Elias, Calloway, Gideon and I play tennis under the warm autumn sun. The boys are finally home for their Autumn holiday from Le Rosey, so Troy and I cleared our schedules as much as possible to enjoy the two weeks with them. Originally, we wanted to fly somewhere nice but the boys wanted to spend some time at home so that's what we're doing. Plus, Jo came home from Rio yesterday, so I think she's going to want to spend some time with her brothers as well. But being home rather than on some tropical island also means that work can reach us more easily - and that's why Troy has been stuck in his study for the last hour.

Of course, Calloway and Gideon are better players than Elias and me as they are taking tennis lessons at Le Rosey. Just for fun, not for competition. Elias is more into gymnastics and horseback riding like his big sister.

"Jo!" Calloway and Gideon cry out at the same time. A smile washes over their faces that's there every time they see their bigger sister. While Della's Elias' favourite sister, Jo is that for Cal and Gideon.

I turn around and watch my daughter walking down the stone pathway that leads to the tennis court. Her long chestnut waves are glittering under the sun and she's in a bright blue floral dress that she paired with nude heels. For the last six months she has been working in Brazil on behalf of the Bolton Foundation. After years of working for Bolton's Enterprises, Troy suggested for her to try work at our foundation. Of course she was angry at us at first but then, after some thinking, she agreed and left our firm. Instead she's now working with my brother Ryan at the Bolton Foundation and she seems happier than ever.

Her heart lays in charity and giving back - not in stocks and selling business deals.

Cal and Gideon run over to Jo and embrace her sister that's 16 years older than them. I can't believe she's already 26. She grew up so fast! Sometimes I look at her and I can still see her as a baby or a toddler but then I blink and suddenly she's that gorgeous woman that I had the privilege to raise.

I hope our three little boys will turn into fine men as well.

"My turn!" Elias cries out before hugging his sister after Gideon and Cal.

"Wow, you guys missed me, huh?" She asks with a chuckle before embracing me. "Hi Mum!"

I inhale her scent, she always smells of orchids. "Hi, Sweetie. How are you?"

She smiles and nods. "Good. Really good, actually. What about you?"

"I'm good as well. We're enjoying the sun before lunch."

"You're joining us, right?" Cal asks her sister.

"Hm, that depends." She says to him before looking at me with her bright blue eyes. "What are you having?"

"Grilled salmon with a salad and roasted veggies."

"Do I get a grilled corn cob?"

"If she gets one, I want one as well!" Elias cries out.

"You'll get your corn cobs." I say before rolling my eyes. My kids never had issues with eating enough veggies, just Brussel sprouts and cauliflower are not their favourite.

"Good, then I'm staying." She announces with a smile. "But I didn't see Dad at the grill on my way down to here."

"He's stuck in his study."

She nods because she knows work never really stops. "How about we start grilling the fish and veggies already?" She asks me before looking at her three brothers, "And you're going to help!"

To my surprise they don't even protest. The boys just place their tennis racks on the benches and walk away from us.

"We'll get started with the salad!" Elias announces as he leads the trio back to the main house.

I smile at the image of our green eyed boy who looks like his father and the two smaller versions of Troy following him. I loved raising four girls but I also enjoy raising four boys - although Nate is technically already an adult with 26.

It brings different challenges than with girls.

"Mum, I need to talk to you and Daddy after lunch. Or even before that. Whenever you have time for me."

My alarm bells shrill at her voice. Uh-oh. What did she do? "We always have time for you. You know that."

She bites on her lower lip, "I know. It's just something that might surprise you guys a little..."

Surprise us? "Are you pregnant?"

She laughs nervously at my question but when she shakes her head I have my answer. "No, no I'm not pregnant and I don't plan to get pregnant any time soon."

"Okay. Is it work related?"

"No."

"Do you have a new boyfriend?" I ask as she has never introduced me to her male acquaintances. Well, except for the man she wanted to marry. Edward Rothschild. But that was over half a year ago. Six months, in which she healed at the other end of the world. In the country I got brought to after I got kidnapped in Miami. For me it was hell, for Jo it was healing.

"No, I..." She inhales deeply, "I guess, I have a husband."

"What?!" I ask her shocked and loose my balance for a moment. "You're married? Y-you... Josephine Ophelia Elise Bolton, what the fuck have you gotten yourself into?!"

She gulps, "He's nice..."

"Nice?! Your husband shouldn't be just nice! He should be the love of my life! He should be your partner in crime and your best friend! He should be-"

"Like Wlad or Sasha or George, I know." She interrupts me while looking at the floor. She looks exactly like Nate when he fucks up. They're more alike than either of them wants to admit.

"How did this happen?! I didn't even know you were seeing anyone!"

"I wasn't... we weren't seeing each other in the traditional term... we were just... you know."

"God, lord, Josephine!" I cry out. "You married the man you were just fucking?!"

"Mum!" Her sky blue eyes widen at my direct words.

"What?!" I ask her back. "Tell me what happened!"

She licks her lips, "We saw each other for a while... before I met Edward, actually. I had him signed an agreement to shut up about our sex life. But he wanted more. He wanted dates and just, you know, get to know me. So we agreed to three months and after those were over, I ended it."

Then how the hell did that man become her husband?! "You ended it? But you're now married. How did this happen?"

She shrugs, "He... he told me he loved me and I couldn't say it back because obviously I didn't return his feelings. So we went out separate ways. And then I quit my job and started working with Rory and George on the Oxford Royal Foundation... and I don't know, I guess, that kind of got the ball rolling..." she licks her full lips that she got from me, "I met Ed again and we hit off, or so I thought... and then came the wedding planning and the disaster that was my wedding day... "She's jumping from time to time, from event to event. She really is confused. "I started questioning everything in Rio because I suddenly really enjoyed the kind of work I was doing for the foundation more than I did working for you guys. So when Brazil was brought to the table by Wlad, I didn't hesitate because I knew that Oliver is from there. I figured I could combine work with pleasure - something I was always careful to kept divided." She brushes through her long chestnut hair. His name is Oliver. My daughter's husband's name is Oliver. The name doesn't ring any bells because I know she has never mentioned him. "One day after work I started to look for Oliver but couldn't find him. Two weeks before I had to leave the country found him living in a favela of Rio with his Mum and his two little brothers. I couldn't have left him there whether I return his feelings or not, that's not a place to live. When he told me he couldn't go back to London because he was an illegal immigrant with no papers, I only saw one option." She shrugs again.

