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“Just tell me, I won’t get upset. Honestly, I would say thank you, but I just want to know.”

“Fine, I’m already in too deep. I might as well tell you.” He sighs. “Your sister reached out to me and gave me all her information. She insisted you must be in the first meeting and made me promise to bring both of you in the same room.” I’m surprised.

“So, Taimani set it up, though she promised Jade that wouldn’t tell me anything, but she found a way to get us in the same room.” He nods.

“Does Josh know too?” He shakes his head. Something is off.

“Why didn’t Mani come to you and Josh?” His contrite look is immediate.

“Just tell me, what you did and don’t make me found out.” My tone is harsh. I know him. Mani has something on him.

“We dated when she was in college.” My eyes widen. Motherfucker

“Before, you get upset. We were good until she made up with Tony and broke up with me.”

“Still, you were fucking me sister behind my back, are you crazy?” I yelled through gritted teeth.

“Come on, Nas, don’t do that. She’s the one that hurt me, not the other way around.”

“Seems everyone is good at keeping secrets from me. Does Josh and Brian know, too?”

“No, they don’t.” I breathe relief. I feel torn at how easily they all keep stuff from me. Rilwan, Mani, Jade, my dad, and now Ken.

“Did you know about my children before the recording?” I’m seriously trying not to get upset by the betrayals surrounding me.

“No, all she requested was for me to hire Mariam, accept all her requests, get her here, and insist on you being in the room. That’s all I know before you told me she’s your wife and she told me you are the twin’s father.”

“Don’t ever do that again Ken, I’m going to move past you and Mani but don’t ever betray me like that again.” He nods.

“Who is Mariam meeting with?”

“The team that wants to have a backdoor to our website, since they would be buying some designs in bulk.” I know who he’s talking about, and I don’t like him.

“How long is the meeting, about an hour? They should be done soon.”

“Okay.” I leave without another word to him. I’m upset he and Mani dated behind my back. The only reason I’m not shouting is because he brought Jade back to me but the secrets, they kept from me hurt. I’m going to have a word with all these secret keepers.

I called Mani and talked to her about Ken. I warned her not to keep secrets from me again. As I hung up with her. Rilwan comes in.

“I have the location of the children and I’ve arranged security for them,” Ril says.

“Thank you and we should plan to see them this weekend.” He nods and leaves.

I got to work with Mark by the time I noticed it over an hour, so I went to check on Jade. Lucy tells me she’s in the zone. I called Ril to get ready, we had a meeting with my uncle.

I told Lucy to have Jade call me once she’s free and she should rearrange Jade’s schedule for our travel this weekend.

thirty-six

Jade

I’d spent the last few days breaking the news of Naseer and me to my dad, Aunty Lara, and my uncle. At first, they were scared for my safety but eventually calmed down when Naseer reassured them. My dad had a one-on-one call with Naseer. Seems all was okay after the call.

Aunty Lara wasn’t happy to find out we got married but accepted that she was okay, as long as I was happy.

By the time Naseer and I landed and got home. Leah already had Micah and Mira in PJ’s watching Disney. I’d told her, not to tell them I’m coming home. I wanted to surprise them.

When I opened the door and shouted, “Lady and Gent.” They came running and came to a halt when they saw Naseer, to my surprise. They ran to him. “Daddy, daddy,” they screamed. He picked them up in a big hug. They kept touching him.