Resisting Her (Moving On Duology Book 2)

by Catherine Edward

  Andrew didn’t meet my gaze for a while. When his gaze lifted, I saw defeat. “I had nothing to do with it.” His voice was low, barely above a whisper. He ran a hand over his face and drained another glass of whiskey. “I… I’ll pay you. Just… I need time.”

  “I don’t want your money.” His nervous gaze swept over the security team again as if calculating his chances of escape. Marcu’s men closed in sensing his line of thoughts. His breathing grew heavier. “I want the truth.”

  “I…” He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping his face.

  I leaned forward, refilling his glass. Pushing it toward him, I watched as he gulped it. His eyes closed and when they opened, the fear I saw a few moments ago had subsided, but the suspicion was still there.

  “I got into drugs in high school.” He sighed. “Bad company. I partied every day and a friend introduced me to gambling. It should’ve been a one-day thing, but I couldn’t let go. I visited the club every day. For that I needed money.” His gaze grew distant and his shoulders slumped. “Mom gave me money and when it wasn’t sufficient, I stole.”

  Marcus stopped the waitress who walked toward us and spoke to her in a hushed tone. Her gaze swept over us and she left with a nod.

  “Police caught me and filed charges,” he said. “Mom visited me in jail. She said she’s doing everything in her capacity to help me. And she did.”

  “Where did she got that money? Did you ask?”

  “I did.” He nodded. “She said she did something she thought she wasn’t capable of doing.” His voice broke. “She said she did a favor to her boss’s wife. And she paid a generous sum.”

  “But that didn’t solve your problems.” I handed him the water.

  “No.” He shook his head. He sipped the water and sighed. “The advance money got me out of jail. But Isabela didn’t pay the rest as she promised. When she tried to contact Isabela, she blackmailed mom and said she’d ruin our lives if she ever said this to someone. The woman said my mom would go to jail if she told someone. That no one would believe her words because her son is a criminal.”

  “And looks like you haven’t given up your gambling habits.”

  His gaze jumped to my face and he nodded. “I’m paying for the sins I committed in my younger years.” Andrew reached for the whiskey, tipping the bottle into his mouth. I waited as he gulped the amber-colored liquid. A sigh left his lips. “I owe many people. Bad people. I got into an illegal gambling ring and landed in trouble.”

  Hmm… It made sense. I didn’t know how much this would help. But it was something.

  “Mom was sorry,” he blurted.

  My gaze flicked to his face. Deep brown eyes bored into mine. Sorry won’t fix this issue. It cost my dad his peace and sleep.

  Andrew swallowed. “She didn’t want to do it. Mom wouldn’t have done something like that if it wasn’t for me.” He laughed—a quick flash that held no humor. “She… she died alone.” His voice cracked. “I didn’t even attend her funeral because they’d find me.”

  Now, this got me thinking. Would he talk in the court? “I want you to testify against Isabela.”

  His eyes widened and he shook his head. His fear was back. He gulped the whiskey again. I will have to handle this differently. “How much do you owe the men?”

  Andrew stilled.

  “Consider your debts are paid.” I stood. It shouldn’t be my business, but I needed this guy. Alive and talking. Papa was in trouble. Isabela would ruin our family. “I’ll see that you have a permanent job and a place to stay, given you’re sober.”

  Fuck. What am I doing? Pushing my hands deep into my pockets, I stared at him. His jaw had gone slack and he stared at me. I didn’t have to do this. Offering to pay his debt so he would testify was within reason, but offering a job?

  I turned and walked away. I wasn’t furious at Martha Pennington anymore. The woman might have failed my father, but she won as a mother. Yes, that was it. My chuckle was humorless. She helped my mother to save her son.

  When I reached my room, I felt relaxed. Marcus would handle Andrew until the time of the hearing. That was one problem less. My phone blared and annoyance flared within me. My eyes were drooping and the bed invited me. But the bloody phone rang again.

  Unknown number?

  Swiping my thumb across the screen, “Hello.”

  “Good morning, Orlando.”

