by Emma Vikes
Clara sighed and dropped her bag on the kitchen counter. “What am I gonna do with you, Logan?”
I shrugged. “It’s not like they swarmed me when I arrived. I called the house beforehand and made sure they had the gates opened for me. I practically ran to the house so they couldn’t take pictures of me too.”
Clara pursed her lips. “Julija wants to settle.”
I perked up at this statement and stared at her. Suddenly, I remembered Olivia’s message to me, telling me that she had something to discuss. When I received the message, for a moment, I had thought she wanted to tell me about Amy. But then it occurred to me that she might not have any intention to do so until Amy asked.
So she might have wanted to talk about the case but I took her by surprise when she saw me with the box. “What?”
“Your lawyer called me last night. Julija’s party came to see her yesterday and told her of Julija’s desire for settlement. Twenty million dollars. You give her that amount and she drops the charges she placed on you.”
I wanted to scoff. Twenty million wasn’t an issue with me and Julija knew that. The issue was the fact that if I agreed to her terms, not only would I make Julija rich but it would also be as if she’d won. I wouldn’t get the chance to prove to everyone that I was innocent. In the end, settling would mean that I paid her to drop the charges and that I stole money but paid for silence.
I would never agree to that.
“What did Olivia say to them?”
Clara looked at me. She never normally directly talked to Olivia. Discussion about the case was always between Liv and I. It was my case after all. “She didn’t agree to it, of course, because that’s your call to make. She told them that she’ll run it by you and I thought that she did. Honestly, I was surprised she ran it by me first.”
I pursed my lips and looked away. “She probably couldn’t get a hold of me.”
Clara didn’t press me for answers and let it drop. “Well, then, we have to discuss it with them as soon as we can. The opposing team is waiting for an answer and if it’s a no, then we’ll have to set a date to go court and get this done with.”
I nodded and let the topic drop. My mind was occupied with more important things and the case had faded in comparison to the bigger issue in my life. I had a nine-year-old daughter that I didn’t know about because her mother kept her from me.
And I didn’t know what to do
Part of me wanted to demand my rights to Olivia, to have Amy by my side like I was supposed to. But I couldn’t just take her away from the parent who’d raised her for nine years. Besides, Amy didn’t even know I was her father! Even though we got along great, after she knew the truth, I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure it would stay like that.
Clara had already left and the housekeepers had already arrived.
I had moved to my room to hide and wallow in my situation. I wanted to be a part of Amy’s life and be a father to her but that required a lot of things. I couldn’t shrug into my role as easily as I wished I could. There would be a lot of explaining to do because of who I was.
But there was another thing at the back of my mind.
If I wanted to be a part of Amy’s world, it meant that I would automatically be a part of Olivia’s too. But if that were to happen, I didn’t simply want to be Amy’s biological dad. I wanted to be something else. I wanted to be what I was once to her.
I wanted to be hers again.
19
Olivia
When Monday finally came, I felt even more restless than I already was. I felt like I couldn’t catch a break throughout the weekend. It didn’t help that Amy was in a sour mood for the rest of the weekend after Logan left, despite his promise that he’d spend time with her. It was as if someone popped her bubble because she was looking forward to hanging out with Logan.
I wasn’t sure how to handle that.
Dawn loomed and I didn’t even get a wink of sleep. With a sigh, I gave up on it altogether and padded downstairs. I placed a coffee capsule in the machine and waited for it to pour me my Americano. I needed a strong cup to wake me up for the day or else, I might not be able to function. The last thing I needed was for Hadfield to reprimand me for falling asleep on the job.
The documents sat on the kitchen counter, where I left them last night. I could barely go through the whole thing because my brain wouldn’t stop thinking about Logan. It would be better if I thought about what he thought of Julija’s proposal but I was thinking of how he was handling the truth. I knew how heavy the truth must’ve been for him as it had been for me.
I forced my mind on Logan and the case. Julija’s proposal for settlement would be ideal in a way that it saved us from having to go through with a trial. But a part of me knew fully well that Logan wouldn’t be up for it. Even if he had the money to pay for her silence, it would be exactly that for him. He paid for her silence and his innocence would not be proven.
I remembered the hurt in his green eyes when he’d thought I didn’t believe his innocence. He had been upset with me after that. I admit a part of me thought he was guilty because I’d painted him as a villain in my mind. After he broke my heart ten years ago, I forced myself to believe he was a bad guy.
But I was fully aware it wasn’t entirely true.
With a sigh, I thumbed through the documents one last time to prepare myself. These documents would be rendered useless if Logan decided to agree with Julija’s proposal. If he didn’t, it would be everything we needed for evidence. I’d gathered enough evidence that I could that could guarantee us a win. After all, I swore to Logan that we would.
I was still in the kitchen when Raquel arrived. I noted how well-rested she looked when I opened the door for her and I felt slightly jealous. But I knew she deserved it. Like me, Raquel had a child that she could only spend more time with during the weekend. Given that she’d left early last Friday, she had more time to spend with her child as well as time to rest.