"So you married him out of pity?! He's your own little charity case, Josephine! He is not-"

"Mum!" Her bright blue eyes turn dark and somehow she shuts me up. "I don't know if love him and I do feel sorry for him and his family but that doesn't make him my charity project. I married him because it was the only way to get his family and him out of there."

"And where is that Oliver now?!"

"At my penthouse with his family, getting settled in."

"Are you sure they won't steal anything?!"

"Mum! They are not thieves!"

"But they were poor. Very poor and now they're suddenly swimming in money! Fuck, did you have him sign a prenup?!"

"Of course we have signed a prenup! I'm not stupid!"

"No, just blinded by your Mother-Theresa-heart!" I hiss at her. "Your Dad..." I shake my head. "He will loose it. I thought what Della did was bad or even Sasha, but this... I swear, this, Jo, this tops everything!"

"Yeah, now that I've said the story out loud for the first time I'm starting to think I might skip lunch." There's Nate's way of avoiding a situation in her again.

"Oh, no you won't. And you will even have dinner with us tonight and you will bring that Oliver and his family with you."

"What? No! This is not a marriage based on love."

"That doesn't matter right now. I have to meet him and so will your Dad." I insist. I need to know what I'm dealing with. I need to know how he feels about her and how she feels about him. Because obviously, my daughter acted upon her instincts, not using her head - and that's very untypical of her. She has to have some sort of feelings for him, otherwise she wouldn't have done what she did. So I'm going to find that out, even though my daughter has no idea what she's feeling for him.

"But they don't have anything to wear! Literally! They didn't even fly with a suitcase back to London."

"Then I guess you will have to go shopping with them today!" I argue back. There's no way I won't meet my son-in-law tonight!


"You are WHAT?!" Troy asks her shocked. His hands are gripping the edge of his mahogany desk so tightly that I fear he might break it in half.

"Look, I know this may come as a surprise to you but it's only for a year-"

"You've got to be joking me! Josephine, how the hell could you marry a stranger!"

"He's not a stranger. We knew each other before I met Edward."

"I don't care! You can't marry your fuck buddy!" He yells at her. "Tell me at least that you've used your brilliant mind once and had him sign a prenup!"

"Of course he signed a prenup!" She tells back at him. "And it's just for a year so I think you can clam down now."

"Calm down?! Fuck, no! People will notice that ring on her finger! The press will want to see him beside you! They will want photos of him and you and us and the Royals! Do you have any idea in what shit you've put us all into?!" He yells before grabbing his phone. "Did Wlad knew about this?!"

Oh no, he's not seriously blaming Wlad for this, is he?!

"Wladimir has nothing to do with this." Jo answers as my husband calls him.

"How the hell could you allow this?!" Troy yells into the phone.

"Daddy, it's not his fault! He wasn't even in Rio with me-"

"I will deal with you later." My husband interrupts her with a dark glare. "And you have five minutes to get your ass here right now!" He yells into the phone before hanging up.

"Troy, you need to calm down."

"I fucking won't calm down!" He yells at me.

I look at my daughter, "Jo, I think it's better if you go home now. I'll see you tonight."

"What's tonight?!" Troy hisses at our daughter.

"We're coming over to dinner. Oliver, his mother Maria, and his two brothers Caio and Johnathan."

"Of course you will! I will make sure-"

"Troy," I interrupt him while narrowing my eyes at him. He really needs to calm down.

"Could you give us a moment?" My husband asks me.

I gulp and look at my daughter. She's standing next to me with crossed arms in front of her chest. She'll be fine. She can handle anyone and anything. She's a Bolton.

I walk out of Troy's study and into the living room. Through the glass facade I can see my three boys playing with Zeus. Our dog is chasing the ball with a wiggling tail. The Springer Spaniel is over a decade old but in his heart he is still a puppy.


I drive through the black iron gates of Della and Wladimir's home near Regents Park. I've got the twins and Elias in the back of the silver Tesla. Troy and I thought it would be better to get them away from this meeting because we have no idea how it's going to turn out.

"Is it true that Jo is married?" Eli asks me from the back.

I park the car in front of the white mega mansion that's my oldest daughter's home. She's been living on these three acres for the last eight years. The landscaped front garden includes old oak trees that line the driveway and lots of greenery that even allows helicopters to land here. The house is a true gem as it portraits the countryside life in British elegance in the middle of London. Della's silver Aston Martin is already parked in front of the house, so I know she's home. She's been commuting between London and Geneva for the last years so Wlad has spent most of his time alone in this masterpiece they call home. Their twin girls are attending Le Rosey their uncles, but thankfully they're home now for almost two weeks.

"Who told you that?" I ask before looking over my shoulder.

"We heard Jo and Daddy talk about her." Gideon says with a shrug.

"You eavesdropped on Daddy and Jo?" I ask shocked.

"It wasn't really that hard because they were yelling like crazy people." Calloway answers. "So, is it true? Did she got married in Rio?"

"To Oliver? That's his name, right?" Eli asks me.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Yes. Yes, she got married and yes his name is Oliver. But we don't know much about him."

"And you're basically bringing us here because Daddy could loose it?" Eli asks me.

I swear, my boys are too smart for their age. "Don't tell Daddy you know of Oliver."

They nod before opening their seatbelts and hoping out of the car.

I get out of the car as well. Wlad is already standing in the open doorway. He greets them with a hug before they run into the house. "Bella and Carry are upstairs!" He yells in Russian after them.

"Thank you for doing this." I greet him with an embrace.

"Of course. Troy's really angry, huh?"

I sigh as I walk into the house. "You know, just when I thought it couldn't get worse with my daughter, Jo comes around with a ring on her finger and an immigrant with his family in her home." I say as I follow my son-in-law through the narrow hallway that eventually opens up to a round foyer with a glass dome and a white marbled staircase that spirals up. I can hear how my boys are running up the stairs. I'm so grateful they're getting along with their nieces so well.

"That sounds too cynical. Even for you." The silver eyes man smirks at my words. "But my girls are happy to hang out with their uncles."

"You haven't found something on him, have you?" I ask Wlad.

"No. I've actually known of Jo and Oliver for a while..."

"And you didn't tell us that because?"

My son-in-law shrugs, "They weren't serious."

"In other words they were just fucking."

Wlad shrugs as we enter the wide living room. The curved transom windows in the living room has a wonderful view over the lush backyard. It's full of flowers and greenery.

"What happened between then and now?"

"That's a question you better ask your daughter. But all I know is that in last six months Ralph and his team did a lot of searching in Rio."

"What?"

"Jo will tell you everything if you just give her a little space... or press hard." Wlad shrugs again with a chuckle.

