Chapter 12 Chapter 12
Amelia
“Mom! This place is beautiful,” Aria burst out as we drove through the busy streets of New York. After five long years in France, I was finally back on the soil I once called home, this time with my five girls.
“Not as beautiful as Paris,” Aliana muttered, folding her arms. “Mom, can we just stay for a few days and go back? I don’t want to live here. I will miss my friends and school.”
“No, sweetheart,” I said gently. “We are staying , you will make new friends in your new school, I promise.” I turned my gaze to the window, watching the city flash by, hoping quietly that coming back was the right choice.
Five years ago, when I first found out I was pregnant, I thought I was expecting one baby. Life surprised me with five beautiful daughters instead. And life blessed me again as I managed to build my company across two other European countries. Now, I am home, stronger, wiser And ready to start over.
We pulled into the driveway of my house, and the moment my daughters spotted my parents and Adele waiting outside, they shot out of the car like little rockets. Their squeals filled the air as they threw themselves into their grandparents’ arms.
They loved living in France, but being in New York meant longer hugs, longer visits, and all the time in the world with Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunty Adele. In France they only saw them during short trips, never enough to satisfy their little hearts.
Later that evening, we all sat around the dining table, sharing dinner like we used to.
“Grandma, you look older than the last time I saw you,” Aria said bluntly. She has always been the sharp-mouthed one, quick to comment on everything, even when she doesn’t fully understand it.
My mom shot her a playful glare. “And your mouth grew wider than the last time i met you.”
We burst into laughter, the room warm with joy and the comfort of home.
“Mom, are we finally going to meet Dad now that we are in your home?” Amira asked suddenly.
The whole table fell quiet. I felt my mother’s eyes on me, sharp and questioning, but I kept my gaze on my plate.
“I can’t wait to see him,” Aliana added with a bright smile. “I hope he gets to drop us off at school every morning.” The others nodded eagerly, their excitement growing.
“I am going to make a painting of him,” Amara said proudly. “So when I meet him, I will have something to give him.”
My heart squeezed. I forced a small smile and shook my head. “Eat your food,” I said softly but firmly.
They obeyed immediately, the room slipping into a heavy silence I wasn’t ready to break.
After dinner, I stayed behind in the kitchen, rinsing plates and trying to calm my mind. My mom walked in quietly and leaned against the counter, watching me with that look she gives when she already knows something is wrong.
“You look stressed and tired,” she said at last. Her tone was gentle, but I knew exactly where this conversation was heading after the girls’ questions at the table.
“It’s just the packing,” I replied quickly. “The trip and settling in, I planned to rest a bit before going back to the company.”
She shook her head slowly. “For how long?”
“Huh?” I turned to her, pretending not to understand.
“For how long will you keep raising those girls alone while their father is out there living his best life?” she asked, her voice firm but soft.
“You are carrying the weight of five children by yourself. I know money isn’t your problem, but support matters too. You deserve help, Amelia. You need it.”
“I don’t want their father in our lives,” I said quietly. “They will get tired of asking one day.”
I had come too far on my own, I survived the hardest parts without him—my pregnancy, the sleepless nights, the chaos of five babies at once. I made my decision years ago, and I wasn’t turning back now.
My mom folded her arms. “If you insist Declan isn’t their father, then who is? And why are you hiding the real man so badly?”
I avoided her eyes, i had never told my parents who the father really was. I loved them, but I didn’t trust them not to go behind my back.
They believed children deserved both parents, and I knew they would try to force what I wasn’t willing to give.
“Mom, I will tell you when the time is right,” I said softly. “For now, please just trust me and my decisions.”
She shook her head with a tired sigh. “Fine, I won’t ask again. But I hope those kids keep asking about their father until you have no choice but to tell them.”
With that, she walked out of the kitchen and returned to the sitting room, leaving her words hanging heavily in the air.
A few days later, I took the girls to the mall to buy new things. We couldn’t bring most of their stuff from France, so this trip was necessary. Adele came along, because handling five excited children alone in a mall would have been a disaster.
“Don’t touch that!” Adele yelled for the third time, and I instantly regretted this outing. We had barely spent thirty minutes shopping, yet our voices were already fading from all the warnings and chasing.
“God, I do not want to be in your shoes,” Adele said, grabbing Amara and Ayla just as they tried to dash off again.
I laughed, shaking my head as I flipped through a rack of clothes. “Girl, I am praying to hire a nanny soon. I love them to death, but a woman needs a break too.”
Adele snorted, still trying to keep the twins in one spot, and I couldn’t help but laugh again. My life was chaotic, but I loved every bit of it.
“Honestly, I still can’t believe you escaped Maxwell’s wrath just like that,” Adele said, struggling to keep the girls from knocking over a display. “I heard he’s the type who never forgives or lets anything go.”
My chest tightened a little at his name, but I kept my face straight.
After those pictures of him and his wife leaked online, their divorce followed almost immediately. Brands dropped their contracts, scandals spread everywhere yet none of it slowed him down. Maxwell only got richer. His company kept expanding, and he is still the top biker in the city, louder, wilder, and more admired than ever.
“Well,” I said lightly, “let’s not act like their marriage wasn’t already falling apart. I was just the catalyst, they were both messing around.”
We moved to the shoe section, the girls squealing over sparkly sneakers. Adele sighed.
“I just think Maxwell didn’t deserve all the backlash he got. His wife was the one whoring around, not him.”
I pretended to focus on a pair of tiny boots, but the mention of his name still sent a faint ache through me, one I refused to acknowledge.
“It didn’t even take me long to seduce him that night,” I said with a shrug. “That alone tells you neither of them was loyal. Honestly, they should be thanking me. I only pushed them to do what they were already scared to do.”
Before Adele could respond, Amira came running toward us, breathless. “Mom! Mom! Aria is talking to a strange man!”
My heart dropped. I let go of the clothes in my hands and rushed after her, Adele close behind me. None of us had noticed Aria slipping away.
We hurried past the next shelf and there she was. Aria stood in front of a man who was crouched down to her height, talking to her softly.
“Aria!!” I shouted. She spun around instantly, but I didn’t move another inch.Because the moment I saw the man’s face, I froze.
Author's note: My cute babies😍😍, Declan as the father of the child, I would rather stop writing the book😂😂. But who do you think Amelia saw, guessssss🤭