Page 89 of Illicit Heir

What are we going to do?

I can't live with Mum.

What if I'm pregnant?

No! I can't be!

It's possible.

No, no, no!

I sit on the sofa, wondering how we'll make ends meet. My mum has no other skills. I don't have any either. The only other thing I know how to do is ride horses, and that's not going to pay the bills. I continue getting lost in my thoughts when my phone rings. I glance at it and pick it up. "Emily, are ya all right?"

She replies, "Yea... But I need to ask ya something."

"What?"

She hesitates, then informs me, "We just got an envelope dropped off at our house. Did you get one?"

"An envelope?" I question, confused.

"Yea," she replies.

"What's in the envelope?" I ask.

"So ya didn't get one?"

Confused, I say, "No. Why should I have gotten one?"

The line goes silent.

"Emily, what's going on?" I question.

She reveals, "An envelope with €10,000 was dropped off at our house."

"€10,000?" I shriek.

"Ow. Not so loud in my ear."

"Sorry."

She adds, "Yea, the guy just dropped it off."

"What guy?"

"Some...some guy."

"Well, what did he say?" I ask.

"He told me our allegiance is to be with the O'Connors now and we'll be taken care of. I don't need to worry about my da losing his house or being unable to pay his bills or get his treatments."

Shock fills me. Several minutes pass.

"Lauren, ya still there?"

"Yea," I say, but I don't know what to think about it.

Emily clears her throat. "Why would the O'Connors give me money? Do ya think it's from Alaina?"