Yeah, with Jo it's always a gamble. She can be as closed as an oyster or as open as a book. "Where is Della?"

"In her study."

"You guys are doing alright?"

"Yeah, just with the commuting between Geneva and London it's been a little tough." He mumbles. "She's pretty close to finding the cure for Alzheimer's so it won't be long."

"But that doesn't make it any easier."

"No." The Russian man licks his thin lips as he agrees with me.

"There will be better days."


I watch how my husband grills the veggies on the barbecue in the backyard as I walk out of the kitchen and through the backyard. His whole body language is full of tension and anger. Whatever Jo said to him in private, it definitely didn't calm him down. I brought Eli, Cal and Gideon to Della and Wlad, because I have a feeling this evening might turn very badly. I don't know much of my daughter's husband and his family, but I do plan to know more by the end of the evening.

"Promise me to not punch Jo's husband." I demand as I reach him.

"Did you drop the boys off at Della's?" He asks me instead.

"Yes and now make that promise." I demand.

He flips the red bell peppers before looking at me, "I'll try my best."

"The best is not good enough."

"Fine, I won't hurt him." He promises me.

"Good. And you will treat his mother and brothers with respect. They're from Rio and don't speak English very well as far as I'm concerned."

"She didn't tell you much?"

"No and that's what's worrying me a bit." I bite on my lower lip. "I mean, she's very secretive about him."

"I asked Wlad to do some digging."

Of course he did. "Did he find some dirt?"

"No, in fact he didn't find much. He found birth records, school records and the marriage license of his parents, but that's all."

"That's all? No address? No work places?"

My husband shakes his head, "No. It's like they don't really exist. I have no idea where they live and work."

"Well, Jo said they lived in a favela in Rio."

"Wealthy or not, Wlad should have found more on him and his family. Even favelas have addresses."

"Are you afraid this is another Sasha situation?"

My husband nods, "But without the prince title, of course."

"I don't know. It didn't sound like Oliver was hunting Jo down in Rio. She was the one who was looking for him. She did the work, not him."

"Maybe that's part of his game plan." My husband suggests.

"I don't know, she went from Edward to Oliver within six months without really... Maybe leaving Ed at the altar was the best decision she ever made."

"I agree with you, but leaving Ed and moving to Rio for half a year isn't the issue. Oliver's the issue here. I didn't know they were dating in the first place!"

"She told me she knew Oliver before she started seeing Edward."

"So she kept him a secret? From all of us? For what?"

"Apparently, he was an illegal immigrant when they first met. She didn't know of his status until they broke up."

My husband's eyes widen, "So, he's using our daughter to get a visa?"

I lick my lips, "I'd like to believe there's more to this decision. I'd like to believe they are feelings involved on both sides... deep feelings."

Troy thinks for a moment before bursting into a laughter, "Just imagine these two end up being in love! This would've been the most fucked up way to get to a marriage. Ever!"

I can hear how the front double doors shut with a loud bang. They're here. "Come on, time to show me how good you're at keeping promises." I tell him.

My husband's gets the veggies off of the grill and on to a plate before picking it up. I pick up the other plates that are grilled with grilled meat and cheese. We walk down the stone path that leads into the dining room, where I already set the table. I've chosen to go for a relatively relaxed outfit, because I know there will be enough tensions already. I'm wearing a simple white blouse with jeans that I've rolled up. I'm barefoot because the floor heating is on, so it's nice and cosy inside the house. My husband on the other side, looks more formal in his grey sweater, dark pants and leathered shoes. Even with his clothing he is sending the message that not everything's fine, nor is it going to be anytime soon. I really hope this first meeting won't turn into a disaster. I place the plates in the middle of the square shaped table. I've put peonies in a vase and lit a few candles. Even the fireplace across the table is lit. For a moment I even considered diffusing some lavender oil, just to make sure no one is going to freak out tonight.

I grab my husband's hand as we walk out of the dining room. "Behave yourself, alright?"

"I gave you a promise, didn't I?" My husband whispers back as we reach the foyer.

I can see two younger boys staring at the dome in the ceiling as they have their heads in their necks. Both have dark brown curls and deep mocha coloured eyes. One is in his teens while the other one is about Eli's age. Those must be the brothers of Oliver. What were their names again? Johnathan and... Caio!

Then my eyes move further back and I can see my daughter standing behind the vase with fresh pink peonies that's placed on a round table. She's standing between her husband and her new mother-in-law. And she's holding her husband's hand.

Oliver.

The man has chin long blond hair, olive coloured skin that's tanned and mesmerising pine green eyes. He's taller than my daughter, about a head maybe. He has a gorgeous smile and shares a few features from his mother, but not a lot. His mother looks more like the two young boys. She has long dark brown curls, is petite and is dressed a beautiful black Valentino dress with ruffles.

I stare at their joined hands. She didn't use to hold Edward's hand as much as she's already holding on to Oliver's. Maybe she has the need to protect him from us, from her father's actions.

"This is Oliver. Oliver, these are my parents. Troy and Gabriella." Josephine introduces us in an icy voice. Wow, she's definitely still hurt by whatever Troy said to her.

Oliver shakes Troy's hand. "Nice to meet you, Sir."

He has a really deep voice that reminds me of a lion. I have another look at the man that's now married to my daughter. "I've seen you before." I think out loud. He seems familiar.

"I was your waiter once at Luigi's. Last spring."

"You were?" Troy asks surprised.

Oliver nods, "But I don't work there anymore."

"No... No, that's not where I saw you..." I mumble before shaking his hand. But I have seen before. Where have I seen him? It takes me a moment to recall the past. "You're the mystery man from the photo!" It suddenly hits me! Of course! He's the man over whom Jo was crying about! He is the one from that lovely photo! He... he is her ex!

"You saw him?" Josephine asks me shocked.

"What photo?" Troy asks us.

"Yes but I kept my mouth shut because I figured you didn't want to talk about him." I answer my daughter.

Oliver gives my daughter a confused look.

Josephine gulps, "The evening I introduced you to Ed... I was in the kitchen, looking for a photo of our coat of arms when I found a photo of Oliver and me. I must've taken it without really trying to do my best because they were blurry and..." She gulps, "I broke down in tears and Mum found me that way. I played it down, found the photo of our coat of arms and asked her to return to the table outside."

"You didn't talk about him and asked me to not ask about him. And now you're bringing him home?! Now you're married to him?" It bursts out of me. My daughter's even a better secret keeper than my husband!

"I'll answer every question you have tonight and from everyday forward now." She vows.

I look at their joined hands before ringing my manners again. "You must be Maria, Johna and Caio." I smile while shaking her hand. "Very nice to meet you. Take off your jackets and shoes... Make yourself at home."

