Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Brielle
I sighed as I set my phone down.
“Was that Caden?” Sasha asked.
“Who’s Caden, Mommy?” Stella asked.
I shot Sasha a look.
“He’s one of my clients, sunshine. If you’re finished eating, why don’t you go and practice playing the piano.”
“Okay.” She smiled as she took her last bite of sweet and sour chicken.
“Caden wanted to see me tonight,” I told my mom and Sasha.
“You just spent almost three days with the man,” Sasha said.
“Either he’s a sex addict, or he’s falling for you,” my mother spoke.
“He’s not a sex addict. Well, he might be.” I furrowed my brows. “And he’s definitely not falling for me. I let him drive me home today,” I blurted out.
“What?!” Sasha exclaimed. “Are you nuts?”
“He basically forced me to. He wanted to come up and see the apartment, and I had to explain why I wouldn’t let him.”
“Brielle, you’ll have to tell him about Stella sooner or later.”
“I can’t, Mom. He hates kids.”
“What kind of man hates children?” Sasha asked.
“A man like Caden Chamberlain, that’s who. He doesn’t ever want children or a family. It’s really sad.”
“You can’t keep hiding Stella. Now that he knows your address, what’s going to stop him from coming over here one night out of curiosity? I shouldn’t have to tell you not to underestimate a man like him,” Sasha said.
“Besides,” my mother spoke, “he’s your client, and Stella has nothing to do with it. He can’t hold that against you. It says nothing in your contract that you have to discuss your personal life with him. All you are is a business transaction.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I narrowed my eyes at her.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but it’s the truth. Stella is none of his business. And if he hates children like you said he does, then I don’t want her near him.”
I sighed and pushed my plate away. Sasha was right. What if he came over unannounced? Then what? Keeping Stella a secret from him for the next five months wouldn’t be easy. Maybe he’d be okay with knowing I had a daughter. Maybe I was overthinking it.
The next morning, I took Stella and Ben to breakfast and then had him drive us around the city while I ran some errands.
“How would you like to go to the art gallery today?” I asked Stella. “A friend of mine has a couple of art pieces on display, and I’d like to go look at them.”
“Sure, Mommy. I like to look at all the paintings.”
Ben dropped us off at the art gallery on East 70th Street. I grabbed Stella’s hand, and when we walked inside, I saw my friend Amelia standing by her artwork.
“Brielle, Stella!” She hugged us both. “My gosh, you’re growing up way too fast, little one.” She smiled.
Amelia and I talked about her art, and Stella asked if she could go over to the table and take a cookie.
“Sure. You can have one and then come right back.”
“Okay.”
Caden
“What do you think about this piece for the restaurant?” Kyle asked.
“It’s nice. I think it would look good there.”
“Excellent. I will get the associate and tell her I want to purchase it.”
“I’m going to walk around a bit,” I spoke.
I was standing in front of a painting. An odd one at that. It was a portrait of a naked woman lying on the floor in a room with several cats staring down at her.
As I was studying it, I felt a tug on my pants. When I looked down, a tiny human with bright blue eyes stared up at me.
“Hi.” She smiled.
“Excuse me, but do you know how expensive these pants are? I really don’t need your greasy little fingers touching them.”
“They’re not greasy. Would you like a piece of my cookie?” She held it up.
“No, I do not want a piece of your cookie. Where are your parents?”
“My mom is talking to her friend. What do you think this painting is telling us?” she asked.
Was this kid serious?
“I haven’t a clue. Can you please take your cookie elsewhere?”
“Stella, I told you?—”
When I heard that voice, I turned around and stared at the woman a few feet away from me.
“Mommy, I was just looking at this painting.”
Brielle cupped her hand over her mouth as a look of shock swept over her face.
“Mommy?” I said in an angry tone.
“I can explain.”
“Do you know my mom?” the child asked.
“I do, and now I wish I didn’t.”
I turned and walked the other way as fast as I could. I found Kyle at the desk and told him I’d be waiting for him in the car.
“Wait, Caden. What’s wrong?”
I walked out of the gallery and paced back and forth on the sidewalk. Anger soared through me as I clenched my fists. I couldn’t believe this. I couldn’t believe she had a kid and didn’t tell me.
“Caden, wait. Please. I can explain,” Brielle pleaded as she stood on the sidewalk.
“Explain what? That you had a child you never mentioned?” I angrily spoke through gritted teeth. “I cannot believe you.”
“Stella is my personal life. What we have is a business arrangement. I didn’t think I had to tell you I had a daughter. I keep both my professional life and my business life completely separate.”
“Which brings me to another point. What kind of mother sells her body for money when she has a child?”
She raised her hand, and I grabbed her wrist before she could slap me across the face.
“As of this moment, our contract is null and voided. I don’t ever want to see you again. And to think I was developing feelings for you.” I let go of her wrist and began walking to my limo.
“You’re incapable of any feelings!” she shouted. “You’re nothing but a mean, arrogant, and egotistical man who isn’t capable of love.”
I stood there momentarily, clenched my fist, and deeply breathed.
“Caden, what’s going on?” Kyle asked as he stepped out of the art gallery.
“Let’s go, now!” I commanded as I climbed into the car.