  The shrill voice of a woman was all too familiar. It wasn’t something I wanted to hear, then. I block one number and she came up on the other. Crap. “What do you want now?” I growled.

  “Oh, come on, don’t go all Orlando with me. You know I’m used to it. I’m your mother after all.”

  “I don’t have time for this.”

  “Oh, no, wait… I’ll be quick. First, happy birthday to you. And as your mother, I have a wonderful gift for you.”

  “It’s not my birthday! And I don’t want your fucking gift.”

  “Oh, who’s birthday is it then? I can be such a forgetful person at times.” Her laughter only infuriated me. “Anyway, I have a gift for you. I—”

  I disconnected the call and turned off my phone. That woman sure knew how to infuriate someone. I have no time for this bullshit. There went my plans to sleep in. Stripping out of my clothes, I headed to my shower. Fuck. I could punch someone now.

  ***

  “Sheila, can you send me that file on BWP Corp.?”

  “I’ll send in a minute.” My assistant walked out.

  I eased on the armchair and opened my laptop. It was a good thing they arranged the meeting in the same hotel I stayed in during my trip. I got a chance to rest a while longer.

  I was going through the presentation, making final changes when the door to my room burst open. We just took a break and who could be so impatient? My gaze snapped to the door, widening with surprise when a familiar face marched inside.

  “Enrique?” Chiara followed him in.

  When did they arrive?

  “What’s the emergency?” Their faces appeared grim. My thoughts went to Andrew. He had flown back to Linnesse last night with Marcus. Did something happen to him?

  My brother thrust a newspaper in my hands just as I stood. A frown tugged at the corners of my mouth. I browsed through the pages, not knowing what I should be looking for.

  Enrique took the paper, taking a specific page and gave it back. “Here.”

  My heart stopped. I stared at the news. Fuck!

  “Listen, I tried,” my brother said. “I made the magazine to remove the online article within an hour of it going out. But this… I couldn’t stop. One by one everyone started posting the news. It’s everywhere, man.”

  Isabela’s gift. That heartless woman leaked Arianna’s photos as she threatened. Fuck. She released the photos from her seventeenth birthday. Arianna had shown me a few samples when we stayed together. She called it her album of shame. She kept it because she wanted to remember why she should never touch alcohol again.

  Into the wildlife of the Swanson twin.

  The fucking article read followed by the details of her seventeenth birthday bash. But what irked me was the photo on the last page. A nude photo of her drinking beer with a caption ‘to be continued.’ And I knew what’ll follow.

  “That’s not her on the last page,” Chiara said, concern etched her features.

  “I know. This…” She needs me. “I must leave now.”

  A grin broke on my brother’s face. “I knew you would say this.”

  Chiara smiled. “We even booked your tickets.”

  “You did?”

  “And don’t worry about the meetings. We’ll handle it,” Enrique said. “She needs you.”

  Damn right.

  Sheila poked her head inside. “Sir, your cab is ready.”

  “I owe you, brother.” I clapped on his shoulder before rushing outside. I’m coming, Arianna.

  ***

  “Would you like a drink?” the air hostess asked.

  “
No, thank you.” I focused on the news on my phone. The flight offered the internet. Now that I had all the news one fingertip away, I couldn’t stop scrolling through, accessing the damage. Isabela will pay for this.

  Life of the infamous Swanson twin.

  Fuck. The media already nicknamed her. Every headline splayed her name in thick bold letters. The images of her nude photos showcased for everyone to see. These people had no sense of respect for other people’s privacy.

  I quickly drafted an email to my legal team. This shit should come down as soon as possible. And my thoughts were on Arianna. Did she know?

  My patience wanned thin as I looked out the window. I won’t rest until this shit is sorted.

  Chapter – 21

  Arianna Swanson

  “That’s okay.” Gaby rubbed my back in a soothing motion. “I’m right here.” She kept talking in a soft voice as I hunched over the toilet.

  My stomach wrenched as another wave of nausea hit with full force. Gaby supported me as I emptied the contents I consumed a while ago. She helped me to clean and walked me to the bedroom.

  “Why is it so hard?” A groan left my lips and Gaby chuckled. Her eyes crinkled with amusement.

