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We’ve managed to keep our private and professional lives separate, but I can tell the estate staff are a tad more careful around me. I always get the best seats at the restaurant. The best food and drinks. The full perks of a Gold member even though I’m just an employee. I’m sure they must be talking about me behind closed doors. They’re probably suspecting an affair between me and one of the bosses since I’m getting all these benefits—not to mention the gifts.
Of course, I know their jaws would come completely loose if it ever got out that I’m in a relationship with all three of the bosses, not just one. Hell, I’m still wrapping my own brain around it.
But there is one area where I know I’ve been falling short, and it’s been eating at me for a while. The honesty factor. Kace, Finn, and Elias prize honesty above anything else. I haven’t told Kace the truth about Mikey yet. I should, I know I should. He deserves to know. But I’m afraid.
I’ve dodged it more than once, and while I haven’t revealed any details about Mikey’s paternity, I am aware that it’s causing a dark cloud to hover over us. Kace hasn’t been pushing me on the topic, either, yet I see it in his eyes whenever he’s around my son. Our son.
I see the questions, the curiosity, the suspicion.
I’m worried he’ll get angry if I tell him the truth now. If there is one line they never let anybody cross, it’s this. Once Kace realizes that I lied, I will lose him. I will lose them. Their principles are something they’ve worked so hard to build upon, I understand that perfectly.
God, I should’ve told the truth since day one.
“Are you okay?” Elias asks me.
I must’ve dipped back into my dark corner. He’s pretty observant about my moods. Too observant, sometimes. “Yeah, just tired.”
Exhausted, really. I’m a single mother building a relationship with three powerful men. I’ve got a jealous heiress prancing around and looking at me like I killed her dog. I’ve got a narcissistic and possibly sociopathic ex on the premises, as well, likely soon to cause troubles of his own.
It’s a mixed bag and I’m stuck in the middle, trying to find the right way forward without losing the beautiful things I’ve built in this place.
On top of everything else, I’m still trying to figure out what position I hold in Kace, Finn, and Elias’s future. How will this play out?
Where does it lead?
How will it end?
17
Amaya
As late July rolls around, the Golden Sequoia Estate is in full bloom. The foliage is deep green and the flowers vibrant shades of purples, reds, and oranges. It is hot during the day and barely cools off in the evening, but I don’t mind it. The day is already heating up as I walk out the door with Mikey skipping ahead, eager to get to daycare.
He’s making new friends all the time and he loves it here. It pains me to even consider leaving the estate. I’m not the only one who has found comfort and a new home here, my son has too. Growing. Learning. Evolving in ways I doubt would’ve been possible back in Sacramento. The teachers and the sitters are wonderful people, not to mention brilliant professionals in their field.
Once I drop him off at the daycare center, I haul my tired body over to the breakfast room. It’s been a busy week with a heavier workload than usual. I seem to need more sleep these days. I feel sluggish and constantly exhausted. My hunger creeps up at the most inappropriate hours. Hell, my feet barely drag me across the floor as I stop by the breakfast buffet first.
“I’m telling you, we’re going to make a ton of money with this currency by spring if we play our cards right,” I hear Derrick telling Ramada and Leon.
I swallow back a wave of nausea. The mere sound of his voice makes me want to vomit. I load my plate with an assortment of baked pastries and fresh fruits. I’m considering some yogurt, too, when Tanya joins me with a conspiratorial grin.
“What’cha doin’?” she giggles.
“Trying not to puke,” I mutter.
She notices Derrick at one of the tables and rolls her eyes. I’m surprised she hasn’t sprained them from all the times she’s done this, especially given how often Derrick is around these days.
The man sure loves to make himself noticed and heard. I wish the whole world knew precisely what a piece of shit he is. All I can hope is that his true colors will eventually shine through. I miss the peace I had when I knew he was far away from us.
“Ugh, is he still working them over?” Tanya asks, visibly disgusted.
“Still is and succeeding,” I say. “I haven’t heard much from Kace and the guys yet. I know they received the proposals and the research Ramada and Derrick supposedly did, but I don’t know much beyond that.”
Tanya raises a skeptical eyebrow upon noticing my plate. “Are you going to eat all that?”
“What? I ask before glancing down and realizing I’m packing my plate with enough food to feed an entire football team. Gingerly, I put some of the items back despite the hunger swelling in my stomach. I feel like I could eat the whole buffet in a single sitting. “Right. Sorry. My mind keeps wandering.”
“Yeah, I’m not surprised. Do you think Kace would even consider doing business with that creep?”
