Erica:
“You should come over tonight. I have something I’d like to discuss…”
He said in a knowing voice then walked past me but not before grabbing my ass discreetly.
I looked at him in shock. How dare he? He walked away and turned around with a smirk on his
face and continued to walk.
I felt my cheeks turn angry red. I was fuming. I was going to knock that smug smile off his face. I
stormed further into the airport after him with nothing on my mind except letting him know that
he could not touch me in such a way.
“Mummy.” I heard Elma cry out.
I stopped dead in my tracks and I gasped.
“Elma.”
I stopped moving and watched Dante walk away and my opportunity to knock him upside the
head disappeared as he turned the corner.
I sighed in anger and turned back around. I hated that Dante grabbed my ass but my revenge was
not worth him finding out about my kids. I wanted to keep my life away from him.
I went back to where I left the kids and saw Elsa trying her best to comfort her crying sister.
“Shhhh, shhhh. It’s okay. Mommy’s here now.”
I tried my best to quieten her. I was already getting uncomfortable stares from people in the
airport as I tried to soothe Elma to silence. She hated being left alone.
“Alright, kids. I think that it’s time we went back home.”
I carried Elma and we all headed back to where I parked the car. As we walked, I kept my eyes
peeled for Dante. My nose sniffed the air for a whiff of his scent but I couldn’t smell it. I stood
protectively behind my kids and shielded all three of them as they got into the car. I couldn’t risk
Dante catching a glimpse of them. I wouldn’t be able to explain anything to him. What would I
even say?
“Mummy,” Elsa called softly. Uncle Lorenz will be back home soon, right?” she asked. I think
among the three of them, she liked Lorenzo more.
I smiled and rubbed her cheek gently.
“Uncle Lorenzo will be back but not so soon. He probably might call us as soon as he gets home.”
I got into the car and took one final look around before driving off. Dante dominated my thoughts
and all I could feel was contempt. He had invited me out but he must be a maniac to think that I’d
go out with him. Never. Not now thatI have forgiven myself for cheating on Lorenz.
The drive back home was different. The atmosphere in the car was cold and distant and the kids
kept silent. With Lorenzo, there was always playful bickering and an abundance of kisses that the
kids ‘eewwwed’ playfully.
I sighed and felt my heart reach out to him. I really hoped that he was okay. I found myself
looking into my phone quite often, expecting his call but it was impossible. He had just been gone
for a few minutes. It was impossible that he had reached his destination already.
We soon pulled up in front of the house and Ethan was the first to jump out. He yawned sleepily
and waited for his sister who was trying to get a sleepy Elma out.
“Don’t worry Elsa. I’ll handle her. You two go inside.”
Ethan and Elsa dashed inside and I carried Elma out of the car. She stirred in her sleep but she
didn’t wake up. I listened to her sweet snores and swooned over my little girl. She was always the
clingy one.
I went inside and saw that the house was spotless. I expected to see Clarissa in the living room
but it was empty. I strode to the kitchen and finally found her sitting quietly and lonely at the
dining table.
“Clarissa?”
She jerked in fright and turned to look at me. I surveyed her face and saw that she looked
lethargic, but not in a sick way.
“Good evening, Ma’am Erica. I’m sorry I didn’t see you there. When did you get back?”
I surveyed her face skeptically. Something was off about her. She wasn’t usually the type to sit
quietly.
“I just got home. Didn’t you see the kids?”
She shook her head slowly.
“No. I probably missed them. But they didn’t come into the kitchen.”
“Right.”
My reply was dry and sarcastic. There was definitely something wrong with her. I could tell.
“Clarissa? Is something on your mind?”
She sat up immediately and her eyes brightened. She was looking slightly pale before but almost
instantly, color flooded her skin.
“I… I… I’m fine. I’m just… just feeling a little under the weather. That’s all.”
I narrowed my eyes and stared at her. Something told me that she was lying but I had no way to
prove it.
“Well, there is some Aspirin in the bathroom cupboard. You should take one.”
Suddenly, Elma woke up and began to squirm in my arms. I put her down and she immediately
began to zoom around the kitchen with renewed energy. I could only sigh and watch her. Having
triplets was a handful sometimes.
She continued to run circles around the kitchen table and soon crashed playfully into Clarissa.
Clarissa brightened up and lifted Elma high and she began to giggle.
“I guess you won’t mind handling the kids. I have to get some work done.”
Just as I finished speaking, Ethan and Elsa hurried downstairs.
“Mom! We want to play castle. Can you be the monster?”
I chuckled. They loved bothering me with this game. Lorenzo did a much better job at being the
monster while the kids battled him to protect their turf.
“I’m sorry Ethan, but I have work to do. Clarissa can play with you. She can be the monster.”