To my surprise Troy puts on a smile as well. "We grilled some steaks and veggies for dinner. And a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc."

"I'm not drinking tonight. I'm driving." Josephine informs us casually as they all get out of our jackets and shoes.

"It's a gorgeous home." Oliver compliments us.

"Thank you. We've done our best to provide a home to our children, who don't come nearly enough to visit us." I narrow my eyes at Josephine.

"I just got home yesterday and I was already here this noon. I'm going to come by now more often."

"Pass on the message to your sisters as well." I wave with my hands before walking down the three steps that lead into a huge living room. "This is the living room." There is a about twenty meter high floor to ceiling window front.

Suddenly, Zeus comes running over to us. He's 13 years old and has long white fur and black dots. His long ears are black just like his nose that's typical for English Springer Spaniels.

Josephine bends down and runs her long fingers through the fur. "Hey, buddy!" She giggles as he starts licking her nose. "That's Zeus." She says to Oliver and his family. "Bend down and hold out your hands so he can smell you guys first. Then you can pet him."

"He doesn't look like 13." Oliver points out the obvious as his brothers and Mum start petting Zeus after he smelled them.

"That's because we go on a 22 kilometre run every morning." Troy answers for Josephine.

"Every morning?" Oliver sounds surprised.

"Yes. Through Richmond Park."

"He's so adorable!" Maria says with a grin on her lips. Caio and Johna are already in love with Zeus.

"Don't give him any ideas. One pet is enough." I say with a chuckle. "Let's eat."

"Where are Eli, Cal and Gideon?" Josephine asks us.

"They're spending the night at Della's place." Troy informs her.

Josephine grabs Oliver's hand again and they follow us into the formal dining room. There's a huge square shaped mahogany table that has 22 seats standing in the middle. A chandelier is hanging above it. The same window front as in the living room is letting the light in here.

"I'll give you a house tour later." Josephine promises her husband before we sit down.

My daughter claims she doesn't love this man but she definitely is feeling something.


I stare at my daughter and her husband Oliver. They're holding hands under the dining table while eating with their free hand. Oliver's left handed but I thought he was right handed. Or maybe he can use both hands equally as good. My husband's chatter with Oliver's mother in fluent Portuguese vanishes in my ears as my focus becomes stronger.

Jo never held hands with Edward.

When we were around, when they were in public, they were always professional. I thought she was doing it because my husband and me are doing the same most of the time. I thought we were her role models but now... seeing her with Oliver, I'm starting to question her motives.

Perhaps she didn't marry Oliver just to save him and his family. Maybe she loves him.

I'm pretty sure she does.

"So, how did you guys meet?" Troy asks the ice breaker question.

"I already told you how we met." My daughter's voice is stone cold.

"I want to hear his side of the story." Troy insists while looking at the new husband.

Oliver gulps down the piece of steak he just chewed on before he starts talking. "We met in a café in Battersea. She bought me a cappuccino because I forgot my wallet. I wanted to pay her back but she was not having it. A month later we met again in a soup kitchen and then again in Greenwich when she worked on the kindergarten for the Bolton Foundation. We even met in a church where she helped out once as well. Fate kept pushing us together."

I didn't know they met in Battersea! I also didn't know they worked together at the soup kitchen in Parsons Green! It makes me wonder what else my daughter has hidden from us.

"And then we started dating." Jo says with a shrug. "We broke up, I met Ed but things didn't work out... Then we met again in Rio and now we're here."

She makes it sound so simple, but I'm sure things were much more complicated than that.

"Yeah, that's what I don't understand. What happened between then and now?"

"I won't tell you every detail." She hisses at her father like a cat that's about to attack. Why is she so protective of him and their history? What is she hiding?

"Don't you think I deserve to know that?"

"No. It's my relationship - my marriage. Not yours."

Clearly, that's all she is going to give us. At least, tonight. "Alright, who wants a brownie for dessert?" I ask, trying to change the subject. Dessert always makes the world seem like a much calmer and peaceful place

"Me!" Caio and Johna cry out.

"I'm good." Jo tells me.

"Me either." Oliver insists.

"I'll help you with the dishes." Maria starts before rising from the chair. She must sensing this tension as well.

Troy takes another sip of the wine as Maria, her sons and I walk away with the dishes. "I don't know what to think of this."

"Just place everything on the kitchen island." I tell them as I place the dishes on the white marbled kitchen island.

"This is such a beautiful kitchen!" Maria breathes out as she looks around. We have a traditional white country kitchen with white marbled countertops and an island that's big enough to seat ten people because that's how many we were. But to Maria this must be a fairytale life.

"Trust me, it's not so beautiful when you have eight children, a husband and a dog running around. We have someone who comes and cleans this house to keep it somewhat tidy."

"What's for dessert?" Johna asks me.

"My homemade brownies with nice cream." I explain before getting the brownies off the countertop that's at the windows.

"What's nice cream?" Caio asks me.

"Ice cream made with bananas."

"I'm not really a fan of banana in ice cream. Do you have coconut?"

"Sadly not. But we can use the bananas as a base and add any berries you like to flavour it. Perhaps strawberries or mangos?"

"Do you have raspberries?" Caio asks me.

"Yes." I say before getting out the raspberries and bananas from the freezer. "All we have to do is blend it in the blender with a bit of milk."

"It's so simple?" Johna asks me.

I nod, "And it will be delicious. You can place the bananas and raspberries into the blender." I tell them. "And Maria, can you please get out the milk from the fridge?"

Maria nods before getting the milk out of the build in fridge.

Caio and Johna place the frozen fruits into the blender before Maria adds a little milk. I close the lid of the WildSide Jar of the Blendtec and switch it on. After a few seconds a thick ice cream in a pink colour has formed. "That's it." I say before switching the Blendtec off.

"So simple?" Maria asks me.

I nod, "You guys can scoop out the ice cream from the jar while I cut the brownies." I pull open the drawers with the spoons, bowls and knives before cutting the brownies into squares. "You can either have the ice cream in a bowl or next to the brownie." I saw as I place the slices on plates. I hand Caio and Johna each a plate. "Your choice."

"Do you want some ice cream as well?" Johna asks me.

"No. I'm good with the brownie." I say before handing Maria a slice. "They're made of sweet potatoes but don't tell the boys that." I whisper to her.

"Potatoes?" She asks me with wide mocha coloured eyes.

I nod, "Very well hidden. Especially with strawberry nice cream." I wink, causing her to smirk.

