Tempted by Eden (Eden #1)

10. Cora

Chapter ten

Cora

“ M omma, you awake?” Leo whispers in my ear. I open one eye to find his tiny face just inches from mine, his breath tickling my cheek.

“I am now,” I murmur, trying to stifle a grin while I yawn. I roll onto my back, pulling him into a big bear hug. He squeals, his giggles reverberating through my chest.

The movement sends a dull throb through my muscles, the lingering soreness a reminder of the night before. But it’s not the sex or being paid for it that fills me with guilt. It’s Jonathon… and the money I stole.

What the hell was I thinking? Taking his cash?

It was reckless, impulsive, beyond stupid. When he reports me to Madame Sophia, I’ll have to face the humiliation of explaining myself—and giving the money back. I can’t show my face there again. If this new job at Hayes there’s a coldness to him now. And I’m not sure I want him to know about Leo or be involved in his life. Does that make me a bad person?”

The disappointment of Jonathon not being the man I had imagined him to be is like a dead weight I can’t shake.

“No, of course not! You do what’s best for Leo,” Dad says. He takes a deep breath and I know he’s going to give me one of his life lessons. “Look, Jonathon might not be the man you once thought he was, but he still deserves to know about his son… eventually. None of us stay the same over time. You’re not the same person you were five years ago either, Cora. You’ve grown. You’re a mother now—your entire world has changed.” He pats my hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.

I nod. It’s true. Motherhood has reshaped me in ways I never imagined, shifting my priorities and forcing me to face challenges I never expected.

“You’ll know when the time is right,” Dad says.

“You’re right. Thanks, Dad.” I give his hand a gentle squeeze. “But I wouldn’t even know how to contact him or find out who he is. Honestly, with this new job, I don’t need to go back to the bar anyway.” Not that I’d be welcome there after what happened.

Dad’s eyes drop to the ground. “I’m sorry to put you under so much financial pressure,” he mumbles, his words just above a whisper.

“Dad, stop. Don’t even go there,” I say, shaking my head. “You didn’t ask to get sick. Plus, where would I be without my live-in babysitter?” I nudge him gently with my shoulder.

“Tell me about this new job,” he says, his eyes still on Leo, who’s absorbed in the giraffes.

I pull out my phone and scroll through my inbox until I find the email Emily sent this morning. “Apparently it’s at Hayes & Hayward Media.” I quickly scan the message and read out loud, “I’ll be their new senior public affairs specialist, working across public relations and human resources to improve company culture and public perception.”

We exchange a look, eyebrows raised.

“Well, that sounds interesting. What does Hayes & Hayward Media do?”

“No idea,” I reply with a shrug, still reading the email. But I’ll find out soon enough.

By the time we get home, Dad and Leo are both exhausted and they retreat to their rooms for naps. But I can’t rest—not with tomorrow looming over me. I need this job at Hayes & Hayward Media to stick. It has to.

With the quiet time on my hands, I pull out my laptop and type “Hayes & Hayward Media” into the search bar. Turns out it’s an American media conglomerate with reach in nearly every corner of the industry: a film company, a major tabloid magazine, a national news channel, and a telecommunications giant. The company was founded in the 1940s by two ambitious young men, David Hayes and Thomas Hayward.

I scroll through a company bio, pausing on an old black-and-white photo of the founders, back when they started building their empire. They look sharp, almost defiant, like they knew they were carving their names into history.

The bio says that a few years back, the founders’ sons “boldly stepped down” as CEOs to give the next generation a chance to lead the company into a new era.

Instant red flag.

I can spot corporate spin a mile away. I used to be the queen of it, after all.

I keep scrolling, hoping for some personal tidbits about my new bosses. Aside from their staggering combined net worth of nearly one hundred billion, there’s nothing but blurry paparazzi shots and carefully crafted PR. The co-CEOs are blank slates in the public eye, hidden behind the iron gates of their empire.

The latest news stories on the company are far more revealing though. I find dozens of articles on workplace bullying and employee dissatisfaction—at least fifty headlines.

I release a deep breath. Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me. Settling into my chair, I click on the first article.

Well, this is going to be fun.