Page 100 of The Billionaire's Baby

My father winces. "Thanks for the backhanded compliment… I guess."

"You’re welcome." I raise my shoulders. "Why are you telling me all this now?"

"Because," he widens his stance, "I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did. I want you to understand what’s most important in life and when you find out, I want you to hold onto it. I want to make sure you use every moment you have to its utmost."

"You mean her?" I jerk my head in the direct of the dining room

"Your wife." He nods. "If you do love her, and I believe you do," he peers into my eyes, "then you’ll try to make her happy the way I tried with your mother. It takes the love of a good woman to ground a man, and not everyone is lucky enough to have that."

I shuffle my feet. "Right."

"If you’ve found the love of your life, then I hope you’ll grab this opportunity with both hands and not let go of it. It’s your one chance to become a decent human being."

"You mean, it’s a chance to undo all the years of harm your neglect caused us?"

He pales, then raises his hand. "You hate me. I understand where you are coming from."

"Do you?" I peer into his eyes. "Do you understand how it is for a boy of twelve to return from an ordeal that turned his life upside down, only to find that his mother is dead? Then, his father decides to withdraw from the world instead of trying to be there for his children?"

"I was there," he grinds out, "I provided for the both of you, ensured you had the best education, that you didn’t want for anything."

"A-n-d that’s the problem. You assumed money would compensate for the lack of family."

"Is that what you’re doing now? Using your money to buy yourself the family you never had."

Anger pumps through my veins. I raise my hand, take a step forward, when, "Arpad," my brother's voice calls out from the doorway, "Grandmama’s asking for you."

Karina

Arpad walks in, his features stonier than usual. He takes the chair next to me. His father moves to the other side of the table and sits down in a chair the farthest from Arpad. Tension between the two of them stretches. The hair on the back of my neck prickles. I glance between them. What had they been talking about? Is this kind of fighting between the two of them normal? It certainly feels that way. Declan quirks an eyebrow at me from next to Philippe.

As security consultant to the Seven, I know about their families too. So, I'd been aware of Declan's status as the most promising upcoming star in the world. Since his lead role in a series which had launched over Christmas, he is the epitome of many a girl’s dream. The internet is abuzz with speculation about his next movie, his personal life, what he had for lunch, his workout routine, you name it. I'd known all this, yet not been prepared to meet him face to face. Guess fame can do that. It turns ordinary men into superstars, so when you meet them in real life, you're convinced there's something different about them.

I take a sideways glance at my not-yet-but-soon-to-be-husband… To be honest, there’s no resemblance between Declan and Arpad. If anything, Arpad seems more handsome to me, with that brooding gaze, thick eyebrows, the pouty lips of his that I’d do anything to feel against mine. Arpad glances up, holds my gaze. I flush, look back to Declan.

"So how is it to be famous overnight?" I ask

Declan chokes on the water he’d been drinking. He swallows, "I am getting used to it. You know…struggling for ten years to be recognized, going to countless auditions, then boom…" He chuckles. "All of a sudden, one of your TV series is a hit, and suddenly everyone wants a slice of you."

"Isn’t that good? I mean, isn’t that what most actors want—fame?"

He grimaces. "It comes with the territory, but that’s not why I got into acting."

"No, it was to get women throwing themselves at you, no doubt." Arpad snorts.

Declan grins. "You are just envious because I am better looking than you."

"And you’re so full of shit." He glowers at his brother.

"Why don’t we let Karina decide?"

"Me?" I pause, "Oh no, I am not being dragged into this."

"Come on," Declan prompts, "look at him.” He jerks his chin at the alphahole. "Now me," he gestures to his face. "Who do you think is better looking, huh?"

I stare between them. "Hmm." I chew on my lower lip. "If I had to pick one person," I glance from Arpad’s face to Declan’s then back to Arpad’s, "it would have to be—"

Arpad’s face grows thunderous.