Kalia's pronouncement gave Amelia a lot to think about. Was she in love with Alex? So quickly. Maybe it was just pregnancy hormones. If she was falling in love with him, she was going to get hurt."Are you okay?" Alex asked as he climbed into the car at the end of the day. "How did your lunch with Kalia go?""It was good to catch up with her.""You look concerned about something."It had been a long day and Amelia didn't want to get into a serious conversation right now so she didn't ask. "No, I'm fine.""Okay. I've been doing some thinking."The driver pulled out of the lot and onto the highway. Amelia glanced out the window and then back to Alex. "About what specifically? I bet you think about many things every single day. You do run a company."He sighed. "I mean about us."Great. They were going to have this conversation. Today. After Kalia insisted that Amelia was in love with Alex. This might be too much right now. Then again maybe it was better to get this over with. If they cl
When they reached the house, Amelia was agitated. "I need to go for a drive.""You can take the driver and go."She shook her head. "I want to go by myself."Alex didn't like that idea at all, but he figured Amelia wasn't going to listen to him. "Please?"She sighed. "I need some time to think some things through.""He'll take you anywhere you want. He'll stay in the car and not bother you."She put her hands on her hips, which meant she was digging in. How did he get around her? He wasn't sure she was safe to drive in her present emotional state. He couldn't come out and say that. She'd be doubly mad at him. He paused to choose his words, but for the first time in his life, none were coming. "Just the driver. I won't ask where you're going."She frowned but nodded. "Okay. It's my time."Alex had things to think about, too. The proposal seemed like the right answer. They would be bringing their child up in a safe and secure environment. Maybe it was her age that was holding her back.
Alex stared out his window his heart beating rapidly. Frustration fisted his hands and he tried to loosen them when they hurt. A few weeks ago, his life had been in order. He had his house, his daughter, and his company. Everything was in order. One night with a beautiful young woman seemed to change all that. Before today he would have said that was a good thing. Today he wasn't so sure.That was why he jumped a little when Madge entered his office. He didn't know what else could go wrong. They were weeks out from the game launch and everything was on track. "Henrik said he still hasn't found the hacker," Madge said. "He can't do much without Amelia."Alex swiveled his chair to look at her. "Guess he wasn't man enough to come up and tell me himself?""I took the information because I know how much of a grumpy bear you're being today. He didn't need your wrath.""And you're willing to take it for him?" Alex asked. She waved a hand. "You don't scare me, Alex Hillen."He tented his h
Amelia was finally ready to go back to work.That morning a strange email on her laptop made her stop. She assumed it was spam, but she wasn't sure. It was cryptic and she would have dismissed it, but something made her open it. She read it and it still didn't make sense. It must have been computer-generated because none of it made sense. She forwarded it to Isabel for her opinion and then shut down her laptop. She was bringing her own car to work because she had errands to run afterward. Her phone was dead so she plugged it into a car charger.Amelia was happy to get out of the house. She hadn't seen Alex or Isabel that morning, but she poured decaffeinated coffee into a travel mug and left. Her trip to work was uneventful, she figured that was going to change when Isabel greeted her at the door the Hillen Enterprises. "What's wrong?" Amelia asked. Isabel dragged her into one of the first-floor conference rooms. "I had the cybersecurity trace that email.""You work fast.""Well,
Alex knew this visit was long overdue. If the paparazzi that sometimes followed him had ever gotten a picture of him with Amelia, his mother would have been angry at him. Rightly so. They talked once a week and he hadn't get mentioned Amelia's presence. Isabel probably hadn't either which was good.This was a conversation best had in person.He paused on the front stoop of his mother's townhouse. She was in the middle of a senior living facility. She'd given up her home for more amenities. The door was painted purple and it made him smile whenever he saw it. She'd lobbied her Homeowner's Association to get it that color and won. His mother usually got what she wanted. He was happy he'd moved her to America after he had made it big in hockey. She'd preached family and he had learned well. That's why he'd hired his brother and his cousins in his company. Plus, he knew he could trust them.He rapped lightly on the door. It swung open. "I wondered when you were going to knock," Gwen Hi
After talking Isabel out of a bodyguard, Amelia was a little jumpy. Isabel refused to tell Alex and had sworn Amelia to secrecy. Promising she would take care of it, Isabel didn't push the idea of protection for Amelia. When Alex returned to the office, he looked at peace. Amelia wondered where he went, but it was none of her business. When he called her to his office, she was surprised and nervous. Had Isabel given in and told Alex?She greeted Madge. "He's waiting for you," she said. Amelia studied the woman, but she wasn't giving any hints as to what this meeting was about. "Thanks."Alex was seated behind his desk, staring out the window. She wondered why his office was on this side of the building when all to be seen was urban sprawl. Amelia preferred the opposite corner where she could view the woods. "Hey," she said, settling on a chair.He spun around with a smile on his face. "Hey. How are things going?"It sounded like a trick question, but she was probably reading into i
