn smirked but was surprised by the re Ava gave her. In all the years she had known her


    sister Ava had always been meek and acquiesced to her sister¡¯s whims.


    ¡°I suggest you take your hand off of me before you have a real problem,¡± Ava said calmly and firmly


    making the man hesitate.


    ¡°You heard her,¡± amanding male voice startled all of them.


    They turned to see Ss had quietly approached forewarned by Thomas that there was trouble. He


    hadn¡¯t expected Marilynn Carlisle to attend a charity event since she tended to avoid them. His blue


    eyes were cold and like daggers as he stared at Ava¡¯s sister and tormentor.


    ¡°Mister Prescott,¡± the man hesitated, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for the disturbance. I was just taking care of it now.¡±


    ¡°Bold words for someone man-handling another¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± Ss red at him.


    The man hesitated before realizing he was still gripping Ava¡¯s arm. Nervously ncing back at Ss


    there was no doubting his murderous gaze. Immediately letting her go, the man stepped back. The


    host mentioned something about ensuring Ss Prescott and his fianc¨¦e were properly cared for


    throughout the evening but he hadn¡¯t actually seen the couple himself.


    Ss stepped forward iming Ava by wrapping an arm around her waist. He kissed her temple, ¡°Ava,


    are you all right? Did he hurt you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ava shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Ss turned his attention to Marilynn who stood in utter shock. ¡°It seems the standards of this


    G have dropped if they allow such a vagrant in¡­but one can hardly expect ss from a Carlisle.¡±


    Marilynn snapped her mouth shut blushing. She opened her mouth to reply but closed it again. What


    exactly was going on? Did he actually im Ava as his fianc¨¦e? How in the world did she manage


    that? And why was he acting so tender with Ava? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be cold and calcting?


    ¡°I suggest you monitor your invite list more carefully in the future,¡± Ss red at the man. ¡°Ava there¡¯s


    someone I want to introduce you to.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Please excuse us,¡± Ava smiled at the women with whom she had been visiting. ¡°It was a


    pleasure speaking to all of you.¡±


    ¡°The pleasure was ours.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll catch upter.¡±


    ¡°Have a pleasant evening.¡±


    Their well wishes trailed after them as they walked away. Giving Marilynn disapproving looks the group


    disbanded to spread the word about the amicable nature of Ss¡¯s fianc¨¦e. They had been


    apprehensive at first but they were pleasantly surprised by her gentle demeanor. Even more surprising


    was how warm and gentle Ss acted toward his soon-to-be wife.


    ¡°Just what is going on here?¡± Marilynn snagged Tracy¡¯s arm before she could leave. ¡°How is Ava with


    Ss Prescott?¡±


    Tracy smirked, ¡°You¡¯re a smart girl. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    Leaving Marilynn speechless she walked away. It had taken years but it still felt good to put the other


    woman in her ce for what she had done to her sister. Marilynn nced around finding herself alone.


    Her face warmed and she quickly retreated followed only by curious stares.


    ¡°Are you really all right Ava?¡± Ss quietly asked when they were out of earshot. When he received


    Thomas¡¯s warning text he had been in a near panic worried what might happen if Ava confronted her


    tormentor alone.


    ¡°Ss I¡¯m fine,¡± Avaughed then frowned as a thought urred to her. Blinking she looked at him


    almost in awe. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I really am.¡±


    He breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Good. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°Ava?¡±


    She turned to see her mother staring at her as if seeing a ghost. Ava looked at her mother conflicted.


    She had always been close to her growing up but the night her father threw her out her mother hadn¡¯t


    offered one word of protest. Part of her wanted to run up and reestablish their bond but another


    recalled how the other never even looked for her. Grace knew Tracy was Ava¡¯s best friend. One call to


    her would have put them in contact.


    ¡°Ava is that you? Why are you with Ss Prescott?¡± Grace Carlisle asked.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Ava finally answered, ¡°Ss is my fianc¨¦e¡­and my children¡¯s father.¡±


    ¡°Your¡­children?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you want to know more Tracy knows how to get in touch with me. She always has but


    then you knew that already.¡±


    A slight blush colored her mother¡¯s otherwise pallidplexion. Without another word Ava turned away


    from her and walked away safe in Ss¡¯s embrace. He didn¡¯t spare the other woman a nce. There


    was only one person who mattered and she was in his arms.


    * * *


    ¡°Got it!¡± Sean announced startling his siblings.


    It waste and Duncan had already bid them goodnight. They knew he was never far should they need


    someone but the triplets were self-sufficient. What was more they didn¡¯t want anyone interfering with


    their work.


    ¡°What did you get?¡± Theo asked not looking up from his phone screen as he leveled up in Candy


    Crush.


    ¡°Lexi was right. Our aunt definitely had to cover up multiple pregnancies,¡± Sean said.


    He had been searching through their aunt¡¯s travel records but found nothing of note. With that in mind


    he switched his focus to credit card sales and found several pharmacy purchases.


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Alexis asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything in her travel history but I found something interesting in her credit purchases.


    There have been multiple purchases at a pharmacy so I looked into it,¡± Sean exined. ¡°She¡¯s been


    prescribed both mifepristone and misoprostol.¡±


    ¡°What are those?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°They are used to medically terminate pregnancies,¡± Sean exined. ¡°No need for surgery and if done


    in the first trimester you don¡¯t even need to go to the hospital. It can be done from home.¡±


    ¡°Is that so,¡± Alexis said, ¡°and how many times has she been prescribed these drugs?¡±


    ¡°Four.¡±


    Theo finally put his phone down. Even he was shocked by the number. They had known for some time


    their biological aunt was a certifiable sociopath capable of just about anything but even this was more


    heartless than he could have imagined.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Well the number is surprising but not the action itself,¡± Alexis said, ¡°now we just have to release the


    information.¡±


    ¡°How though?¡± Sean asked. ¡°I mean, this is purely circumstantial. It¡¯s not proof and a lot of media


    outlets will be hesitant to stand up to the Carlisles even with proof.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need them,¡± Alexis said. ¡°Rumor travels faster than news. Do you still have that fake news


    website?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sean nodded. When they first targeted their aunt he had created a website to spread unsavory


    rumors andpromising photos about her. It had a small but dedicated reader base even now.


    ¡°Then that is where we¡¯ll break the news,¡± Alexis said. ¡°Can you imbed a link so it automatically shares


    to people¡¯s social media whenever they click on it?¡±


    Sean thought about it. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time he imbedded a virus into a link. It was how he


    infiltrated their aunt¡¯s various social media ounts in the first ce. The virus itself was harmless


    merely spreading the link to share the story faster.


    ¡°Yeah. That shouldn¡¯t be too difficult but what should the article say? It needs to sound legit.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°I have that covered. Just type what I say,¡± Alexis announced. ¡°Scandal Rocks Carlisle Household¡­¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Nine

    Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Nine


    Ss stirred. It waste and the heavy curtains prevented any outside light from reaching him as hey


    in bed. Even with his eyes adjusted for it the room was almost pitch ck. He was beginning to see


    why Ava took such issue with it. She was a warm, good natured person so this kind of darkness was


    unsuitable for her. He was eager to see just how she nned to change it.


    With a sigh his embrace tightened keeping her body firmly against his while she slept. The evening


    hadn¡¯t gone as he nned but perhaps it had gone as it was meant to. Ava confronted both her sister


    and her mother and walked away from them with confidence. Growing up she had always been the


    wallflower but now she was emerging as quite the social butterfly and he was thrilled to bear witness to


    the transformation.


    His heart still pounded with the way she kissed him. It may have been only a small peck on the lips but


    it was the first affectionate gesture she initiated. And it was not thest. Throughout the evening


    anytime she was called away to speak to someone she gave him a kiss to reassure him she would be


    fine.


    Each time Ss had to suppress his desires that seemed limitless when she was near him. A few of the


    other guests joked she had him tied around her fingers. But he didn¡¯t mind: not the jokes and certainly


    not the fact it was true. It seemed Ava was beginning to realize it as well even going as far as to tease


    him throughout the night.


    He only nned to stay for an hour afraid of Ava bing ufortable but as the evening


    progressed he found her enjoying herself more and more so he changed his mind. This was how he


    wanted her to be: confident, happy and worry-free. It truly was thrilling to watch especially as he kept


    an eye on Marilynn and her mother. Neither seemed as excited about Ava¡¯s new look and attitude.


    Marilynn in particr was not happy with the attention her sister received while her mother seemed


    more confused than anything. Both left the g early and neither was missed.


    As their night wore on it be obvious Ava had a little too much to drink. Ss had been monitoring it


    closely and given her small frame it was clear she reached her limit quickly. Tracy seemed to agree


    giving Ava sparkling water instead of champagne and shooing away overeager servers when


    necessary. Eventually he decided to call it a night. Snaking an arm around her waist he reimed his


    fianc¨¦e from the group she was chatting with and took her home.


    The limo ride back was much more rxed than the ride out. Instead of being anxious Ava was


    cuddled up against him twisting her fingers in his hair. Ss fought the urge to undress her right there


    as every touch and caress sent erotic shocks through him. He was quite sure she had no idea what


    she did to him.


    Ss was immensely relieved when they finally made it home. Ignoring Thomas¡¯s smirk Ss escorted


    Ava inside. Surprisingly Duncan was waiting to take their coats. The butler was better able to hide his


    mirth at Ava¡¯s drunken clinging but his eyes sparkled with amusement. Though Duncan hadn¡¯t said as


    much he worried about her quiet, unassuming nature wondering how she would cope with Ss¡¯s


    strong, domineering one. Seeing Ss now as he swept Ava into his arms to still her inebriated


    movements it was clear she would be fine. Perhaps it was Ss who was in trouble.


    ¡°You have something to say?¡± Ss nced at the man who had been around since he was a boy.


    ¡°Not at all, sir,¡± Duncan managed to speak evenly and was almost convincing. ¡°The children have been


    quiet all evening.¡±


    ¡°They have?¡± Ss didn¡¯t know why but the news made him nervous.


    Over the course of thest month he learned his children were more than a little devious. When they


    were loud they acted like normal kids but when they were quiet they were busy plotting their revenge


    on behalf of their mother. Ss hadn¡¯t asked for details because he didn¡¯t want to know but they already


    confessed to preparing their grandfather¡¯s ultimate downfall. Considering the skills they already


    revealed to him there was no doubt they were serious. He was just happy not to be on their hit list.


    ¡°I see.¡± Ss finally said.


    ¡°Will you need anything else?¡± Duncan asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Ss red at him. ¡°Nothing more tonight.¡±


    Wanting to avoid the butler¡¯sugh Ss carried Ava up the stairs and didn¡¯t rx until they were safely


    in their bedroom. Ava mumbled as he carefully set her back on her feet. He considered how best to get


    her out of her gown and into bed where she could sleep off the alcohol she imbibed.


