#Chapter 18 – Meet the Stepmom

Amelia uses her shoulder to push open the front door, wheeling her carry-on suitcase behind her and pressing her phone to her ear. “The Balenciaga,” she says. “Yeah, listen, I’ve got to go.”

She tosses the phone aside, running the last few steps across the room to where Victor is standing, jumping up into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist.

Victor had intended to be stern, to break the news to her as soon as he could, but…almost involuntarily, he wraps his arms around her, burying his face into the space between her neck and shoulder. He growls softly.

“I missed you, baby,” Amelia says, taking his face in her hands and kissing him softly, licking the tip of his nose and laughing. “Did you miss me?”

Victor cups her ass with one hand and presses her tightly against him with the other. She laughs and wiggles, whispering “Do we have time? Before the party at the Club?”

At this, Victor takes a step back and wraps his hand around her wrist. “We’re not going to the party.” Victor turns and heads into the kitchen, where a glass of whiskey and another of rose are waiting.

“What?” Amelia asks, shocked and a little breathless, following him into the kitchen.

“We’re not going to the party,” he says, lifting the whiskey to his lips and taking a sip. “We have to talk.”

Amelia looks him up and down, her attitude shifting from excitement to defense. She watches him, alert, looking for any change in his movement. What is he up to?

Victor gestures towards the glass of pink wine. “You’re going to need it.”

Amelia moves forward and takes the glass. As he talks, she begins to sip.

Victor tells her everything. The surprise at seeing the boys at the quiz show – she was there too, for a moment, does she remember them? Then seeing Evelyn again, their fight, his demands. Amelia finishes the first glass of wine. She pours another.

He continues, telling about the boys coming to stay for the night, Evelyn coming over to help. About being pushed into the pool, breakfast in the morning, Evelyn leaving with two crying boys in tow…

As he finishes, Amelia watches Victor’s face, feeling her hackles start to rise, an instinctive desire to bare her teeth. She shuts these instincts down, though, refusing to let them show.

“I’m going to keep them, Amelia,” Victor concludes, his hand on his glass, watching her carefully. “I’m going to recognize them as my sons, as is my right. If you don’t…well, if this means you want to cancel our mating ceremony…I will accept that.”

At this, Amelia drains her second glass of wine and studies the frosted glass that she holds between her fingers. After a long pause she says, “So. If she says no, you’re going to turn heaven and earth to get those boys.”

He nods.

“But if I say no,” she continues, just as slowly. “You’re going to let me walk away.”

no matter what anyone else wants, you’re keeping the boys in your life. Even if it means losing

sighs and hangs his head, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose. But he

smashes her glass to the kitchen floor. Victor listens to her as she leaves the room and makes her

reaches the top of the stairs, Victor hears Amelia let out a low scream of rage – a primal thing, a warning to anything that can hear it

match. But god, how were

a purple sundress and a hat with a wide straw brim, a fake smile pasted on her face, All

the drive, helping the boys climb from the town car that picked them up from their mother’s house. Amelia is struck by the sight of them, town between her emotions. Her first instinct is to snarl at these boys, who have come

they smile, they laugh they move. The part

it – are going to have no effect on her life. She can fake it, for awhile

promised her that night, “And Evelyn will fall in line.” She’s already threatening

be yours, then they will be mine too.” At that,

two days later, here were the boys, running up her

Ian! Let me guess who is who,” Amela says, bending down and giving them

showing her a missing tooth with his

says the next, struggling up the drive with a

but they bust past her, as if the house was

up and puts a hand on her shoulder, staring at something on his phone. I have to go

body

couple of hours,” Victor says, already looking into the house and planning his exit. “A border disturbance –

you can’t leave

looks at her fiercely for a moment and then walks into the house, his decision made. Amelia follows him

on your skirt. She looks down to see a twin; she doesn’t

you have

kitchen is a mess. The cook had gone a little overboard buying materials for an ice cream sundae bar. Now, Amelia was pretty sure that every single ingredient was spread, smeared, or sprinkled all

thought, cook’s mess to

the kitchen island, sipping an iced tea. She had to admit, they were very handsome boys, clearly clever. If she had sons, she’d want them

sons.

things in this world: that she loves Victor, and that

him. There were twists and turns, of course, but Amelia was still dedicated. She loved

don’t tell

have missed daddy these past few days,” Ian said, pouring chocolate syrup directly into his hands and interrupting

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