by LLP, Lan
Chapter 32
Lillian Ly
Carson was already out the door when I woke up around 8:00 this morning. I knew he hardly slept last night because I was tossing and turning with him. With all that we both had weighing on our minds, it was pointless to count sheep to fall asleep. We needed a sledge hammer to knock us out. He’s a good man with a kind heart. I know he’ll do the right thing. He’ll help Francine.
After several failed attempts, I finally reached my mom, who’s currently visiting her family in Hong Kong. The first thing I said to her was, “I love you and I know everything. We’ll talk when I see you.” Bridgette had answered all my questions in detail, softening the blow for me as she unfolded my life over a cup of coffee. There had been enough hurt and loss in our lives. I didn’t need to rekindle bad memories to create more. I want a fresh start, beginning now and ending with Carson and our babies.
Mom happily agreed, with tears of course, and told me she’d pay me a short visit on her way home to Indiana. “I have so much to share with you about your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins,” she expressed to me in a giddy voice. She sounded so lively and I was elated for her. “They can’t wait to meet you.” It was comforting to hear that she was able to forgive her father after years of bearing a hateful grudge against him. “I have never seen him cry until four days ago when he saw my face for the first time in twenty-three years. It was a painful and joyous union for us,” she sniffled. Even though she had forgiven him, she stressed that only time can heal her resentment completely. I imagine it must’ve been very difficult for her, knowing how pig-headedness she is. I debated back and forth about revealing my baby news to her and decided to share it with her in person instead. She’s had enough surprises and I wanted to save the best one for last.
~~~~
Christmas is just a few weeks away but no one would know it, looking around Carson’s cheerless penthouse. That’s all going to change as soon as Belle and I add our budget-friendly holiday flair to his place. Belle stopped by to drop off an adorable picture of me and Carson at Emi’s wedding and I recruited her. Actually, she volunteered to help me as soon as I mentioned the word shopping. “Always count me in if it has anything to do with shopping,” she gushed. We picked up a ten-foot Fraser fir tree, wreath, and mistletoe for the front door at a local farmers’ market and only spent seventy-eight dollars. On our way home, we hit a craft store to buy ornaments and ribbons. I splurged there, but reasoned the items would be reused year after year. Luke set up my tall, slender tree, which smelled of fresh menthol pine needles, by the piano and left us to decorate to our heart’s content. Belle downloaded Christmas tunes and blasted them through the Bluetooth speakers. Together we sang or hummed the words we didn’t know, laughing like two giddy girls who’ve been friends forever. The finishing touch was a mistletoe ball hung above the main entrance where Carson will hopefully walk through this evening. “Martha S. has nothing on us,” Belle bragged and I concurred with my arm around her shoulders as we admired our work.
We spent the latter part of the morning baking cookies and figuring out what to gift the men in our lives who can buy whatever they want at their whim. It was an impossible undertaking. Belle suggested I give Carson the gift of me. “Carson desires you more than anything, so why not give him what he wants. Create a coupon book with naughty favors and wrap it up with a sexy red pair of panties or lingerie.” I told her she’s a genius and asked for some naughty ideas. It opened a dirty skeleton closet I didn’t need to enter. Hayden is a freak in bed and so is my best friend. They have all sorts of sex toys and devices to enhance their pleasure and kicks. You name it. They’ve tried it. I blushed solid red, hearing what went on in their bedroom as I jotted down some ideas.
“I hope you’ve at least given him a blow job,” she snickered, sampling a shortbread cookie.
“Of course I did,” I blurted proudly like it’s a notable accomplishment.
“Did you swallow?” She arched one brow skeptically at me with one hand on her hip.
“Yep,” I nodded my head with an obvious wince of disgust.
“Next time, do it with a smile and it’ll be more enjoyable for him,” she advised.
“I tried, but I couldn’t hide the fact that I hated it,” I admitted. “Besides, he likes my cringing face. He told me it’s adorable,” I assured her.
“Really? What a pink pussy,” she kids and we both chuckled.
