Adrian was overseas. He took the first flight back, a six–hour journey.
He wanted me to keep the child. The terms he offered were incredibly generous.
I accepted.
To avoid forming an attachment, I didn’t even look at her when she was born. Adrian took her away and named her Chloe.
A hame meaning “blooming.”
I figured Adrian must love her. That meant I didn’t need to worry.
I left the city and moved south.
Chapter 1
But I couldn’t escape the Blackwoods after all.
Adrian’s younger brother, Chris, was in charge of the company’s southern branch. I had been blasting my resume out everywhere. I don’t even remember applying for the secretary position under him.
The interview process was a blur. One minute I was applying, the next I was inexplicably Chris’s executive secretary. My job involv- ed managing his daily schedule, occasionally making coffee, and greeting important clients when his lead secretary was out. It was a mixed bag of tasks, but overall, it wasn’t too demanding, and the pay was excellent.
With the money Adrian had given me, I’d already bought an apartment. This job was supposed to be my ticket to a stable, quiet life.
But Chris’s fiancée shattered that dream.
“Clara? Clara?” Chris tapped his desk. “It doesn’t take this long to think about it. Are you hesitating? You think you’re too good for
him?” He was smiling, but his tone was sharp.
I finished organizing his schedule and pushed the planner toward him. “You have a meeting from eleven to eleven–thirty. Lunch at noon with Mr. Lee Jr.; his family just had a new baby, so I’ve prepared a gift for you to take. Golf from two to four, but Mr. Kane invited you to go riding at the same time, so you’ll have to reschedule one. At five, you’re giving clients a tour of the R&D center and discussing the contract. Dinner is at The Manor; I’ve already ordered, mostly Cantonese. It’s ten forty–three now. Mr. Lee mention- ed a few executives wanted to brief you beforehand, so you can see them now.”
I paused for a second before continuing. “As for the blind date with your brother… I think I’ll pass
Chris leaned back in his executive chair, spinning it with the tip of his shoe. He stared at me for a long moment, a thoughtful look
his face.
on
“Hmm,” he said, a smirk playing on his lips. “Clara, you look like you’re hiding something from me.
“Your brother and I know each other,” I said.
To say we “dated” felt too strong. Our families and friends never knew. It wasn’t a real relationship.
“Oh, you know each other?” He nodded, then abruptly stopped spinning. He squinted at me, and his voice became certain. “No, that‘ s not it. You were with my brother, weren’t you?”
Even though I was used to the casual contempt of the wealthy, that phrage-“were with him–still stuing.
“Yes,” I admitted,
He immediately shot up from his chair, a wide grin on his face, and ushered me to the sofa. He eagerly poured me a cup of tea.
*Sol Tell me! Do you know who his daughter’s mother is? All of us, his friends, we’ve been trying to get it out of him for years, but he won’t crack.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “The guy hates kids. He must have really, really liked the woman to keep the child. You were with him, spill the tea. Who was his favorite?”
Who was in
it?
Was it the girl he’d been willing to go shopping with? Or was she just one of many?
I pressed my lips together. “I don’t know who his favorite was. But it definitely wasn’t me.”
Chris burst out laughing. “Wow, you sound bitter. I thought my brother was supposed to be generous.”
“Maybe with other people. When I was with him, I lived in a rental.”
Chris’s expression froze for a moment. He looked completely dumbfounded.
“You lived where?” he repeated. “A rental? He let you live in a rental?”