    ¡°Okay Ava. We¡¯re almost to bed,¡± he told her holding her to keep her from falling in her heels.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± she answered suddenly gripping his face and pulling him close for a passionate kiss.


    His shock turned to arousal even as he fought the urges running through his mind. She needed to


    sleep. Yet her hands eagerly peeled off his clothes. Her fingers caressed his skin bringing another


    shock.


    ¡°Ava.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± she almost whimpered.


    ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°Then shut up.¡± She kissed him again.


    The urge to resist melted. She had never been so forceful and he was eager to see how far she would


    go. Their clothes pooled on the floor as they stumbled to the bed. Ss found himself forced down as


    she straddled him. Her first time in control had been awkward as she had no experience with the


    position but with the champagne lowering her inhibitions she was surer of herself.


    Ss groaned enjoying her touch as her hands traced the definition of his muscles. His head was


    buzzing and the erection he had been fighting all night was engorged wanting to be inside her. Yet he


    fought the urge to roll her under him. He wanted her in control. He wanted to watch as she pleasured


    herself on him. When she took him inside her he moaned with ecstasy. His hands caressed her thighs


    as she grinded her hips against his rocking back and forth.


    Ss couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her as her expression became soft with pleasure. Her mane of brown


    curls floated around her and settled on her shoulders as her chest heaved and her breasts wiggled in


    front of him like tantalizing fruit. He caressed her hips gripping her ass as he thrust upward in time with


    her motion.


    Every time her body clenched around his with her orgasm he fought to hold back not wanting this


    moment to end. But he couldn¡¯t hold back forever and when she reached her final peak he released


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    himself inside her pumping everyst drop of himself deep within her.


    Ava moaned as they came together. Her body utterly rxed and seemingly lost all strength. Ss


    cradled her tenderly holding her as she finally sumbed to the rest he knew she needed.


    ¡°¡­Ss.¡±


    ¡°Shh. Sleep beautiful.¡±


    ¡°¡­I love you.¡±


    Her mumbled words rang in his ears even now as she slept peacefully in his embrace. He could only


    hope she remembered it in the morning because he would never forget this night not if he lived a


    hundred years.


    His phone buzzed. Groaning he reached for it on the table btedly remembering it was lost


    somewhere among his discarded clothes. Wanting nothing more than to forget it until the sun rose he


    carefully disengaged from Ava without disturbing her slumber and rolled out of bed. Blindly he stumbled


    forward tripping on his clothes before leaning forward and searched for his phone.


    He found it as it buzzed again and opened his messages. Not surprisingly he saw the messages were


    from Thomas. The first asked if he survived but the second urged him to call. Debating whether to


    ¡°Oh good, you did survive,¡± Thomas¡¯s voice answered almost immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s four o¡¯clock in the morning,¡± Ss sighed. ¡°This better be good.¡±


    ¡°I got good news and bad news.¡±


    Ss nearly growled in irritation at this familiar game.


    ¡°Good news, you and Ava definitely made waves. Everyone is singing her praises so I don¡¯t think you


    need to worry. You¡¯ll have to call a board meeting soon though. They¡¯ve already started calling me.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°The bad news. I think your kids have been up to their old tricks.¡±


    Ss got a sinking feeling recalling Duncan¡¯s earlier warning, ¡°What did they do?¡±


    ¡°Well, good news is I can¡¯t prove it was them so they¡¯ve covered their tracks pretty thoroughly but I


    don¡¯t know anyone else with an axe to grind against the old man and the balls to actually do it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So what did they do?¡±


    ¡°Check your email. I sent it to you. Looks like they are nning to take their aunt out and let me tell you


    they are not holding back. They are vicious. I just thought you should have a heads up because I don¡¯t


    know how this is going to fall out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look at it and get back to you.¡±


    ¡°So how is she doing really? I mean, she was pretty drunk.¡±


    Ss nced at the bed where she was safely tucked in. In the dim light of his phone her expression


    was soft and her breathing even. He would never have guessed how forceful she could be in bed and


    the memory of it threatened to bring him to full arousal again. Shaking off the thoughts he kept his


    voice even.


    ¡°Asleep. Last night was pretty exhausting but I think she needed it.¡±


    ¡°After confronting her sister like that I can see why. Well I¡¯ll let you go. Be sure to check your email.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Ss hung up with a sigh. He considered going back to bed but instead opened his email. If


    Thomas thought it was important enough to call at this hour than it had to be imperative.


    The headline that greeted him was enough to make him shudder. The article that followed was


    mercifully short but it was as vicious as Thomas warned. Ss had no idea how they were able to find


    the information assuming it was true.


    Emerson was sure to be on the warpath if this got back to him but he supposed that was the point.


    Ss wasn¡¯t sure if he hoped the news was true or faked. In either case there was sure to be fallout


    even if the author had been careful to leave out any mention of Ava there was no way they would be


    able to avoid it.


    He had half a mind to wake up the kids and demand an exnation but thought better of it. They were


    only just beginning to warm up to him and he certainly didn¡¯t want to appear to be on their grandfather¡¯s


    side. They would have to have a serious discussion and sooner rather thanter. Ava had suffered


    enough and he refused to allow her to be blindsided by her family. He wanted to make sure the kids


    understood that they needed to be careful.


    It would be one thing if they were still living in obscurity. Any bacsh would certainly have passed


    over them unharmed but now they would be notable figures. His protection could only extend so far. No


    matter what happened to Emerson or Marilynn Ss would not sacrifice Ava or the kids¡¯ future.


    Ave stirred, ¡°Ss?¡±


    Setting down his phone he climbed back into bed before she woke fully. Kissing her he settled her back


    into his embrace. She rxed remaining sleep. This was where she belonged.

 Book Two: Chapter Thirty

    Book Two: Chapter Thirty


    Emerson slumped in his chair drinking deeply from his scotch ss. Leaning forward he refilled it from


    the crystal decanter on his desk. It was already half gone and he showed no signs of slowing down.


    Ever since the courtroom debacle he urged hiswyer to find another way to im the kids, or at least


    the girl, but hiswyer was drowning in litigation due to charges levied against him for presenting false


    testimony and interfering with a police investigation.


    Hiswyer urged him to give up on this matter before he lost anymore face. Luckily they had been in


    such a hurry to call the hearing they avoided a public trial. If he continued to push the issue however it


    was guaranteed Prescott would not allow the matter to remain private.


    Ss Prescott. The name was virtually a curse. His predecessor, Richard Prescott, had been bad


    enough as a business rival but the Prescott patriarch understood there were limits. Business and


    personal were kept separate and they did not let their families interact. But Ss hade in like a


    snake snatching away one of his daughters, turning her against her own father.


    Emerson still couldn¡¯t believe his obedient Ava would turn her back on him. Did he not teach her how to


    act? Did she not realize how much she was embarrassing him? And the children¡­


    He still recalled their faces as they sat in the courtroom. They boldly red at him as if he was an


    insect. It was clear they had not been raised properly to disrespect their grandfather like that. The boys


    held no interest to him but he couldn¡¯t tolerate their impertinence and the girl wouldn¡¯t even look at her


    grandfather as if he wasn¡¯t worth her time.


    The fact Ava let the matter go to trial was proof she wasn¡¯t raising her children properly but even he


    hadn¡¯t imagined Ss Prescott was behind her rebellion. His mind went back to that night ten years ago


    when Marilynn loudly dered her sister was a ruined woman and the shame of the family. Emerson


    had reacted well within the normal expected outrage astonished Ava would harm her family¡¯s


    reputation.


    He remembered she tried to protest saying she had been drugged and it was just a mistake but he


    hadn¡¯t wanted to listen. He threw her out like the trash she was¡­but what if she had been drugged?


    Was that how Ss ensnared her? If that was the case why didn¡¯t Marilynn tell him sooner? If she


    witnessed it why hadn¡¯t she stopped it?


    His drunken mind was grasping at straws to exin what had happened all those years ago. But if it


    had been Ss why was Ava living in squalor? Did he abandon her after he ruined her? Why did he


    suddenly want her back now and why was she willing to stay with him?


    Emerson¡¯swyer managed to procure a copy of the parental rights Ss filed iming the kids as his


    own and amending their birth certificates to reflect it as well as the paternity test proving it. Everything


    had been done through official channels and by reputable doctors. Ss left nothing to chance ensuring


    his im on the children was legal and binding. But why? Why did he care about them at all? And why


    propose to Ava after all of these years?


    Ss Prescott was young, in his prime. Some people might want him to produce an heir but no one


    truly had a reason to pressure him yet. There was no reason to propose to Ava or im the children


    especially as she hadn¡¯t revealed him as the father even on their birth certificates. It was the perfect


    opportunity to simply deny them and walked away. Then why?


    None of it made sense to Emerson as he downed another drink. Though he kept the news from Grace


    and Marilynn they still saw and felt his surly mood. Marilynn had been getting more irritable in response


    and had been arguing more. Emerson couldn¡¯t stand back talk and he had even pped her just to


    silence her. The shock that crossed her face was palpable but he was too drunk to care. He had never


    raised a hand to his children before and her expression made it clear she hadn¡¯t expected it. Perhaps if


    he had done it sooner his daughters would not embarrass him so.


    Grace had gone to one of her charity events Emerson was all too d to miss but Marilynn had been


    dragged along. Ten years ago it would have been Ava who apanied their mother but it now fell


    onto Marilynn. He hadn¡¯t expected much from their outing but they returned early with an unbelievable


    story.


    Ss Prescott attended the event with his fianc¨¦e and incredibly it was Ava. ording to Grace she


    looked beautiful and they spent most of the night in each other¡¯s arms. Grace had always thought Ss


    was stern and unapproachable but with Ava he was tender and gentle. Ava, she imed, looked happy


    and was practically glowing. But she was also distant. She barely showed any recognition when she


    met her mother face to face and barely acknowledged her.


    Marilynn remained silent the entire time her mother described the night which Emerson thought out of


    character. Marilynn hated not being the center of attention but he was too furious to question her. Just


    how far was Ava prepared to embarrass her family? Did her shamelessness know no limits?


    Theputer alerted him to a new update. Emerson nced at it briefly as if suddenly remembering it


    was there. He had been working from home as ofte to avoid appearing in public with a hangover.


    With a grunt he leaned forward and opened the waiting message. It wasn¡¯t what he expected.


    It was from a program his IT department created allowing him to monitor articles published about


    Marilynn in his crusade to end her bad press. However this one wasn¡¯t about hertest party binge.


    The headline alone made him set his drink down.


    Scandal Rocks Carlisle Household


    For years Emerson Carlisle has reigned supreme in New York. While others have imed he is getting


    too old and whisper his time is over it is an unfortunate truth he has no heirs to entrust his business


    empire to. Unlike Augustus DaLair whose two sons who havergely taken over for their father and


    even Alice Stanton, the first matriarch of business, has finally stepped down handing the reins to her


    grandson Emerson Carlisle has no such options.


