Secrets and Scars: A Gripping Psychological Thriller (Fatal Hearts Series Book 3) (15 page)

Although I had thrown endless hours and money into my company, and it tore me apart to walk away, I couldn’t deny the relief at the thought of walking past a newsstand or into a bookstore and not feeling guilty about a story I had published.

After my speech, no eye in the room was dry. My team shared their sadness at my departure from
Sage.
But they understood my reasons for selling, and they supported me.

I also announced to them that after the dust had settled, I planned on opening up a publishing company that specialized in publishing memoirs.

“You’ll all be welcome with open arms, should you like to join me there. Think about it and let me know.”

I had no doubt many of them would stay with
Sage
, and whoever ended up owning it. Their passion for their work would be hard to extinguish. Most thrived on the adrenaline rush that came with an explosive story. I was prepared to start from scratch and find a team that shared my new vision.

After the meeting, Jolene came to my office.

“You can’t leave without me.” She smiled. “I’m in.”

I embraced her, blinking away tears. “Are you serious? You want to come with me?”

She hugged me tighter and then let go. “Working for you has been the best experience of my life. I’m not ready to give that up yet.”

I squeezed her shoulders. “The feeling is mutual, Jolene. Thank you.” I almost burst at the seams with the joy of having my first employee. The best of them all.

After catching up on a lot of paperwork and emails, and calling people who might be interested in purchasing
Sage
, I stepped out of the office building. I walked straight into the arms of the paparazzi.

I closed my eyes briefly and put on a brave smile.

I could face them now, just as I had following Miles’s funeral.

In a few words, I answered their questions about Miles, Alvin, and the future of
Sage
. No point in keeping any part of my life hidden any longer. My new policy going forward was honesty.

I climbed into my car, and they moved on.

On my way to meet the realtor who was going to show me a house that interested me, my phone rang.

“Is this Miss Parker?”

“Yes, it’s me. How may I help you?” I expected another reporter needing answers to burning questions.

“Miss Parker, I’m Lauren Bigley, Mr. Durant’s lawyer. I need to speak with you.”

I canceled my house viewing and went straight to her office in the center of town, my heart racing. She wouldn’t say over the phone what she wanted to discuss.

Chapter Thirty-Five

“There has to be some mistake,” I said to Lauren Bigley, a petite woman in her late thirties. She was dressed in a grey knee-length pencil skirt and a tucked-in white blouse.

“There’s no mistake here.” She looked down at the papers on her desk. “Before Mr. Durant left town, he amended his will. In the event of his death, he wished for his entire estate to be transferred to you. That includes his shares in Torp Inc.”

“I see.” What more could I possibly say? The news was shocking, and left me wondering whether Miles had known what Alvin planned to do to me on his yacht.

Had he known he would commit suicide in order to save me? Or had he just had his will changed as he knew I was about to become his wife? Either way, inheriting his riches would make me one of the wealthiest women in the world. It would take time for me to wrap my head around that.

Material wealth had been extremely important to me when I’d started my business. I’d wanted to earn as much money as I possibly could, to afford myself an extravagant lifestyle. But the last couple of weeks had changed me. I had discovered that while money was important for a comfortable life, it couldn’t compete with health, love, and peace of mind.

On the other hand, more money than I already had would enable me to do more good—perhaps to finish the work Miles had started. He would want me to do that.

“Are you alright, Ms. Parker?”

I nodded and took a sip of my water. “I’m great, thanks. What do you need me to do?”

“There’s a lot of paperwork to be completed, but if there are no complications and no one decides to contest the will, everything should go pretty smoothly.”

Lauren discussed a few more things with me, and then we shook hands.

I was still dazed when I left.

I couldn’t take my car. I’d never be able to focus enough to drive myself safely. I spent ten minutes walking down the street, gazing into shop windows but seeing nothing, and then I pulled out my phone and called a taxi. I’d get my car later. My mother was still in town and waiting for me at the hotel, but I couldn’t go there just yet.