“Have you had breakfast, Miss Wilson?” Raquel asked me with a smile as we moved back to the kitchen.
I still needed to finish my coffee. I shook my head at her. At nearly seven in the morning I still hadn’t finished my cup of coffee. Once again, I had gotten lost in my thoughts. “No, thank you. I don’t have much of an appetite today.”
Raquel looked at me curiously. She was a couple of years older than me and a single mother of two kids. The oldest was fifteen and the youngest was ten. Her husband had walked out on them two years ago. She always made sure both of her kids had breakfast before she came here which meant she always woke up early. “Is Mr. Logan not here anymore?”
I pursed my lips and sipped at my coffee, shaking my head. “He left last Saturday because of an emergency. Amy wasn’t thrilled.”
“Amy likes him,” Raquel mused, curiosity showing in her eyes, “and they look alike too.”
I swallowed. My mom never really met Logan but I knew she must’ve wondered if he was Amy’s dad. I never told them the truth and whenever they asked, I snapped at them. It was a touchy topic for me and they soon learned to leave it alone. They’d never met Logan personally and had only seen pictures of him. Once they asked if it was him and I got really angry.
A part of me knew my family had an idea who Amy’s father was but decided not to press me anymore. The only other person who knew about it was Lacey and it only had been a few days since I told her. Now, Raquel was asking me, because she had met Logan and had seen him with Amy.
Their resemblance would be striking to keen eyes. The only reason why no one put two and two together was that no one had ever seen them in the same space. But Raquel had and I knew she must’ve figured it out the moment Logan and Amy stood side by side.
I swallowed and rubbed at my temple, closing my eyes in frustration. But Raquel was patiently waiting for my answer. It didn’t matter whether I gave her one or not, my silence would confirm it either way. Besides, it wouldn’t be too healthy for me to endure all of this on my own.
I needed to let it all out, to vent it, and Raquel was trustworthy too.
“Yes,” I whispered, so softly that she almost didn’t catch it.
She leaned back and when I looked at her, she didn’t seem taken aback by the confession. “Does he know?”
I slowly nodded. “He found out last Saturday. I forgot that there had been a box of Amy’s things in the guest room and he must’ve found it. There was a letter addressed for him, one I wrote when I was still pregnant with her.”
“Why didn’t you…?”
She didn’t need to finish the question. I already knew what she was asking about. “He broke up with me when I was going to tell him. I-I didn’t want to force him to stay because I was pregnant. He wanted to leave me, so I let him.”
“And all these years you kept the truth to yourself,” Raquel said softly.
“Did you also want to beg your husband to stay for the sake of the kids?”
“I shouldn’t have begged him to stay when I first found out I was pregnant,” she replied quietly, looking down at the white counter. “We were in our early twenties at that time and I got pregnant with our first child. He…he was going to leave me too. We were on the verge of a break up when I sprang the truth on him.”
I blinked, stunned at her story. I never thought she would’ve related to me at such a level. “What happened?”
“We got married. Had our son and then our daughter a couple of years later. But he and I, we never really saw eye to eye even when we had been dating. We weren’t compatible in any way but I forced it. I wanted my children to grow up with their dad but we only broke their hearts when he couldn’t handle it anymore and found someone else.”
I fell silent after her story. The familiar fear gnawed at my stomach and made me feel uneasy. Now that Logan knew about Amy, I was certain he would want to be a part of her life. I felt sure he would want to be a father to her, the way he was supposed to be. But if there would ever come a point where he would end up like Raquel’s husband, I wasn’t sure how I’d handle it.
Raquel squeezed my hand a little to get my attention again. “But that doesn’t mean that everyone’s story will go in the same path. Yours had already been different, to begin with. Yours might need another chance.”
A lump formed in my throat and I tried to blink back the tears. I turned away and took my hand from hers. “I should go get ready. Tell Amy that I can’t have breakfast with her today and I’m sorry.”
Raquel nodded.
I quickly got ready. Amy was eating her breakfast when I was done and I kissed her on her forehead. “Have fun in school today.”
She looked at me and nodded, kissing me on the cheek. “Have fun at work today.”
I smiled at her and bid goodbye to the two of them. Once I was in my car, I took a deep breath before pulling onto the road and heading into the firm. I would to have to face Logan today, whether I liked it or not. Since we ended up in an argument when I was supposed to tell him about Julija’s proposal for a settlement, I ended up telling his publicist to relay the information to him.
He would surely come to the firm today ‒whether it was this morning or after lunch ‒and I had to prepare myself for our meeting. I needed to remain professional, as I’d managed to be the whole time since the case fell into my lap. I’d crossed over that line when I let Logan stay with us, knowing full well that it could go in the direction I wished it didn’t.
Hell, it went far beyond the direction I wish it didn’t.
When I parked in my space at the firm, it took me five minutes to collect myself. I skipped breakfast because I might end up vomiting what I’d eaten, given the turmoil I was in. Anxiety was never an emotion anyone could handle and like everyone else, I had trouble with it too.