    His beloved daughter is far too busy partying to even maintain a rtionship let alone the discipline to


    run a Fortune 500pany. It can be no surprise Emerson Carlisle is growing desperate in his


    deteriorating old age. It¡¯s truly a pity his own family has conspired against him.


    ording to sources close to the family, on four separate asions Marilynn Carlisle has sought


    medication to terminate pregnancies resulting from her numerous affairs. With such a daughter it can


    be no surprise the Carlisle family is soon to follow the Trents and Tomlinsons who are merely footnotes


    in New York social circles.


    Screaming in rage Emerson leapt to his feet throwing his ss across the room. The crystal shattered


    on impact but he hardly noticed. This article couldn¡¯t be true. There was no way Marilynn would do


    such a thing to him. Seething he reached for his phone and impatiently waited for an answer.


    ¡°Mister Carlisle?¡±


    ¡°Doctor Peterson. I want him brought to me immediately. No need to be gentle.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    Emerson tossed his phone aside and grasped the scotch decanter. He would get to the bottom of this


    one way or another and god help anyone who betrayed him.


    * * *


    Robert Peterson was a tall man but not overly intimidating as he was also very thin. So much so it was


    a wonder a strong wind did not blow him over. Because of that when the two men came to his house


    and roused him from sleep he did not protest following them meekly to his employer¡¯s home. Now he


    sat looking rather dignified despite his three guards. Far more terrifying than them was the man in front


    of him.


    Emerson Carlisle was not a man to be taken lightly and though Robert stood nearly a foot taller than


    his employer his made no attempt to appear threatening. He eyed the empty decanter on the desk


    knowing Emerson was a rather violent drunk so caution was necessary.


    Emerson red at the man in front of him at first unable to put his rage into words but he wouldn¡¯t get


    answers until he asked his questions. Taking a sip from his whiskey, having run out of scotch, Emerson


    spoke in a voice far too calm for anyone¡¯s good, ¡°How long have you been helping my daughter


    deceive me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about giving her medication and covering up her affairs!¡±


    Robert sighed. It came as no great surprise this was the reason for histe summons. In fact he had a


    feeling this day would. He wasn¡¯t as na?ve as Marilynn who believed it couldst forever. It just took


    longer than he imagined.


    ¡°Seven years,¡± Robert said, ¡°that¡¯s when I helped her terminate the first pregnancy although I¡¯ve


    prescribed her birth control pills since she was sixteen.¡±


    The ss almost slipped from Emerson¡¯s hand as he stared at him, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Marilynn convinced your wife her period cycles were too erratic and painful on their own and wanted


    birth control to regte them which is not umon. She refused an actual examination but there was


    no reason not to prescribe the pills so I did. Seven years ago when she came to me about the


    termination I asked how it was possible since she was abstinent and sheughed in my face like a


    banshee. ording to her she¡¯s been engaging in sexual activity since she was sixteen which was the


    real reason she wanted the pills in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. She would never¡­¡±


    ¡°Your daughter is as ruthless as you and that is far from her most horrendous act under your roof.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Emerson¡¯s face was red and his livid tone indicated the need for caution.


    ¡°You honestly think that Ava fell down the stairs and walked into doorknobs because she was clumsy?¡±


    Robert challenged. ¡°A broken arm and a concussion don¡¯t happen idently. No. Marilynn pushed her


    down those stairs in fact she¡¯s been trying to kill her sister for years! I¡¯m surprised Ava even made it to


    graduation.¡±


    ¡°That¡­that¡¯s not possible.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°That your beloved daughter is capable of murder? Are you really that surprised?¡±


    ¡°Y-you kept this from me?¡±


    ¡°Ashamed as I am to admit it¡­I valued my job more than that little girl¡¯s life. And I wasn¡¯t the only one.


    The first time it happened I tried to talk to your wife and all she asked was how long it would be before


    Ava could y the piano again. Ava herself knew there was no point to telling you the truth. She told


    me to forget about it. As many people as you have working here you think there aren¡¯t any witnesses?


    But not a single one tried to protect that little girl. No one!¡±


    Emerson¡¯s face was beet red in rage he leapt to his feet screaming, ¡°Out! Get out of here now! Never


    show your face to me again!¡±


    ¡°dly.¡± Robert stood and exited as quietly and meekly as he entered. He left lighter having finally


    spoken the truth he long concealed but knew he would find no absolution. Only Ava could give that but


    he didn¡¯t dare face her.


    Emerson stared after the doctor seething. His hand gaze took in the men who brought the man to him


    demanding, ¡°Did you know? Did you betray me as well?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t think of it as betrayal,¡± Dante, his long considered right hand, answered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We all knew Marilynn was your favored daughter. You would never believe anyone¡¯s word against hers


    and it would be suicide to say anything against her. There is no one in this house who would dare. No


    one would risk their job to help Ava. Ava knew that. This was Marilynn¡¯s home¡­Ava was just allowed


    to live here.¡±


    Emerson grasped the decanter flinging it in rage. It flew past Dante¡¯s ear to shatter on the wall behind


    but the security officer didn¡¯t even flinch. Like the doctor he felt a certain lightness for having spoken


    the truth but it wasn¡¯t absolution. There was no forgiveness for someone who hadn¡¯t tried to protect an


    innocent girl.


    ¡°You can rage all you want, sir, but you proved our point ten years ago when you tossed Ava out. You


    didn¡¯t allow her to exin what happened. You still don¡¯t know the truth,¡± Dante said with no trace of


    remorse. ¡°Ten yearster you find her working as a waitress with three kids apparently fathered by your


    greatest rival¡­a man who hasn¡¯t been supporting them at all as if he himself didn¡¯t know¡­but now


    they are living with him and seem quite happy. Why? How is any of that possible? You don¡¯t have a


    clue, do you?¡±


    Emerson¡¯s face twitched involuntary at the usations. It was true. He didn¡¯t know. Apparently he


    didn¡¯t know the first thing about either of his children.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know because you never asked. You summoned Ava to you but it wasn¡¯t for the truth. You


    just wanted to brow beat her into signing custody papers for a granddaughter you knew nothing about.


    It¡¯s obvious those kids love their mother. Do you really think any of them would ever side with you


    against her? No. And that¡¯s the truth you don¡¯t want to face.¡±


    ¡°Get out¡­I said GET OUT!¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Thirty-One

    Book Two: Chapter Thirty-One


    Ava sighed stretching. Her body felt stiff yet rxed. Though her throat was dry and her mind fuzzy she


    didn¡¯t have a headache. Memories slowly trickled to the surface. She remembered the confrontation


    with her sister followed by the encounter with her mother. After that she had a good time apanied


    by Ss or Tracy though she couldn¡¯t remember the names of half the people she talked to.


    She met so many people but they had all been friendly and receptive to her. Theyplimented her


    dress and even seemed interested in what she said. Ava had been afraid of the reaction she would get


    from the society she left behind but they weed her back. She was not na?ve enough not to know it


    was due inrge part because of their inherit fear and respect of Ss but it still felt nice.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake. I was afraid I¡¯d have to leave without a kiss,¡± Ss said as he stepped out of the


    closet adjusting his cufflinks. His gaze burned with desires barely contained.


    ¡°Ss.¡±


    Smiling he walked up to the bed and trapped her between his arms but she wasn¡¯t afraid. Leaning


    down he kissed her deeply. She reached up stroking his cheek as their lips parted.


    ¡°Careful luv. We may be here all day repeatingst night¡¯s sport.¡±


    ¡°Last night?¡± Ava repeated.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± Ss asked almost hurt.


    She hesitated, thinking back. Memories were still sorting themselves but he knew immediately when


    she recalled their time together after the party as her face suddenly became beet red. Chuckling he


    leaned down and kissed her again. Her innocence was strangely erotic. He gazed down at her with a


    loving expression amazed she was truly his.


    ¡°I love you so much, Ava.¡±


    She blinked her eyes going wide. Her gaze softened as a small smile settled across her lips. Ava didn¡¯t


    think she would ever tire of him saying that.


    ¡°I really wish I didn¡¯t have to work today but I have a board meeting. I need to put out some fires.¡±


    ¡°Fires?¡± Ava repeated.


    ¡°Yeah. News that I showed up with my fianc¨¦e is already spreading faster than I anticipated so the


    board stirred up,¡± Ss sighed with a dismissive shrug. ¡°I have to exin the situation and tell them


    about the children which I am certain will put them in quite a tizzy.¡±


    ¡°Will you be in trouble?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the boss. What can they do?¡± Ss chuckled. ¡°Besides these people have been bugging me to


    settle down for years they can¡¯t be mad that I¡¯ve finally taken their advice.¡±


    ¡°I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Ss leaned forward and kissed her. ¡°No one will stop me from marrying the


    woman I love.¡±


    A blush turned her cheeks rosy as she met his gaze.


    ¡°So I want you to put some serious thought into what you want for the wedding.¡±


    ¡°What I want¡­¡±


    ¡°I want you to have the wedding of your dreams. Flowers. Doves. Balloons. On top of the Eiffel Tower.


    Anything.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need¡­¡±


    He cut her off with a kiss, ¡°Anything. No matter how big or small. I¡¯m sure my mother will have plenty of


    ideas but this is your wedding so make sure it is what you want. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good. I told Duncan to bring the Christmas decorations out of storage and to purchase a tree so you


    and the kids have fun. If you want to go out just tell the security team and they¡¯ll arrange everything you


    need.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m taking you out tonight. Just the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Like¡­a date?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you like seafood?¡±


    Ava nodded.


    ¡°Good.¡± He kissed her a final time.


    She smiled her eyes sparkling already anticipating his return. Ss sucked in a breath fighting the urge


    to crawl into bed and take her into his embrace. He might have if his phone didn¡¯t buzz alerting him


    Thomas had arrived and was waiting in the car.


    He forced himself to stand, ¡°Sleep aste as you like. I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡±


    ¡°Tonight.¡± Ava agreed watching as he reluctantly forced himself to leave. She smiled as shey


    snuggled in the nkets.


    She felt so warm. For years she struggled to fend off chills that never seemed to dissipate. No matter


    how manyyers she wore she was always cold but since moving into the brownstone she was


    Ss hurried down the hallway pausing at Alexis¡¯s door and knocked. Receiving the okay to enter he


    stepped into the bedroom and wasn¡¯t surprised to see all three of his children gathered and pretending


    to be innocently hanging out.


    ¡°Can we help you?¡± Alexis asked.


    ¡°I read a very interesting article about Marilynn Carlisle this morning,¡± Ss said.


    ¡°Did you? I don¡¯t see how she can be interesting.¡±


    Ss sighed studying their nk faces. If there was one thing he could say about his children¡­they


    would make excellent poker yers.


