Page 2 of The Prince's Secret Daughter
Helen couldn’t help but laugh, her heart lifting at her daughter’s imagination. "A pony is much larger than a puppy," she said, brushing a lock of soft hair from Angela's face. She almost added that a pony came with a mountain of poop, but thought better of it. Her daughter was still happily lost in a world of dreams, and Helen wasn’t about to add reality to her hopes and dreams.
There was a moment of silence as Angela looked at her shoes, deep in thought, her brow furrowed slightly as she worked through the problem. Helen waited patiently, knowing her daughter’s determination was unstoppable. Sure enough, Angela looked up, her cheeks rosy from the cold, and grinned. "Then, I could get a bigger bed," she suggested.
Helen chuckled, shaking her head as she ruffled her daughter’s hair. "Honey, your room isn’t big enough for a larger bed. It’s already overflowing with all your stuffed animals."
Angela’s eyes widened, as if this new dilemma only presented a fresh challenge. She chewed on her lip, her small steps growing slower as she mulled it over. Helen couldn’t help but smile at her daughter’s serious expression. It was clear that Angela wasn’t finished yet.
"But... I thought you got a big raise with your new job," Angela said thoughtfully. "So, maybe we could move to a bigger house!"
Helen raised an eyebrow at that.If only it were that simple.Housing prices in Chicago were ridiculous, and though her new job had come with some nice perks, a house with a yard big enough for a pony, or even a puppy, was still a long way off.
"We’ll see," Helen replied, keeping her tone light. She had learned the hard way that if she gave even a hint of encouragement, Angela would launch into a full-fledged argument complete with charts and lists. The last thing she needed was an impromptu negotiation at 8 AM on a soggy morning.
Angela, ever the optimist, smiled brightly at the idea. Helen smiled back, but her thoughts drifted for a moment as she watched her daughter.She looks just like him,she thought, the bittersweet memory of the man with the dark, penetrating eyes flashing in her mind.The one who had stolen my heart in a matter of days.But then the thought was gone, replaced by the warmth of her daughter’s hand wiggling in hers.
She shook her head gently, pushing the past aside. Angela was her world now. She didn’t need the ghosts of the past when she had this bright future in front of her—one she was building every day. And if the job did offer those perks, well,maybe it would be enough to keep her moving forward, away from memories and toward something new.
“So, what are you working on today, Momma?” Angela asked, her voice light and carefree, as she did a little skip, swinging her mother’s arm despite the cold. Her energy seemed boundless, even as the city around them remained grey and miserable.
Helen smiled down at her daughter, her heart swelling with affection as she caught Angela’s contagious enthusiasm. "Today, I’m working with my boss to entice a buyer for a property that another client wants to sell," she said, her voice steady, though a flicker of tension tightened her chest as she spoke.
Angela, ever curious, pressed her lips together in a thoughtful line, her small brow furrowing for a moment as she processed the information. Then she gave a quick shake of her head and bounced back, eager to enjoy the world around her. But something in Helen’s tone had sparked doubt in her young mind, as if there was more behind the words than she could understand. She didn’t voice it, but there was a sense of unease—an unspoken worry that things weren’t as straightforward as they seemed. Helen brushed it aside, attributing it to the stresses of work, but deep down, she couldn’t ignore the gnawing feeling of doubt that had settled in her gut over the past couple of days.
She had only been at the new job for two weeks, still acclimating to the fast-paced demands and office dynamics. There was no room for uncertainty in this position—not when it had been such a hard-won opportunity. She couldn’t afford to let personal suspicions interfere, not when she was working alongside some of the most powerful figures in the financialindustry. Yet, despite her attempts to dismiss the doubts, she couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that there was something more to the deal—something hidden, tucked away just beneath the polished surface.
Helen kept her thoughts locked tight, unwilling to let her worries bubble to the surface. The deal with the Grishoms, the legendary family she was working with, seemed too big, too important to question outright. It was a major step forward in her career, and she was determined to make it work. She would tread carefully, keep her concerns to herself until she had solid facts, something concrete she could act on. Her instincts screamed at her to dig deeper, but she knew she had to play her cards right. Time would tell.
