Page 5 of Modern Romance Collection December 2024 Books 1-4

‘Yes, he’s there. With his very much adored and capable nanny, who has been with us since you left.’

Another poison dart to Sadie’s heart.

Quin continued, ‘I haven’t even been gone twenty-four hours. I was planning on staying in Manhattan overnight and returning in the morning, but I’ve decided to leave now.’

Sadie deflated. There was no way she could afford to travel to Sao Paulo and follow Quin. It had taken all her paltry finances to come to New York at short notice when she’d read that he would be here for the stock market flotation.

‘Quin, I—’

‘Look. I’m going to give you one chance.’ His jaw was tight. ‘Not that you deserve it. But, as much as I hate to admit it, you do have some rights, and when this comes to court—as it inevitably will—I don’t want you to have any reason to lay accusations at my door that I didn’t give you an opportunity to see my son. I won’t take any risks when it comes to Sol and ensuring I remain his primary custodial parent, so if that means allowing you some initial access then I’ll do it.’

Sadie surmised that the brief phone conversation must have been with his legal team. They would have advised him to tread carefully. She didn’t much care, because all she felt was huge relief. ‘I... That’s amazing, thank you.’

But then she remembered her limitations, and her insides plummeted again. ‘It’s not that I wouldn’t jump at the opportunity right now, but the truth is that I can’t afford to go to Brazil at such short notice...’

She heard herself and winced. She sounded as if she was making excuses. No doubt Quin would jump on this to cast her off.

She waited for him to smirk and tell her,Tough.

But he didn’t smirk. He just looked at her with unnerving intensity. Then he said, ‘I will have to take your word for it when it comes to your means—after all who knows what you’ve been up to for the last four years? Are you married? Do you have more children?’

Sadie felt a bubble of hysteria rise up at the notion. She pushed it down and shook her head. ‘No, nothing like that. Of course not.’ She thought of something and asked, ‘Do you? Have a partner?’

She hadn’t seen pictures of him with anyone, but then he’d never been showy...

His mouth tightened, but he said eventually, ‘Not that it’s any of your business, but no, I’m not with anyone right now.’

But he had been? That was what he was implying. Sadie’s insides twisted with something dark. Jealousy. A jealousy she had no right to feel. And yet she heard herself say, ‘Wearestill married.’

Quin let out a curt laugh. ‘Hardly. That beach wedding was ceremonial only. We never signed anything.’

Sadie flushed. Of course. They’d been due to have a proper, legal ceremony after Sol’s birth...but then her world had been turned upside down with the return of her memory.

‘Of course... I know that,’ she said now, feeling gauche and naive.

She’d always believed that beautiful ceremony on the beach had been more binding than anything in a church or a register office. Clearly he hadn’t. But at the time it had felt so real. The way he’d looked at her...as if she was the only thing in the world.

She hid her hands behind her back and removed the ring he’d proposed to her with—an emerald and sapphire ring that had become her single most treasured item, along with a picture she’d taken of Quin holding newborn Sol before she’d left. The thought of Quin seeing her still wearing the ring now made her skin go clammy with panic. As did the thought of him seeing the short unvarnished nails and careworn skin of her hands. They were evidence of her constant moving around and the only work that had been available to her, which had inevitably been menial and backbreaking.

‘I can explain what I’ve been doing, if you’ll let me.’

Except what if she told him and he thought it was so outlandish and unbelievable that he cast her out of his and Sol’s lives for good? Her mind raced, thinking of that scenario—by the time she’d worked to make enough money to try and see Sol again he’d be a teenager.

She realised that she couldn’t explain here, like this, with them facing each other like bitter adversaries. She blurted out, before Quin could answer, ‘Actually, maybe now isn’t such a good time.’

He arched a brow. ‘You need more time to come up with the right story?’

Sadie swallowed. ‘It’s not like that...it’s just a lot to explain...’

He glanced at his watch. ‘I don’t have time for this. I’ve instructed my plane to be ready to leave within the hour. You can come with me.’

Sadie stopped breathing for a second. He was going to take her with him? She was afraid she’d misheard him.

But then he asked impatiently, ‘Where are you staying?’

Sadie quickly gave the address of the travellers’ hostel near Central Station, afraid he might change his mind. Quin’s eyes widened marginally at the mention of the hostel, and now that she knew of his background she could well imagine why.

He said briskly, ‘I’ll have someone go and pick up your things. They can meet us at the plane.’

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