  “Who said it’s easy?” she chuckled. “Each pregnancy is difficult in its own way.”

  I rolled my eyes and eased on the mattress, relaxing as nausea subsided. The past two days had been a roller-coaster ride. I didn’t know what I’d have done without her.

  “Here, munch on this.” She handed a salt cracker.

  “I don’t feel like eating anything.” Taking the salt cracker from her, I bit on the edge. Uncle Frisby was squeezing oranges for me, the only food I could keep in for over an hour. But then the history repeated itself.

  Gaby said nothing, but the smile stayed rooted on her lips. Once she got over the initial shock, she was over the moon.

  “I don’t know how to care for a child.” Voicing out my thoughts, I looked at her. The warm smile turned even brighter as she sat beside me. Her hand reached out, pushing the loose strands of hair away from my face.

  “That’s why you have us I’ll teach you everything you need to know.”

  Nodding my head at her, I relaxed, enjoying the peace while it lasted. Exhaustion weighed down my bones. The mornings were always worse. The first thing Uncle Frisby did was to call my company and extend my leave despite my protests. And I felt grateful for that. I didn’t know how I’d have managed the work. Poor Susie took the brunt of Patrick, the bulldog.

  “I never held a baby.” I caressed my flat stomach, remembering I knew nothing about being a mother. “The closest I came to one is at the shopping malls, but they were always in their trolleys looking cute.”

  Uncle Frisby handed me the orange juice and I adjusted myself in my elbows, sipping it. A hum left my lips as the sweet essence nourished my parched throat. A sudden thought crossed my mind. “What if Orlando doesn’t accept this child?”

  Gaby’s kind gaze flickered. “If one thing I’m sure about him, he’ll never repeat his mother’s mistake.” Her hand squeezed mine. “He’ll always be a part of your child’s life.”

  What about him being a part of my life?

  She must have noticed the change in my expression. She hooked her index finger under my chin and lifted my face. Her mouth opened and—

  The doorbell dinged. Then came the knock. Hard, loud and impatient.

  Uncle Frisby stood with a frown pulling at his lips. “I’ll get the door.” He scurried toward the door.

  “Are you expecting anyone today?” Gaby asked.

  “No.”

  “Hmm…”

  A few moments later, Uncle Frisby walked in with a grim face, uttering one word, “Media.” The knock continued in the background, the loud bang now annoying my ears.

  “What is the media doing here?” Gaby frowned. “What is it, Frisby?”

  Why would media guys knock on my door? I waited for his answer but Uncle Frisby shook his head as he pulled his phone out dialing someone.

  “Marcus, the fucking media is banging at our door.”

  Gaby and I shared a puzzled look as he continued to talk with Marcus.

  “No. We’re with Arianna in Linnesse.”

  Gaby’s worried gaze flicked to mine and she held my hand.

  “What?” His roar startled us. His fury was something I never witnessed on his face before today. His face grew red and his grip tightened around the phone. “Listen, get us out of here and then we’ll talk.” He shut the forced and kicked the table.

  “Frisby?” Gaby approached him. She clutched his biceps, placing a hand over his heart as their gazes connected. “What’s going on?”

  “Some son of bitch released Ari’s party photos.”

  What the—

  My party photos? That was years ago. And for fuck’s sake, who’d bother with that now. The banging at the front door grew louder and Uncle Frisby locked the bedroom door. The beat of my heart getting too louder for my own ears as another wave of nausea threatened to hit. My phone blared and Gaby silenced it. Her thumb swiped across the screen, she switched it off and threw it on the bed.

  “This is the last thing you need. Sweetheart, why don’t you rest and let us handle it?”

  I could only nod—emotionally and physically exhausted. She was right. I can’t deal with this now.

  Closing my eyes, I tried to tune the loud noises out as a booming voice jerked my body.

  “Get away from the door! This is LPD.”

  The cops reached and we heard the others protest. The voices died down after half an hour and a short knock sounded again. Uncle Frisby was on the phone the entire time.

  “Sir, it’s officer Kevin from LPD. Open the door, please.”

