Vivienne’s POV
My daughter was missing.
Panic enveloped my entire being until I could barely see straight.
“She couldn’t have gone far, find her!” Devon yelled, and I knew he was communicating with our security detail over the comms, but I was still shaking.
How could this have happened?
How could I have let this happen?!
Devon’s hand slid over mine, anchoring me back to my body, his eyes full of sympathy and determination.
“Breathe, Viv. We’ll find her.” He promised.
A rough gasp left my throat, my words tripping over each other.
“If anything happens to her-”
Devon didn’t let me finish, pulling me into a hug, his arms steady around me.
“Nothing will happen to her, I promise.”
Nothing could happen to Gia.
If anything did, I would never forgive myself for it.
*
Everything was fine when we landed in Los Angeles.
Returning back to the same city that has given and taken so much from me was hard, to say the least, but I had to be strong for my children and the business Isle had entrusted me with.
It all went to hell when I stopped to get some ice cream for Gia and Leo in a bid to cheer them up after I noticed the frown on Gia’s face that had only grown the farther we went from the airport.
“When will Granny Isle come to visit?” Gia asked suddenly, barely a foot out of the ice cream place.
I crouched, smoothing her hair back from her forehead before responding.
“As soon as we are settled, baby.”
“And Granny Rachel?” Leo asked, a small cute furrow between his brows.
I nodded, dropping a kiss on his cheek. “She’ll be coming with your Granny Isle.”
Gia’s frown didn’t ease and I could never have expected her next question.
“Mom, is Dad in this city?”
I froze in shock, my mind going completely blank.
Leo’s eyes went wide and he looked almost as shocked as I felt.
I met Gia’s silver-gray glare.
“Where did you hear that?” I asked her, my voice coming out harsher than I had intended.
Gia folded her arms combatively, uncaring of the melting ice cream dripping down her arm.
“Uncle Colin and Aunt Nelly said that the real reason we were leaving home was because you wanted to see him here.”
What?!
How could those two have made up such a lie?
“Mom, is that true?” Leo piped up, his voice shrouded in uncertainty and my throat closed up.
The last time we had a conversation about him had been several months ago shortly after Gia had a fight with someone at school when they teased her about not having a dad.
He… that man… was a shadow hanging over our heads that I’d avoided discussing.
How could I tell my children their father was unaware of their existence? That he was a selfish, manipulative, unfeeling bastard who would never truly accept them?
I couldn’t. So I kept quiet.
I knew it was wrong. I knew it was only a matter of time before the children began to ask of him but I’d kept quiet anyway as if it would delay the inevitable.
So looking at my beautiful cherubic daughter that day, her little fingers bruised and her face red and tearstreaked, I’d never felt more of a failure as a mother.
“Your dad-”
“We don’t want to know.” Gia didn’t let me finish, her voice shaky and full of righteous anger.
I lifted her onto my lap, Leo climbing onto my other lap, his expression solemn and serious.
“Honey, it’s something you have to know about.” I tried again trying and failing to hold in my tears.
“You are crying again,” Gia said softly, placing her small palm on my face trying to wipe off my tears. “Every time Dad comes up in a conversation, everyone becomes sad. The last time Leo asked about him, even Granny Rachel couldn’t speak.”
My lips parted but my words left me.
“Gia-” I attempted once more but Leo placed his hand on my arm, his voice mature beyond his years.
“Mom, Daniel only has his dad. Everest has two moms and Freya only has her grandparents. We have you, our grannies, Uncle Devon, Aunt Rita, and the rest of the family. We are fine. I don’t want to see you cry.”
Naturally, I’d cried harder, hugging my twins to myself as they tried to comfort me with their soft words and their small hands wiping my tears.
After that day, we never spoke of him again. Their father didn’t exist.
Now, Leo and Gia stared at me with similar looks of betrayal.
“Did we really leave Granny Isle, Granny Rachel, and all our friends behind just to meet him?” Gia accused.
I tried to explain.
“Gia, that’s not it-”
Gia didn’t let me finish, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“But he is in this city, isn’t he?”