When I felt fairly certain I wasn’t going to have a breakdown, I got out of my car and headed straight into the firm. I didn’t bump into anyone on my way which was a good thing because I wasn’t in any mood for small talk. When I got to our floor, everyone suddenly seemed to be on the edge of their seats when I arrived.
Lacey appeared in the lobby. “You’re here early.” She wore a kind smile on her lips but the worry was clear in her eyes.
“Work’s a welcome distraction right now.”
My friend pursed her lips and then grabbed me by my wrist. She pulled me into the pantry. “Logan’s in your office.”
I felt all effort of calming myself suddenly fly out of the window. I swallowed. “What?”
“He waited until the firm was open for the day. I’m not sure how long he’s been here. He was already here when I arrived and you know how much of an early bird I tend to be.”
Gulping, I steadied myself by gripping the table.
Lacey placed a hand on my shoulder in comfort. “Your conversation didn’t go well?”
I let out a soft scoff. “It went beyond where I thought it would.”
She squeezed my shoulder gently. “Oh no. I hope things aren’t too bad between you two. You can’t exactly run out on your client, Liv.”
I nodded and let out a slow exhale. “Well, I don’t think there’s anything I can do but to get this over with. Pray for me.”
Lacey let out a small giggle but gave me an encouraging nod as I slipped out of her office.
It was a good thing I didn’t bump into Hadfield on my way to my office.
Logan stood by the window, his hands clasped behind his back while looking out to the parking lot. He must’ve seen me arrive. He didn’t move when I shut the door behind me. “Clara told me about Julija’s request.”
I was almost relieved that this was what he wanted to talk about. I moved to my desk to put my bag aside. Slowly, I removed my blazer and hung it on the coat hanger.
Logan didn’t move an inch from where he stood.
“Yes. Her lawyer met up with me last Saturday,” I paused for a moment, remembering what went on between us last Saturday too. “And told me that Julija’s willing to settle if you pay her twenty million dollars for her silence.”
“What are your thoughts about it?” Logan asked.
Frankly, the question surprised me. I didn’t expect that he would want my opinion on the matter. I stood far from him as I could. We were standing on either side of the room, as far away from each other as possible. “It’s a good deal. You’re a wealthy man and twenty million probably wouldn’t do any damage to your bank account. But…”
He turned when I hesitated. His green eyes sparkled. “But what?”
“But that would also mean that you can’t prove your innocence anymore. People will wonder and there’s a possibility your sponsors will drop. It’s the easiest solution but it has consequences strung with it too.”
Logan nodded and approached me.
I sucked in a deep breath when he was near enough for me to smell his cologne.
“If we go on with the trial, will we win?” he asked quietly.
I nodded confidently. “Of course. We have all the evidence we need and her previous secretary’s statement. I’ve also managed to find proof of her false documents. I think that might be why she wants to settle. She must be scared of what we have.”
His mouth was set in a grim line. “Then call her lawyer and tell her that we’ll face them in court. I’m not giving that bitch a cent of my money. She dug a hole for herself when she made this mess and I’m making sure that she knows what she did.”
I pursed my lips and nodded. “I’ll call her lawyer right away to inform her of your decision and then I’ll have my secretary schedule us a date in court.” I was about to head for the door when I felt a strong hand wrap on my forearm and pull me back. When I turned around, I met Logan’s green eyes.
They were filled with every emotion he must be bottling up inside of him. “We need to talk.”
His words echoed in my mind as they were the same words he told me when he called me ten years ago to break up with me. He must’ve noticed the look on my face and he dropped his hold on my arm. He let out a sha
ky sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
I now noticed how stressed he looked.
“We have to talk about our situation, Olivia. I want…I want to be there for her. I’ve already lost nine years."
He didn’t accuse me this time even when we both knew I was the reason why he’d lost the nine years with Amy. “We can’t talk about it right now, Logan. This is where I work and that’s…our personal issue.”
Logan let out a long exhale but nodded his head in understanding. “I want to come by your house later to discuss it.”
For a moment, I felt a shot of panic. “We can’t drop the truth on her just like that.”
He shook his head. “Don’t you think I know that? I’ll come by when she’s asleep, so it wouldn’t cause an issue. Please, Olivia, please let us talk about it.” His voice was pleading and so was the look in his eyes.
How could I take this chance away from him again, when I’d already done so the first time around? Despite the fear that it brought me, Logan deserved the chance to be a father to Amy and Amy deserved her dad. I couldn’t let my fear take that away from either of them. Not anymore.
I nodded my head slowly. “Okay.”
A small smile played on his lips and he took a step closer to me.
God, his scent was intoxicating and his warmth so inviting. My heart skipped a beat and I remembered the way he pressed his lips against mine the other night, the languidness of that kiss that made my knees go weak. I wanted to tell myself it was the stress of the situation playing with my emotions
But a part of me knew that Logan still affected me. Maybe he always would.
He reached out to touch my face, his touch grazing my skin. “Thank you.”
It was a whisper I almost missed and in a blink of an eye, Logan took a step back and left.
20