  Uncle Frisby nodded at us and went out again. Their muffled voices drifted into the room through the slightly ajar door before footsteps approached our room.

  “We must leave,” Uncle Frisby said, going to the closet and pulling out the suitcase. “They left because I made the landlord tell them you moved out of this apartment.”

  “Where will we go?” My voice was a croak. I had no place to go except for Orlando’s home. But–

  “We’ll go to the Cortez mansion. The security is tight there,” Gaby said.

  “Okay.” Shame filled me. It was all because of me. I took her phone, browsing the internet as they packed. The cringe-worthy photos came online as soon as I typed my name on Google. Link after link with my name and photos popped. Damn. That was fast. The infamous Swanson twin? I was nobody until last night.

  Unable to look through them, I closed the browser and set the phone aside. This was something I never liked to talk about. The album of my shame now decorated the internet. Everyone does something embarrassing in their lives and for me, this one-time party. It had left me with enough sour memories. I was getting over it after Orlando praised the tattoo. He’d said I was being hard on myself and I shouldn’t think about it.

  What’s with the sudden interest of the media? Most importantly, who’d have leaked the photos now?

  “Arianna.”

  “Huh?”

  “Come. The cops will escort us to the parking lot. They have cleared the building.” Uncle Frisby’s features were tight with tension. His gaze softened when they met mine.

  “Okay.”

  My body swayed when I stood and Gaby caught me. The short trip to the basement parking and the ten feet walk to the car felt like trekking. By the time I climbed in I was ready to faint. Gaby lifted a water bottle to my lips and I took a few sips with gratitude. What would I have done without her? I did the right thing by calling her.

  “Drive to Cortez mansion,” Uncle Frisby ordered.

  I didn’t recognize the driver. We were in Uncle Frisby’s car and I remembered he didn’t drive. It was something he never perfected. Gaby reached forward patting his shoulder twice as the car shot forward. A smile graced my lips. Despite the differences they had, they were an ideal coupl
e with eyes only for each other even after all these years.

  My thoughts drifted to Orlando, wondering if he left a message or called. He hadn’t called and even the good morning and good nights stopped. A heavy lump formed in my throat. While I tried to shove the nagging thoughts aside, I couldn’t shake the fear that built in my mind. He might be busy with work.

  When the car stopped, I didn’t know how much time had passed. Reporters swarmed the entrance and the driver slowly drove past the crowd, taking a turn from the far end of the street and driving away.

  Damn. They were everywhere.

  “Take us to some hotel out of the city. I’ll call and arrange transport to Cortez estate.”

  “No.” I cleared my throat. “Let’s go to Orlando’s apartment. He stays nearby.” Their gaze cut into mine. “I don’t think I can travel that far.” Nausea already churned my stomach and it was a miracle I hadn’t ruined the floor of their car yet.

  Soon, the car eased into the traffic, navigating through the crowded streets. Anxiety rose within me. I just wanted to climb into the bed and curl under the covers. I needed him. Tears pricked my eyes. An overwhelming emotion washed over me. Suddenly, it felt like Orlando could take all this away.

  Gaby put her hand on my thigh, giving it a squeeze as if sensing my mood shift. With a sigh, I reclined on the seat and closed my eyes.

  ***

  Orlando Cortez

  Tension gripped me during the trip from the airport to her apartment. The unusual traffic at this hour of the night got on my nerves. It was too late to call Marcus and since Mike had conveniently forgotten to arrange a ride; I hailed a cab.

  My mind was racing when I reached her apartment. I suppressed the urge to bang at her door and had to remind myself that it’s the middle of the night. I pressed the doorbell waiting for a moment before pressing it again.

  When I heard no sounds coming from inside, I pulled out my phone and dialed her number again. A curse left my mouth when the automatic switched off message replayed in my ears. Why isn’t she home now?

  “Go to my apartment,” I growled at the driver and banged the door shut. I muttered the address when he cast an annoyed look over his shoulders. My hands itched to call Mike or Rosie, but I decided against it. I had no choice but to wait until morning. I’ve been calling her since I landed.