Page 366 of Billionaire Temptations

“I can see that.” She smiled. “You look like you’re due very soon.”

“In about two and a half weeks. What are you doing here in New York?” I asked.

“We’re looking at places to live. We may move here.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“I didn’t know you lived here. Aren’t you working for your father anymore?”

“No. Things weren’t working out.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. You’re working here?” she asked with confusion as she looked around.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

“Actually, I own it.”

“Wow. That’s wonderful. We heard amazing things about this place and had to come to check it out for ourselves. Little did I know that my daughter owned it.” She smiled.

“Hi, Anna, I’m Paul. It’s finally nice to meet you,” her husband spoke as he extended his hand.

“Hi, Paul. It’s nice to meet you.”

I hated them. I wished they’d leave.

“Wow, look at you. I can’t believe I’m going to be a grandma.”

The fuck you are.

I gave her a small, fake smile.

“Are you married?” she asked.

Like she couldn’t tell from the rock on my finger. Oh, that’s right, I wasn’t wearing it because my fingers were so swollen.

“Yes. I’m married to a wonderful man.”

“I would love to talk to you, Anna. Is there any way we could do that?”

She was the last person I wanted to talk to. But all I could hear in my head was Dr. Stark’s voice telling me that I needed closure with my mother, and the only way to get that closure and be free from the hate and anger I harbored my entire life was to talk to her. I just didn’t think the time would be now. If I rejected her, I’d only be screwing up my therapy. Plus, I was happy and in a better place now than I had been my whole life. I could handle her and a conversation. No problem.

“I guess so,” I said.

“Why don’t the two of you do it now?” Paul smiled. “Go grab some lunch. I’ll head back to the hotel for a while.”

“Is now okay with you?” she asked.

“I guess now is as good a time as any.”

I wasn’t sure a restaurant setting would be such a good place, and it was a beautiful warm sunny day out, so I suggested we go talk in Central Park and grab a couple of hot dogs. I couldn’t help but stare at her. She looked a lot healthier than the last time I saw her. We had the same eyes and the same smile.

“What happened between you and your father?” she asked.

“You mean the father that never loved me? The father who sent me all the way across the country to boarding school, so he didn’t have to deal with me. The same father who disowned me and fired me from the family company because I didn’t want to marry the man he thought I should?”

She slowly closed her eyes.

“Anna, I’m so sorry.”

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