Page 76 of Dirty Damage

No texts.

No calls.

No frantic, rom-com-style run through the lobby of the building to catch me.

Oleg doesn’t care.

Now, I have the proof.

I made Uri take me somewhere for lunch because I couldn’t stand the thought of coming home to the empty penthouse.

But when the elevator doors slide open to the foyer, it isn’t empty. Faye Savin is bouncing an increasingly agitated Noah on her hip while Lily pinches her nose closed dramatically.

“Oh, thank God,” Faye breathes. “We came to see you, but Noah pooped on the way over and I forgot wipes. Oleg has some in the playroom.”

I blink, processing for what’s apparently a moment too long because Faye rushes past me with Noah.

“Thanks, girl.”

Not that I had much choice.

“It stinks in the car,” Lily announces, still pinching her nose. “Noah pooped everywhere. Having a little brother is gross.”

I can’t help but laugh, my earlier humiliation temporarily forgotten as I scoop up Lily’s free hand.

“Well then, I think we need some strawberry lemon popsicles to clear the air, don’t we?”

“Yes, please!” Lily’s eyes light up as she skips alongside me to the kitchen.

Her small hand fits in the center of mine, forcing me to imagine another little girl—one with my blonde hair and Oleg’s golden eyes.

I told myself I signed the contract for Sydney—and I did.

But maybe I want to be a mother, too. To have a child of my own.

Or, more likely, I just don’t want to be alone.

By the time Faye emerges with a much cleaner Noah, Lily is settled on the balcony with a popsicle. Noah plucks one from the table and starts licking, oblivious to how frazzled his mother looks.

“Sorry again for busting in on you.” Faye drops into the chair next to me with a sigh. “I mean, I was planning to bust in on you, anyway, but I didn’t plan for the emergency.”

I laugh. “When you gotta go, you gotta go. I get it.”

She smiles and shakes her head as she looks towards the balcony railing. The sun glints off the water, a perfect Florida day that somehow makes my mood feel even darker in contrast.

Faye snatches a popsicle off the table and turns back to me. Her eyes widen like she’s seeing me for the first time. “Whoa. You look dressed to kill. Hot date?”

I snort. “Hardly. Just made a fool of myself visiting your brother-in-law at work.”

Faye’s perfectly groomed eyebrows shoot up. “Do tell.”

“There’s nothing to tell.” Especially since I signed an NDA that Oleg definitely has the money and power to enforce. “I went to visit him at work, but he was busy. Then I left.”

The silence stretches until I look over and find Faye giving me a guilty smile. “I know about the contract, Sutton. Oleg told Artem.”

My face flushes, but I try to hide my shame behind an eyeroll. “Apparently, the ‘keep your mouth shut’ clause only applies to me.”

“Honey, when you marry into this family, you learn there are no secrets. Not really. There’s just enough money to keep lips sealed.” She pats my hand. “Want to talk about it?”

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