The last of the cookies were removed from the oven and packaged up for Hayden, who’s a big fan of chocolate chip cookies. Luke favored the peanut butter ones and Carson gets a variety because honestly, I’ve never seen him eat a cookie before. Belle gave me a lift to BPC with Luke trailing behind in his car. I’m learning to accept my limited freedom. This is the life I’ve chosen when I accepted Carson’s ring. His boundaries are what keep me safe and close to him which is the only place I want to be anyways. With every risk there’s a consequence or a reward. Carson’s a pretty good trade-off, I’d say.
Disappointedly, Evelyn told me Carson hasn’t even stopped by his office since he arrived at BPC early this morning. He’s been working in the lab with his researchers and I knew what was driving his ardor. She asked if I’d like for her to notify him of my visit and I insisted no. I understand what he does for a living and would never consider interfering with his work. His time is valuable and I’m already blessed enough to have so much of it. I’m okay with sharing him with the world for a good cause.
Carson Bradley
Sitting on my desk is a goody bag and a new picture of me and Lil at Emma’s wedding with a sticky note that says:
Look what Belle delivered. It’s me dancing with my Prince Charming!
Missed you :(
Do what you do best. Save the world, hazel eyes.
XOX Lil
It’s a candid shot of Lil in my arms, dancing the waltz as we gaze into each other’s souls with tenderness. The photographer captured our love story beautifully. Even with her eye makeup smeared and tears streaking down her face, she still gleamed brighter than any star in the sky. Nothing can diminish beauty that sprouts from the heart and then blossoms to the surface. Lil is an attractive person all around. No wonder why I’m hopelessly infatuated with her. That night I promised her a magical happy ending and that’s exactly what I intend to give her as soon as I resolve my family issues.
Before heading out to meet my parents, I text Lil a quick message:
Disappointed…
Saving the world without a kiss from my Princess is a daunting task. x C
Lil replies immediately:
Don’t be…
Your kiss will be waiting at the door for you this evening :) XOX Lil
My reply:
Eager…
Thanks for my treat. x C
Her reply makes my heart smile:
Me, too…
Expect more “treats” when you get home. XOX Lil
Glancing down at my watch, I realize that I don’t even have a minute to spare if I factor traffic in. I rush out of my office and down the elevator.
~~~~
Carson, settle down. I’m practically hyperventilating when I see my father stand up to wave me to their table. Where do I begin? Will I be able to control my reaction? Maybe I should’ve done this in the privacy of my home. I panic with each step that brings me closer to them.
“Carson, over here,” Dad calls out loudly to me, as if he can’t see me walking toward him. Embarrassed, Mother tugs at his arm to settle him back into his seat.
“I appreciate you both meeting me on such short notice,” I tell them and then sit down, facing my mother.
“No problem, son. What’s the urgency?” Dad asks, glancing over to Mother who appears apprehensive.
Why prolong the anxiety for everyone involved? I rattle off the first thought in my head. “Can you explain the scar on my left hip?”
Straight away, my mother’s intuition kicks in. “When did you find out?” she asks me, rea
ching for my hand, fearing that I would withdraw from her now that I know their secret.
“Last night,” I answer softly, holding onto her trembling hand. The last thing I want to do is hurt my mother or father. They’ve been the kindest and most loving parents any child could ask for.
“Carson, it was never our intention to keep your adoption from you. Please believe us,” she explains. “We love you more than anything in this world.”
“I believe you. I’m not perfect, but I’m not angry or bitter either. I had all night to sort out my emotions. Right now I just want to know what you know about my birth mother.”
