Page 34 of Rafa's Convenient Wife

“To hell with the rules! Where is my grandson?” Beverly demanded shrilly.

Before Sky could answer, Katherine smoothly interjected, “He’s with his nanny.”

“A nanny?” Beverly scoffed. “My daughter isn’t even cold in her grave, and you’ve pawned her son off on a nanny!”

“Beverly,” her attorney pleaded. “That’s not helpful.”

“I don’t care what’s helpful or not helpful. I care about my grandson that she stole from me!”

“Mrs. Farias did not steal your grandson,” Katherine calmly replied before gesturing toward an empty seat beside her. “She is the guardian chosen by Jaime and Maddie to raise their son in the event of their deaths.”

“Allegedly,” the opposing attorney cut in with a nervous glance in Beverly’s direction.

“Allegedly?” Mike repeated. “Are you accusing Mrs. Farias and her husband of forging documents?”

“Well, who knows what goes on down there!” Beverly shook off her attorney’s hand as he desperately tried to get her to sit down and stop talking. “They’re drug dealers.” She turned her wild eyes to the mediator. “Did you know that? Her sister-in-law? Dina. She was married to a drug cartel boss. That’s how her father and grandfather died. They were murdered by rivals. Do you really think my grandson is safe with those people?”

Sky’s stomach dropped as Beverly laid out all the lurid details of the Farias family and their unfortunate connections to narcos. It wasn’t exactly a family secret, but it wasn’t discussed. From what Sky had heard from Maddie, the family had nearly fractured after the deaths of their patriarchs. It had taken years for them to build back, and Dina had never forgiven herself for the mistake she had made in falling in love with a monster.

“I think that your grandson is safe with the guardian his parents chose for him,” Mike carefully stated. “And I think we should all take a deep breath and try to lower the temperature in this room. Let’s sit and discuss this like adults.”

“Like adults? She’s a child.” Beverly pointed at Sky in the most patronizing way. “Look at her! Wearing my daughter’s clothes. Pretending to be a mother. She barely graduated high school. She ran off and disappeared and panicked Maddie so badly that she hired a private investigator! Does that sound like a safe, responsible adult?”

“Beverly, please,” her lawyer begged. “This isn’t how mediations work.”

She shook off her lawyer’s hand. “I came here to get my grandson back. I didn’t come here to play happy families with this trashy little bitch.”

“Do not call my wife names!” Rafael’s booming voice startled the room. Collectively, they turned toward the door and saw him standing there, looking furious. “How dare you, Beverly!”

“How dare I?” Beverly shot right back. “You have a lot of nerve standing there, telling me how to behave!”

Sky’s heart leaped into her throat. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t swallow. Her eyes were wide as fear took hold. Was this it? Was this when Beverly revealed all she knew? About that night in the garden? About whatever she had recorded on her phone?

“Someone needs to,” Rafael remarked disdainfully.

“Please,” Mike, the mediator, respectfully interrupted. “Can we not get into a back-and-forth? It’s not conducive to the process. We’re here to discuss what’s best for Jasper.”

“What’s best for my grandson is for him to be with me,” Beverly insisted. “I’m his grandmother. He’s my blood. I am the only one who wants what’s best for him.”

“I don’t think that’s true, Beverly,” Mike argued carefully. “Sky has been with him since the day he was born. She was asked to live with the family, to help raise him. She was chosen by Jaime and Maddie as a guardian. She was trusted by them. Rafael clearly cares very much for his nephew and for Sky. They’re providing him with a stable home and two loving—.”

“A stable home? You thinksheknows anything about a stable home life?” Beverly laughed derisively. “Ask her about her mother. Is that in your little stack of papers?” She gestured to the files on the table. “Her mother was a stripper and a cocktail waitress at a casino. She wrecked my home, stole my husband, and broke my daughter’s heart. She was a junkie who drowned herself in a swimming pool—.”

“We’re done,” Rafael loudly interjected. “Sky.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go.”

“Mr. Farias!” Mike tried to salvage the meeting. “We can get this back on track.”

“No, we can’t. I’m not going to allow this woman to insult my wife. I’m not going to force Sky to sit here and listen to the worst memories of her childhood being used against her.”

Torn between shame and fury, Sky silently rose from her chair. Her legs still trembled, and she was certain she would fall if she tried to walk too quickly. Rafael must have known because he walked over and slid his arm around her waist, supporting her.

“I’m sorry we wasted everyone’s time,” Rafael said, using his body to shield her from Beverly’s ire. “We’ll see you in court, Mrs. Van Cleef.”

“Go ahead! Take me to court!” Beverly shouted. “We’ll see who wins once we get in front of a proper judge. No one is going to take my grandson away from me!”

“Ignore her,” Rafael muttered. “Keep walking. Head high. Don’t look back.”

Sky did exactly as he instructed as he escorted her to the elevator. When the stainless-steel doors closed, he gently turned her and searched her face. “Are you okay,mi amor?”

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