James.A week had passed since I had first started looking over all of the paperwork that Ronaldo and his father had in regard to the import business. I wasn't exactly sure what they were expecting, but after doing much research and digging into everything, I was able to come up with a plan of action to make sure that they were profiting like they wanted to be.Every day, though, my brain constantly wandered back to Becca and my daughter wondering if now was the opportunity to let her know that I was still alive. I wanted to get back to her, I wanted to talk to her, and no matter how many times I tried to reach out to Neil, he was unavailable or unwilling to take my call.I had thought about reaching out to Allegra, but that was asking for problems if I wasn't careful. She already didn't like me or the things that I had done, and even though I didn't want to think that she would stop me from knowing about my daughter and knowing how things were going, I couldn't cross the idea
Becca.After a week of silence, Neal had decided that apologizing profusely was the best way to get me in a better mood. Not that I was paying attention to his efforts. I had chosen to pretend that things were okay, but secretly, I was keeping an eye out. There was no way that I was letting the situation go. If something was up, I was bound to find out."Becca, look at these necklaces," Dad said. My dad's new wife was currently receiving pampered treatment on the other side of town while I helped him find a gift for her.Looking at the multicolored beads with silver trim, I smiled at his choice. "It's beautiful, Dad. She will love it."He seemed to ponder for a moment before pulling out his wallet and handing cash over to the plump brunette storekeeper. She was more than helpful as she threw in a pair of matching earrings on his purchase in a small pink box, wrapping it with a bow.I loved how everyone here was so happy and helpful when you spoke to them. It was a nice con
Becca.I stared at Allegra, slightly confused as to why she wanted to know what the man looked like. Her entire demeanor changed the moment that I told her what had happened, and as it did, I felt slightly uneasy about the entire situation. "Why do you want to know what he looked like?" I asked her, waiting for her to give me an answer. She kept a stoic gaze as she turned and looked over her shoulder to see if anybody else was coming."Becca, just tell me. What did this man look like?"Again, with all the secrecy, she wasn't giving me a direct answer. But then again, I hadn't actually answered her question either. Letting out a sigh, I rolled my eyes and turned back to the unpacking. "I don't know. He was tall, blond hair. He wore sunglasses. There was nothing really different from him than anybody else, other than he looked very suspicious."My reply didn't seem to impress her, and in fact, it seemed to annoy her more than anything. Not wanting to cause any more complica
James.After the incident that I had with Ronaldo in regard to the meeting I had with his father, I had made sure to keep him informed every single step of the way because the last thing that I wanted were issues with my cousin that could easily be avoided. Deciding to take the day off from actually working, I made my way down toward the lounge area that my uncle had at the back of his large estate.It reminded me quite a bit of the veranda that I had back at the mansion in Miami, a home that was now lost to me permanently. I was quite aware that Becca sold the home to my cousin, and even though he would use it here and there, for the most part, it stood vacant. I wasn't pleased with the idea of having my cousin completely go in and renovate a home that I had spent many years perfecting, but it was my fault that I lost it, and I was going to have to live with that.Not to mention that home without my daughter Tally, where she had lost her life, was not a home that I wanted
Neal.The moment that I hung up with James, I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do. One thing was for sure though, I needed to speak with Beck and find out exactly who this person was and what they looked like. The only problem was that Becca had no interest in really speaking to me about anything unless I came forward and told her what I had been up to.Taking a deep breath, I mustered up the courage to get up from where I had currently been sitting and make my way out into the main part of the living room. The moment that I walked down the hallway, I felt my pulse racing, my heart beating rapidly out of my chest as I turned the corner and saw Becca in the kitchen, currently unpacking whatever it was that she had purchased during the day.There was a determination and frustration in the way that she moved as she slammed things down onto the counter and let out a heavy sigh. I instantly regretted my decision to try to come and speak to her, but before I could turn and go
Becca.With Neal finally telling me what exactly was wrong with him, I found myself at a loss for words when I realized that the danger I had once been in was no longer over. In fact, it had only died down for a short time. And now, with the rising slowly coming, I knew that the inevitable would eventually happen.Standing in the kitchen, staring out the window over the lush blue ocean with white capping waves that came upon the shore as soon as it had hit the sandbar, I tried to let my mind work over everything that he had told me. How was it that after so much hard work and trying to start over, my life once again was slowly starting to spin out of control?Was it so hard for a girl like me to simply ask for peace? To be able to raise her children as she saw fit, without having people constantly trying to interfere? Not to mention, I had just gotten my father here and his wife, and with them coming here, it was supposed to be an amazing time, not full of chaotic hell that se
James.By the time Neal got back to me on what needed to be done, it was already 24 hours later. I had been nothing, but a panicked mess through all of it, and when he informed me that he didn't find anything on the car, but they had had a conversation with Becca about some of the stuff that was going on, I knew without a doubt that she was more than likely losing her mind.Or at least that was what I was assuming.She wasn't built for the life that we lived. She wasn't built to go through this chaos, and time and time again, she was brought into it because of me, because of the choices that I made when I was younger.Neal had gone into town and looked around at different shops to pull footage, and while he was able to see the man, neither he nor I recognized him. He looked like a local, but yet, some of the local people who had been there for years had never seen the man before.I was worried. Worried this could potentially be someone that could cause damage to her to me
James.I wasn't really sure what to expect when my uncle told me that he wanted me to come to this family gathering where they were going to have food and drinks and reminisce on certain things before he made his big announcement. But I can tell you right now, the last thing I expected was for there to be a turnout the size that there was.At least 100 people were present. Even several people my uncle did business with were here.This wasn't something that typically happened in our world, and in fact, I had never been or heard of an attendance like this. Perhaps it was only a few people that he did business with, yet, my uncle meandered around the room in his designer three-piece suit, looking absolutely spiffy as hell. I couldn't help but wonder what he was up to.The man was a mystery I was still trying to figure out."It's going to be a grand announcement. Are you ready, cousin?" Ronaldo said as he stepped up next to me. I wasn't quite sure what he was referring to, b