Mother speaks first. “We had been trying to have a baby for about five years with no success. A friend of ours heard about an elite adoption agency that was offering a baby boy to a couple who live abroad. It seemed shady to us, but we were desperate to have a baby of our own, so we jumped at the chance of being the chosen couple. When we arrived, they required proof of our foreign address. Once they confirmed it was valid, they processed the paperwork immediately. A week later they approved the adoption and handed you over to us with a small blanket, one change of clothing and a fancy diaper bag. I fell in love with you at once when your hazel eyes smiled at me as you cooed. Before we left, I asked the caseworker if she knew anything about your background. Hesitantly, she told us that your mother was a greedy woman. She agreed to split you from your twin brother for a large sum of money from a very wealthy couple who only wanted one child. They had one stipulation—the other twin had to be moved away as far as possible. That was all the caseworker would reveal and she discouraged us from asking any more questions. We did as she suggested, fearing they would change their mind and give you to another couple. We took you home that evening and never looked back.”
There it is—my humble beginning unfolded in a few short sentences. The numbness hits me, deadening my senses to react. Nothing I say or do now will change what happened in the past. What’s done is done. My focus should be on the present and future. I have to accept my situation for what it is and press forward like I would in my laboratory after a failed trial attempt. ‘You move on and you don’t give up’ I always encourage my researchers.
My mother’s story seems to conflict with Lil’s. I have a problem with the information the caseworker gave her. Francine doesn’t appear to be a greedy woman from what I’ve gathered. It’s more plausible to believe the Montgomerys fabricated that entire lie. “Did they give you any names?” I interrupt.
“No,” Dad answers. “Regardless what your birth mother’s story was, your mother and I agreed that we would tell you about the adoption when you were old enough to understand.”
“But then Emily was diagnosed with cancer,” Mother reminds. My lids seal briefly, picturing Emily’s ashen face and dull eyes. I wanted her suffering to end, so I begged her to let go. She listened and I was left with a broken heart that refused to mend until I met Lillian. “We didn’t want to drown you. You were already struggling to stay afloat.”
“Why didn’t you tell me after Emily past away? You had all those years.”
“Your overwhelming success came quickly. We wanted to protect your heart from a greedy woman who might’ve used her maternal ties to extort money from you,” Mother explains. My parents sit silently in their seats, watching me nervously like they’re waiting for a judge’s verdict while my mind attempts to grasp everything that’s bombarded me within the past twenty-four hours.
“I love you both very much,” I assure them. “You always have my best interests at heart. I believe your actions were made with attention for my wellbeing. I don’t hold anything against you. Nothing will change what we have,” I assert, squeezing my mother’s hand.
Mother’s eyes well up with tears and so do Dad’s. Relief washes their dispirited expressions away. “I’m so happy to hear that, son. Your mother would be heartbroken if you kept the grandbabies away from her. She’s already started a stock pile of baby stuff in one of the spare bedrooms,” Dad discloses and laughs.
“It’s just a small pile, Carson,” she admits as she wipes her wet eyes.
“Mom, you’ve waited forever for these grandbabies. Knock yourself out. Spoil the heck out of them when Lil’s not watching,” I kid and then lean into her cheek to leave her a much deserving kiss.
The waiter comes promptly on my signal. He’s been giving us space to talk, picking up on how upset Mother appeared. Dad and I order our usual family-style meals while Mom insists on keeping with her low-carb diet. It’s liberating for all of us to have everything out in the open. The start to my happy ending begins here and will end with Lil and our babies.
Chapter 33
Carson Bradley
Lil must have something up her sleeve. She seemed too eager for me to get home. Coincidentally, I also have some good news of my own to share with her about Francine and Gabriel. On my way out of BPC, I texted her a quick message with the approximate time of my arrival as she requested. Rollin was already waiting for me at the main entrance. I was shy a few feet from the limo when a dilapidated William Sorté, reeked of liquor, approached me out of nowhere. Delta intercepted him before he could get within an arm’s reach of me. Out of sympathy, I gave Delta the signal to release him.
Slithering through his sluggish lids, William glared at me and slurred some angry words. “You heartless son-of-a-bitch! You killed her,” he blamed me and then bursted into uncontrollable tears, landing on his knees and burying his face in his hands. It bothered me to see a grown man weep. His dramatic meltdown reminded me of my last visit with his daughter.