She gets a fork out of the open drawer and tastes it. "Oh, that's really good!"

I smile, "I'm glad you like it. Have as many slices as you want."

Johna and Caio have put their ice cream next to the brownies.

"I like the ice cream!" Caio says after tasting it.

"And the brownie is good, too!" Johna agrees with a full mouth.

I smile at them. "Maybe Jo and your brother want a slice anyway." I think out loud before walking back into the dining room. Oliver leans over and whispers something into my daughter's ear. She blushes and giggles. She has never giggled that way with Edward. Neither has she blushed that way.

This is definitely no marriage just for their immigration status. This is not a marriage for a visa at all. They're in love!

"Jo, can I talk to you to for a moment?"

My daughter winces at my voice before turning around and looking at me. "Yes."

"In the library." I tell her. If I really want to get behind it, I have to do that in private.

She nods before rising from the chair. Oliver's pine green eyes follow my daughter as she walks away from the table. He's not staring at her ass. He's staring at the back her head.

I walk down the hallway with her by my side but decide to say no word. I have to be careful. Clearly, this thing is very vulnerable because Jo is so protective. I open the door and wave for her to walk in. I close the door of the library, "Do you love Oliver?"

"I'm sorry?" She asks me before turning around. She's standing in front of the lit marbled fireplace. There are framed photos of our family standing on the mantel piece. Most of them we taken when they were little. There's even one in which the triplets have an identical tooth gap.

I walk over to my daughter. "Do you love Oliver?" I ask her again.

She shrugs before sitting down in one of the emerald armchairs, "I don't not love him."

"Did you love Edward?"

"Yes." She admits. "I still do."

Yet, she couldn't marry him. Instead she ran away to Brazil for half a year and came back married to Oliver. It's confusing to say the least. "Sweetie, what's going on with you?" I ask her before sitting down across her.

She shrugs again, "I really love Edward. I thought I would spend the rest of my life with him but then on our wedding day... I couldn't get out of the car." She whispers. "As much as I wanted to, I couldn't marry him. I broke his heart."

"So, what does Oliver mean to you then?"

She sighs, "Oliver and me... We have this deep, very strong connection. It's a kind of connection I can't explain. It's a relationship like no other. He knows me like no one else. He understands me better than I understand myself. With him... With him, I am the person I want to be without even trying. He tore my walls down without me noticing it. He has gotten under my skin so fast that I couldn't even fight him on it. I can't seem to cut him out of me. He's always going to be the man I'll compare other men to - even Ed. But Ed, he... he has a special place in my heart as well."

"You're in love with two men." I breathe out.

"I don't know. I don't... I don't know if I love Oliver but I know I love Edward. Oliver's different. He... He stands above everyone else. The connection we have is like no other. I feel comfortable around him and he's making me feel desired and adored but so did Edward."

"Sweetie, you're in love with two men." I tell again.

She sighs before running her fingers through her hair, "Then tell me why I couldn't marry Ed despite planning the wedding for months and Oliver in the blink of an eye? I didn't feel an ounce of panic when I signed the papers and later bought the wedding rings. I wasn't indecisive about the style of our wedding bands. I knew exactly what I wanted but with Ed... it took me 48 dresses try-ons to find my wedding dress. But with Oliver, I married him wearing a freaking morning gown. I didn't care what I looked like and he didn't either. With Oliver, I was never afraid of anything because I knew I had him by my side. But with Ed, I was sacred every step of the way. Because I knew the importance of meeting his parents and you meeting him. He always had to push me to take the next step in our relationship but Oliver... with him, it's me who takes the next step. He doesn't push me. He waits until I am ready for it... And now bringing Oliver and his family here... I wasn't even nervous. Explain that to me. Explain why I am such a fucking mess!" She looks at me and growls, "I've had conversations with Oliver that I never could have had with Edward and vice versa. Edward is in my league, we play on the same field while Oliver wouldn't even be in the audience because he comes from a whole different world."

"Yet you married him without any fear or panic attacks." I point out.

"But Oliver doesn't understand why we go to charity galas, polo matches and tennis tournaments. He doesn't get the public image which comes with being wealthy and Edward does. I've never had problems convincing him to join me to a charity gala or going to a polo match. He understands the image, the responsibility that comes with being a Bolton. Edward and I are on the same level. Money has never been an issue. Status will never be a topic we have to discuss. Charity is not an alien concept for him. But it is for Oliver."

"Maybe Oliver just needs time to adjust to all of this." I don't know this man at all but I'm willing to cut him some slack - or a lot of it.

"And maybe he just doesn't want to. Wealth, being a Bolton, having British Royalty in the family - all that comes with responsibility."

"Did you talk to him about it?"

"Not in such detail. He looses it when I buy him anything so the fact that he has to make an appearance at Ascot will not amuse him. He's laughing about the hilarious hats and outfits the women wear. Because he doesn't understand the publicity they seek. He doesn't get it and I think he never will. So in that way, Edward is the better choice. He always has been. But Oliver..." She sighs, "He's very important to me as well. I didn't like my life without him in it. He enriches it like no one else. We know each other inside out. The connection we have is indescribable... It's something I never had with Edward."

"Well, then maybe you did the right thing by not marrying Edward and marrying Oliver."

"But I miss Edward as well."

"You can't have both men in your life. Not in the way you want to. A triangle relationship won't work. Knowing Ed, he won't do it and Oliver... that man is beaming with love for you. He won't do it either. "I know..." she lets out a frustrated growl and buries her fingers in her scalp, "What the hell have I gotten myself into?!"

"How does being married to Oliver feel like?"

"I don't know... He and I... it feels natural. I don't feel suffocated on any way. He always gives me room to breathe, unlike Ed. But I liked that about Ed. He held me close to him, he kept me within his reach."

It sounds like she wants to different things, which she found in two very different men. "And Oliver is not like that?"

"No... But then again, I haven't been with him long enough to know. We spent 15 weeks together, that's like nothing compared to the year I spent with Ed. But at the same time I feel like I know Oliver better than I know Edward. Being with Edward would be the right choice because it would be easier but being with Oliver... actually feels easier. Sure it comes with disagreements and he obviously has a lot to learn when it comes to surviving in my world but it feels easier, more natural."

"It sounds like you made the right choice then."

