(Aya’s POV)A month ago, going on vacation like this was my dream. I imagined myself boring my feet on the powdery sand of the beach or lying on it as I let my body be kissed by the waves on the shore. Addie and I would usually talk about watching the sunset, camping on the beach, stargazing, and waiting for the sunrise.With Leslie’s salary and her income from her business, it was possible to reach that dream, but instead of spending on a little treat for themselves, they would save the money on rainy days, not for them, but for Katie and me.Last night at our dinner, Sherrilyn sadly announced to her grandchildren that she had an urgent business trip the next day and would try to be back on Friday morning or evening. I thought this would make Violet and Green sad, but they excitedly asked Red if we could go to the Sunny Horizon Resort early, hoping to catch the sunrise at around six in the morning.I could not guess whether it was the sugar rush or the excitement of going to the beac
(Aya’s POV)“Hi,” Ariana grinning at Ned, shaking hands with them.Addie rolled her eyes, probably wanting to smack Ariana first before hitting the guys in their faces for showing her sweet smile to them. Although we had not been together long, I knew her smile meant crazy ideas, sometimes making Red nuts. Looking at her suspicious smile, I thought it was the same one I saw on the day of my interview.“Too bad we can’t give our names,” she said, shaking her head, not to our uninvited visitors but to Vin, who was looking at us. “But it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, right?”“A little more of this; I’ll drag Ariana to the water and make sure to drown her,” whispered Addie. “You won’t, and you can’t stop me,” she muttered, her nostrils flaring in annoyance.“Fun. I like that,” Ned smiled, turning to her. “What do you have in mind?”Ariana puckered her lips at the volleyball net. “You win, you get our names, and you get a date with...” she turned to me and pointed her index finger at me.
(Aya’s POV)Gino!I blinked many times and reminded myself to breathe. My eyes swept at him from head to toe, and I swore to heaven he looked better... much better than before. As I stared at him, I wished he had gotten ugly or plain, but he got taller, more handsome, and sexier. Why would I have to see him again at the beach? My memory of him without his shirt, he was not as hot as he was now. I swallowed hard when my eyes pinned on his abs, wishing it was only my imagination.Heat crept through my cheeks as Gino swept his dark eyes over me. Like me, he must have forgotten to breathe.“Aya,” He murmured my name like the way he would whisper in my ear when he put his arms around me.I closed my eyes, squeezing them tight as I felt a deep stab in my chest.“Boss!” Leslie cleared her throat, taking his attention away from me. “Let me explain...” She bit her bottom lip and looked anxiously at her partner as if asking for help.Gino didn’t look interested anymore in the reason she had wri
(Aya’s POV)“Daddy, aren’t you going to shake hands with him?” Violet asked curiously, looking at Gino’s hand.“Let me do it for daddy,” Liam chuckled, stepping forward and shaking hands with Gino instead. “Don’t mess up with the big boss, Gino.” He murmured, but enough for me to hear. “Don’t. Come. Near. His. Wife.”Gino flickered his eyes on the man beside me and gasped, realizing he was Red Carlington, the CEO and the owner of The Pacific. He opened his mouth but closed it again and then looked at Addie to confirm if Liam was telling the truth, but my cousin looked away. “Why don’t we finish the game?” Ariana said excitedly to break the awkward moment.Ned rolled his eyes, disappointed that his prize was no longer available. “Your team’s winning already,” he muttered as he took the ball and gave it to her. “And it’s obvious I’m not getting that date.” He glanced at Red, narrowing his eyes as he thought. “How about I get you a drink?”“Sorry,” she shook her head. “Not thirsty. Not
(Aya’s POV)“Am I Katie’s father?” Gino repeated his question, pulling me closer to him. There was a hint of pain and hope in his eyes.“What on earth are you saying, Gino?” I growled, brushing his hand off again, and when I succeeded, I pushed him away from me. “Red is Katie’s father.”He scoffed, squinting his eyes for a second and shaking his head as he eyed me. “I don’t get the chance to meet my boss every day, or maybe not ever since he never showed up in the office, but I knew his story, his life! He only has five kids, Aya, and -”“And what?” I hissed angrily. “Just because you think you knew my husband’s life, you have the guts to think you’re Katie’s father?” I sneered and made a step, but Gino blocked my way.“I’m not going to stop, Aya, until you tell me the truth,” he said, raising his hand to hold my arm again, but I moved back.“Stay away from me, Gino,” I pushed him back and walked past him.“I never stop loving you, Aya, and I know you still love me,” he yelled, but I
(Red’s POV)Vin knew apologizing for what happened was not enough, and without my wife in the room, he knew his team, including the three nannies who were with the children at that time, would lose their job for failing to keep sight of Katie. If Aya were not there, I would have exploded in anger, disappointed that they fell short of doing their job when there were three nannies around, and three bodyguards, keeping an eye on them. “This wasn’t the first time that this happened, Ana!” I growled, remembering how Violet escaped home without her knowing she had left her room. If not for Violet begging at that time not to fire Ana because it was her fault, not her nanny, I would have kicked her out, not caring about her sick mother.Ana lowered her head, her shoulders shaking as she cried silently with Ellen and Nessa. My twins, who had stopped wailing for fear of not finding their sister, were sitting on the couch with Ariana. My other children were with Liam and Mike, sitting at the n
(Red’s POV)I blinked, not realizing I was not moving from where I stood. Katie was like little Aya, but since she said she was Myra’s daughter, I never doubted she wasn’t the biological mother, but when I saw Gino with our daughter in his arms, I could not help thinking that my wife was lying to me.“Red,” Mike nudged me. “They found your daughter. Are you just going to stand here?” When I looked at him, he scoffed. “I know that look, Red. Now’s just not the best time.” He stepped toward Aya.“Mommy,” Katie hiccupped as she stopped crying and clung to her mother when Gino gave the child to her.A few of our guests, especially older women, were in tears seeing that touching moment of a mother and child reunited. Aya cried silently, planting tiny kisses on our daughter, hugging her while she kept saying thanks to the man who found her.Brushing off my suspicions, I walked toward them, and when Katie saw me, she cried again, extending her arm and reaching for me.I took Katie from Aya,
(Red’s POV)“Oh!” Ariana exclaimed as she closed the door behind her. “You just came back now? Aya’s been waiting for you for hours.”“Did the kids have lunch already?” My hands were on the doorknob when I asked her.“Red,” she rolled her eyes and then glanced at her wristwatch. “It’s past four. The kids fell asleep after devouring the donuts Addie and Leslie brought earlier.”“Where are they?” I asked again, clearing my throat. “I mean Addie and Leslie.”“They went to Wilma to help her with the barbeque and check if we still needed something else. Ned’s just arrived with his cousins. Liam and Mike are at the bar for our drinks later,” she sighed and looked briefly at the closed door.“Aya?”She rolled her again. “Why don’t you check her yourself, Red? Aya’s too upset, and you know what upsets her? She kept on telling me that if she had been there watching the kids, this wouldn’t happen.” She sighed. “I don’t want to feel guilty, but guilt is now killing me because it was my silly ide