Chapter 30
SOLEI
I took a sip of my wine and replied, “Yeah. I know. Sorry, Mama.”
“Don’t apologize to me. You okay?”
“I don’t even know,” I admitted honestly.
She cleared the sleep in her voice and asked, “What happened now?”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Money happened. Same as always.”
“Mhm. Talk to me.”
I took another sip. “He basically kidnapped me and took us to our honeymoon destination with the kids.”
“Kidnapped?”
“Well, yeah, technically. But…”
“And you just… went? What’s going on with Darius, Solei?”
My stomach twisted slightly at the mention of him. “We’re done, Mama. I told him over the phone.”
Mama went quiet for half a second. “Solei…”
“I know.”
“No, baby. Do you know?”
I closed my eyes briefly. The problem was…
I did. Money was toxic in ways that still terrified me sometimes.
His empire had cost us blood, peace, and years of our lives.
I knew all this, but no matter how far I ran or how polished or safe another man looked beside him, nobody had ever loved me the way Money did.
“I think he’s going to try harder for us this time,” I whispered.
My mother didn’t answer immediately. “What changed?”
“I think everything changed him,” I responded softly. “The separation. Seeing me involved with someone else. Knowing that I wasn’t playing this time, even if I was still unsure of things with Darius.” I swallowed hard. “Money told me he’s stepping down for real this time.”
“And do you believe him?”
I looked down at my bare ring finger and fiddled with it, the warm ocean breeze on my skin. “I want to.”
“That man’s been crazy about you for nearly twenty years.”
I laughed quietly despite myself. “Don’t I know it.”
“Baby, that’s not always a good thing.”
“I know.” My voice cracked slightly. “But I swear… when he looks at me now? When he touches me? It’s different. Like he knows he’s losing me for real.”
“And Darius?”
I crossed my leg over the other, settling back in my chair, and sipped my wine. “Darius was good, but just not for me. I think I always saw it, but I was just trying to… I don’t know. Force Money out of my system.”
“And?” she yawned.
“He just didn’t move me.” The confession slipped out before I could stop it. My mother hummed knowingly. “It’s like Money just… lives inside me or something. Even when I hate him.”
“Baby.” Her voice turned gentle again. “Love like that will either change your life or destroy it.”
Tears burned my eyes instantly. “I’m scared, Mama.”
“I know you are.”
“I gave that man everything. My twenties. My body. My kids. My loyalty.” My grip tightened around the stem of the glass. “And I still don’t know if he’d really choose us over that empire if it came down to it.”
“But he flew you to a private island trying to prove he would,” she pointed out softly.
A weak laugh left me. “That sounds insane when you say it out loud.”
“It sounds like a man panicking because his wife finally got one foot out the door.” Silence stretched between us for a moment.
“You’ve already survived that man at his worst,” she continued firmly.
“You survived the lies, the drugs, the fear, the arrests, the other women, and somehow you’re still standing. ”
A hot tear slipped down my cheek, burning as it traced my jaw.
“You are not weak because you still love your husband, Solei.”
I turned and watched as Money walked into the kitchen, shirtless and in Versace boxers, heavy chains hanging against his chest. He moved around quietly, fixing a plate of leftovers from lunch. “He’s still my person,” I whispered.
My mother chuckled softly on the other end. “Then the real matter of the whole situation is whether he’s finally ready to become the man you deserve.” I nodded slowly, even though she couldn’t see me. “I love you,” she said softly.
“I love you too.”
“Go enjoy your family and stop overthinking for at least an hour.”
A small laugh escaped me. “I’ll try.”
“Bye, baby.” The line disconnected quietly.
For a moment, I just sat there with my fingers wrapped around the cold stem of the glass while ocean waves crashed softly in the distance. Money was still my husband. No matter how many times we broke each other or I tried to leave. Even trying for something calmer or easier didn’t change that.
Because the truth was… I didn’t want easy. I wanted honesty, change, loyalty, and peace. I wanted the kind of love that was terrifying in its intensity, from Money, someone willing to burn his empire before truly losing his family.
Our love had never been soft or clean. It was messy, obsessive, consuming, and probably a little dangerous.
But it was ours. If Money truly kept his promises on this island–if he stepped down, stayed loyal, stayed mine–maybe loving him wouldn’t destroy me.
Maybe it could finally save us both. After placing my glass of wine on the marble natural stone table, I picked up my phone and sent a group text to June, Christen, and Kyesha.