Rosita studied the child in front of her.
His skin was pale, those dark eyes watching her quietly. He couldn’t have been more than three years old, but it was already obvious–this boy was going to grow up handsome.
Still, there was something oddly familiar about him….
Rosita’s gaze drifted to Garry.
He caught her looking, lifted one dark eyebrow. “What are you staring at?”
She smiled a little. “Just trying to see if the little one looks like you.”
Garry’s lips quirked. “He’s still so small. Hard to tell, isn’t it?”
Rosita gave a diplomatic answer. “You two do share the same eyes and brows,”
“People keep saying that,” Garry said with a small laugh, and carried Mario over to the couch.
Little Mario nestled quietly in Garry’s arms. He was a slight child, with a cool, porcelain complexion and hair that, while dark, caught the light with a hint of chestnut.
At that moment, Pandora entered the room, two women trailing behind her, both in their forties.
“Ms. Lockwood, these are the nannies who’ll be looking after Mario,” Pandora announced, her tone formal. “From now on, they’ll be living here to help you raise him.”
Rosita turned to the women, who immediately offered polite curtsies. “Good afternoon, ma’am.”
She returned their greeting with a gentle smile, then glanced back at Pandora. She’d seen Pandora a few times before–Garry’s right hand for years now, competent and attractive enough that Garry rarely traveled without
her.
Rosita could never quite believe there was truly nothing between them. But the truth was, she didn’t care how many women Garry had been with, or who they were.
Her relationship with Garry was a transaction, plain and simple. He needed someone to play mother to his child; she needed his power and protection.
And with professional nannies on hand, she wouldn’t even have to care for the child herself. As far as deals went, she wasn’t getting the short end.
Rosita walked over and sat beside Garry, her gaze softening as she looked at the boy. “Mario, I’m your mom now,” she said gently. “From now on, it’ll be you, me, and your dad. We’ll be a real family, all three of us together.”
Mario stared at her in silence.
“He’s sensitive,” Garry murmured. “Don’t feel pressured to make him accept you right away.”
Rosita’s smile faltered. “Sorry. I’ve never looked after a child this young. Maybe I’m just making him nervous.”
Garry shot her a sidelong glance. “You really haven’t spent much time with kids.”
She was taken aback.
“It’s been four years,” Garry continued, his tone dry. “Do you even remember what your own son looks like?”
Rosita went pale. “I…”
“You’re so eager to go back to Northborough–are you doing it for your son, or for Stewart?”
“My relationship with Stewart isn’t what you think,” she whispered, voice tight with hurt. “Garry, I know you’re
only helping me because of Randolph. Stewart and you, you’re both men who value loyalty. I’m grateful to both
1/2
21:17
Chapter 283
of you, truly. But my heart… My heart’s always belonged to Randolph. I could never betray him.”
Garry’s eyes were dark, unreadable. “If Randolph could hear you now, I’m sure he’d be touched.”
Rosita frowned, fingers clenching slightly in her lap.
Briony needed to leave on a business trip for a couple of days, but it worked out–James, Carney, and Gwendolyn White had all come to visit.
With the three of them around to look after little Nina, Briony could leave with peace of mind.
In the past two years, Briony–working under the name Leilani–had entered several international art competitions, taken home multiple awards, and held a handful of exhibitions.
The exhibitions had been lucrative, and with her earnings, she’d scouted out a few promising startups. After bringing in a professional venture capital team to assess the risks, she invested in several companies.
This year, the returns had been excellent–especially from one company, DreamFrame Animation, founded by a group of ambitious young people.
Briony’s business trip was to meet DreamFrame’s founder in person. She wanted to find a way to blend traditional heritage into modern animation–helping those old art forms thrive in a new era, and showing the world the wisdom of her ancestors. It was a way to inspire her own people to continue passing down these traditions.
DreamFrame Animation was based in Cloudcrest, just an hour’s flight from Silverlake. Briony would only be gone two days–she’d make it back in time for little Nina’s birthday.
With Briony away, James took over the job of escorting little Nina to preschool.
He knelt down at the entrance, ruffling her hair beneath her bright yellow hat. “Be good at school, sweetheart. I’ll come pick you up this afternoon.”
“Okay!” Nina nodded, waving her tiny hand. “Bye, Daddy!”
“Bye!” James waved back.
Nina skipped into the building, just as her classmate Susan arrived. –
Susan’s eyes lit up when she saw James. She hurried over and grabbed Nina’s hand. “Hey, is that your dad?” Nina lifted her chin, her little voice clear and proud. “He’s my dad, but not my real one!”
“Huh?” Susan blinked. “So he’s your stepdad?”
Nina frowned, puzzled. “What’s a stepdad?”