Disregarding his rage, I apologized to him, “I’m sorry for your loss, William. I never meant for any of this to happen.” He was in such a state of despair, I felt obligated to reach out to him, to give him a hand. Stooping down to his level, I braced his arm to give him a lift up to his feet. Without warning, he pulled out a kitchen knife from his pocket and aimed for the left side of my chest. He wanted to avenge his daughter’s death by cutting my heart out. I attempted to stop him with my forearm, but it happened so quickly. My reaction was delayed. The serrated blade sliced through three layers of clothing before ripping into my flesh. Blood leaked from the gash, staining my white shirt bright red and then I felt pain radiating from that area. Delta tackled him with brute force, knocking the wind out of him and then secured him with a choke hold. Meanwhile, I applied pressure to my wound in hope of stopping the bleeding.
William didn’t resist him. He was terrified as soon as he realized what he had done. “Oh God! What did I do? I’m sorry,” he regretted out loud.
Rollin dashed out of the limo to aid me, to balance my instability and applied additional pressure over my lesion. The amount of blood seeping out concerned him. I could tell from his uneasy expression. Delta informed Alpha of the incident and within seconds, Owen scurried out the front lobby to rush me to the hospital. I insisted to be taken to the emergency room, but Owen admitted me into a private room instead. He secured the floor with guards at every entrances and exits for an added measure. I wanted to call Lily so she wouldn’t be worried about my tardiness, but two nurses and a doctor charged into my room to clean and stitch me up. After they were done with me, an investigator followed in to ask me to recap the entire incident.
Lillian Ly
The fireplace is burning, dinner is keeping warm in the oven, and I’m standing under the mistletoe in a cute little red dress, waiting for Carson to come up from the lobby to give him the kiss I promised earlier. I have every minute accounted for from the time he left his office until he arrives here. He texted me thirty minutes ago to let me know he’s en route. Twenty minutes pass and then another and there’s still no sign of Carson. My heart tells me something’s wrong, fearing only the worse possible scenario. I rush to the bedroom to grab my phone to make a call to Owen. His phone rings, but he doesn’t answer and I get his voicemail instead.
“Owen, please call me back as soon as you can. Carson didn’t show up and I�
�m worried about him.” I leave Owen a frantic message.
The next person down the list is Luke. I sent him home after Carson confirmed he was on his way to the penthouse. His phone rings once and, in a concerned tone, he answers, “Hello, Lily.” I’ve never called him before so I can imagine how alarmed he is to hear my troubled voice.
“I’m sorry to bother you so soon, but would you happen to know where Mr. Bradley is? He was supposed to come through the front door about twenty minutes ago. He didn’t text or call me like he normally does when he’s running late,” I spurt as my fear consumes me.
“Let me get in contact with the guard on duty and I’ll call you back.”
I drop the phone on the bed and pace the floor, waiting impatiently. My mind’s going crazy. What could have happened to him? Bianca is dead and Charles Montgomery is in prison. Who else didn’t he tell me about? There’s probably a long line of people fighting to seize his reign. How can my heart handle the uncertainty of his fate from day to day? Peace finds me again when I see the phone light up and it’s Luke. Dear Lord, please let it just be my paranoia.
“Miss Ly, I need you to remain calm. Can you do that for me?” he asks in his bodyguard tone. Immediately, I’m choked up with fear. My eyes well with tears and I’m shaking uncontrollably. Something did happen to Carson. I nod, forgetting that he’s on the phone and he can’t see me.
“Miss Ly, are you there?” he confirms.
“Yes,” I mutter.
“He’s in the hospital with Owen.”
“Oh God! Why? Is he okay?” I sob, feeling my chest cave in from the violent pressure of panic. “What happened?”
“He was attacked leaving BPC, but he’s okay.”
“Thank you, Jesus. Can you please come get me? I need to see him.” My trembling legs can barely keep my body upright. I back into the bed and crash my bottom down. How could anyone get past his threatening guards to hurt him?