    ¡°The good news is Thomas couldn¡¯t link it to you so it¡¯s unlikely anyone else can¡­but you should be


    more careful in the future.¡±


    ¡°Is that supposed to be a threat?¡± Theo snorted.


    ¡°It¡¯s a warning. I know you¡¯ve been nning your revenge and I¡¯m not going to try to stop you. I don¡¯t


    think I could to be honest. But you need to be careful. You and your mother are not living in obscurity


    anymore. She¡¯s my fianc¨¦e and she is Emerson¡¯s long lost daughter so anything you say against


    Carlisle maye back to her. I¡¯ll protect her and you three as much as I can but that won¡¯t stop


    gossip from spreading as I¡¯m sure you know.¡±


    Ss eyed them carefully as the brothers shared a thoughtful look. Alexis¡¯s expression became pensive


    before she spoke for the group, ¡°All right. We promise whatever we do won¡¯te back to mom.¡±


    After a moment Ss nodded. It seemed that was the best he could expect from them. Aloud he said,


    ¡°Thank you. And just so you know¡­The best revenge you can ever have is living a happy life and


    rubbing it in their faces.¡±


    The boys snorted back augh. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he said something humorous or if


    they thought the image was legitimately funny.


    ¡°Last night your mother had her own confrontation with her sister.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Alexis tensed as did her brothers at the thought of their aunt causing their mother


    more pain.


    ¡°She was brilliant,¡± Ss smiled. ¡°She told your aunt off in marvelous fashion.¡±


    ¡°She did?¡± Sean asked not sure if he believed that.


    ¡°She did. Your mother is a strong woman, she just didn¡¯t know it, and now she¡¯s getting her confidence


    back. So you three just watch her close and you¡¯ll see it for yourselves. I have to go to work today. It¡¯s


    time to officially announce your mother as my future wife and you three as my heirs¡­so try to stay out


    of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± The trio agreed and he left still concerned with what they would do but confident they would


    look out for their mother.


    Duncan waited at the door with his overcoat.


    ¡°Ava might sleep a little longer but be prepared to serve breakfast when she is ready.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Duncan helped him into his coat hiding a smile. ¡°A tree will be delivered at ten.¡±


    ¡°Good. This will be the first year in a long time that I¡¯m actually looking forward to the holidays.¡±


    ¡°I agree, sir. It¡¯s good to see you with a smile on your face for a change.¡±


    Ss looked at the man he had known since he was little before saying, ¡°I know you¡¯ve been worried.¡±


    Duncan bowed.


    ¡°Take care of Ava and the kids, anything they need.¡±


    ¡°They shall want for nothing,¡± Duncan assured him opening the door.


    ¡°Oh, Christmas presents. I need sizes, preferences, wish lists, whatever ideas you can get from the


    kids and Ava.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I also told her she can redecorate any room she wants. She said our room is too dark.¡±


    ¡°It is rather dark,¡± Duncan agreed. ¡°I shall discuss color options she wishes to pursue.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°I do hope you don¡¯t work toote today,¡± Duncan said. ¡°A man who has a family toe home to


    shouldn¡¯t waste in time in the office.¡±


    Ss paused smirking at the butler holding the door, ¡°Truer words have never been spoken. I¡¯m going


    to take Ava out for dinner tonight so I can¡¯t bete.¡±


    ¡°Very good, sir.¡±


    Ss stepped out taking a deep breath of chilly air. Ava and the kids had only been with him for a short


    time but it felt like years had melted away. He felt lighter and content. A smile came easily to his face. It


    truly did feel like the holidays were right around the corner.


    ¡°There you are. Finally,¡± Thomas dered as he approached the waiting vehicle. ¡°What took so long?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy for a man to leave the woman he loves in bed,¡± Ss answered.


    ¡°That has to be the sappiest thing you¡¯ve ever said,¡± Thomas chuckled. ¡°But it suits you. I don¡¯t think


    you¡¯ve ever looked this happy before.¡±


    ¡°I know and I¡¯m sorry. It seems I¡¯ve been worrying everyone for the past few years.¡±


    Thomas shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s my job to worry. Let¡¯s get this over with so you cane home.¡±


    ¡°Right. Did you prepare the files I asked for?¡±


    ¡°Naturally. Everything is in order.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Ss sat in the backseat. He tried to rx as Thomas slid into the driver¡¯s seat and pulled


    away from the curb. ¡°I need you to make a reservation tonight for Le Bernardin.¡±


    ¡°For how many?¡±


    ¡°Just two.¡±


    ¡°Two?¡± Thomas looked at Ss in the rearview mirror to see a rxed smile on his face. ¡°What brought


    this on?¡±


    ¡°I realized this morning that I¡¯ve never taken Ava on a date,¡± Ss said. ¡°In fact I don¡¯t think anyone has


    ever asked her out. I want her first to be perfect.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangements.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    In truth the restaurant didn¡¯t really matter as long as Ava wasfortable. Thest few weeks had


    been particrly stressful and he wanted her to be able to rx. It was important everything went


    perfectly. He wanted her first date to be etched in her mind forever.


    * * *


    The boardroom was full. Most of the time a few of the members skipped or missed meetings that did


    not immediately affect them. Ss only required them to be present during quarterly meetings as those


    guided thepany¡¯s future goals. Informational meetings such as this one were not mandatory but


    there wasn¡¯t a single person who was going to miss it after hearing the rumors swirling from the charity


    g.


    Ss made only necessary public appearances. There were dozens of invitations sent him every month


    but he only answered those that piqued his interest. This naturally left many unsatisfied but in truth


    Ss made many more appearances than his father ever did.


    Richard Prescott was acimed as a brilliant businessman but he was also unsocial and refused to


    waste his time with benefits, dinners and events. He left it to his wife to appease the masses with her


    time and attention while he remained in his office. Ss inherited his work ethic but also his mother¡¯s


    sense of sociability. Though Ss made regr appearances he never attended any event with a


    woman, let alone a woman he imed to be his fianc¨¦e.


    Ss was still young but there were whispers of concern that he had not started a family or even


    maintained a regr rtionship. A few more vocal members of the board gossiped often about the


    woman picked for his future wife but the woman from the rumors didn¡¯t match her description at all.


    ording to rumors and pictures she was petite and beautiful. She was very personable and people


    already sung her praises as a gentle and genuinedy. But they still didn¡¯t know anything about her or


    where she came from.


    Ss entered ignoring the stares that followed him as he took his seat. His assistant circled the table


    setting a thin file in front of each member. Ss said nothing until the files were handed out and his


    assistant returned to his side.


    ¡°I know there are some rumors floating around,¡± Ss said with no preamble. ¡°I also realize you have


    some concern. So let¡¯s start with a few questions. Would anyone like to go first?¡±


    The Board members hesitated. As much as they wanted answers they recognized Ss¡¯s tone. It was


    the same one he took when making decisions. All business decisions were final and he did not allow


    them to be questioned. If he was taking such a tone now the others knew to tread carefully. It was clear


    Ss already made up his mind and this meeting was not called to debate the merits of his decision but


    to merely inform them as a courtesy.


    Clearing his throat one member finally ventured a query, ¡°The woman you were reportedly with¡­I¡¯m


    not one to invest in rumors but¡­they imed she is your fianc¨¦e.¡±


    ¡°She is.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir we are happy to hear you are considering settling down but just who is this woman?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Avalynn Carter but you probably know her better as Avalynn Carlisle.¡±


    His announcement immediately caused a stir. Ss expected no less considering his family¡¯s history


    with the Carlisles so he let them continue for a time without interruption. Finally one bold member stood


    looking directly at Ss. He was older than most others at the table and had served under Ss¡¯s


    predecessor.


    ¡°Sir, do you mean to say you are selling out thepany to Emerson Carlisle?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Ss snorted. The board members shared dubious looks. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you were


    already aware Ava was the victim of a cruel prank ten years ago and disowned by her father. She has


    no affiliation with him or hispany.¡±


    Younger members quietly nodded. Though ten years was more than enough time for many to forget the


    incident, it had caused quite a stir at the time. Since then the younger Carlisle daughter had not been


    seen or heard from again. Now it seems the reason for that was because she had changed her name.


    Even so that could not be the only reason.


    ¡°But still¡­a man with as many options as yourself need not settled for the disgraced daughter¡­¡± the


    protesting member fell silent at Ss¡¯s warning re.


    ¡°I am settling for nothing,¡± Ss said. ¡°Ava is the woman I always nned to marry.¡±


    The board members erupted into another conversation. Ss let them talk. No one but his mother knew


    of his ns so this was expected. He didn¡¯t mind their chatter. Nothing would interfere with his future


    together with Ava.


    ¡°Sir, have you told your father about these ns?¡± the elder number eventually asked.


    ¡°He will be informed when I see him next. I will also be formally announcing my engagement during our


    annual New Year¡¯s G,¡± Ss said making it clear it didn¡¯t matter what his father thought about his


    marriage or fianc¨¦e. ¡°By that time Ava and I will have settled on a date most likely spring or mid-


    summer.¡±


    Ss spoke evenly. His tone left no room for debate as if he was speaking about history rather than the


    future. The board members silently traded looks as they sat in their own thoughts. Richard Prescott


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    was the cornerstone of thepany and though it had been years since hest set foot in the building


    his influence could still be felt. Ss had taken what his father made as a foundation expanding and


    refining it as he pleased. But why start this fight?


    ¡°There is another announcement I will be making at the New Year¡¯s party,¡± Ss said after a moment.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find that in the files Thomas prepared.¡±


    Hesitantly the board members turned their attention to the files and opened them. Inside were hospital


    test results. Each test wasbeled positive though they were uncertain about the meaning until they


    read more closely: paternity tests. The realization struck each member but their shock only deepened


    when they looked more closely. The tests were not for the same person. Each test was for a different


    patient but the parents for each were the same mother: Avalynn Carter, father: Ss Prescott.


    ¡°Sir! What is this?¡± a member nearly shouted as he leapt to his feet.


    ¡°I think that is obvious,¡± Ss said with a hint of amusement. ¡°As I said ten years ago Ava was the


    victim of a cruel prank¡­as was I. The result of that prank is in front of you. My children and heirs:


    Alexis, Sean and Theo. One day they will take over in my stead and I expect everyone here to treat


    them with the proper respect they are due¡­or you will regret it. My children are not to be taken lightly.¡±


    The members shared looks. Though Ava¡¯s fall from grace was no great secret Ss¡¯s part was well-


    hidden. Only his mother knew the full extent of what happened so it was quite a shock to those


    gathered around the table.


    Children? Heirs? Their future bosses? And Avalynn Carlisle was their mother?


