Page 25 of Corruption

“It’s not insensitive if I’m glad she’s not here,” I say hastily to get the fantasy out my head only to belatedly realize I shouldn’t have said that so thoughtlessly.

I can’t be thoughtless about what I reveal about my mother. There’s a story I have to keep to. But saying that I’m glad she’s not here doesn’t contradict that necessarily.

Nadia doesn’t question it, though. She simply backs away and says to the dresser without taking her eyes off me, “We’ll take this one too.”

10

Kiya

The museum Nadia says she’ll take me to if she could is going to have to wait a week, so she decides we’ll make an entire outing of it. Go to the museum and then go to a Broadway play afterward if I want. I still don’t know what to make of her generosity. People don’t just give you things without wanting something in return, and I don’t know what I can give Nadia or she thinks I can give her that equals to all the money she’s spending on me.

“Isn’t you just being you enough?” she asks when I question her again after our lunch.

“You don’t even know me.”

“Not in detail. But I’ve seen a little and like what I’ve found so far and want to see more. Hopefully, you can say the same for me despite the circumstances that brought us together.”

I don’t think she expects an answer, but I give her one anyway and say carefully, “I’m curious.”

“That’s more than I expected, so I can live with that.”

When we get back home, there are three black luxury SUV’s in front with servants and guards unloading them while Isaak, my future step-son technically, directs them into the house.

“What’s he doing here?” Nadia asks when she lays eyes on him. The car has barely stopped before she’s getting out. I follow her.

“Aunt Nadia,” the thirteen-year-old says, nodding to Nadia. Then he looks at me and says, “Miss Fantoni.”

“I’m nineteen. Call me Kiya.”

Isaak nods, but I can tell he has no intention of ever calling me by my first name. At least, not any time soon.

“What are you doing here?” Nadia asks.

“Bringing Miss Fantoni’s things to her,” he says. “She left in a haste last night, and I noticed she didn’t get a chance to get her stuff. Father must have forgotten to bring it over this morning so I did.”

It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since I met Isaak, and the only thing he said to me was, “It’s nice to meet you,” but all of a sudden, with that statement, I feel like I instantly know him. Because he very well knows that I didn’t just leave in a haste. He knows I was thrown out. And while he may be young, he very well knows that his father didn’t forget to give me my things. Vaughn kept them away from me on purpose as punishment for fighting him. I also saw the way Isaak jumped and scrambled back into his room without protest when he saw what was going on.

All that to say, he’s risking a lot by defying his father to do this for me when he doesn’t even know me.

“How thoughtful of you,” Nadia says with a smile. “Dinner should be ready in a couple of hours. You should stay since you’re here.”

“Father’s probably expecting me.”

“I’ll deal with your father. Stay for your aunt, my love.”

Isaak wants to. I can tell he desperately needs and wants a reprieve from his no doubt cruel father. But I also know that he’s as aware as I am that even if Nadia stands up to Vaughn and gets him to let Isaak stay, that doesn’t mean Isaak isn’t going to be in trouble with Vaughn later. However, I don’t know how to intervene without seeming like I don’t want Isaak here. Without seeming ungrateful for what he’s done for me.

Finally, Isaak says, “I’ll stay. If you let my father know in advance.”

“Great,” Nadia says.

“Looks like we didn’t need to do all that shopping. Will it be too much to return everything we bought?” I ask, taking Nadia’s attention off an uncomfortable looking Isaak.

“Nonsense. Consider it a gift,” Nadia says. “I’m going to go into my office to call Vaughn so there won’t be any problems. Let me know if either of you need me.”

There are going to be problems for Isaak no matter what Nadia tells her brother-in-law. But I refrain from saying anything. At least, not until she leaves and I’m alone with Isaak.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay? With you father that is. He’s not going to be happy if he finds out—”

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