Page 38 of Rafa's Convenient Wife

His phone began to vibrate across the couch cushion. He was glad he had remembered to silence it before Jasper fell asleep. He snatched it up and glanced at the screen. Seeing his niece’s name worried him, and he immediately answered. “Camila? What’s wrong?”

“Tio Rafa! Is Sky with you?”

“Yes. She’s upstairs asleep. Why?” His heart began to beat faster. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s all over TikTok!”

“What is?”

“That crazy lady put out a video.”

“Crazy lady? Who? Beverly?” His stomach dropped. “What kind of video?”

“It’s...well.” Camila sounded suddenly embarrassed. “It’s you and her. Um...in the garden. At Tio Jaime and Tia Maddie’s wedding.”

“What?” His question came out harsher than he had intended, and Jasper startled atop his chest. He hurriedly soothed his nephew with gentle strokes, not wanting him to wake up.

“I’ll send the link. I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry, Tio Rafa.”

When the video came through, he couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of his heartbeat against his ear drums. The video was blurry, and there were lots of shadows. You couldn’t see his face or hers, but anyone who had ever been to his family’s estate would recognize that section of the garden and that particular fountain.

His stomach lurched at the disgusting narrative Beverly had created to accompany the video. The voiceover accused him of pedophilia, of grooming. She alleged that he and Sky had orchestrated Jaime and Maddie’s deaths to steal Jasper and his inheritance. She insisted that there was a conspiracy by the Mexican government and drug cartels to kidnap an American-born baby.

“This crazy, stupid—.”

“Rafael.”

He turned toward the arched doorway and found Sky standing there, her phone clutched in one hand. Pale and shaking, she looked like she might faint at any moment. Tears streaked down her face, and she sobbingly choked out, “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. It’s always my fault.”

Chapter Thirteen

I'm sorry, but I can't continue working as Jasper's nanny. It's way too dangerous.

Sky typed an understanding message back to Taegan, thanking her for the time she had spent with Jasper, and offering any help she could with finding a new position. To ease the sting of the loss of income, she Venmo'd Taegan two weeks of salary.

After she closed the Venmo app, she noticed another TikTok alert with her name on it. She hesitated before tapping the notification to listen to the nasty hit piece.

Tequila Tycoon and the Teen

Sky’s stomach lurched as she broke her promise to Rafael that she wouldn’t go online and look at what people were saying.

Why didn’t I warn him? Why didn’t I tell him that Beverly had been watching us?

Shame.

It always came back to shame.

She’d been ashamed of her mother and the horrible relationship she had with Beverly. She had been ashamed of having sex with Rafael after the wedding. She had been ashamed of his rejection. She had been ashamed of the way she fled, causing all that worry and panic on Maddie’s end.

And, then, when she’d finally come back to San Antonio and made a stable home for herself with Jaime and Maddie and Jasper, she had been ashamed that someone would find out her secret.

Now, everyone knows.

Guilt soured her gut. She glanced at the double doors leading out to the balcony of Rafael’s bedroom. The urge to flee was so strong, but even if she managed to scale the drop without breaking her ankle, the security team at the estate would be on her in seconds.

Coming back to Mexico had been the best and worst decision. Rafael had insisted it was the best place to keep her and Jasper to safe, to shield them from the viral ugliness that had exploded. She did feel safer here, more protected, but she also felt so humiliated. She couldn’t bear to leave his wing of the estate. She didn’t even want to make eye contact with her mother-in-law, and the pity she had witnessed in Lola and Dina’s eyes had nearly broken her.

And Camila.

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