Page 87 of The Boss and the Adoption Mess
Is everything with Catherine weighing on him more than I realized?
Chapter 22
Gabriel
That evening, after the Christmas market, I sit with my lawyer, Kerem Yildiz, who once worked for my father. He just turned forty a few weeks ago.
Kerem pours himself more coffee, then lifts the pot toward me with a questioning look. I shake my head, take another sip, then glance down at my almost-empty cup.
“Actually … I’ll take a little more,” I mutter. He’s already on his feet, refilling my cup as if he knew I’d change my mind. “Thanks.” I sigh.
“The press will pick up on this eventually. It was all over the news then, and they’ll want to cover it again now.”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to explain it to Rosie. She’ll be five next year. Other parents might not want their kids around her. And then school—this will stick with her, no matter how hard I try to shield her.” My head throbs. I dig through my bag for another painkiller.
“Not with coffee.” Kerem grabs a glass of water and sets it in front of me so I can swallow the pill.
“Thanks, again.” Right now, he’s more than just my attorney—he’s a real support. I’d almost call him a friend. “She has her friends at school. I don’t want to take them away from her. If I homeschool her, she’ll be completely isolated.”
“What about Canada? The U.S.? New Zealand? Australia?”
“I’ve thought about it. But the case is bound to make waves internationally too. I could gamble that nothing happens and pull her out of school if necessary … but she’s already been through enough.”
What am I supposed to do?
“That actually sounds like a solid plan. At the end of the day, her well-being is what matters most. If we handle things properly with the judge and the press, they’ll leave Rosie out of it.”
“But people will notice that I’ve adopted her.”
“Rosie isn’t to blame …”
“I wish I could shield her from all of it. But I can’t. One day someone will tell her what her mother did.”
“Have you told Kimberley yet?”
“No. Honestly, I’ve been avoiding it. She’s such a wonderful woman …” I draw a deep breath, glancing at my phone. A message from her: asking if I’ll make it home for dinner. “I don’t want to burden her. But right now, she still has the option of walking away.”
“Do you really think she’d quit?”
“Maybe. Hard to say.”
“Talk to her.” Kerem lifts his coffee cup in a small toast. We’re sitting across from each other in his home office, just his desk between us. “My wife used to complain that I never told her enough about my problems. I didn’t want to worry her. But now I do share everything—and it’s only made us stronger. We’re closer than ever.”
“You should meet her sometime,” I say.
“You’re always welcome here. Jelena’s cooking could rival yours—promise.” He pats his slight belly and grins.
Message received. At least it makes me smile briefly.
“Thanks.” I look back at my coffee and finish it. "I’ll talk to her tonight.” It’s long overdue. She deserves the chance to leave before it’s too late. I owe her that much.
I get home late. After parking in the garage, I check my phone one last time. There’s a text from Caroline. I’ve been putting her off for weeks now. I just can’t see her anymore—no matter how good or satisfying the sex was, it isn’t what I want.
I’ve been meaning to talk to Kimberley about my feelings for a long time, but then everything with Catherine happened. Brutal reality caught up with me and turned my life upside down.
I ignore Caroline’s text, hoping she rereads my last texts and finally understands nothing more will happen between us. I hate breaking hearts, but sometimes it’s necessary. From the start it was clear we were only meeting for life’s most pleasant side activity. Nothing more.
She was a great distraction, but now it’s time to face my feelings—they’re not going anywhere no matter what I do. Substitutes like Caroline don’t change that. That’s its own kind of delusion: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