“I’ll see you tonight,” I told her over the phone. “We can go out to dinner. Go and have a nice massage in the spa.”

“That sounds great, honey. My back is killing me. See you later.”

My next call was to Owen.

“Do you have time for me? I need to see you.”

“I always have time for you.” His deep voice sent a tingle down my spine. “Every part of me misses you. One part in particular.”

“Behave.” I shook my head, even as I moistened between the legs. “I’ll come to your place.”

Every time we met now, we ended up in bed. Hard as I tried, I couldn’t resist him. I planned to make love to him right after I told him my latest news, which I expected would shock him just as much as it had shocked me.

I was right.

“Damn, that’s some… Wow. That’s some news.” He rose from his kitchen island stool and stepped to the all-glass fridge. He pulled out a bottle of champagne. “I guess congratulations are in order.”

I tilted my head to the side. “I can’t believe you’re congratulating me.”

“Of course I am. Why shouldn’t I?” His strong, manly hands untwisted the wire cage on the bottle.

I stood and went to him, removed the bottle from his hands, and placed it on the island.

I raised my hands to both sides of his face. “You’re not upset? You did hear that Miles left me his shares in Torp, right?”

“Yes, and...”

“Well, the company used to belong to both of you. It was an important part of your life once.”

His lips brushed mine. “It was, but now it’s safe in your hands. You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

“Thank you. You’re such a wonderful man.” I wrapped my arms around his midriff. “Miles left me so much… too much. I seriously don’t know what to do with it all.”

Owen placed a finger under my chin and met my gaze. “Nothing is too much for you. You deserve more.”

“You charmer.” I ruffled his hair. “Look, I did a lot of thinking on my way here. I don’t know yet what I’ll do with the money, but once everything is in my name, I want to sell his houses, and the island. As for my shares in Torp Inc., I want you to have them.”

Owen stiffened. His hand dropped from my chin. “What do you mean?”

“I’m giving the shares to you. You and Miles started the company. It’s only right that you take over.”

He looked at me for a long time without speaking. When he did, his voice was barely audible. “I... Chloe, I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s simple. Just say yes.”

“No, I can’t just take them. Not like that. At least let me buy them from you.”

“Okay, if that’s what you want. I’ll make you an offer.” I pulled away from him and went to get my purse from the table. I rummaged inside until I found a notepad and pen, then tore off a piece of paper. I jotted down a figure, folded the paper, and pressed it into Owen’s hand.

He laughed out loud and kissed my neck. “You silly, lovely woman. You can’t sell me shares worth billions for just a dollar.”

“I can do anything I want.” I grinned up at him. “It’s my last offer, Mr. Firmin. Take it or leave it.”

He kissed me so hard he left my head spinning. He was beaming. “I’ll wire the money to your account as soon as all the paperwork is completed. But I want to make you an offer as well.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“After you sign whatever the lawyer wants you to sign, come away with me for a few days or weeks. Let’s go somewhere wonderful. It will give us time to recover from what happened. We can stay away until the press moves on to another story. You can choose the place, or places. I don’t care where we go as long as you’re coming with me. I won’t accept no for an answer.”

I gave him a teasing look. “Well, I don't know. The last time I went away with a man, it kind of ended badly. Are you sure you can be trusted?”

“Completely and always.” He lifted me from the floor and strode to the door. “And you can trust me with your body. Want me to prove it?”

Chapter Thirty-Six

One Year Later

“Sweetheart, I need to borrow you for a second.” Owen pulled me out of my chair.

“It has to really be a second.”“ My gaze swept over the queue of people cutting through all of Flipper bookstore and spilling onto the street outside. Most were paging through books or had them tucked under their armpits, waiting patiently for their turn.

Owen and I had spent six months touring Europe. We’d returned to find that my story was still fresh in most people’s minds. Several reporters called out of the blue, asking for more juicy material.