Amelia wasn't as excited as Isabel. She was more nervous than anything else. This was the mother of the man who she had a one-night stand with. The grandmother of her child. She hadn't spoken to Alex about who to tell about her pregnancy, but she couldn't fault him for telling his mother. The idea that she was to meet this woman who had raised Alex was making her anxious. Isabel put a hand on her arm. "It'll be fine. Grandma will love you."She appreciated Isabel's support. "Thanks.""Seriously, Grandma is the best.""She's your grandmother. Of course, she is. I'm a bit of an interloper in this situation."Alex turned around from the front seat. "I've told you. She's excited about another grandchild. You're in because of that."Amelia wasn't convinced, but she fell into silence not wanting them to realize how nervous she was. It was silly in their minds, but it wasn't her. She didn't know this woman. This woman hadn't asked Amelia to be in her life. She just was. The house was in a
Amelia can't believe the breakthrough she'd made. Henrik is standing over her computer. "You've caught the hacker," he said. The joy she felt in breaking this hacker was dampened by the fact that Hillen Enterprises might not need her anymore. This was her specialty. She wasn't a code monkey. She was a hacker. She wrote code to do specific purposes and it wasn't gaming. Henrik patted her on the shoulder. "You are amazing. Now we can start criminal proceedings.""I haven't actually identified who they are. I've only found their IP address. It's probably hidden behind anonymizers and such.""But you've gotten further than any of us."Amelia nodded but knew there was more to this. Of course, what she'd done was good and it got them closer to discovering who the hacker was. Amelia was excited about what she'd accomplished, but not as excited as Henrik was. "You need to go see Alex. We should celebrate all accomplishments."Amelia shrugged. "I need some fresh air. I'll step out then go
Amelia slept through the night and the next morning Alex was up and dressed before her. She felt bad since it was supposed to be their second night as a married couple. She'd fallen asleep before he left his shower. "You didn't wake me," Amelia said, stretching."No. You needed your sleep. But we need to go somewhere now. You can sleep more later," he said. There was a twinkle in his eye. He hadn't mentioned a surprise again, but maybe this was it. Was it another spa day? She liked the first one, but still felt guilty. "Where are we going?""You'll see. I've packed for you. I hope that was okay.""I guess. Since I don't know what weather we're packing for then I guess I'm glad you did."Amelia rose and got ready for her day, even if she didn't know what was happening. She trusted Alex and he'd been more attentive than usual since the warehouse. Did he feel guilty? He hadn't done anything to inspire the Agostinos' actions. She had done more to poke that bear. At least she was able to
The advantage of having money is that you have resources. If you can pay for them, they will be at your beck and call, whether human or object. Add in the fact, that the person in danger had worked briefly for the government which Alex had only just found out and the response was deafening. That was how Alex came to stand outside Agostino's warehouse with federal agents waiting for the signal that it was safe. Henrik, Erik, and Fred had joined Alex. They doubted the federals would need their muscle, but he appreciated their presence anyway. His heart hammered in his chest and he longed for one hour alone with Papa Agostino if he hurt any hairs on Amelia's head. The radios on the agents' belts chattered quietly. It wasn't a calming noise, and Alex wondered if it alerted anyone inside the warehouse to their presence. He'd assumed a surprise attack would be best, but this wasn't a hockey game. This was dangerous and Amelia would be in the line of fire."She'll be fine," Erik said. "The
When Amelia left the spa she was rejuvenated and ready to see her new husband. After spending hours in bed and taking a long nap, Amelia was tired but mostly refreshed. She woke up to an empty bed. She wasn't worried because she doubted that Alex had gone far. She showered, dressed, and found him in his office. She watched from the doorway as he huddled over his computer. His office was large, but his size made it look small. She couldn't help smiling at the turn her life had taken. Alex looked up at her and smiled. "Hey.""Hey.""You feeling okay?""I'm feeling pretty wonderful," she said. And she was. She finally felt as if she belonged somewhere. Alex motioned her into his office. She walked over and straddled his lap, his arms wrapping around her. "I'm feeling pretty wonderful myself."Even sitting on his lap, he was taller than her. She leaned in and kissed him, the feeling of it curling her toes. How had she landed such a great man? She hadn't even been looking, but here he