"Then why am I so afraid? I was never afraid with Ed. Being with him never scared me but being with Oliver... it scares the hell out of me. I never feared losing Edward but my biggest fear is to loose Oliver again." She bites on her lower lip. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Sweetie, nothing is wrong with you." I grabs her hands and squeeze them softly to emphasise my point. "Once in a lifetime you meet someone who changes everything. And that someone is Oliver for you. It's why you're so attached to him. He opened up your heart for love and taught you to trust someone beside your family. And when you ended things with him, you were still open to let someone else into your heart. And that someone is Edward. Both men will always have a special place in your heart, Jo. They will always be the two men that shaped you like no one before and after them." I explain to her. "But what you have to decide now is who you want to spend the rest of your life with. It's clearly not Edward otherwise you wouldn't have had those panic attacks. So the only man left is Oliver. But are you ready to let him into your heart?"

She gulps and shrugs. "I don't know."

"You don't have to figure this out right now. Give it time. Take it step by step; day by day. But don't excoriate him. Don't play with his heart because that's not fair."

"You sound like his Mum."

I shrug, "She's just protecting him. Life doesn't always give you second chances but it gave you guys one."

"Life didn't give us a second chance. I hunted him down in Rio and convinced him to let me help him."

I chuckle. That sounded like Della and Troy combined. She really is a Bolton from head to toe. "And then you married him the first chance you got?"

"No, I only married him because there was no other choice to get him and his family back to London."

"I see... Yet, you feel good about being married to him."

"Not good... but not bad either. I guess I feel neutral about it."

"Neutral?"

"Yes. Comparing Oliver with Edward is like comparing a Monet to kindergarten-daubing. They're different, yet both are art."

"Is Oliver the Monet? Or is Edward the Monet?"

She shrugs. "Both are art, so it shouldn't matter who is what... but it does. It matters a lot. Because one is worth millions of pounds while the other has only a sentimental value - it's only worth for the person whom it was made for."

So, Edward's the Monet and Oliver the kindergarten-daubing.

"We can get divorced in a year and they can stay in England. Or move to Portugal or anywhere else in the world. My point is, they can do whatever they want. Because they will have papers. They'll be legal UK citizens. And that's all I want... that's all Oliver wants."

She's putting Oliver's wishes over hers - except she doesn't know it yet. "Josephine, let me tell you something."

Her sky blue eyes widen at my words. "Mum, you rarely call me Josephine."

"So you better listen." I say, causing her to chuckle. "Falling in love. It's always something that comes unexpected. Suddenly it hits you; you're in love, just like that. And maybe that's what makes it so wonderful. Having absolutely no control is scary but if you just let it happen, beautiful things can come your way."

"I don't love Oliver." She tells me straight into my face. "I don't feel the same way of Oliver as I feel of Edward. I love Edward but I don't love Oliver. Yet, I couldn't marry Ed because... because I kept thinking of Oliver. And now I'm married to him. To someone I don't love. And in a year we're going to be divorced so it doesn't matter that I don't love him."

I don't think she will get divorced from him but I decide to not tell her that. She may not be able to admit it, but I know she returns his feelings. She loves him, too.

She loves Edward but she's in love with Oliver. Madly. Deeply. Head over heels in love with him.

She's in so deep that she doesn't even see it. But I do.

I see myself and Troy in them. Because Oliver did what Troy did to me: show me what love is.

"Jo, always remember someone's effort is a reflection of their interest in you. And from what I've been seeing tonight, Oliver's putting in a lot of effort into this relationship he has with you and making a good impression on your father and me."

She licks her lips, "I know..."

"I really like him, regardless of where you guys will be in a year. He has his heart in the right place." I tell her. "But meeting someone with the same mindset as you is rare, incredibly rare - and you found two men."

"So you're saying I should be grateful for having Oliver in my life and hurting Edward by eloping from my own wedding literally a minute before I was about to wed him?"

I shrug, "Maybe not grateful... but lucky. Both men were and still are in your life for a reason. They teach you something and you teach them something. But if you want my advice, I'd say go with the one who is not only proud to be with you, but will also take every risk to keep you."

"In other words go with Oliver." She whispers back. "Or rather stay with Oliver and see where it goes... in a year I will be wiser. Maybe we'll be divorced by then, maybe not."

I'm definitely going with maybe not. "Do you see unicorns and dance on rainbows with Oliver?"

"What?" She asks me confused.

"You said that the morning after you got engaged to Ed. You said you don't see unicorns and dance on rainbows but you were happy. So, I'm asking you now: Do you see unicorns and dance on rainbows with Oliver?"

She thinks for a moment. "I never saw unicorns or rainbows with Ed. And with Oliver..." she shrugs. "It's a whole kaleidoscope I see. It's much more than unicorns or rainbows. It's rather like fireworks or..." She bites on her own lips. "Or Northern Lights."

I frown. Northern Lights? "Sweetie, I don't-"

"I've got to go. I've got to talk to Oliver." She says before rushing out of the library.

I follow her down the hallway and stop as I see her talking to Oliver in front of the glass facade in the living room. My husband walks over to me. I think he just had a few words with our daughter's husband.

"What do you think?" My husband asks me.

"She's head over heels in love with him without knowing it." I tell him. Jo might love Edward but she is in love with Oliver. "What do you think?"

"You know, when we met Edward he told us how great Jo was, how intelligent and beautiful. You want to know what Oliver just said to me? He thanked me for raising such an incredibly kind woman." Troy says to me as we both watch them talking. "He said she's altruistic and a true humanitarian. He called her loyal, honest, full of integrity, protective and brighter than anyone he ever met. He called her respectful because she treats people of all colour, age and social status with courtesy, kindness, deference, dignity, and civility. In his eyes, she's the most compassion human he ever met. She is willing to offer time, energy, efforts, emotions, words, or assets without the expectation of something in return. He complemented her soul, not her body." Troy looks me directly in the eyes. "He loves her for her, not her name, status or bank account."

"You're not against their marriage?"

"I still have my doubts and will do more research into him just to make sure. But he came from nothing and she gave him everything without asking for anything in return. Our daughter loved him without knowing it."

I nod in agreement. "And I think today she has finally realised that as well."


I watch how Caio and Johnathan play with Zeus as we stroll through Richmond Park. The rain hasn't started yet but we brought umbrellas. The weather's unpredictable in London. It's what I love about my hometown. Everything is always changing, it's always evolving and moving.

I look at Maria, the mother of those two boys and my daughter's husband. She's a very pretty woman with her dark brown curls, big brown eyes and full lips. Just like her sons, she's on the skinny side but I suspect that's because of their past. As much as Jo told me and as much as I understood, Oliver's family is not wealthy but quite the opposite. Living in Rocinha is not a choice you make upon your free will. It's a place you're forced to live at because you can't afford living in a safer place. I can't even begin to imagine what these four went through. From the looks of them, it's evident they had days when food was a luxury.

The situation breaks my heart.