“She’ll be right back,” Owen said to Jolene before putting an arm around me and ushering me to a cramped room in the back of the bookstore used only by staff.

Owen closed the door and strode to the small buffet set up next to a packed bookshelf.

He poured a glass of water and handed it to me. “Take this. We can’t afford for you to get dehydrated.”

We were no longer in the jungle, and he was still dedicated to taking care of me.

Warmth spread through my heart as I curled my fingers around the glass. “Lucky I have you here to remind me to keep my fluids up. It’s crazy busy out there.” I sipped. “Thanks for being here.”

“Where else would I be?” He placed both hands on my round stomach, then kissed it. “It’s hard to tear myself away from my babies.”

I placed a hand over his and closed my eyes, enjoying the moment with just the three of us.

We’d both been shocked when, three months into our trip, I’d discovered I was pregnant. But the initial shock soon wore off, and it dawned on us that the baby was a miracle. Our new beginning.

I could never have wished for a better man to raise a child with. Owen had come to be a part of me, a presence I never wanted to live without. Every day was an adventure with him, a special surprise. He was the first person that came to mind each time I opened my eyes. The thought of him always brought a smile to my face as I went about my daily business.

“You’re one popular lady. Those books are flying off the shelves.”

“Apparently we’ve sold over a hundred copies already. I just sent our new intern to the office to get more.” I sighed. “The charities will be so pleased.”

Since I had no need for the money, all the proceeds from the book sales would be distributed among several charities dedicated to causes close to my heart. Most of my donations would end up with AIDS foundations Miles had been loyal to. The rest went toward the support of abused women, epilepsy research foundations, and anti-bullying programs.

“Speaking of charities, one of the founders is here to see you.”

I tipped my head to the side with a frown. “Who? I didn’t expect any of them today. They’re all invited to the gala tomorrow.”

“Well, most of them will be there tomorrow. But one of them couldn’t wait to see you.” Owen plucked an olive from a tray and stepped to the door. “Wait here.”

He disappeared, returning less than a minute later.

Joy bubbled inside my chest when Jeordi, Ingrid, and little Anna entered.

Instead of her favorite wrap dress, Ingrid wore a black knee-length skirt and a blue blouse. Jeordi now sported a short haircut, and his dirty jeans and combat boots had been replaced by stylish jeans and brown loafers. Four-year-old Anna looked like a princess in the flowery summer dress Owen and I had sent her last Christmas.

I hugged each of them warmly, and allowed Anna to press her ear to my stomach, listening for the baby.

“Jeordi, I’m so thrilled you made it. I didn’t think I’d see you today. You must be exhausted. Why didn’t you settle in first?”

I’d had them flown in from Germany to attend the charity gala, and paid for their travel and accommodations.

Jeordi ran a hand over his now short hair. He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “We couldn't wait to see you.”

“And the baby,” Anna squealed, still pressing her ear to my belly. I placed a hand on her head and stroked her braided hair.

They’d already known about the baby since we’d been in touch frequently ever since Owen and I had left Jamaica.

As soon as everything Miles had owned was transferred to me, I’d also sold the island to Jeordi, to do with as he pleased. Like Owen, he’d first refused to buy it for a dollar, but I’d insisted. I owed them too much not to give something back.

My shiny new bob swayed like a curtain as I shook my head, swallowing a sob. “I can’t believe I’m actually seeing you again after all this time.” I slung an arm around Ingrid’s slim shoulders and pulled her in for another hug. “Thank you for coming.”

“You never have to thank us for anything, remember that.” Jeordi wagged a finger at me. “We are the ones who are grateful… the island, the generous donations…”

“We had to come and thank you in person.” Ingrid kissed my cheek.

The door opened and Jolene poked her head through it.

“So sorry to disturb,” she said. “Just thought I’d let you know that the room is about to burst.”

I turned to my adopted family. “I’m sorry to leave you. I’m afraid I better get those books signed if I want to make it out of here by evening.”