Page 90 of The Boss and the Adoption Mess
“Oh my God… Did Catherine know about this?”
“Yes. Her biological mother wrote her a letter before she died. She’d sworn to my father never to tell Catherine the truth. In return, she was financially compensated. But when she learned she didn’t have long to live, she wrote to her daughter. They met several times. That’s how Catherine learned about the cruel exchange—the money for a child. The perfect family built on a lie.”
Gabriel sighs. “After her biological mother’s death, Catherine decided to take her happiness into her own hands. She believed if she killed him and my mother, she’d be entitled to half of the fortune. But she was wrong. My father had changed his will years ago, leaving everything to me. When it was read after his death, I was stunned. Catherine was cut out completely. And since England doesn’t have mandatory inheritance shares for children, her anger became boundless. She was dependent on my goodwill.”
“And she used Rosie because she knew how much you care about her.”
Unbelievable.
“In the beginning she was a good mother. Really. It’s only in the last few months everything started to unravel. She’d drop Rosie off without warning. She drank heavily, sometimes disappearing for days. I bought her a house, paid for everything. I just refused to fund her parties anymore. I told her she needed to work. I even offered her jobs at my company—she refused. I suggested college—she wasn’t interested. I’m rich, so why should she lift a finger? And over time she realized more and more how tightly she had me hooked because of Rosie.”
“I assume there’ll be a trial?” I ask gently, stroking the back of his hand with my thumb.
“Yes. They’ll press charges. And the press will report on it. Rosie will be stigmatized. Even if they keep her name and photo out of the papers, people will know I adopted her—that she’s Catherine’s child. The child of a murderer.” Gabriel looks at me, eyes heavy with sadness. “You can still leave. I’ll pay you a generous severance so you can help your parents, and…”
"Forget it." I shake my head, my eyes fixed on him. "I’m staying. Not just because of Rosie—who needs me more than ever—but also for you." I briefly let go of him, cupping his face in both hands, and press a soft kiss to his lips. "For weeks I’ve been worrying about you, watching you withdraw further and further. Why didn’t you talk to me?"
I rest my forehead against his, still holding him close, my fingers drifting from his neck to the nape. "I want to be here for you, no matter how hard it gets. You don’t have to go through this alone."
I’ve been fighting my tears for so long, but now they spill freely, trickling down my cheeks, soaking into my robe.
"I didn’t want to burden you with this," he murmurs.
"Nonsense." I look at him, unashamed of my tear-streaked face. "It’s a much heavier burden knowing you’ve been carrying all this alone. I’m not just an employee, Gabriel. There’s so much more between us… or am I imagining it?" My hands sweep softly across his chest. "I’m sorry. I wanted to be strong. I tried not to cry, but it’s so cruel. Cruel that you’ve been alone with these thoughts all this time."
"You really want to keep working for me?" Gabriel sounds almost disbelieving, as if he’d been bracing himself for rejection.
"Of course. And not just that. I’ll be here for you—and for Rosie. Always. No matter how hard it gets. Life isn’t only sunshine; you need darkness to appreciate the day."
"The press will surround the company and the house. Paparazzi could hound us for months, maybe years," he warns.
"Let them. You haven’t done anything wrong. Quite the opposite. You adopted Rosie and gave her a home. The only thing that matters is that she and you are okay. Everything else is noise."
"Kim, you’re part of this too. You need to be okay as well."
"Of course." I swipe roughly at the tears on my face. "I’m staying. No matter how bad it gets, I won’t leave you and Rosie. Never." Then it hits me. "And your mother."
Gabriel’s head snaps up. "What do you mean?"
"She took in Catherine—even if it was under duress—although it was certainly an extremely difficult time for her, she still gave a baby a home. Raised her with everything she had. She surely never imagined that baby would kill her husband. This must be a cruel time for her too."
"She doesn’t know anything about it," Gabriel looks at me gravely. "The day she was shot, she survived, but she’s been in a coma ever since. It’s virtually impossible she’ll ever open her eyes again." He forces a smile. "When I said I was visiting my mother, that wasn’t always a lie."
Another heavy blow.
"She would like you, I'm very sure of that."
"Rosie doesn’t know her grandmother at all?" I ask.
He shakes his head silently.
"How do you bear it?" I ask. "Such a weight… it must be agonizing."
"This is my life. I make the best of it."
And I think I finally begin to understand his distance. The company on one hand. The emotional burden with Rosie on the other. The situation with his mother and his sister. Too much for one person. Too much for one heart. For one soul.
"You’re incredibly strong. I can’t take the burden away, but…" I shape his hands as though he’s holding a heavy ball, then slide my palms beneath his. "I can help you carry it."