But it also makes me proud of my daughter, who brought them out of it.

"I can feel your eyes on me, Gabriella." Maria interrupts my thoughts before looking at me.

"I'm sorry, I just..." I never felt sorry for my wealth but in her company I do. I have everything and more when she had to pray for a bottle of water or a crumble of bread on some days.

Maria stops walking and I give Troy a nod to leave us alone. "Go ahead, ask away."

She's no coward. She faces challenges and fights. Oliver must be the same.

No wonder Jo fell in love with him.

I notice the ring around her left ring finger but Jo didn't mention a father of Oliver or those two boys in front of us. "What happened to your husband?"

"He died before Johna was born."

She delivers the message is such a neutral tone that for a moment I don't believe what I hear. "How long have you been together?"

"15 years."

"That's not enough." It's never enough, no matter how many years.

She shakes her head. "No, it wasn't."

I can understand her. I never took my rings off when Troy left me as well. We promised each other 'til death do us apart, but truth is not even death can part us. There will be no other man for me and Maria feels just the same. "You raised the three of them yourself?"

Maria shrugs, "Oliver chose to not go to uni and start working since we were now left with a financial gap. My job at the hotel didn't provide enough for a decent living of four, so we moved from Fatima to Rocinha. From there on it was a daily struggle until one day I found a lottery ticket on my way home from the hotel. I didn't make me a millionaire but it gave us enough money to send Oliver to London via a ship."

"Where he one day then met my daughter." I had no idea they're from Rocinha. That's the most dangerous favela in whole Rio! No wonder it took so long for my daughter to hunt Oliver down. Living in Rio is the best place to hide without even having to try.

She nods, "And when she decided to end things with him, everything went downhill. He got caught by the Feds and sent back to Rio. I will never forget the day he came home. He left with a smile on his face but he came home as a broken man. Your daughter broke him. She tore him into a million pieces. He turned into a shallow of himself. He started working at plantations, where he usually spend the whole day at. Sometimes, at peek times, he slept there. He carried tons of coffee beans and bananas, just so we could have one warm meal a day. To say we struggled before Josephine suddenly popped up at or place is a great understatement. But Oliver's a very proud man and I am a very protective mother."

I smirk, "He let her struggle."

Maria nods, "I caught them arguing in the middle of the street when I came home from work. Then everything happened in fast speed. We left our house a few hours before a heavy rainfall started. It flooded the streets and for sure has destroyed our old home. The next day, the two got married and two weeks later we land in London."

"It's been a whirlwind."

Maria nods, "But Oliver said it's the way they move."

That's when I realise I don't know my daughter at all. She never acted on rapid speed with Edward. But she's running a race with Oliver. Maybe she's afraid he's going to leave her. She moved so quickly with the marriage that perhaps she hasn't even realised what she's done. "I guess they do."

"You didn't know about them?"

"No." I say and gulp. My daughter hurt me by not telling me about Oliver. She rubbed her relationship with Edward under our noses but she kept Oliver hidden. If I hadn't found his shirt and saw their photo, I had never found out. I don't know why she was so secretive. I told her more than once that she can tell me anything and while she nodded and smiled, she kept Oliver a secret. Not just from her father, but from me.

"Well, if it makes you feel better Oli didn't tell me much about them as well. I knew she existed because it was bloody obvious written in his face whenever we Skyped but he didn't tell me a name, give me a description or any other details. He kept his mouth shut, which honestly worried me at the time. Who doesn't want to scream their love out into the whole world?"

She shares my worries. It's calming. "I know what you mean."

"But the last two weeks with your daughter taught me a lot. Not just about the woman you raised but about my son and his subtle influence. I always thought one party loves more than the other. And I was certain my Oli loved her more than she loved him. But then she married him and the second I saw those rings on their fingers, it was like a lightbulb went off within Josephine. She's like a chameleon, she adapts to a situation with levity. But ever since she married my son, she started to show her true colours. And they're even more beautiful than I could've imagined."

No one has ever given me a better compliment. "Maria,"

"They're in a unique situation and I have decided to let them be." Maria tells me. "Because my son is head over heels in love with your daughter. From the very first time they met, actually. And she... she can't seem to let him go either."

"I wish I could tell you that my daughter won't break your son's heart again but I can't."

"Josephine's her own person. Just like my Oliver is his own person. Whatever happens between them, happens. We're just sitting in the back seat of this crazy ride."


I hold the door open for everyone and watch how they walk into my home. It was a very good walk through Richmond Park. I got to know Maria more and his other sons seem to have fallen in love with Zeus.

"Do you want to help me get Zeus clean?" Troy asks Caio and Johna.

"Yes!" They cry out as we all get out of our coats and shoes.

Suddenly the soft piano tones start filling my ears. They echo all the way from the living room into the foyer. I know this song! It's the one I wrote for Jo and Ed for their first dance as a married couple. I still remember how hard Jo cried when I played that song for her. It was the morning after her hen-do, just a few days before the wedding. I thought she cried because she was deeply touched, but now... now I think she was hurting over Oliver.

The song reminded her of Oliver, not Edward.

I walk into the living room and watch how my daughter plays the song on the black Bechstein piano by heart. Oliver's standing next to her, his pine green eyes watching how fast her hands move. It's their song.

Not Edward and Jo's. I wrote it for Oliver without even knowing him.

"That's my wedding gift!" I breathe out in shock.

Jo stops playing immediately. She gulps, "It was never Edward and mine song. It was always Oliver and mine. When you played it for me for the first time I didn't think of Ed. I thought of Oliver. I saw Oliver and not Edward. I couldn't picture a future with Ed but I could picture it with Oliver."

I look from her to Oliver before looking at her again. "Really?"

"Yes."

"But why didn't you call off the wedding then?"

Josephine shrugs, "Because that's simply not how it's done."

"Right, you rather wait until the limousine stops in front of the cathedral." I think out loud.

Josephine licks her lips, "You wrote this song as a wedding gift and it is one. Does it matter whose wedding? It's a beautiful song."

"But I didn't think of Oliver when I wrote that song!" I argue back before looking at Oliver. "Sorry."

"Well then who did you think of? Edward?" Josephine asks me back.

"No." I whisper, "I thought of your soulmate."

Josephine nods slightly towards her husband. "Bingo."

Bingo indeed.


I spit the toothpaste into the sink as my husband still brushes his teeth. I rinse my mouth with water before drying my mouth. "I like Oliver." I decide as I stare into the mirror, right at my husband. "He has nice brothers and his Mum is really lovely as well. You know, she was hesitant about Jo in the beginning."

