Page 6 of The Billionaire's Fascination

“It’s a classic. Now, you two catch up, and I’ll go back to watchingDon’t Break The Chain.”

But Dad wasn’t getting away that easily. Mom had a few care orders for him, too, which he somewhat listened to between clicks on the channel in the lounge. He kissed her, and I pecked his cheek before we left him and headed for the bottom of the stairs.

I paused to remove my shoes out of habit, and Mom picked up the designer stilettos after kicking off her Crocs.

“Wow, I could clear out Mega Mart with the price of these.”

“It’s Paul,” I muttered and stared down at the satin finish on my toes. It was his money, even though I picked them out myself to go with the silk dress. They had a little padlock on them, and I imagined Paul would’ve become aroused seeing them when removing the heels from my feet in St. Barts. I liked it when he undressed me. It was possessive.Sensual.

Mom cocked an eyebrow at me, and I shrugged. “They’re just shoes.”

She smirked. “You’re talking to me, Nadia. I know that you obsessed over those shoes. Hell, if you were still here, they’d be framed on your wall as your latest loves for the fashion season.”

She was right. I had a closet full of all my fashion favorites back at the Hudson. Paul had a personal shopper who asked me what I liked every week besides the custom items he liked to dress me in.Or take me out of.

“We seem unable to stop Paul from helping us out, too,” Mom continued, breaking into my thoughts. “He sent funding to our hospitals. He’s set up a free lunch, catered by our local restaurants, for the year for all the workers. I mean, I could go on and on. But—” She covered her mouth as mine fell open. “Oh no. I wasn’t supposed to tell you.”

“It’s okay,” I said and plastered on a smile.

I had been on the receiving end of a lot of Paul’s generosity, and I discovered it had no limits. But what bothered me was that I couldn’t leave him behind to get over him. He’d infiltrated my home.And how will Mom react when she finds out we’re no longer together?She would want to know the whole truth.And there’s no way I can tell her.

“We all chipped in at work to send him a gift basket full of the best local cheeses, meats, and candies. And he had a video made for us from Crane Enterprise.”

My brows rose. “Seriously? I mean, wow. He never told me that.”

Mom beamed. “Yep. Each employee sent a picture and a note about how much it meant to receive our gift. Isn’t that oddly unique?”

“It’s over the top and kind of weird if you ask me,” Dad called out.

“Yeah, that’s him,” I half-joked to Dad.

“It was thoughtful and made me feel like our gift meant something.” Mom grinned dreamily.

My insides warmed. That was Paul. He never just did something; he had to push to make everything better than imaginable. And somehow, he knew my mom would love that more than just a thank you note.

“Are you two going upstairs, or do I have to restart my program again?” Dad mused.

“We’re going.”

Mom and I padded up the tan carpet.Correction: brand-new tan carpet.

“You’re wearing just that silk dress? No sweater or tights? It’s cold outside.”

“I can handle the cold, Mom.”

“I know, but you already know I can’t get sick, and neither can Dad. They’d cancel his surgery and have to give the kidney to the next person on the list.”

A pang went through my chest. I hadn’t even thought about it. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

“It’s okay. You’re out of practice.”

Mom was right. When Dad became ill, she created a routine for us to help him. We checked our temperature regularly and helped him get exercise and stay on his diet. We also took turns taking him to his medical appointments.But that is all on Mom now. A twinge of guilt went through me as I followed her into the bathroom. I sat on the toilet while she pulled a thermometer from the cabinet.

“Let me check your pulse, too.” Mom picked up my arm and looked at her wristwatch. She fussed over me like she did for all her patients.

Her brows knitted as she peered at the thermometer. “Your pulse is elevated, and your temperature is slightly higher than normal. Did you get sick?”

I wiped my hands down my thighs. “Twice. Once on the street and the plane.”

---