Page 163 of Lavish

And me?

Nothing.

She didn’t so much as glance my way.

“Can we see them?” Jennie said as she came over with her daughter, Faith, on her hip.

“Yes—”

Gigi was the first to dart past me down the hall, followed by Daddy and Noelle. I stepped back, letting the family steamroll past me into the room.

I was going to follow behind everyone else when Miles said, “Can you stay out here, Serena?”

We were the only ones left in the hallway. I swallowed hard and took a hesitant step forward.

“I don’t know how we got here,” I whispered, my throat tightening. “But I hate it. I hate not talking to you. Thank you so much for tonight.”

“Well, we’re gonna be traumatized for a while,” Miles tried to joke. His expression turned serious. “We should probably talk about the big ugly thing between us, huh?”

I tensed, the words sinking into the pit of my stomach.

“Who is Jenese?”

Slowly, I exhaled, the truth trembling on my lips.

“She’s…someone I worked with. Someone I let get too close.” My voice cracked, and I forced myself to hold his gaze. “I met her after things went bad with you. I…lost you, and things with Mama were bad at the time. I thought Jenese could be a surrogate mom or something. But she had me do things that really benefited her more than me.

“At first, it was just about the company. I thought I could control it, play the game. But I was wrong. Jenese got in deeper—she wanted leverage. I thought I had ended things, but then she came back and threatened to ruin everything.”

Miles stayed silent for a beat, his eyes dropping to the floor, his chest rising and falling in a slow, controlled breath. “You’ve been living a double life?”

“I wouldn’t say it like that.” I sighed. “But it felt like it sometimes. What about you? Who was that man?”

“Someone that was investigating Victor for the family of a man who worked for Victor and got hurt. Hopefully he can still help the family.”

I shook my head before the weight of what happened tonight settled. I let someone die. Someone who was bad… But a life was lost. Two lives.

“I was scared to tell you. To tell anyone,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “That I’d been that desperate and became a mark for a con artist.”

He took another step toward me, his hand gently cupping my face, forcing me to meet his eyes. “I’ve seen the worst parts of you, Serena. And I still love you.”

A warmth spread through my chest and I smiled up at him. “I love you too.”

Epilogue

MONTHS LATER…

“Who isAuntie Gigi’s baby? Who? Is it you?” Gigi grinned at Daisy in Laurene’s arms, and the baby squealed, her little hands reaching for Gigi’s face as though mischief recognized mischief.

It was our tradition, brunch at Café L’Amour out on the patio, and our first in a long time.

“Can I get another martini?” I asked the waiter.

“You? Drinking something other than cappuccinos?” Laurene looked over at me, adjusting her grip on Daisy.

“Damn near had a heart attack,” Gigi muttered. “Who would have thought? Married life changed her dramatically.”

It had.