He spits out the toothpaste and rinses his mouth with water before I hand him the towel. "She felt about our daughter the way we felt about Oliver?"

"Yeah and to be honest Jo gave her more reasons to be skeptical than Oliver gave us." I remind him.

"I've asked him for a hair and salvia sample as well as his fingerprint." My husband admits.

I rise my left eyebrow at him, "You did what?!"

"It worked with Sasha so maybe it's going to work with Oliver as well."

"Oliver's not some orphan with royal roots! He was a poor man who wanted to bring his family to London! He's nothing like Sasha!"

"I just want to know as much about him as possible."

I pinch the bridge of my nose so I won't explode. "I get your intention, I really do, but this is no way of handling the situation."

"Oliver didn't hesitate to give me what I wanted."

"That's because he doesn't want to fuck it up with you!"

"Well if he's got nothing to hide it-"

"Troy, I love you. I really do but there is no bloody way you will repeat that ever again. Jo has found someone really really special and I will not allow you to turn this into another Wlad or Sasha 2.0 situation. History will not repeat itself, do you understand me?"

"But if I find-"

"Do you understand me?" I ask him again. "Because if not than a sex strike is the least you're going to have to deal with."

"Fine." He gives in. "But that also means I won't tell you what Wlad found if he finds something."

I place my hand on my hips, "You sure as hell will!"

My husband smirks, "You know, Oliver was totally calm when I asked for the samples."

"Because he has nothing to hide!" I argue back. "He's a normal human being!"

"Normal doesn't find its way into our family."

"She loves him with her whole heart so don't screw this up." I tell my husband. "She found someone that makes her feel the same way you make me feel and I make you feel, so please... Don't get lost in the everlasting search to find some dirt on him."

"Everyone's got some dirt. There are always skeletons hidden in a closet somewhere."

I sigh, "This man went through hell. He risked his life to come to London. Stayed here for years safely hidden with some cash paying jobs. He met our daughter by accident. It was a bloody coincidence that she walked into that cafe in Battersea right that moment and offered to pay for him. He didn't hunt her down like Sasha did with Ana. He didn't watch her growing up like Wlad did with Della. He is no prince that's going to be King like George. He is a very humble man."

"All that doesn't mean he hasn't got secrets!"

"Everyone has secrets! But he is no assassin. He came literally from nothing, met the love of his life by accident and got caught up in Jo's love-net. Knowing her, it took a lot of convincing to allow her to even consider opening up towards him. He is her soulmate."

"I don't know about that..." he mumbles.

"Do what you have to do but don't be surprised if all you are going to find is some embezzlements of food in Rio. He is a good man. A very good man."

"You just like him more than Edward."

"Of course I do! Have you seen the way she's been acting with Oliver? She's protective of him like a lion of it's children. She's afraid you're going to hurt him. Because she loves him, Troy! She has never been that way with Edward."

"Because he knew how to handle a situation."

"No, this has nothing to do with Oliver not being able to handle you and your pipe dreams. This is about how Jo doesn't even want him to get into a situation like this. Perhaps this is why we only find out about them now. She pretty much introduced us to Ed the moment they started dating but she kept Oliver hidden. She kept him a secret because he is precious to her. More precious than Edward was."

My husband licks his lips, "I'll see what Wlad can find and then go from there. I'm just trying to protect my family."

Just like Jo's trying to protect Oliver.

"And now can we please use the remaining hours of a child free home to enjoy ourselves in our room of pleasure?"

"I thought you'd never ask."


My husband ties my hands to the suspension machine before slowly lifting me up in the air. I'm blindfolded and naked. There's blissful music coming out of the speakers in our room, creating a soft contrast to the harsh treatment that's about to take place. Nipple clamps are secured tightly around my nipples. We haven't been here much lately. Work and kids got the best of us, so sex - the way we enjoy it anyway - wasn't a priority.

I can hear how my husband circles me like a lion circles it's prey. Then he gets a whip or a flogger from one of the brass constructions. My whole body prickles with anticipation and excitement. I've missed this room so much!

"After so long I won't be able to hold back, my angel." His voice is hoarse and somehow that turns me on even more. His smell fills my nostrils. It reminds me of warm summer nights.

"Please don't." I answer and I can hear the whip swinging through the air. A second later it touches my thighs, missing my sex. "Again."

"Oh, you don't have to ask that twice." He lashes out and a moment later the whip clashes against my skin. This time it leaves a burning sensation that ripples through my body, causing my pissy to produce even more cream.

He lashes out again - this time without me asking - and his my upper belly, just below my rips. The harder he whips me, the more aroused I get. I get lost in these burning sensations.

He whips me harder... and harder... and harder... and suddenly I explode into a million pieces as the orgasm rushes through me like tsunami. It feels so bloody good!

I can hear how he drops the whip because the brass handle clashes against the hardwood floors. He opens the clamps that are on my nipples before cupping my breasts and running his thumbs over my nipples. My husband knows how to turn me on. "Troy,"

His hands start massaging my breasts until he stills. "Gabriella, can you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

He pulls the blindfold off of my face before he digs his fingers into my left boob again. "I think, there's a knot."

A shiver runs down my spine, "Put me down."

He does as I says. As soon as he has freed my hands from the chains, my fingers dig into my left boob. "I don't feel anything." I mumble as I go through the tissue.

Troy grabs my hands and directs them further up and left.

And that's when I feel it.

A knot. A knot so small that it could be confused with a pea if it weren't in my boob. "Fuck!" I breathe out in shock.

"When was your last mammography?" My husband asks me.

I feel around the little pea. It's not hard but also not very squishy. But it definitely shouldn't be there.

"Gabriella,"

I have a knot in my breast! I have a fucking tumour growing in my left boob! I let go of it and start checking the right very throughly. There's no knot. Everything is soft and squishy. Nothing abnormal.

"Gabriella,"

My hands grab my left boob again. "I don't know. About a year ago."

"You should call her and make an appointment."

I look into my husband's eyes, "Troy, what if this is a tumour? What if I have cancer?" I think out loud. "Oh, God, what if has already spread? What if it has gotten into my brain? What-"

"Gabriella, calm down. It's a knot. Perhaps it's a benign tumour, if it's really a tumour. It could be anything else."


Thank you so much for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!

This story is slowly but surely coming to an end. I haven't written the next chapters, so it might take me a while to upload again. My focus is more in Jo's story than on this one or My Shadow. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed seeing Gabriella's point of view when she first met Oliver and his family.

What do you think of the meeting?

Please stay healthy and safe during this pandemic!

In gratitude,

Nicole