Page 72 of The Grumpy Billionaire Baby Daddy

“How soon will this happen?”

Dad shifts in the chair. “As soon as possible. There's no other way to sustain living here. We just have to sell the apartment first; that part won't be a problem.”

“So…we have barely a month.”

Even though Mom's been here, she hasn't said a single thing. Maybe she's still in shock.

“Mom?”

She jerks and looks up with her lips pressed together.

“You agreed to the whole plan?”

She shrugs. “We don't really have the most palatable options to work with. We're in a really tight spot, Fifi.”

“But why do we have to move back? Can't we sell off and just stay here?”

Dad shakes his head. “If we stay here, we'll end up almost spending all of the money on rent. In Tennessee, there are your grandparents, so we won't have to worry about rent. That's a huge burden off our chests. If we spend some time there without incurring as many expenses, we can rebuild faster. This doesn't exactly make me enthusiastic, but we're trying to do what's best.”

Drawing in a deep breath, I try to quell the tightening in my chest. Even though I am cognizant of the reasons behind the current predicament, it does little to alleviate the overwhelming sense of anxiety that has consumed me. This feels like a never-ending nightmare, one that I desperately wish to awaken from.

Chapter 24

Jason

Climbingthestepsofthe Davidson Mansion makes me grimace—time to face those weird-looking statues again. After fixing the meet-up time for noon on Monday, Davidson called over the weekend to ask that I come over to his house after working hours instead. It wasn’t the most pleasant thing to hear, considering Eva is thelastperson I want to see now. She’d better be on a shopping spree or pool party somewhere far away.

I’ve tried so hard to bury our last conversation in my mind, but it comes up occasionally. Right now, I need to focus on convincing Davidson that he needs to help rescue Pet Star.

I knock on the door and look around. The grass carpet surrounding the building is a little unkempt. Did the gardener travel? The door opens, and the young uniformed staff gives a slight smile.

“Welcome, Mr. Greene.”

I throw a cursory glance his way and step past him into the living room. The first thing that catches my attention is the new statue. This time it’s a nude woman playing some kind of violin. My jaw drops. I knew Davidson had weird kinks but this? Jesus Christ! No wonder his wife left him; she was right to.

“Are you here to see Eva?” the young uniformed staff asks.

“Mr. Davidson, please.”

“My apologies. Please do have a seat. I’ll inform him that you’re here.”

“Thank you.”

He gives a slight bow and walks up the stairs, lifting himself with an impressive gait.

As soon as I settle into a couch, loud laughter comes from the kitchen area, and my heart drops. Eva steps out, holding a silver plate with a phone between her ear and shoulder. She stops in her tracks when she sees me.

“Hold on. Let me call you back, Kev.”

Couldn’t she have gone out this evening? I grunt.

She walks up to me in a pink sweatshirt and smiles awkwardly. My jaws tighten.

“Hey.”

I give a slight nod to acknowledge her presence and look away, pretending to study one of the statues beside the TV.

“How are you, Jason?”

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