Page 96 of Contract of a Billionaire

“I raised my daughter,” he ended up commenting. “Safe and happy. All the while fuckers like you tried to eliminate us.”

“Understood,” I told him calmly. “But what kind of father would I be if I didn’t do the same for my son?”

Silence followed. Surprise flashed in his eyes. He thought I didn’t know. Or maybe he hoped I didn’t know.

“You and my daughter will have to work that out,” he finally said. “My wife told me about the contract you had in place with her parents.” I couldn’t quite decide if it sounded like an accusation or not. “Are you aiming for more power?”

My jaw tightened. “I couldn’t give two shits about more power,” I said.

“So what are you going to do when the old Blanchet passes the reins to Autumn?”

“I’ll pass them on to someone else.”

Curiosity flickered in her father’s eyes, but it was the tension in his shoulders that betrayed him. “Who?”

He thought I’d prepare Kol to lead it. “Those French nephews. I’ve looked into them and they are decent enough.”

Silence swept through the late afternoon air.

“I think you and I are on the same page,” he finally said. An understanding passed between us. An alliance. “You are not your father, Alessio,” her father added, shocking me. “Either one of them.”

Somehow it didn’t shock me that the old man knew. After all, collecting intelligence against the most powerful criminal organization was his expertise.

We worked in silence for the next two hours and finished the playground. A pirate ship stood in the middle of the lawn and Kol stared at it awed.

“You like it?” I asked him, smiling. His wide eyes kept darting left, then right. He didn’t know where to look first.

“Oui.”

“It’s very cool,” I told him. “Want to check out the inside?”

He nodded, tugging me along eagerly. I bent my tall frame, and it was all it took for him to start exploring.

“This is mine?” His voice squealed from the inside of the pirate ship.

“All yours, buddy,” his grandpa answered. He turned to me and continued, “It was hard to put together anything permanent when Autumn refused to come home. But now that she’s here, nothing is stopping me.”

My lips curved. “If you need help with another building project, let me know.”

He smiled smugly. “Make sure you have cool boy stuff at your place. It’ll make it harder to leave.”

“I intend to.” In fact, I already placed an order for all the material to build Kol his custom airplane bed. “We’re staying at my penthouse right now, but we’ll be back and forth between the house outside the city and the penthouse. I figured she’d want to stay close to you.”

He waved his hand. “Even before she came back, she already talked about leaving.” He side-eyed me. “I’m guessing she’ll be staying now.”

“That’s the plan.”

Of course, the contract I had put in place for her was just security. There was no letting her go this time. I’d earn her love and I’d bring us back. The way we were. Both Autumn and Kol were my family. We’d grow old together. We’d bicker, we’d fuck, and we’d make love.

Bottom line, we’d be happy. I’d make sure of it. I’d give her everything she wanted. She’d be close to her parents. We’d make a life for ourselves like her parents.

My eyes traveled over the cozy home. It was a nice size house, although nothing like my estate. And nothing like the Blanchet residence in Philly.

“Maman says dinner is almost ready.” Autumn came up behind us with a tray of drinks for all of us. She must have taken a shower, her hair was still damp and she changed into jeans with a pink sweater. “And if you’ll be stinky, take a shower.”

Her dad took a drink from the tray. “Are those your mother’s words or yours, Autumn?” her father retorted dryly.

She ignored him and craned her neck to meet my gaze. “Same goes for you, Alessio.” Then her eyes traveled down my body. “You have no spare clothes here, so maybe you’ll have to go back to the penthouse.”