Page 77 of Atlas Uncharted

I looked at the screen. Ebony.

Shit.

I answered, breathless, shaking. “Eb—”

“Bitch.” Her voice was dead serious. “I know you busy, but you need to get on social media.”

“What?” I asked, trying to catch my breath.

“Ashlen just released a tape.”

I blinked, my brain not computing. “A tape?”

“She got footage of you going into the restroom at her baby shower. Then Oak followed. The video makes it look like a set-up meeting. He’s looking all sneaky, then he comes out fixing his clothes—and then you come out fixing yours.

“And now everybody knows that when you got pregnant, she had a miscarriage right after.”

My stomach plummeted.

Ebony’s voice sharpened. “Kairi, everybody has seen it. It’s on Instagram, TikTok, and that racist white man site.”

The room spun. My throat closed up. I felt Atlas’s gaze on me, burning, waiting.

My voice barely came out. “What the fuck?”

And just like that—I knew I was ruined.

I should have listened to him.

Chapter 57

Atlas

As soon as our flight landed in Florida, I knew what I had to do. I’d been thinking about it for days. This entire mess started because, instead of doing what I wanted, I did what I was told.

I should have dated and married Kairi. I should have kicked down her door that night she turned me away—or better yet, I should’ve told her how I felt in college. That was when my world tilted.

I had been too fucking nice about this entire situation. I let too much slide, thinking I could shield Kairi and my son without getting my hands dirty. That was a mistake.

No more fucking around.

No more asking nicely.

This ended now.

Kairi’s father was waiting for us just outside baggage claim, arms crossed, looking like he was ready to fight me. He was not happy with me at all. This wasn’t the impression I wanted to make on a man who barely knew me—only knew I’d failed his daughter and forced her to lie and survive me.

Kairi shot me a look as we approached him.

“Why is my daddy here?” she asked, dragging her suitcase behind her.

I kissed her forehead, then Dion, tightening my grip on her hand. “Because you’re going with him for the day. There are reporters at the house.”

“Atlas—”

“Not now, Kairi.”

She yanked her hand from mine, pissed. “What the hell do you mean, ‘not now’? Where are you going?”

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