“You realize your mother is probably out of her mind right now?” Augustus shook his head, holding out his hand to Stephen, who placed his phone in it, already dialed and ringing. He only had to wait a moment before a panicked voice answered, “I can’t talk now! I have to go!” “Macey, before you hang up—You wouldn’t be looking for a pair of adorable twins who happen to be standing in front of me, would you?” “…They are with you? Thank god.” “It seems they didn’t like their babysitter and snuck away,” Augustus said, choosing not to elaborate on details. There was time enough for that later, when she wasn’t panicked. “I’m at the gallery right now. Can they stay with you until I’m done?” “Of course. I have another hour before I can knock off work, then I’ll take them home. You can pick them up there,” Augustus fell silent, listening to her response before saying goodbye and handing the phone back to Stephen. He gave the twi
Augustus stepped into his office to see Aria and Caden comfortably seated on one of his couches. Stephen placed a plate of cookies in front of them and handed them each a juice bottle as the DaLair patriarch entered. Ever efficient, even Augustus had no idea how Stephen always managed to procure proper refreshments so quickly. He sat down across from the content pair, eyeing them carefully. They certainly didn’t act like five-year-olds who had just survived a harrowing experience. In fact, they seemed quite pleased with themselves. Augustus accepted the coffee Stephen offered while he considered his grandchildren. Despite their innocent looks, he couldn’t treat them like normal kids. “All right…you two want to tell me why you are really here?” Aria and Caden shared a look before Aria spoke up, “We’re here to start Phase Two.” “Phase Two? Of what?” “Our plan to get maman and papa back together, of course,” Aria smile
They skipped to the door, quickly donning their shoes and jackets. The weather had been fair, but it was still chilly, to say nothing of the sloppy snow on the streets. “Don’t forget your hats,” Macey joined them, fitting both with knit caps. “How anyone could eat ice cream when it’s this cold outside, I just don’t understand.” “I agree,” Victoria called from the kitchen, shaking her head. “All of you are crazy.” “Bye, bye maman! Tante Vicki! Tante Dillon! Be back soon!” Aria waved as their grandfather ushered them out the door. “Don’t let them stay out too long, dad,” Macey warned. “I don’t want them catching cold.” “Of course, of course,” Augustus nodded. “Don’t worry. I raised two boys, remember?” Macey rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue any further. In truth, he raised her as well. Her father had been around for her early years, so she thought of Augustus as a doting uncle for most of her childhood.
No. He couldn’t do that to her. She needed a little more time to spread her wings. Once she could truly stand on her own, then it would be time to tell Julius the truth. His son would have to hold out until then. Maybe then, he would be able to win her heart back. The drive to their favorite café was short and they disembarked, only to hurry inside. Normally, they would have sat outside, but the day was just too cold. Caden and Aria stomped their feet on the welcome mat to shake off any lingering slush. “Bonjour. Petits!” the proprietor greeted.[1] “Bonjour,” they called together. Augustus chuckled as they took their seats. It amazed him to think his grandkids were naturally bi-lingual. They spoke French fluently and their English was impeccable. Jude was taking Spanish in school, but he could barely manage a short conversation. It was unlikely he would retain any of it once he was graduated. Was the secret actually livi
Victoria made it clear whether Paul could win Macey’s heart was up to him and Augustus was not allowed to meddle. Though Augustus was a multi-billionaire business owner, there was something about Victoria that made him want to stay on her good side and not aggravate her. As of now, Macey seemed blissfully unaware of Paul’s affection and showed no interest in him beyond a good friend. If the kids had shown him a lot of attention, Macey might have been more inclined to see Paul in another way, but thankfully, the kids hadn’t grown needlessly close to him. “What do you want to know?” Augustus finally said. “We’ll start with his name,” Aria diplomatically said. “Julius.” “Julus?” Aria tried to pronounce the unfamiliar name. “Julius. Julius DaLair. He’s my youngest.” “You have more children?” “I have two. March is his older brother.” “So we have an oncle, too?” Aria smiled, lo