Amelia stared at the imposing doors that must have been made of gold. They were shiny and Amelia was afraid if she touched them, she'd leave a mark. Kalia and Isabel flanked her. She felt power in their presence. Amelia had never been to a spa and she hadn't been willing to blaze this trail alone. Alex had agreed to pay for Kalia, too, and when Isabel heard, she invited herself. Amelia was actually glad because Isabel had been to spas her whole life. She would save Amelia from making a faux pas if that was possible at a spa. She'd assumed that spas were places only rich people went and she wasn't one of those. Even with marrying Alex, she didn't think of his money as hers."They are just doors, Amelia."Amelia glanced back at Isabel who stood there flashing a reassuring smile. Kalia nodded as if she was on Team Isabel. Amelia took a deep breath then let it out. "But they are huge.""They aren't as heavy as they look," she said. Amelia looked back at Kalia who shrugged. She wasn't a
Alex had finally convinced Amelia to marry him and he was happier than he'd expected. It would be a simple ceremony at the courthouse. He'd offered her grander things, but she had turned them down. Maybe it was what he liked most about Amelia. She was low maintenance."You look handsome, Daddy," Isabel said from his bedroom door. He thanked the stars that Isabel had been happy when they'd told her they were getting married. "Does this tie look okay with this suit?" Alex asked. Isabel laughed. "It has been years since you asked me that. Yes. It looks nice. Are you nervous?"He shrugged. The fiasco with the Agostinos still weighed on his mind. He'd visited Papa Agostino and asked for him to back off. He hadn't left with any assurances, but he hoped they understood each other. He was never marrying Tory and Amelia was to be left alone. "A little. Is that odd?""Were you nervous when you married my mother?""I was so amazed that your mother was actually going to walk down that aisle. I
Amelia stared at the mansion knowing she only had a few minutes before someone would open the door. Someone on Alex's security team or Benedict would know that she'd driven in the front gate. Been driven in since she'd caught an Uber. She could have stayed with Kalia, but what would be the point? She belonged here. Even if Alex didn't love her, she felt something for him. Her moment of solace was gone when the front door opened and Benedict stood there. "Miss Cooper. Welcome home."There's that word again. She did feel a certain amount of peace being here. Was that what home meant? "Hello, Benedict."Before she could ask if Alex was home, he appeared in the foyer. Without hesitation, he stepped out onto the stoop and engulfed her in his arms. It wasn't the homecoming she expected. "I missed you and I'm pretty pissed at you," he said on the top of her head. Okay. That was fair. She had ditched the driver, while she was in danger. "I'm sorry."He let her go and Amelia glanced at Ben
Amelia wasn't stupid. She knew she was in danger so she hid in the mall bathroom until Kalia came to pick her up. She exited at a different site than she entered. She'd turned off her phone so that Alex couldn't get in touch with her. As far as she was concerned, she'd taken precautions not to get caught.When she looked around and no one was there, she hopped into Kalia's car."I feel like I'm part of a spy movie," Kalia said."Something like that. Thanks for coming for me. I just had to get out.""Anytime girlfriend, but you may not like what I have to say.""We can talk about that later."Amelia kept looking behind them, but she couldn't tell if they were being followed or not. She wasn't good at sneaking around. She'd never been a teenager who went to parties or snuck out of her house. She'd always walked a different road, but it hadn't been in rebellion against her parents. "What are you looking at?"Amelia told Kalia what was going on. "Maybe you should have stayed with Alex. H
"I wish you would just stay at the mansion. It's large enough for all of us," Alex said.It was the third time during their drive to meet a real estate agent to see an apartment. Amelia was done with hearing it. "Stop, Alex."He moved a little closer to her in the back seat. "I'm serious, Amelia. I don't like this.""It isn't yours to like or not. Just because I am carrying your child doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do."They hadn't slept together in days and Amelia had assumed that whatever was between them wasn't going anywhere. It was time for her to figure out her next step. She loved working for his company, but living with him was too much for two people who weren't even in love. Well at least one of them wasn't. She was pretty sure her crush on Alex would remain unrequited. She didn't need to see him every day. "I'm not moving out right now anyway."The threat of the Agostinos still loomed over her head. She wasn't willing to risk herself or the baby to assert her indep
Amelia can't believe the breakthrough she'd made. Henrik is standing over her computer. "You've caught the hacker," he said. The joy she felt in breaking this hacker was dampened by the fact that Hillen Enterprises might not need her anymore. This was her specialty. She wasn't a code monkey. She was a hacker. She wrote code to do specific purposes and it wasn't gaming. Henrik patted her on the shoulder. "You are amazing. Now we can start criminal proceedings.""I haven't actually identified who they are. I've only found their IP address. It's probably hidden behind anonymizers and such.""But you've gotten further than any of us."Amelia nodded but knew there was more to this. Of course, what she'd done was good and it got them closer to discovering who the hacker was. Amelia was excited about what she'd accomplished, but not as excited as Henrik was. "You need to go see Alex. We should celebrate all accomplishments."Amelia shrugged. "I need some fresh air. I'll step out then go