Chapter 47
-DAMIAN-
Apart from that little bump with Sonja, my day went pretty smoothly.
Millicent had been on my mind all day, I couldn’t wait to see her and continue where we left off this morning. For her safety, 1 instructed Riggs to shadow her. She’d be mad if she knew about it, but we had to be vigilant given the present situation with Sonja and this secret admirer of hers and Rome.
I was counting the hours until I could see her again, so when she called, inviting me for dinner at the mansion. I nearly told her I wanted her for dinner instead.
Everyone was in attendance, including my brother-in-law, Aaron, and that punk Italian, Gianni, I don’t know what the f uck he’s doing here, but my mood faltered seeing him on my turf.
“You’re organizing Georgina Lantz’s wedding anniversary?” Nancy’s eyes nearly bulge out of their socket, her utensils cluttering against her plate.
“Yup.” Candice replied, punctuating the “p’ sound as she played with the peas on her plate. She looked up, delight dancing in her eyes. She’d been extra chirpy all evening, it’s f ucking annoying. Whatever question was thrown at her, she answered them with a huge grin. I wonder what’s up with her. This would be the biggest event we ever handled.”
Dad leaned back in his seat, pride in my step-sister gleaming in his eyes. “Congratulations, ladybug,” he muttered. “I think you’ll be needing a bigger office soon.”
Even though Candice wasn’t his blood, he never treated her differently. Back when we were younger, whenever I would pi ss off Candice, he’d take her side and make me apologize.
“Thanks. Dad,” Candice lowered her gaze to her plate, “but we still have so much to learn, right?” she looked at Millicent and Andrea, both humming in agreement.
“But I think your dad is right, Can.” Andrea said, biting down on her asparagus. “Our hands are full with Constance’s wedding and Georgina’s anniversary. We need to start hiring more people to work with us on a regular basis.”
“What do you think, Millie?” Candice asked Millicent, who’s been eating her pot roast silently.
“We need to check our budget first,” Millicent said. “Hiring regular employees will be more costly than hiring part-time employees at every event.”
“Awe look at you two,” Leonor said, her eyes misting, gazing at Millicent and Candice. “Our girls have really grown up. Nancy.”
“You remember when they begged us to take them to the One Direction concert for Candice’s sixteenth birthday?” Nancy laughed, nostalgia stirring in her eyes as she gazed at Millicent and Candice’s picture hanging on the wall with longing.
It was taken on Candice’s sixteenth birthday. Nancy and Leonor taught them how to bake Candice’s birthday cake, and they were covered in flour. I remember entering the kitchen that day, swiping a finger on the icing on Candice’s cake. She quickly turned into a dragon and threw a bowl of flour in my face. She missed, though, but Dad made me apologize for making a
mess.
“Mom!” Candice groaned. “I want to forget everything about that concert.”
“They didn’t realize we were Directioners too!” Leonor said, our moms laughing their hearts out.
Millicent giggled. “You cheered louder than we did!”
Candice rolled her eyes. “And they cried more than we did when Zayn left the group.”
“Don’t remind us!” Nancy gasped, offended. “I’m
still nursing my wounded Directioner heart.”
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09:29 Sat, Feb 10
Chapter 47
That made everyone at the table laugh.
“So Gian, how’s your old man doing?” Robert asked. Apparently, he met Gian’s dad on one of his trips to Italy, visited his vineyard, and learned a thing or two about wine making from him.
Gian’s shoulder went rigid. It was subtle and if he wasn’t sitting across from me, if I wasn’t watching him the entire dinner. I wouldn’t see how his expression changed from calm to fazed. “He’s still pi ssing off a lot of people,” he said, and Robert caught the pun in his statement, chuckling.
“Spoken like a true Romano,” Dad piped in, raising his glass of wine toward Gian.
My brows creased. I was a few minutes late for dinner, and it seemed I missed more than the appetizer. This information wasn’t on Riggs’ file. Does that mean Gian was actually related to the Romanos?
Gian is a puzzle I needed to solve. There was something off about him, or was it only me? Everyone seemed to like him, even Aaron. I overheard they’d be discussing business tomorrow at lunchtime. I zoned out from the conversation, sipping my wine quietly.