    Ten years ago Avalynn had disappeared from the public eye. Though they didn¡¯t know the extent of the


    prank it was clear it resulted in the conception of the three children presented to them. But why would


    Ss Prescott agree to such an obvious y for hispany. There was more to the story but none


    were bold enough to ask him about it. One thing was clear: however, Ss had every intention of


    iming and supporting his family.


    This certainly wouldn¡¯t be the end of it. Richard Prescott would have something to say though the


    members were divided on whether they wanted to witness the showdown between father and son that


    was sure to ensue. Perhaps it was best not to protest this announcement until after the Prescott¡¯s


    annual New Year¡¯s party. Whether or not Ss announced his impeding nuptials and heirs would


    certainly tell them who won.


    ¡°That¡¯s everything I have to say,¡± Ss stood. ¡°Use this forewarning to prepare your departments and


    interests. I¡¯m sure chaos will follow once the announcements are made.¡±


    Without another word Ss exited leaving the others to discuss this new information freely. Thomas


    followed a step behind. Once they were out in the hallway he said, ¡°Well that went a lot smoother than I


    thought.¡±


    ¡°They know better than to defy me,¡± Ss said. ¡°It¡¯s clear not all of them agree given their protests.¡±


    ¡°Well those were mild enough.¡±


    ¡°They are expecting a confrontation between me and my father so they are waiting to see the results.¡±


    ¡°I can see their caution. He was your predecessor and founder of thispany. He¡¯s like an


    insurmountable mountain in their eyes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. They are going to see that mountain fall if he chooses to stand in my way.¡±


    ¡°You sound very confident.¡±


    ¡°Nothing will stand between me and Ava.¡±


    ¡°No need to convince me. I believe you.¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Thirty-Two

    Book Two: Chapter Thirty-Two


    ¡°Deck the halls with boughs of holly,¡± Theo chanted as they wrapped gand along the base of the stair


    rail. Duncan suggested decorating the rail itself but the brothers vetoed the idea. For Alexis¡¯s safety it


    was best to leave the rail uncovered and clean.


    In addition to gands there were also various centerpieces made from spruce boughs, ribbons, pine


    cones, holly and mistletoe. Some decorations were meant to be added to the existing d¨¦cor while


    others were seasonal recements. Duncan discussed how each was used by their grandmother but


    left the decision of when and how to use them up to Ava and the kids.


    In addition to the decorations the butler provided they had a multitude of their own, school craft projects


    made from popsicle sticks, glitter and paper retrieved from their apartment after their father sent his


    men to clean it out and cancel the lease. The kids thought their homemade decorations looked rather


    shabbypared to the others but their mother happily added them without a care and in the end it


    actually looked rather homey. While they decorated a delivery arrived with arge tree.


    They watched the delivery man set up the tree and cut the boughs loose with Duncan¡¯s assistance.


    Once it was up Duncan revealed several boxes containing strings of lights, tinsel and ornaments. Many


    of the ornaments looked old and Duncan regaled them with stories about each. Though the kids


    thought the butler was rather stuffy when they first arrived he was actually quite engaging and could be


    funny.


    Yet even more important to the triplets than his personable nature was the fact he always treated their


    mother with respect. He answered any question and always deferred to her opinion. Whether


    mandated by their father or not Duncan treated their mother as thedy of the house which earned him


    the triplets¡¯ respect.


    What was more they saw a definitely change in their mother just as their father said. She was sleeping


    well and eating proper meals. As a result she was no longer pale and she had put on weight giving her


    a much healthier figure. Their mother was rxed, no longer huddling in the shadows afraid to be


    tossed aside. She had confidence and always seemed to be smiling. Though the triplets were still on


    the fence when it came to their father there was no denying his care and love for their mother.


    Even now their mother sat on the couch unwrapping ornaments for them to put on the tree. She was


    had taken on a healthy sheen. Though the triplets were far from giving up on their revenge they had to


    admit their father was right. Their mother¡¯s health came first.


    ¡°Ah yes, I had nearly forgot Master Ss called to inform you he has made reservations at Le


    Bernardin,¡± Duncan announced handing Ava a ss of water. ¡°Its dress code is considered business


    casual so you any of your new outfits would be eptable.¡±


    ¡°What time?¡± Alexis asked.


    ¡°Eight.¡±


    ¡°That gives us plenty of time to help you get ready, mom.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ava blushed. Though the kids were treating this casually she couldn¡¯t help but be apprehensive


    after all this would be her first date with anyone let alone Ss.


    Before she could say more her phone rang. She jerked to attention still not used to having one. On the


    disy she saw Tracy¡¯s name pop-up which relieved her. Still hesitating she answered with an


    unpracticed swipe before putting it to her ear, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Oh good, you picked up,¡± Tracy said. ¡°Though I was kind of hoping you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


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    ¡°You¡¯re mother is here wanting me to help her see you,¡± Tracy said a little too casually.


    Ava bit her lip. While she wondered why her mother would want to see her she btedly remembered


    telling her mother to go through Tracy at the party. She never thought her mother would actually do it.


    ¡°Is it¡­is it just her?¡±


    ¡°Looks like she came alone. You want me to tell her to stuff it?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll see her¡­but not here.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Where should we go? Somewhere public that won¡¯t draw too much attention would be


    good.¡±


    ¡°The diner,¡± Ava said after some thought.


    ¡°The diner? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Though it seemed an odd choice it was a public ce but out of the way and they shouldn¡¯t draw


    attention. What was more it was after the lunch rush so it should be quiet. On top of that it was a ce


    Ava was familiar with and would befortable in. She also wanted a chance to talk to Gretchen face-


    to-face. There was a lot the older woman deserved to know.


    Ava wanted to bring the kids but thought better of it. Though they would certainly enjoy spending time


    with Gretchen she didn¡¯t want them seeing her mother and she definitely didn¡¯t want them to see her


    breakdown. In many ways facing her mother would be more difficult than her sister.


    ¡°Okay the diner. Say forty minutes?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Ava hung up wondering if she was making the right choice. What would Ss say?


    ¡°Everything all right, mom?¡± Alexis asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡ªah¡ªI¡¯m going to meet Tracy for a coffee.¡±


    ¡°Can wee?¡±


    ¡°Not this time.¡±


    Alexis cocked her head to the side her sightless eyes boring into her mother. Sean and Theo sensed


    their mother¡¯s sudden change a step behind their sister.


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    Ava sighed, ¡°My mother wants to talk. I don¡¯t think it will be a good idea for you three to see her right


    now.¡±


    Alexis nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t think she deserves our attention. But are you going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Tracy will be there and we¡¯re meeting at the diner so Gretchen will be there too.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Alexis seconded. Gretchen wouldn¡¯t let things get out of hand.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll have an escort as well,¡± Duncan reminded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary,¡± Ava said. ¡°I can just take a cab. It should be all right.¡±


    ¡°Master Ss would not allow that ma¡¯am,¡± Duncan shook his head. ¡°Your health and safety are the


    most important things to him.¡±


    Ava felt her face warm with the thought. That¡¯s right. Ss never tried to stop her from going ces or


    seeing people. He only wanted her to take someone so she wasn¡¯t alone. If he were here he would


    insist on going himself. Taking an escort wouldn¡¯t bring her the same support andfort but it was a


    reminder Ss was always looking after her.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea,¡± Alexis agreed. ¡°Mister Peppermint is intimidating. He should be good.¡±


    ¡°Mister Peppermint?¡±


    ¡°Mike, is his actual name,¡± Alexis said. She still preferred her nicknames but she didn¡¯t think anyone


    else appreciated them.


    ¡°I agree.¡± Duncan nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll inform him at once.¡±


    He left before Ava could protest. She sighed. It was just as well she supposed but her mind churned


    with what her mother wanted to discuss.


    * * *


    Mike nced in the rearview mirror to study Ava as she looked at the passing scenery. She seemed


    like apletely different woman than the one he first had been assigned to watch. Back then she had


    been overworked, thin and pale. It seemed the weight of all the world¡¯s troubles were on her shoulders.


    Now she was rested, with a healthy glow to her cheeks and more weight on her bones. She was


    rxed and her smile was no longer forced. It was hard to believe these changes were all because of


    Ss Prescott.


    His first impression of Ss Prescott was of a man hard to please and a boss who settled for nothing


    less than perfection. Rumors abounded about Prescott¡¯s ruthlessness and Mike had plenty of


    opportunities to see it in action. However Ss was not an unreasonable man and never punished


    someone who didn¡¯t deserve it. Those facts alone made him respectable and Mike had no qualms


    about working for him.


    When Ss first handed down instructions to watch over and guard Ava and the kids Mike wondered


    why such interest was paid to people far below Ss¡¯s usual notice. It wasn¡¯t until Jake found out the


    kids were actually his children that it started to make sense. But Mike still worried how Ava would


    function around the overbearing Ss. She was a willowy wisp of a woman and Mike thought she would


    copse under the weight of Ss¡¯s influence.


    However, much to his surprise, she blossomed under Ss¡¯s care. It was hard to believe the ruthless


    businessman could be so nurturing but it seemed Ava brought out that side of him. It had been slow in


    the beginning but now she was gaining confidence to match her natural beauty.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, ma¡¯am,¡± Mike announced as he parked the sedan in front of the diner.


    Ava stirred looking at the little restaurant. Her expression seemed pensive but also rxed. It was like


    she was returning home after years of being absent but there was no putting off this meeting. She


    spied Tracy¡¯s car so she knew they were already inside.


    Mike stepped out opening her door. With a faint smile she followed his direction to walk a step in front


    of him while he monitored their surroundings. He opened the diner door for her and followed her inside.


    Ava paused breathing the smell of lemon-scented disinfectant, oil and coffee that was ever present


    inside. It might not be a wee smell to everyone but it was rxing and familiar to her.


    ¡°Lynn?¡± Gretchen looked up at the sound of the door. ¡°Honey is that really you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ava smiled as the older woman came around the counter and enveloped her in a hug.


    Mike made no attempt to interfere knowing the older woman was a friend and meant no harm.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been so worried about you,¡± Gretchen said stepping back to look at her. ¡°You look good, honey.¡±


    Ava blushed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for all the trouble and disappearing like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re all right,¡± Gretchen nced at her escort. ¡°You are all right, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll exin everythingter. First I have to see someone.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Gretchen nodded. ¡°I recognized Tracy so I thought you¡¯d be in. You didn¡¯t bring the kids?¡±


    ¡°Not this time. I¡¯ll bring them next time. They miss all the free meals you gave them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Gretchen feigned ignorance. ¡°Tracy¡¯s over there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Ava turned at her gesture and walked down the narrow aisle to the table the kids used to


    upy.


    There she found Tracy waiting. Tracy stood to greet her hugging her tight in silent support. Taking a


    breath Ava turned to look at the woman upying the other seat.