The kids all hooted cheerfully and swarmed Clarissa while I snuck upstairs. I had a lot of work to
catch up on. The room was quiet and airy. But it felt empty without Lorenzo. He was the resident
I had work stacked up. He had the sweet habit of teasing me every time I wanted to get busy.
The thought of him pulled my lips at the corners. I really hope his trip is going well. I sighed and
picked up my phone and was about to call him but I stopped myself.
No. He was probably still on the flight. He said he was going to call me as soon as he landed.
I put my phone down and opened my laptop. It was work time.
I opened my emails and began to reply to the ones for work. My secretary had sent a
spreadsheet for review and my eyes darted across the screen, evaluating the numbers while my
hands punched the calculator.
Time flew by fast and I would often stop to listen to the kids. Their squeals of delight reassured
me that they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
My hand went at the keyboard furiously for another two hours and then I decided to take a
break. My eyes stung from staring at the screen for so long and I rubbed my eyes to dissipate the
pain.
“Fuck, I need a coffee. I will probably be here quite late.”
Ring! Ring! Ring!
My thoughts of a steaming hot cup of a latte were interrupted by my phone ringing on the table.
My heart beat furiously. It was Lorenzo. He had arrived so soon. How was that…
My eyes glanced at the screen but I didn’t see Lorenzo’s name above the number. The number
wasn’t even saved on my phone. I was skeptical about answering it. Maybe it was a wrong
number?
The ringing died down, but shortly after, it started again. It was still the same number. Who was
calling me? Maybe Lorenzo’s phone died and he was using a different phone to call me.
With that reassurance, I decided to pick up the phone.
“Hello? Lor..?”
“Erica. It’s Dante.”
My blood ran cold. Dante? Why is he calling me The insolent prick!
“What do you want? How did he get my number?”
He chuckled lightly over the phone.
“You have been acting strange, Erica.”
“How do you mean strange?”
“You act like you weren’t the one that went down on me some days ago, you act like you do not
want me and lastly, you act like we do not have a contract. We want the betterment of our
packs.”
I felt renewed hate brew inside me.
“What do you want? I’m busy?”
“I made a proposal to you at the airport. We were supposed to meet. It’s past 7 and you didn’t
reply to my invitation.”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. He was still the same self-absorbed dickhead.
“Couldn’t you take a hint? I’m not going to show up. I’m busy with work. We can’t and we won’t
be meeting up anymore.”
He chuckled wickedly.
“You’re hilarious, Erica. I’ll forgive you this time. I understand that work is important. However, a
friend of mine is throwing a gala tomorrow night. Be there.”
I was astonished.
‘Be there?’ Who did he think he was? I wasn’t going to be anywhere.
“No, Dante. I’m not going to attend. I’m not your puppet anymore. If you want to go to the gala,
you can go alone.”
“I don’t think that you understand what is at stake here.”
His voice was icy and dangerous but still smooth.
“We need to talk, Erica. If this is going to work. You need to play your role to help me hide the
gem.”
I could feel my anger swelling. What was wrong with him?
“Dante…”
“Before you say ‘no’, let me also add that if I don’t see you tomorrow night, my tongue might slip
and I might tell Hazan where the gem is. We wouldn’t want that to happen, would we?”
My cheeks burned. I turned to the mirror and saw that my cheeks were an ugly blotchy red.
“You’re bluffing!” I yelled.
“Am I now? Nothing stops me from delivering the gem to Hazan and making a treaty with him. So
you better think about your choices carefully. You are the one on the losing side.”
I felt my heart on the brink of shattering. How could someone be this cold and cruel?
“Alright. I’ll come.”
I gave in. I couldn’t risk anything. If a party was what it took to save my pack, then I would do it.
“Excellent. I’m glad that you made a good choice. I’ll send you the time and venue. And Erica, one
more thing.”
“What else do you want?” I snapped at him but he was unbothered by my tone.
“Wear something sexy. Or I will make good of my threat.” He is threatening me again, I thought
we were over this.
The line went dead and I set the phone down. I wanted to break down into tears but I heard a
knock at my door. Before I could give permission to enter, it opened and my kids stood in the
doorway, staring at me.
“Was that uncle Lorenzo on the phone?” Elma asked softly.
I had to manage a smile and beckoned them to come in. They all clung to me and looked at me
with longing eyes, waiting to hear what I had to say on the phone.
“No. It was just a business call.”
“Okay. Mummy, why do you look sad all the time?” Ethan asked and his siblings stared at me like
they were accepting what he was saying and like they read my mind they replied.
“It’s true mummy. You’ve cried so much since we came to this pack, we try to act like we don’t
see it but we see it.” Elsa said. I stared at my children, as they expressed concern.
Elma had her thumb in her mouth.
“Yes mummy, is everything okay? Tell us.” I felt so glad to have children that were this observant.