The conversation over dinner flowed smoothly from what I could tell until dessert had been served.
Candice then called our attention. Silence swelled over the dining room. I have some announcements to make.”
Millicent nodded at Candice for support, making me frown.
“More good news?” Nancy asked, taking a spoonful of her lava cake.
Candice nodded, her eyes going around the table and finally landing on Aaron. She reached for her husband’s hand, her eyes already misting. “Babe… you’re going to be a dad.”
Aaron literally choked on his lava cake. Candice had to slam her fist on his back, and I handed him a glass of water. Poor guy.
“What a f ucking good way to announce your pregnancy, pigtails. You’re gonna kill your baby daddy.” I rolled my eyes at her. I think I was the only one who wasn’t shocked by this news. Everyone was silent. It took them ten seconds before cheers flooded the dining table.
The ladies gushed about baby names, the baby’s gender, and baby showers. The guys and I had to remove ourselves from the dinner table, or we’d be deaf before the night was over.
“How do you feel?” I asked Aaron. We moved to the lounge and opened a bottle of Macallan to celebrate the beginning of Aaron’s road to fatherhood and celebrated the goods like regular human beings
“I don’t know. I’m happy and nervous at the same time,” he answered honestly. The guy might be a good lawyer with an excellent poker face. But I believe he’s telling the truth. He never lied about Candice, anyway.
“I’m happy for you and Candice,” Robert said. “But having a kid is not a walk in the park”
Dad nodded a yes, looked at me, and said, “there’s no manual on how to raise a child. You learn and you go and hope that he doesn’t end up in jail.”
I groaned, and everyone laughed.
“Don’t forget about the out-of-this-world cravings. Robert piped in, shaking his head. “Man, I remember Leonor asking me to buy her the sweetest peach in December in the f ucking middle of the night, or she’d kick me out of the room if I didn’t. I went to every twenty-four convenience stores that night.”
hadn’t heard this story before, and I found the horror on Aaron’s face hilarious.
“Did you find one?” Gian asked.
“Nope,” Robert chuckled. “I knew she wouldn’t let me inside the room, so I slept on the couch. Then, in the morning, she got furious that I left her alone in the room.”
Sat, Feb
Chapter 47
Aaron slumped back in his seat by the sectional, looking at the ceiling as though that would save him from the crazy pregnancy hormones.
“But being a father to Millicent was the best thing that happened to me, Robert said.
Dad nodded. “I wouldn’t have you and Candice any other way. I’m sure your parents would tell you the same, son,” he directed that last sentence to Aaroin.
“I would try my best to keep Candice and the baby safe.” Aaron sighed. “Is this real?”
“I f ucking real,” Gian butted in, slapping Aaron’s shoulder.
“Congratulations. I promise to keep my couch vacant specifically for you, brother,” I said.
“Shut up, man, Aaron groaned.
“I can’t wait to spoil that kid. I added, and Dad shook his head at me, pinning me with a glare. “What?”
“We’re gonna spoil that kid together!”
“Count me in!” Robert piped in.
Aaron grunted, grabbed the bottle of Macallan, and drank straight from it
27%2
Is something bothering you?” I asked Millicent through our drive home. Growing up with Candice. I was accustomed to how quickly girls moods could change. Millicent’s eyes had been glued to the window the entire time, and she hadn’t said word since we left the mansion.
“I’m just tired,” she sighed, not even throwing me a glance.
If I hadn’t known Millicent since she was in kindergarten, I would have believed her words. After that meeting, her date with Candice and Andrea, and dinner at the mansion, I knew she was exhausted. Sadly, I knew better. She was never one to complain about being tired.
At the beach house. I waited in bed while she freshened up. I had bigger plans for us tonight, but if she needed to rest. I could wait until tomorrow.
We lay in bed, and Millicent was still distant. I pulled her for a cuddle, and she wiggled away from my embrace; I knew something had happened to her right then.
“What’s the matter, Millicent?” I asked, pulling her closer to me. I buried my face in the crook of her neck, her sweet scent making me hard. “I missed you all day.”
“You missed me?” she huffed, detaching herself from me. “You missed me so bad that you had to meet your girlfriend
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