    Grace Carlisle was a finely-boned woman of average height. Her thin lips were pressed together and


    her gaze was small and narrow giving her a rather pinched expression as if she perpetually smelled


    something disagreeable. In all her life Ava couldn¡¯t remember her mother ever having a different


    expression. It suited her mother¡¯s pensive personality but now Ava found it rather sad and wondered if


    her mother even felt joy.


    As always her mother was dressed sensibly in neutral tones. Though the clothing itself was well-made


    and fashionable it was also forgettable. Nothing stood out or was memorable as if you were meant to


    forget Grace Carlisle the moment she was out of sight. There was nothing about her mother meant to


    leave asting impression.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Ava greeted as Tracy slid back into the booth allowing Ava to sit on the aisle.


    ¡°Ava¡­¡± Grace hesitated as Mike stood a step behind Ava¡¯s seat and turned to gaze upon the rest of


    the diner vignt for trouble. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°My escort and driver,¡± Ava said. ¡°Ss insists on it.¡±


    ¡°He insists on it?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want me going out alone unprotected,¡± Ava exined. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what father might


    do to try and take our kids away again.¡±


    ¡°A-again? How does he know?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Ava asked keeping her voice even. ¡°Of course he didn¡¯t. He sued me for custody of


    my own children and even tried to frame me for drug abuse to prove me an unfit mother.¡±


    ¡°He-he wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°He did. Ask Tracy. She was mywyer for the hearing,¡± Ava said. ¡°Without her I might have lost.¡±


    ¡°I did my part,¡± Tracy shrugged. ¡°Ss proposing to you was definitely a head turner.¡±


    Ava¡¯s mouth twitched with a smile but she tried to keep her expression neutral. She still didn¡¯t know


    what her mother wanted.


    ¡°Wh-where are the children?¡± Grace hesitantly asked.


    ¡°Home. They¡¯re decorating for Christmas.¡±


    Grace bit her lip. As much as she wanted to asked to see her grandchildren she was certain and


    answer would be no. Ava had always been an obedient child but now the aura around her had


    changed. It was as if Ava had shed her shackles and she would not be easily bound again.


    ¡°H-how are they? I mean¡­there is more than one yes?¡±


    ¡°There are three. Two boys and a girl.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Grace looked down at her untouched coffee. Triplets were certainly notmon. ¡°What are their


    names?¡±


    ¡°Alexis, Sean and Theo.¡±


    ¡°Was-was it difficult?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have anyplications if that is what you want to know,¡± Ava said. ¡°But it certainly wasn¡¯t easy


    taking the bus to the hospital alone. It wasn¡¯t easy enduring thebor pains without an epidural


    because I didn¡¯t have insurance at the time and couldn¡¯t afford it. If you want know more you can ask


    Tracy. She was there holding my hand.¡±


    Grace shuddered at the thought. She remembered her own pregnancies and couldn¡¯t imagine going


    through that pain without anesthesia.


    ¡°Do you know why I chose this diner?¡± Ava asked. ¡°This is where I worked for ten years as a waitress


    so I could take care of my three babies.¡±


    Her mother blinked looking at their surroundings as if seeing them for the first time.


    ¡°I took orders, served food and coffee, cleared the tables, washed dishes, even learned to cook a few


    things for twelve hours every day. This was the kids¡¯ table where they would sit and do their homework


    while I worked.¡±


    If Grace could look paler she certainly did at that announcement. Ava looked at her mother evenly.


    There was no emotion in her gaze: not anger or sorrow.


    ¡°I hope you understand,¡± Grace said after moment, ¡°I couldn¡¯t go against your father. I had no choice.¡±


    ¡°But to abandon your daughter and act as if she never existed?¡± Ava finished.


    Grace bit her lip.


    ¡°Funny. You didn¡¯t have any trouble defying father on Marilynn¡¯s behalf, approving her birth control


    knowing she was having sex with her boyfriends and the staff, buying her morning after pills and


    pregnancy tests.¡±


    Grace¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°You honestly thought I didn¡¯t know? The whole mansion knew. It was the biggest topic of gossip with


    the maids. Ironic I was tossed out because of one night when Marilynn¡¯s had hundreds.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­your sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Is a conceited, obnoxious, spoiled bitch.¡±


    Grace gasped at hernguage but Ava wasn¡¯t in the mood to entertain her self-denial any longer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t defend her in front of me not after all she¡¯s done. And you know exactly what I mean.¡±


    Grace bowed her head refusing to meet her gaze.


    ¡°Kicking me out probably saved my life. It definitely saved my babies. Marilynn would never have


    allowed them to live. And you know that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Does he know?¡±


    ¡°No. I haven¡¯t told Ss¡­yet.¡± Ava sighed. ¡°He¡¯ll go on a rampage once he finds out. But I¡¯m not


    keeping quiet to protect Marilynn if that¡¯s what you think. I don¡¯t care what happens to her. I¡¯m doing it


    to protect my family: Ss and the children. There are some things they don¡¯t need to know and you


    should hope they never learn.¡±


    Grace grimaced, ¡°I had nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Nothing to do with it? You were our mother. Mothers are supposed to protect their children, discipline


    them and raise them to be respectable people. They don¡¯t look the other way when someone hurts


    their child. You don¡¯t want to take me for how Marilynn turned out you should at least ept


    responsibility for failing at the most basic duties as a parent.¡±


    Grace bowed her head. Ava didn¡¯t know if her mother was ovee by her usations or if she was


    actually remorseful. In the end it probably didn¡¯t matter. What was done was done.


    ¡°I suppose we don¡¯t have anything more to discuss,¡± Ava stood.


    ¡°Is that it then?¡± Grace asked. ¡°You are going to turn your back on your family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny you can say that with a straight face,¡± Ava almost smiled. ¡°None of you ever treated me like


    family. I was an obstacle, a trophy, a trained puppy to entertain your guests¡­but never family.¡±


    ¡°And Ss Prescott is any better?¡±


    ¡°Ss tells me I¡¯m beautiful and strong. He tells me I can do anything I want, that his life is meaningless


    without me in it. He treats me like I¡¯m special and loved, that I deserve those things because I am me. I


    don¡¯t need to earn them. He is warm and tender, protective and caring.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll abandon you as soon as he gets what he wants. He¡¯s as ruthless and dangerous as his father.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see which of us is right, won¡¯t we?¡± Ava challenged. ¡°But I have a feeling you are going to


    be disappointed. If you are looking for me to absolve you of your guilt you can forget it. I don¡¯t have any


    forgiveness for you and after today I won¡¯t ever think about you. So I guess¡­this is good-bye.¡±

 Book Two: Chapter Thirty-Three

    Book Two: Chapter Thirty-Three


    Ava breathed a sigh of relief when her mother finally departed. Tracy gave her a brief hug before


    following Grace out as she had driven the older woman to the diner. Before Tracy left she whispered


    she would callter to check up on her and that she was proud of her. Perhaps Ava should feel bad


    about how the conversation had gone but she felt light, as if a weight had been lifted.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡±


    Ava nced at her escort who had stood silently the entire time. His brow furrowed and he looked


    conflicted.


    ¡°About what you were talking about¡­something Mister Prescott doesn¡¯t know and would cause him to


    rampage?¡±


    ¡°Oh. My sister pushed me down the stairs.¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    Ava grimaced. She supposed that should be the natural reaction but honestly she didn¡¯t feel much of


    anything when she thought back to the incident. Perhaps it was too far in the past or maybe she was


    simply inured to the pain of betrayal after all it wasn¡¯t exactly the first time her sister had done such


    things.


    ¡°She pushed you down the stairs¡­intentionally?¡±


    Ava nodded.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°She wanted to be an only child.¡±


    Mike¡¯s mouth dropped at the candid response.


    ¡°So she pushed me down the stairs, knocked me down in front of the limo, spooked the horse I was


    riding, gave me severe food poisoning¡­I don¡¯t remember all of them anymore, for better or worse.¡±


    ¡°And you haven¡¯t told Mister Prescott?¡±


    Ava shook her head, ¡°Could you imagine his reaction if I did?¡±


    Mike grimaced. Knowing Ss¡¯s temper he would certainly go on a warpath. But still¡­ ¡°You should tell


    him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Ava frowned, ¡°but it won¡¯t change anything. It¡¯s all in the past. I¡¯d rather focus on the future. Is


    that wrong?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s admirable you want to put the past behind you and move on. That takes real strength.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You okay honey?¡±


    Ava turned as Gretchen approached. She smiled and nodded. Amazingly she really did feel all right.


    ¡°Good. It looked like it was getting pretty tense over here. Who was that woman anyway?¡±


    ¡°My mother.¡±


    Gretchen blinked. She hadn¡¯t seen the resemnce especially now with the fresh, flush of life in Ava¡¯s


    cheeks. ncing at the silent escort Mike merely gave her a nod to confirm.


    ¡°Do you have time for a coffee?¡± Ava asked. ¡°There are a few things I owe you exnations for.¡±


    ¡°Honey, you don¡¯t owe me anything. From the moment you set foot in this diner I knew you were


    running from your past. But if you¡¯re willing I would like to hear as much of your story as you¡¯re willing


    to tell. Go on, have a seat. I¡¯ll grab the coffee.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Mister Prescott?¡±


    Ss looked up from his paperwork to see his secretary nervously fidgeting in the doorway. He raised a


    brow and gave her a curious look.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you care but Mister Carlisle is on the line for you. I tried to convince him you weren¡¯t


    interested in speaking to him but he¡¯s insisting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the call. Line?¡±


    ¡°Line One.¡± With a sigh of relief she quickly departed thinking she narrowly avoided punishment for


    wasting his time.


    Tapping the speaker button Ss retrieved the call, ¡°What is it you want Emerson?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t beat around the bush do you?¡± Emerson¡¯s disgruntled voice replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to waste my time. I have somewhere to be after work so I can¡¯t bete. People are waiting


    for me.¡±


    ¡°Those people wouldn¡¯t happen to be Ava and my grandchildren would they?¡±


    ¡°My children and my fianc¨¦e, yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see them.¡±


    ¡°You and I both know that is not going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d like to see you, talk face-to-face.¡±


    Ss considered the offer. He didn¡¯t have any reason to ept but his curiosity was piqued. Emerson


    Carlisle wasn¡¯t likely to take no for an answer. Denying him could lead to issues in the future so hearing


    him out now might prevent future interference.


    ¡°Let me take a look at my schedule for today,¡± Ss finally said. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t block out some time


    and I¡¯ll have my assistant call you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    Ss hung up ncing at Thomas. There really wasn¡¯t anything pressing so making time wouldn¡¯t be


    difficult. The question was where. Emerson would not want toe to his office and Ss had no


    reason to go to his. Neither needed the publicity of meeting in a public ce since both would be easily


    recognizable. Having Emersone to the brownstone was out of the question. Ss had no intention


    of allowing him anywhere near Ava and the children.


