Asher frowns at me but shakes her head. “Look, I’m not going to lie. Since we became friends with the Milov family, things have been looking up for me. Luka does me favors that have boosted my career. I get into exclusive clubs. I’m meeting all the right people. It has a lot of benefits.” She flips the page of her magazine. “I’m just saying that it can’t be all that bad.”

“I don’t think it is all that bad,” I say calmly. “I just think there is a lot about them we don’t know, and we should get to know them more.”

“You’re marrying him in six months. You’re having his baby in two and a half. What more do you need to get to know?” She shakes her head. “You’re crazy. That man is drop-dead gorgeous and worships the ground you walk on. You’re like the luckiest person alive.”

“Hey!” Luka calls from the front door. “It’s me.”

“This isn’t over,” Asher murmurs. “We’re in here,” she calls.

Luka comes in. “I believe we’re having lunch downtown before we find some more party favors?” He looks at me. “How are you feeling, mama?”

I blush. “I’m fine, thanks. You can tell Kervyn I’m fine.”

Luka smiles. “Later, maybe. If he’s good. Come on, ladies. Let’s get going before the day gets going without us.”

I get up and get my purse, following them out of the house with Leon and Freddie following behind us.

Currie drops us off downtown, and I turn to Luka. “I’m in the mood for something spicy. Any good restaurants that’ll cater to that?”

“There’s a nice little sandwich shop around the corner. Gourmet sandwiches, mind you. They should have some spicy meatballs.” Luka grins and I nod. “Spicy meatballs sound good.”

Asher groans. “Luka is obsessed with this sandwich shop, seriously.”

Luka leads us down the road. He pauses when his phone rings. “Ladies, stand right here. I have to take this. I won’t be long.”

He walks further ahead and answers his phone.

“I hate the whole secretive thing,” Asher comments. “I mean, that is one thing I hate. That we can’t really discuss, you know, what they do in private.”

I nod, but I don’t answer. The one rule is not to discuss family business.

I turn around and see Rita walking toward us, my old manager. She meets my gaze and then stops. “Penny?”

“Oh man,” I mutter to Asher. “It’s Rita”

“Penny! You just up and left after the whole promotion thing. I knew you wanted it, but I didn’t realize it would cost us such a good employee. You should come back. We can rebuild and restock, and maybe we can get you that promotion after all.”

She beams at me and then at Asher. “I mean, we’re a bit tight right now, so you’d have to take a pay cut.”

I scoff. “You can clearly see I’m pregnant. Do you really think I would work for a pay cut?”

“Well, I mean, Carmen said you were pregnant, and the dad was a deadbeat.”

Asher snorts, and Rita gives her a look, but I cock my head to the side and smile widely. “No. He isn’t. As usual, Carmen is spreading her little lies, and you’re lapping them up because she looks the part. Yes, I know you didn’t give me the promotion based on my weight. So here’s the thing: maybe if you had, you wouldn’t be filing for bankruptcy and begging everyone to buy you out. If you had picked the person who deserved it over the person who was more the company image, maybe you wouldn’t have reaped such bad luck.”

Asher looks like she wants to punch the air. She steps away from me, trying her hardest to contain herself.

Rita looks down her nose at me. Suddenly, she points a finger in my face. “You can’t speak to me like that, you little rat. I made you who you are. You are nothing but a groveling little twit who happens to be good with people. You were not the right look, and I stand by that decision. You’re probably with some sugar daddy who pays you for feet pictures. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were that desperate. You learn to speak to me properly because when this company turns around, you’ll come groveling back for a position, and I might not be so generous that day.”

I smack her hand away and step right up to her. I can sense the guards approaching, and she must notice them because there’s fear in her eyes. “Wha…”

“I’m fine,” I say loudly, holding a hand up. The guards stop. “Listen, I am not some groveling twit, as you say. If you ever put your finger in my face or even give so much as a glance my way, I will make sure you and your family pay for it dearly. Do you understand my meaning?”

Rita swallows and tries to step back, but Luka is behind her. “Your fiance, Mr. Milov, wants to know if everything is okay?” He looks pointedly at Rita, who, at the sound of the name, whips around to look at me with wide eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It must be the heat. I didn’t mean to say those things,” she’s babbling now, and I smirk.

“Off you go, Rita. Cause I promise you, tomorrow there won’t be a company to have a job at if I have anything to do with it.” She hurries off, looking scared.

Asher whoops and comes to me. “That was amazing. I’ve never seen you so confident.”

“Luka, can you give me a second with Asher?” I ask.

“Sure,” he says. “The guards will keep an eye on you, though, just in case that one comes back.”

“She won’t because Penny kicked her ass with words,” Asher squeals.

Luka walks away, and I look at Asher. “I needed a break to decide what kind of life I wanted. One thing I know after this is that I don’t want to go back to being powerless and broke. I don’t want to be naive either. I didn’t want to admit it, but I love Kervyn. I love him with my whole heart, and if that means I have to accept things that he does for his family, then I’m going to.”

Asher smiles broadly and pulls me into a hug. “Told you, you are in love.”

“It’s not just the power and the money,” I say, tearing up slightly. “These are hormone tears because I’m happy. I’m happy that I know what I want and that I get to have it.”

“You know we can’t have spicy meatballs now,” Asher says with a grin. “Now we need to have Tacos. And ice cream after that.”

I nod. “Tacos indeed.”

“So, did Kervyn instill this confidence in you?” she asks as we walk toward Luka.

“He’s made me feel beautiful and confident and smart, and he makes me feel like I’m not stupid for choosing things I want. Choice is an illusion, but I choose to have a relationship with him.”

We reach Luka, and I point a finger at him. “Don’t tell Kervyn I’m coming home yet. I want to surprise him.”

Luka chuckles. “I’m glad you came to your senses because that man is driving me mad asking for updates about how you and the baby are doing. I won’t tell him. So spicy meatballs?”

“No. Tacos,” Asher and I chorus.

Chapter 25 - Kervyn

I miss her.

I fucking miss her more than anything.

I feel as though there isn’t enough air in the room when she isn’t around me. I’m on edge, as though everything is going to unravel at any given moment if she doesn’t choose me.

I want her to choose me.

I want her to choose us as a family.