You could say that my half-brother and I have never gotten along. But with my children, he always makes an effort to be part of their lives and he treats them well. I respect that, and at the end of the day, he’s part blood. Those two reasons wouldn’t stop me from firing him, but I can’t because…well, there is something else…and so I’ve learned to deal with it.
Amanda, my assistant, used to follow up with Marcus for me during the day, but it’s become apparent that it’s a waste of energy to chase a man who can’t dedicate his time to a career he supposedly wants. And so the nagging from me stopped, partly due to Amanda taking personal leave. It was a family matter. She opted for two weeks, but I saw the pain in her eyes.
She needed more time.
Amanda has been part of the team since the beginning and has always been a loyal employee. She told me it was her mother and that she was the only one who could take care of her. Without any hesitation I signed her leave for six weeks that very afternoon, not caring that it went against my own policy. I would’ve given anything to spend more time with my mom. These weeks for her will be tough, and so I assured her that her position at Notti Designs wouldn’t go anywhere.
With this, I can’t add Marcus Giannotti’s bull to my overflowing agenda today. The one that’s already filled with site visits, design renderings, a midday meeting with Tate, and in the afternoon I need to welcome the intern due to take over Amanda’s place while she’s away.
My turbulent promise to Oscar rings in my ears the entire drive to my office.
Valencia is also on my agenda.
The words I wish to say to her scatter free in my mind. I need to make this right with her. I need to apologize for everything…but how without causing even more turmoil?
You’ll figure it out, Giannotti.
Figure it out.
I’m so perplexed, I almost miss the turnoff.
Almost.
It could have all gone differently.
Addilyn’s abduction shifted my entire outlook on life as I knew it. That horrid night forced my family to slip through my fingers. My fucking family. I had lost my grasp on the ones I needed to protect the most.
I wasn’t there when it happened. I had just touched down in London for a work trip to meet with a developer and estate agent with plans on expanding my company to England, when I received Valencia’s distressed call. Addilyn was gone in an instant. Marcus, Helena, and my in-laws had dinner at our single-story house with Valencia. The time came to put the twins to sleep and Addilyn down for a rest. They were all together in the living room after coffee and had innocently mistook Addilyn’s soft cries as normal.
Now, we know they weren’t.
Just as they stepped out of the house for a brief moment to walk Helena to her car and bid her goodbye, our CCTV showed a male dressed in all black with gloves and a covered face carefully breaking and entering through Addilyn’s window. As SPD outlined, the operation was calculated because, as Marcus, Valencia, and her parents reentered moments later, the figure rushed to the front of the house, over the side gate, and slipped inside an awaiting unlicensed getaway car with my daughter. The car was seen speeding off, but then disappeared from the purview of surrounding house cameras in the area—a complete Twilight Zone moment, and still to this day the car hasn’t been spotted ever since.
SPD worked with determination, but their results ended in no arrests, no leads, no possible suspect, no clues, or even any indication that Addilyn Giannotti was still breathing. With the case now classified as cold, faith was lost on me.
Addilyn was gone.
We didn’t even get to kiss our baby goodbye.
I had felt helpless. I was almost five thousand miles away when my family needed me the most. It’s my gravest nightmare and not being there is my biggest regret. It could have changed everything. Because as soon as Valencia broke the vile news, I told her promises I never kept.
I vowed to her everything inside my aching heart during that call…
We will get our daughter back.
Whatever it takes.
I promise you, darling.
…but days later, I wasn’t so sure.
I feared that soon those words would be the very ones to destroy us. That they would be our undoing. And as much I didn’t want to be, I was right. Nothing has been the same since. So, for my own sanity, I have to accept that Addilyn is in a better place. A place where my mother resides. Up above. Watching over. Protecting us from the looming heavenly flames.
After all, for every single vow spoken, there’s a price to be paid. And deep down I have a feeling that ours will endure the ultimate sacrifice—life.
“A wedding band won’t reappear on that finger, no matter how hard you look.”
I don’t deserve a ring. Not after everything she and I have been through.
I’m not in the mood for Marcus’ sarcastic remarks full stop, but especially not on a Friday afternoon. He finally arrived not too long ago after claiming he had a personal emergency. By ‘personal emergency’ he means curing his hangover. Go figure. I’m almost glad he did come in late and missed the meeting with our joint client, Tate, because this is NOT the way to represent Notti Designs.
Oh yeah, that’s right. Let’s shift the focus on that.
I flick my gaze from my left hand to his deepening smirk. “Couldn’t you have at least postponed the bar hopping until this long weekend? Nothing big, just you know save my company’s reputation from collapsing due to your unacceptable responses to clients, the unpredictability of your