    ¡°Call him back. Tell me to meet me at my condo¡­say five o¡¯clock,¡± Ss finally said.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s wise? You really don¡¯t have any reason to meet with him.¡±


    ¡°Call it curiosity. The fact he called at all is strange.¡±


    Thomas smirked. Well it wouldn¡¯t do any harm to hear the old man out as long as Ava and the kids


    weren¡¯t around.


    * * *


    ¡°Come right in.¡±


    Emerson hesitated as Thomas held open the door. He stepped into therge, luxury condo peering


    down halls and into rooms he passed as he was led inside.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t here.¡±


    Jerking to attention Emerson turned to see Ss. The younger man had discarded his jacket and tie.


    With a gesture Ss led him to the living room. There they sat across from each other in matching


    chairs. The ss coffee table between them was devoid of refreshments. There were no distractions


    and nothing to interrupt their discussion.


    ¡°How are Ava and the children?¡± Emerson finally asked.


    ¡°Happy and healthy,¡± Ss answered. ¡°Thest ten years has not been easy for Ava so helping her


    recover is my top priority.¡±


    Emerson nodded. When his men first brought her to see him she had been pale and thin. Her


    weakness disgusted him. However at the hearing she had put on some much needed weight and she


    didn¡¯t look quite so pallid. Though she had remained silent she didn¡¯t cower at his presence.


    ¡°So Ava is doing all right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. She¡¯s thinking about starting her own business.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Emerson looked up incredulous.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°She worked every day for ten years so she doesn¡¯t like being idle. I suggested she open her own


    restaurant since she¡¯s familiar with the industry.¡±


    ¡°Ava knows nothing about running a business.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what college courses are for. Her previous employer already suggested as much. There¡¯s no


    reason Ava couldn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°You honestly think that?¡± Emerson asked. Try as he might he couldn¡¯t picture such a mouse of a


    woman in a position of management. Her employees would walk all over her.


    ¡°Ava¡¯s smart, strong and observant. I¡¯m confident she¡¯ll be sessful whatever she chooses to do. It¡¯s


    my job to support her dreams.¡±


    Emerson fidgeted. Ava had always been quiet, a sheep. She never took initiatives or even spoke


    unless spoken to. Finally he said, ¡°You may be giving her too much credit.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t give her enough. She raised three kids on her own.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°Is it? Could you have managed half so well without your vast fortune?¡±


    Emerson cleared his throat. This line of conversation was going nowhere and it wasn¡¯t what he came


    all this way to discuss. It seemed Ss was content to let the conversation drag until their limited time


    was up.


    ¡°I came here because I wanted to know the truth. How was it you fathered Ava¡¯s children? And why


    was she raising them alone?¡±


    ¡°Marilynn.¡±


    ¡°Marilynn? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you would,¡± Ss sighed before exining the events from ten years ago. There was


    no reason to hide it and he didn¡¯t downy his own part. He added how he first realized the triplets


    were his to bring them to the present.


    To his credit Emerson silently listened to everything he said without interrupting. Ss was certain he


    would protest Marilynn¡¯s alleged involvement but he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°So you had people watching them,¡± Emerson said after a moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. A team followed when you summoned Ava and Alexis. The kids had already spotted the


    tails so they used my team to make a quick exit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how they disappeared that day. The children already spotted their tails?¡±


    ¡°They are very observant,¡± Ss couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°and very clever.¡±


    Thomas stifled augh. Since Ss settled in with his family he had found a sense of humor much to


    Thomas¡¯s surprise. Even in front of his greatest rival Ss was rxed. Was this normal for a man once


    they started a family?


    ¡°So it was Marilynn¡¯s doing,¡± Emerson sighed. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised considering.¡±


    ¡°Considering what?¡± Ss raised a brow.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen the article concerning my daughter¡¯s illicit affairs¡­I confronted our family doctor


    about it. ording to him Marilynn¡¯s been carrying on these affairs for years. What¡¯s more¡­she¡¯s tried


    to¡­¡±


    Emerson hesitated. Ss waited in silence.


    ¡°When Ava was young she was prone to idents and injury. She fell down the stairs, was bucked off


    her horse¡­at least I thought they were just idents.¡±


    ¡°Are you implying Marilynn has been trying to kill Ava since they were children?¡± Ss demanded his


    gaze suddenly going cold and dangerous. ¡°And you im you knew nothing about it?¡±


    Emerson hung his head, ¡°I have no excuse for not knowing what was happening under my own roof.


    But I¡¯m far from the only guilty party. Our family doctor, staff, security personnel and even my wife knew


    what Marilynn was up to and none of them tried to stop it. Ava was such a meek child and they all knew


    I favored Marilynn so none dared risk their jobs to help Ava. None.¡±


    Ss gripped the armrests of his chair until his knuckles turned white. Rage unlike any he felt before


    bubbled up like a volcano preparing to erupt. If Marilynn presented herself to him now he would


    probably kill her with his bare hands. Thomas immediately saw and felt the change watching Ss


    carefully wondering if he should separate the two men.


    ¡°I¡¯m dealing with my staff as we speak. Most have been let go,¡± Emerson said. ¡°The worst offenders will


    be handled personally.¡±


    Ss listened barely containing his rage despite Emerson¡¯s assurance.


    ¡°Then there is Marilynn herself. I have something special nned with her in mind,¡± Emerson added


    clenching his fists. ¡°But I want to see Ava¡­and the children.¡±


    ¡°Not going to happen,¡± Ss said. He would be a fool to allow an abuser near their target.


    ¡°Please¡­I just¡­I want to make sure she is okay. I am the children¡¯s grandfather. You can¡¯t keep me


    from seeing them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m their father so I can,¡± Ss stood. ¡°Besides, the children don¡¯t want to see you or any of your


    family.¡±


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Who do you think wrote that article about Marilynn? Who do you think has been spreading


    unttering rumors about her all these years?¡±


    Emerson jerked to attention as Ss reached for his coat and slipped it on. Adjusting his cor Ss


    gave the older man a sardonic smile.


    ¡°As I said, my children are exceptionally clever. They are also very protective of their mother and


    vindictive towards anyone who seeks to harm her. So consider this a warning though you¡¯re already on


    their list.¡±


    Emerson grimaced. Ss headed toward the door. He had to prepare for his date with Ava. He refused


    to bete. As Thomas opened the door Ss paused. It was probably a mistake but for some reason he


    suddenly felt a little sorry for the old man. After all the work Emerson had put into his business empire it


    was going to fall apart and there was nothing he could do about it.


    ¡°If you really just want to make sure Ava is well, and if you can get a reservation, be at the Le


    Bernardin. Eight o¡¯clock. But you better not cause a scene. This is a special night for Ava and I won¡¯t


    have it ruined.¡±


    With that Ss departed. Whether Emerson followed his advice or not did not matter to him. What


    mattered was Ava¡¯s health and safety. Marilynn would not be allowed anywhere near Ava again.


    ¡°So are you going to ask her about¡­all of this?¡± Thomas asked as they stepped off the elevator and


    made their way to the car.


    Ss sighed, ¡°If Ava hasn¡¯t mentioned it herself then she probably doesn¡¯t want to think about it. I don¡¯t


    want to cause her any undue stress. She¡¯s been through enough.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not upset she didn¡¯t tell you herself?¡±


    ¡°Trust is not a given, it is earned and I hurt her deeply. That is not something easily forgiven or


    forgotten.¡±


    Ss slid into the backseat and remained silent as Thomas headed back to the brownstone. It would be


    wrong to say he wasn¡¯t disappointed since he thought he and Ava had grown close but he also didn¡¯t


    have a right toin since he had abandoned her in her time of need.


    If anything Emerson¡¯s confession highlighted how much farther he had yet to go topletely win Ava


    over. But he had time. He would never stop trying. Knowing Ava¡¯s past struggles only meant it was


    more imperative he do everything he could for her.

 Book Two: Chapter Thirty-Four

    Book Two: Chapter Thirty-Four


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Ss offered his hand to help her out.


    Ava smiled nervously as his hand slid naturally to the middle of her back escorting her inside. The


    interior of the restaurant was warm and inviting. They were given a table in a quiet corner providing


    some measure of privacy. Ss helped her sit before taking his own ce next to her.


    ¡°Your menus,¡± the server said offering sparkling water.


    Ava epted hers with trepidation. This was the first time she had dined in a restaurant. For once she


    was not the server but the one being served.


    ¡°Do you know what you want?¡± Ss asked seeing her brow furrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure. I¡¯ve never been here. Do you have a rmendation?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Are you partial to fish or shellfish?¡± he asked.


    ¡°¡­Fish.¡±


    ¡°Then how about we go with the Mesclun Sd, Sea Trout, followed by the Halibut. Strawberry yogurt


    sound all right for desert?¡± Ss looked at her knowing she didn¡¯t like overly sweet things.


    ¡°That sounds good.¡± Ava nodded.


    ¡°Very well. Any requests for wine?¡± the server took their menus.


    ¡°Surprise us,¡± Ss said feeling a little yful.


    With a slight bow the server departed leaving them. Ava turned her attention to the other diners some


    already enjoying their meals. Her gaze took in the lighted branches apanying the bouquets in tall


    vases doubling as space dividers while also offering soft touches to the room¡¯s intimate lighting. She


    turned as Ss took her hand kissing it.


    Her gaze softened as she rxed. With the kids¡¯ help she had chosen a blue, silk blouse and ck


    skirt. Alexis tamed her hair in small braids secured in a ponytail in a contemporary half-up style.


    Thankfully her outfit didn¡¯t seem at all out of ce.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± Ss said when he had her full attention.


    She felt her face warm, ¡°You always say that.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s always true.¡±


    Her blush deepened making him chuckle. Squeezing her hand he kissed it again loving her reactions.


    Unable to hold back he leaned forward kissing her temple.


    ¡°Ss, people can see us.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he whispered, ¡°I want all of them to know you are mine and they better not touch.¡±


    He didn¡¯t release her hand until their server returned with their first course and a chilled bottle of wine.


    Ava was grateful for the distraction but it was only temporary. Ss reached over to im her hand and


    kiss it periodically throughout their meal. His attention was almost overwhelming but it felt good too.


    Was this normal for a first date?


    * * *


    ¡°Hello Marilynn, fashionablyte as always?¡±


    ¡°Sarcastic as always Anne?¡± Marilynn shot back as she took her seat at the table with two other young


    socialites.


    They were dressed in evening gowns as was their usual custom for their dining escapades. Since they


    were all single they like to unt their freedom and money to others. As they all had been in the same


    ss it was only natural to try and one-up each other as well so it wasn¡¯t unusual to trade thinly veiled


    insults and jabs.


    ¡°Hey we¡¯re ready to order,¡± Anne snapped her fingers at a passing server. Though harried the server


    answered the summons knowing it was dangerous to ignore them.