“Caden?” Aria asked, looking across the room to her brother’s bed. After ice cream with their grandfather, they asked a few more questions about their family. He even showed them some pictures he had on his phone. While it was exciting to see their family, it only made it clearer how much distance separated them. Their cousin was actually quite a bit older than they were. In their experience, older kids didn’t really care about younger ones, but maybe that wasn’t true if they were family. “Caden?” No answer. “You know, Caden, you should talk more. It made maman really worried when you didn’t talk for so long. Oncle Paul kept saying you needed to be tested.” No answer. “Caden, are you asleep?” “No.” “What do you think about what grand-père said today?” “About our papa?” “Well, yeah.” “Hmm.” “If our papa is like Grand-père Gus then he
Caden nodded. It sounded okay. At least, it sounded doable, but he wasn’t certain it would be enough to bring their family together. Aloud, he asked, “Do you think that will be enough?” Aria frowned. Her brother had a point. Anyone could say they are sorry and just walk away. They had to make it so their father wouldn’t walk away. They had to show their parents that being a family was better than not being a family. Aloud, she said, “Part four we show them that being a family is best. Part five, papa proposes!” Caden nodded. That seemed like a logical plan. But for any of it to work, they had to get to America. He wasn’t sure how they would do that, but their grandfather said he also wanted to bring their parents back together. Perhaps they could rely on him for that part. At least, they had a plan.* * * “Last night was Phase One. Papa saw us, so now he knows we’re here. Now, we have to start Phase Two,” Aria announced.
Julius silently fumed as he listened to his children explain how they arrived at the office building only to be rejected at the door because no one knew their connection to him. He no longer cared about their failed meeting with Leon, or the fact the deal had been salvaged by Aria. All he cared about was finding the person responsible for dismissing his children, but even retribution was denied him when his father handled the receptionist. “Such a spiteful old man,” Katherine grumbled. “Come on baby, let’s go on that date.” She clutched his arm, but Julius jerked away. He glared at her, demanding, “What are you still doing here? This is an office building for people who work! Do you know anything about that?” Katherine’s mouth opened and closed several times as she struggled to think of an answer. No one had ever expected her to work. Her parents treated her like a princess and insisted she not worry about money. She reached for him again, bu
“Mom and I were planning to play later,” Alexis said. “You can too if you want.” “Really? Thanks,” Caden immediately brightened. “…So you based the décor on the diner you used to work in,” Macey said after listening to Ava’s brief retelling of her past. “Were you thinki
Silas’s embrace tightened. He hated thinking about the trials she went through without him. Ava leaned against him relishing his comfort and support. Their past was not as important as their future. “You two aren’t going to go all kissy-face, right?” Theo asked. “We’re in public and
Two Months Later The restaurant was lively. Guests had been arriving for the past two hours eager for a unique dining experience. The staff was well-trained providing exceptional service despite the rush. They had been drilled in their duties by the restaurant’s manager, a tyrant the
She nodded. “Going down?” Silas repeated. “Just what have you three planned now?” “It was more like a hunch,” Lexi said. “Sean found something real interesting when he deep-dived Ryker Holdings. So we asked Duncan to keep an eye on someone, just in case.” “D
“Late? A test for what?” Silas asked not following. “Are you serious?” Tracy snorted a laugh. “Ava, you’re going to have to be a little clearer,” Opal chuckled. “Remember, it’s his first time.” Silas glanced from one to the other even more confused. Looking
“There you three are,” Tracy said as the trio returned to the party. “We were just about to send the search party to find you.” “Auntie Tracy, you’re so silly,” Alexis giggled. “How are you feeling mom?” Ava hugged her tight but Alexis didn’t feel any tension or strain in
Finding no support anywhere Jenna finally fled. No one paid her further mind as they watched the kids swarm around their parents comforting their mother. It was a sweet and tender scene and many began to see Silas in a completely different light. * * * Jenna screamed as she storme
Jenna stepped forward intentionally shoving her shoulder and made Ava stumble back. “W-What is—” Jenna stuttered as the video paused. “Who was calling who shameless?” Alexis demanded standing next to her mother arms crossed in front of her chest. “So playing with people’s
The music started slowly with just a few notes announcing the beginning of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. The simple melody became more complex as notes overlapped and weaved a new organic pattern but always maintaining the integrity of the piece. Conversation lulled as everyone turned their