Page 30 of The Fashion's Mogul's Secret Wish

I hugged him, breathing easily. I broke out in a bout of laughter. My voice echoed in the house, the joy clear in my voice. “Thank you, Karl, you saved me.” I was happy, sad, and tired, but I felt better than I’d ever been.

Karl led us to the living room. To my surprise, Jason decided to sit beside me. He held my hands in his, admiring and comparing them to his. My heart warmed. I regretted missing time with him–and all we could have done together. I faced Karl who had a smile on his face even though he looked confused.

I said, “It’s a miracle you made possible. You’re aware that I gave up my child five years ago. Recently, I started looking for him. Nothing came up, and I was about to lose hope. Not until now. See this…” I passed him my phone.

“The detective was able to trace him from the club where I left him. You are the owner of the club but that didn’t link Jason to you. Your recent trip to the movies with Jason sparked his interest, and he discovered that Jason’s mom was unknown; moreover, after following up on some leads, a source told him that a baby was dropped off at the club four years ago and it turned out that you are the father. I didn’t believe it at first. However, seeing him has convinced me. He'sourson, Karl.”

He set down my phone after going through the file. “How?” he asked, incredulously.

“I think we had a run-in at the club. We were so wasted; it seems we both couldn’t remember much of that night. However, Jason came out of the encounter.” I touched Jason’s hair, at a loss for words.

Karl moved close to us, grinning. The mirth on his face made me smile harder. “This calls for a celebration. I’ve always wondered who his mother was. Even with my limitless resources, I could not find her. Which meant, I couldn’t find you. You found us, Marie, and for that, I’m grateful.”

I brought my face close to his and kissed his cheek. “You made this possible, Karl. Thank you for keeping him safe.” We said nothing more and just smiled at each other.

“Jason, this is your mother. She’s back. Come…” Jason jumped between us and giggled as he tried to pull Karl and me closer, with him in the middle.This right here is enough celebration for me. I wanted to tell Karl that I loved him. He made me happy and ourfamilypossible. Yes, I now had a family of my own, it seemed.

I told my brothers the great news about Jason. They wanted to meet him immediately. I promised I’d bring him over during the Christmas holiday. It is a time for family and love.

It wasn’t easy adjusting to my new life. Finding my place in Jason’s life proved hard, but I was going to be there for him no matter what. I wouldn’t let my fears destroy a good thing ever again. With that conviction, I turned on the bed to see Karl already awake, staring at the ceiling. I felt a touch of pride and so much love, looking at this man beside me. I had officially moved in with him, wanting to be close to him and our son. I still feared that I had acted too soon.

“What’s on your mind, love?” Karl looked at me, shaking his head with a smile.

“Love? Do you love me?” My words stuck in my throat. I wasn’t afraid to say it, but I imagined a grand scene when I did.But this is better: in bed with the man I love, away from the eyes of the world.

I moved to him, kissing his bare chest and then his lips. “Yes, my love. I love you. More than I ever imagined I could love anyone. You’ve taken a hold of my heart, and I don’t want to ever let you go.”

The surprise on his face turned into an endearing smile. “I love you too, in a way that my body and mind can’t articulate. You’re my world, Marie.” The kiss that followed took my breath away.

My phone rang. “Sorry,” I muttered, ending the kiss. I answered the call immediately, seeing that it was Selena. I had sent her a message about Jason and me, but she had been too busy to return my calls.

“Should I call you sister-in-law now?” Because she certainly was. “You are family Marie. So, how are you?” She sounded excited. That eased the worry I felt, considering how she had felt about my relationship with Karl.

“I’m great and yes, you can call me sister-in-law. I miss having you around, you know.”

“Me too. Great news, though. I’m done with business in Dubai, and I’ll be heading home soon. It will be a family reunion!”

“That reminds me, we plan to meet with my family in California this Christmas. I’d love to have you come with us.” I gave Karl a wink. I hadn’t told him about this meeting. He just shrugged.

“That’s cool. I’d make it just in time…and you have some explaining to do, girl.”

“You’ll get everything you need to know. Bye for now.” I ended the call. “Selena,” I said to Karl.

“What’s this about meeting your family?”

“They want to see you and our son. I thought this coming holiday would be perfect. What do you think?”

“I agree, it would be great to meet with your family. I’ve heard a lot about your brothers. What is true?” I settled in beside him, telling him more about my brothers.

A few days later, after uploading the collaborative documentary with Vance Styles to the country’s top streaming service, I closed my laptop ready to leave the office, excited to get back home to Karl and Jason. My phone rang from a text.

It’s time for your reckoning. You’ve had enough time to rest. Time for you to play. To keep your family safe, you’ll do as I say. You come to the address I sent or else...poor Jason.

I sucked in a deep breath and kept my fear at bay. I was worried but not afraid. I had Karl. We could fight this. This meeting might be their big play. If only I could find a way to arrest them during the meeting. It would be dangerous, but I’d had enough of schemes. It was time to fight back.

I drove home to Karl. He arrived a few minutes after I got back. Immediately, I took him to his study and shut the door behind us. He stood in front of me with a worried look.

“I didn’t want to say this within earshot. Someone just sent me a message. I think this is their endgame. Look.” I gave him my phone to see the message.

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