Page 106 of Forking the Billionaire

We took a couple more pics of Gabe and Jasper together, of me and Gabe, of each of us alone, and it really did feel like we were on the same team. Then, we headed down the rock tunnel to where Layana’s sisters and Oscar waited for us. Laughter echoed off the walls, carried from the cavern ahead.

Entering the cave was like stepping through a portal into a magical realm. Fairy lights twinkled along the ceiling and down the walls. Glasses filled with flowers floated atop the glowing bioluminescent water. In the center of the space, an archway waited. The lushness of the greenery and colorful flowers covering it made the piece seem to be alive.

“Wow,” I said, because it was the only appropriate word to describe the scene laid out before us.

Luna snatched the basket of shells from my hand. “Thank you.”

“This is insanely beautiful. How did you manage to pull all of this off in one day?” I asked.

“Morgan,” Oscar said.

“She’s kind of scary when she’s on a mission,” Lydia said with a laugh that held no humor.

Lindsey said,“Kind ofscary? More like full-blown terrifying.”

Lydia continued, “Like my fingers were practically bleeding and she was alldon’t stop if you want to live.”

“I don’t think she saidthat,”Luna said as she spread seashells around the perimeter.

“It was the general sentiment though,” Lindsey said.

Oscar’s stern face softened ever so slightly, making way for a show of the fondness he felt for his future wife. “She’d do anything for her best friend.”

I made a mental note never to cross Layana, not that I’d planned to. But if it accidentally happened, I would need to hide from Morgan.

“Whatever methods she employed were worth it,” Jasper said.

“Easy for you to say, you weren’t stuck as one of her pawns,” Lydia said under her breath.

“What can we do to help?” Gabriel asked.

“We’re pretty well set,” Luna said. She turned to Jasper. “You have the rings.”

“Yes,” he said.

“We don’t have any music,” Lydia said.

“On it,” I said, and opened the mix of easy listening island music on my phone I used to unwind.

By the edge of the water, a makeshift stand held a bunch of phones aimed at the flower archway. I approached the stand to see if I could make space for my phone there, too.

But as I stepped close, I saw one of the phones was set to record. The other two were already in use, on video calls.

One was an older couple who were most definitely Layana’s parents. The resemblance between the pair and their four girls was striking. I waved a hello. I immediately recognized the living room on the final screen even though no one was there.

“This is Oma’s house,” I said.

“Is that Esme? I heard Esme’s voice. That’s you, isn’t it, sweetie?”

I caught Oma’s voice and laughed. “It’s me. I’m here. Gabe’s here, too.”

“I am so happy to be a part of this, even if I don’t understand how this technology thing is supposed to work.” The camera swiped over the ceiling, then right up a set of hairy nostrils.

“Wait just a…don’t go anywhere.” This voice belonged to Uncle Wallace.

“Don’t worry. There’s nowhere I’d rather be.” And I meant it. All my worry about having my brother invading my space felt silly. The elated feelings making my lungs feel like they were two balloons poised to lift me off my feet—this was what I’d been waiting to feel ever since the phone call that had started all of this.

“How are you feeling?” I asked Oma.

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