Page 97 of Sunburned

Laurent and I found everyone reassembled in the game deck salon. The room buzzed with tension, all eyes on Cody as he paced in front of the bar, sullen.

As Laurent and I took our places on the couch, Cody cleared his throat, and everyone stilled. “I’ve just spoken to Tyson’s attorney, who will serve as executor of his will.” His gaze landed on Samira. “Samira gets all the properties—”

Samira gasped as she sat up, her hand flying to cover her open mouth. “What? But he—”

Cody held up his palm to silence her. “And the rest of his estate will be split evenly between Samira—”

“Oh my God.” Tears pooled in Samira’s eyes as she gaped at him.

“—and his five children.”

A wave of nausea crested in my stomach as everyone exchanged confused glances. “But he only had three,” Allison said.

“Satellite, Nibiru, and Dalí Dale, and Benjamin and Alexander Collet.”

I tried to breathe, but I couldn’t remember how.

“Benjamin and Alexander Collet?” Jennifer echoed, frowning as she tried to place the names.

At the same time, Gisèle turned to Samira. “Did you know about them?”

Samira shook her head. “I didn’t know about any of this.”

“Wait a minute,” Jennifer said, her eyes fixed on me as realization dawned. I stared at my hands, bracing myself for what I knew was coming next. “What did you say your children’s names were?”

All heads swiveled toward me, their attention rapt.

I couldn’t speak.

“Yes,” Cody said after a moment. “Collet is Audrey’s last name. Benjamin and Alexander are the children she shares with Tyson.”

“Oh my God,” Jennifer said.

“What the fuck?” Samira murmured.

I was frozen, unable to meet their eyes. Of all the times for Tyson to be generous…I took a deep breath and looked up at Cody, whose mouth was set in a grim line.

“Tyson and I were together a long time ago,” I explained to the others, my eyes flitting from one shocked face to another. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Laurent. “I found out I was pregnant after we broke up, and he advised me to terminate the pregnancy. So I let him think I did, and we never spoke again until this week.”

Cody eyed me. “But they were born nine months after you broke up.”

“And I’ve raised them alone without ever asking him for anything,” I protested, my voice catching in my throat. “He didn’t want to be their father, and I honored that. His name isn’t even on the birth certificate. They’re mine and mine alone.”

“Not biologically,” Cody said. “There was a DNA test with the rest of the paperwork.”

I could feel everyone staring, their expressions somewhere between incredulity and relish. “But…why?” My brow furrowed, my heart beating faster. “And how? I never submitted permission. The boys never took one—”

“I don’t know,” Cody said. “But the results were conclusive.”

I dropped my head to my hands, overcome with shock and indignation. “That motherfucker.” I took a shaky breath and looked up at Cody. “After he said he wanted nothing to do with my children, he went and stole their DNA to prove they were his.”

“I guess he changed his mind,” Cody said.

“Merde,”Gisèle said, brows raised.

“I don’t want his money,” I said, looking at Cody. “I never have. I don’t want anything to do with this.”

Cody’s smile was sour. “Not up to you. He didn’t give the money to you, he gave it to your children. It will be held in a trust for them until they’re eighteen, at which point they can make the decision what to do with it.”

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