    ¡°So what¡¯s this I hear about your sister?¡± Anne turned to Marilynn after the server left with their orders.


    ¡°I thought she was long gone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± their friend chimed, ¡°she¡¯s back now, or something? And engaged to Ss Prescott?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mistake,¡± Marilynn flipped her hair. ¡°There is no way Ss Prescott would be interested in her.¡±


    ¡°You sure about that?¡± Anne asked.


    ¡°Absolutely. She¡¯s nobody.¡±


    Anne and the other shared a look before gesturing to a corner Marilynn hadn¡¯t noticed when she


    breezed in. Giving them a questioning look she turned. Her mouth dropped as her gaze fell on Ss


    and Ava seated at a table. Kissing Ava¡¯s hand Ss leaned in to kiss her whispering something that


    brought a blush to her cheeks and a lightugh.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like a mistake to me,¡± Anne said. ¡°They¡¯ve been like that for the past twenty minutes. I


    don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen Ss smile so much, or at all.¡±


    Marilynn¡¯s face flushed red as she met her friends¡¯ smirking expressions. They had been waiting to rub


    this in her face. As angry as she was she couldn¡¯t help but look at the loving couple as a server


    delivered the dessert course signaling the end of the dinner though neither seemed inclined to rush


    through it.


    In fact they were attracting a bit of attention. Ss Prescott was a prominent figure wherever he went


    and always attracted notice. He was a stern, upromising person in public so it was a surprise to


    see him act so loving and attentive to the charming woman with him. For those who hadn¡¯t heard the


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    rumors it was quite a shock and for those who had heard them it was also a shock. No one believed


    such a thing was possible.


    Marilynn gulped down her wine as soon as it arrived ignoring her te as she stared at her sister


    leaning into Ss¡¯s touch as he yed with her hair. There was nothing special about Ava¡¯s clothing. In


    fact her outfit was rather in. Why then did Ss seem so infatuated with her? So long as Ava was


    around no one was looking at Marilynn which was the greater issue.


    * * *


    Ss sighed as the server returned his credit card. Though he was grateful for the prompt service he


    didn¡¯t appreciate the interruption. Even so it was probably best the meal was over. It was getting harder


    to keep his distance from Ava whose subtle perfume was intoxicating and lightughter musical.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Ss asked kissing her hand a final time before standing.


    He helped her out of her seat immediately pulling her close. Ava didn¡¯t flinch at his close proximity


    leaning into him as they headed for the exit. She didn¡¯t even mind the stares that followed them.


    Though she had been apprehensive at the start being with Ss gave her confidence and she felt safe


    enough to rx in his presence. It was like a protective bubble no one dared break.


    To her surprise Thomas was already at the curb with the limo. She wasn¡¯t sure how it was coordinated


    but she appreciated it as a chill had settled in the air threatening more snowfall. Ss quickly ushered


    her into the limo¡¯s warmth. With the door closed and they were finally out of the public eye Ss took


    her into his embrace holding her close and breathing deep the honey smell of her hair. He had thought


    it was perfume but it seemed to be her shampoo. It smelled as sweet as her.


    Ava snuggled against him. He reveled in her close proximity. It wasn¡¯t long ago she flinched wherever


    he came near but now she weed his touch. It was a lot of progress in a short time and made his


    heart hammer in his chest.


    ¡°So how was your first date?¡± Ss whispered.


    ¡°It was just like I dreamed it would be,¡± Ava smiled looking up at him with green eyes shining with joy.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No¡­thank you.¡± Ss chuckled kissing her forehead. ¡°I want all your dreams toe true so don¡¯t


    hesitate to tell me what they are.¡±


    Ava nodded unable to speak. He always made her feel this way. Sometimes it was overwhelming but


    she no longer questioned his sincerity. Ss had shown her too much care and attention for her to


    doubt his intensions. He wanted her to be happy and to know she was special and deserving of love. It


    felt nice.


    ¡°¡­So straight home or do you have another destination?¡± Thomas¡¯s voice interrupted over the


    inte.


    Ss nced at the dark partition between them and their driver. With it in ce they were isted and


    could onlymunicate over the inte though it was a mystery how Thomas always seeded at


    the worst timing. Ss sighed and Ava giggled.


    ¡°Well my love. Do you want to go home? Or shall we take a couple turns around the park?¡±


    ¡°A couple turns around the park sounds nice.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Ss smiled leaning over to the inte controls. ¡°Take a couple turns and the park. And


    Thomas, no interruptions unless it¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    Ss could almost hear Thomas¡¯s stifledughter but chose to ignore it. He had more important


    concerns¡­namely the beautiful woman in his arms. Ava leaned into his caress and enjoyed his touch.


    She wished the moment wouldst forever.


    * * *


    ¡°Here we are, luv,¡± Ss carried Ava into the brownstone.


    Thomas chuckled holding the door. Once they were inside he departed not wanting to risk Ss¡¯s


    annoyance.


    Ava clung to him as he set her on her feet. Ss held her close supporting her. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was


    the wine or their lingering night that made her sleepy but he didn¡¯t mind. She would always be safe with


    him. He would always take care of her.


    ¡°One moment, sweetie,¡± Ss said gently removing her coat leaving it on a small bench beside the


    door. Duncan would put it away in the morning and he didn¡¯t want to let her go less she stumble and


    fall.


    Holding her close he looked to see the Christmas decorations and smiled with satisfaction. It had been


    years since he bothered celebrating the holidays. There hadn¡¯t been a point since he had no one to


    share it with. It was amazing how quickly things changed. He was actually looking forward to it.


    ¡°Ss?¡± Ava stirred. Her gaze swept over the decorations she and the kids had done. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°I love it.¡± He kissed her temple. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell me what you want for Christmas.¡±


    ¡°What I want? Everything I wished for already came true,¡± Ava leaned against him. ¡°What more could I


    possibly want?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s time. Think about it,¡± Ss said before sweeping her up into his arms. ¡°But right now¡­it¡¯s


    bedtime.¡±


    Ava chuckled clinging to him as he carried her. It seemed they were setting precedents for returning


    from outings. She hoped he didn¡¯t mind. At the very least he didn¡¯t seem to.


    Reaching their bedroom he set her down on the bed and knelt to remove her shoes. Though they were


    sensible ts he gently rubbed her feet looking up at her. His gaze was tender but sharp causing her to


    shiver. She knew what he wanted.


    Standing he leaned over her kissing her deeply. Ava answered his hungry query. Their tongues danced


    as they probed each others¡¯ mouths tasting the lingering vors of their meal. Ss rocked backward


    pulling her up with him and picked her up not breaking their kiss. Ava¡¯s legs naturally wound


    themselves around his waist to maintain her position. He stumbled forward leaning over the bed and


    lying down with her warm body under him.


    His hand slid under her shirt caressing her. Goosebumps erupted across her skin at his touch. She


    moaned as her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt before helping him toss it aside. He peeled


    away theyers separating them ravaging her body with hungry kisses. Ava wiggled under him


    moaning at his lustful advances.


    ¡°You taste so good, Ava,¡± Ss nibbled at his ear. ¡°Tell me what you want, Ava. Fast? Slow?¡±


    ¡°What I want¡­¡± Ava moaned. She wanted to taste him and drive him as wild as he did to her.


    cing her hands on his shoulders she pushed him away. A questioning look came across his face as


    she sat up before she forced him to lie down. Once he was on his back she straddled him leaning over


    to kiss him. Ss¡¯s concerned gave way to anticipation. His hands caressed her curves but he was


    content to let her dictate their pace.


    Her hands roamed his body tracing the contours of his pecs and abs causing his skin to burn. She


    kissed his jaw running her tongue along his Adam¡¯s apple making him groan. It didn¡¯t seem possible


    such gestures would be erotic but his body wasn¡¯t used to being touched so it reacted to the slightest


    stimtion. Her nimble fingers slid down the length of his already stiff member.


    Ss moaned as she gripped him stroking it, gently tugging on it. Though she was still unpracticed she


    had gained confidence from theirst night together. He breathed deep wanting to bury himself in her


    but he was determined to let her have her way with him.


    She moved over him stroking her moist entrance across his engorged member before taking it inside of


    her. Ss sighed as he slid inside her. He gripped her thighs as she moved her hips against his. His


    stiff shaft stroked her sensitive folds. She moaned finding her rhythm as her back arched and her pace


    quickened. Ss clenched his jaw watching her pleasure herself as her body tightened with her orgasm


    squeezing him and drawing out a deep groan. Gripping her hips he thrust upward with her motion


    driving her to her next peak.


    She moaned. Her pale skin seemed to glow as if she were a mythical fairy her dark mane of hair


    cascading around her. Ss blinked but the vision remained. It wasn¡¯t a dream. Her body tightened its


    hold on him milking his essence as he sumbed to the erotic fantasy consuming him. He filled her


    with everyst drop of himself as she leaned over him her green eyes shining with pure bliss.


    His arms enveloped her tucking her close as he pulled the nket over them. Her skin glistened with a


    thinyer of sweat and he wouldn¡¯t risk her catching a chill even while his own body seemed on fire.


    Ava snuggled into his chest satisfied and exhausted.


    ¡°Was it bad?¡± she whispered fighting sleep.


    ¡°Not at all. You can be on top anytime, luv,¡± Ss said. ¡°I love watching you. Take me whenever you


    want.¡±


    He gently ran his fingers down her back enjoying her shudders of pleasure. Ss suddenly froze his


    fingers tracing the faint puckered skin of an old scar on her shoulder. Had he been so enthralled by


    their nights of lovemaking he hadn¡¯t noticed before?


    ¡°Ava what happened here?¡± Ss asked.


    ¡°¡­Oh¡­When I was ten I was riding and my horse spooked. It dumped me into a fence.¡±


    ¡°Your horse spooked?¡± Ss repeated recalling his conversation with Emerson.


    ¡°¡­Yes. Marilynn told meter she threw a rock at it hoping I would break my neck when I fell,¡± Ava


    hesitated and felt him tense.


    ¡°She tried to kill you. Ava¡­did she¡­was that the only time?¡± He knew better but it might be his only


    opportunity to hear it from her himself but he also didn¡¯t want to pressure her.


    Ava bit her lip trying to push away but he held her firmly, gentle but firm. She had said too much. This


    was why she was afraid to tell him.


    ¡°Ava.¡±


    ¡°No. She tried several times.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before?¡±


    ¡°Because I knew it would make you mad. I don¡¯t want to think about the past. My future is with you. I¡¯d


    rather think about that.¡±


    Ss held her close his hands caressing her soothingly. So it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust him. That gave


    himfort though he was still angry she lived with the pain alone. Aloud he said, ¡°All right. For you I¡¯ll


    let it go. As long as she doesn¡¯t try anything new.¡±


    She snuggled into him, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Ava. Now and forever.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Ss. Always.¡±


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