Angela, meanwhile, didn’t fully understand the weight of her mother’s worries. Her attention was focused on the immediate—her feet stomping along the concrete sidewalk in order to make the soles light up, the rhythmic sound of her little feet skipping along, the bustling of the city all around her.
Helen sighed softly, trying to push the unease from her mind as they approached the daycare. "Here we are!" she announced, her voice bright, though she couldn’t quite shake the tension in her chest.
Next year, Angela would start kindergarten, a milestone that Helen both dreaded and looked forward to. But for now, the daycare suited her little daughter perfectly. It was a challenging environment—one that pushed Angela’s intellectual curiosity and gave her the space to grow. The new program was much more demanding than the one near Helen’s previous office, which was a relief. Angela thrived on new challenges.
Though it was more expensive, Helen could afford it now. The new job had its perks, and this one felt like a small victory, a reward for all the hard work she’d put into securing her place here.
Angela’s face lit up as she spotted the familiar faces of her teacher and friends. With a squeal of excitement, she rushed through the doors, eager to start her day. Helen watched her daughter with a soft smile before she sighed, a mix of pride and weariness tugging at her.
Helen watched as Angela shrugged out of her coat and scarf, the backpack, laden with Angela’s lunch, snacks, forgotten at her feet. Angela was completely unbothered by the orderliness of it all. With a quick shrug of her arms and shoulders, Angela was freed from the heavy wool, seemingly in a hurry to abandon any form of structure so she could race off and join her friends.
Helen shook her head with a soft chuckle, watching her daughter disappear into the classroom, her tiny feet barely touching the ground as she skipped toward the day ahead. There was something pure about Angela’s boundless enthusiasm, her joy in the simplest moments. And for just a moment, as Helen stood alone in the quiet hallway, she let the smile linger, pushing her worries to the back of her mind.
Helen hesitated for a moment, considering calling her daughter back to remind her about the importance of tidying up after herself. Angela knew the rules—they weren't allowed to leave things strewn across the floor. However, a quick glance at the time sent a surge of adrenaline coursing through Helen's veins.
She couldn't afford to dawdle. With a mounting sense of pressure weighing heavily on her shoulders, Helen realized she needed to rush into work. There was no time to waste. She had to delve into her notes, needing to unearth the source of her unease regarding the building her boss was attempting to sell for another client.
Every passing second was precious, every minute lost potentially holding the key to unlocking the mystery that had been gnawing at her subconscious. With a determined resolve, Helen picked up her daughter’s coat and hung it on the appropriate hook, then turned to make her way out the door.
Ten minutes later, Helen walked into the offices of Grishom and Grishom. She felt a burst of pride whenever she walked through those impressive glass doors. She had a corner office that looked out over the city. It wasn’t as impressive as Paul Grishom’s office, which looked out at Lake Michigan. Paul’s son, Nathan, had the other corner office with that view. But Helen was satisfied with this view. For now.
At the moment, she wanted to dig through the details of the deal they were going to propose to their new client. Dark Angel Investments was a group with a great deal of money. They were a new group, so she didn’t know a lot about them. But she did know that they were interested in buying an office building that had been built in the seventies. The plan was to modernize the current building and fill up the space with commercial and retail rentals. Another client of Paul’s owned the building and wanted to sell it. Paul, Nathan, and Helen were working on bringing the two clients together. Helen would earn a generous commission if the deal went through.
So, what was bothering her about the deal?
“Mornin’, Helen!”
Helen looked up, her attention snapping away from her desk as Nathan Grishom stepped into the office. She offered a warm smile, though the flicker of unease she’d been trying to suppress still lingered in her chest. “Hey there, Nathan. How are you?”
He grinned widely, his charm on full display. “Ready to make another few million dollars,” he teased, his tone light and confident as he set a steaming cup of coffee down on her desk. “Are you all set for the meeting this morning?”
