Victoria The Billionaires Maid

Seth’s [POV]

Oliver’s brows snapped down as he peered at me over the folder I wasn’t getting back unless I wrestled him to the ground-and that might end up happening. “I think you better cut back on those vitamins you’ve been taking. That ginseng-Biloba must be messing with your wiring.”

“My wiring is just fine.”

“You have a baby. Why would you want another?”

“Laurie is four. Hardly a baby. And I’m not justifying my decisions to you.” I narrowed my eyes. “Why is it so shocking that I’d want another kid? The first one came out pretty damn good.”

“She did, but one is plenty. What do you think you’re going to do? Quit your job and play house husband?” He glanced at the contract. “Seems like you just want her eggs and want her gone. Paying for her school, huh? Guess that explains why Sage mentioned her applying for classes in New York City. Free ride.”

Oliver probably kept talking, but I wasn’t listening anymore. All I could hear in my head on a constant loop was that she’d applied for school in New York City.

Miles and miles away.

I had no right to feel hurt. That had been what I’d suggested all along. We’d make a baby, then she could go to school wherever she wanted. In the back of my mind, I’d always known it was a real possibility whether I gave her the funding or not. Ally mentioned wanting to split town was less frequent these days, but now and then, it still came up. She wanted a fresh start. Hell, she deserved one. My money could give her that.

Equal exchange. And hey, she could always come to see our kid on weekends and breaks and holidays. The city was only a little over four hours away. Not that far at all.

“Fuck.” I slammed my fist into the desk, barely registering the sting.

Oliver shut the folder. “Didn’t know she was applying to schools in New York City?”

“No. I mean, I told her anywhere was fair game.”

“You told her. As if she isn’t an unencumbered adult capable of making her own choices.”

I stayed silent for that one. The truth hurt as much as my now aching knuckles.

“Don’t know if you know this, but Dad paid off mom.”

My head snapped up. “What?”

“She didn’t just take off. They made a deal. He’d finance her lifestyle elsewhere if she didn’t try to take him for half in the divorce, thereby forcing him to expose her cheating and other misdeeds in court. Neither of them wanted messy, so she went for it. Last I knew, she was living in Cabo with her new family.”

“Cabo?” I rubbed my thumb between my eyes. “Who the hell lives in Cabo?”

“Our mother does. From what I’ve heard, we have a younger half-sister too. Unsubstantiated, of course. Dad isn’t exactly forthcoming on the subject, and the internet coughs up only so much.”

I didn’t say anything. My mind was so full of Ally that I couldn’t focus on anything else.

If she missed work, she must’ve gone to New York to scope out schools. There was no other explanation. If she was truly sick, she would’ve been home with Sage. And she didn’t have any other friends in town she’d stay with. Nor did her budget extend to spur-of-the-moment vacations.

“I did drive her away. Somehow.” I braced my elbow on the desk and raked a hand through my hair. “I don’t know how to do this. Every time I think we’re getting somewhere, we lose even more ground.”

“Hamilton men are meant to be single file.”

Normally I laughed off Oliver’s certainty in that direction. For a long time, I’d been half-convinced of the very same thing.

Not anymore.

“Meant to end up like Dad, you mean? Bitter and alone, with only his money to keep him company?”

Oliver adjusted his tie. “He has two rather strapping sons as well. One more so than the other.”

“Keep trying with your workout routine. Persistence is key.” I tipped back in my chair. “Fuck, Ol, how do I fix this?”

No sooner had the words left my mouth, than I shook my head. “No. Never mind. I did not ask for your advice. There’s desperate and then there’s suicidal.”

“Maybe I should fix this.”

“What? No. God, no.”

His laughter was rich and throaty, like any good movie villain. “Seriously, man, pull yourself together. I thought you only wanted to use her eggs. And from the way you were making out the other day at Laurie’s party,” he cleared his throat, “I’m going to guess you already achieved liftoff there.”

“We weren’t making out. It was a kiss. We just kissed.”

“Hmm, and here I thought you knew how babies were made already.” Oliver whisked his fingers over the hairline straight seam of his trousers. “That might explain a lot.”

Despite everything, I laughed. “Why are you still here?”

“Because you need help, and I’m a giver.”

“You don’t even like Ally. I don’t know why, but you don’t.”

“You are as dense as a two-by-four without all the uses.” He gave a heavy sigh when I stared at him. “I was jealous. Possibly.”

“Of Ally? Why?”

“Not of Ally, per se. Of your relationship with her. The two of you have always been a unit against the world. Before Ally, it was you and me, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“It’s different with Ally.”

“No kidding. But you never fully realized just how much.”

I shook my head. “No. Not until now. Even Marj-” I stopped. “You introduced me to Marj. Kept telling me she would be great for me.”

Oliver shrugged and set aside the folder beside my sandwich wrapper on my messy desk. “I never thought you’d knock her up. Or marry her.”

“One kind of led to the other,” I said drily.

“Yes, well, some of us know how to bag it up. Then again, you’re going bag-free intentionally now, so there’s no understanding you, brother.” Oliver rose and glanced down at me with all the paternalism being two minutes older brought to bear. “Let me try to fix this.”

“No. Not. You don’t even know what the issue is, and I’m supposed to let you sweep in and muck things up even further?”

“She’s left you without a word. What further muck can I cause?”

I had no answer for that.

“As for not knowing the issue, it’s fairly clear. You made up a nonsense reason to sleep with her that didn’t require brutal honesty, and now you’ve finally realized you’re in love with her.”

“That’s complete-” I exhaled. “Accurate.”

“Now you’ll be stuck with a kid too when all you had to do was admit you wanted to fuck her. Like she would’ve said no. That woman has looked at you with heart eyes since day one.”

“So not true. I drive her crazy. If she had heart eyes-whatever the fuck that is-she wouldn’t run away from me every time I get near her. It’s like I have a fungus or something.”

Oliver held up his hands, palms out. “Officially entering territory labeled ‘do not need to know’.”Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

I laughed again. “Oh, and the stuck with a kid part? Wrong. I want that kid with Ally more than anything. I want a family with her. Goddammit, we already are a family, and I want it to be official.”

Oliver shook his head. “Oh no, you don’t. I already reached my wedding quota with you, pal. One was awful enough. Another would be beyond the pale.”

“I didn’t say we were getting married. Yet.” But now that the idea was rattling around in my head, I had to admit it wasn’t displeasing.

She was having my baby, assuming all went to plan. Why not be my wife too?

“Why not?” I repeated under my breath while my brother gazed at me as if I’d grown horns, a tail, and sprouted red skin.

“Before you hear wedding bells, Romeo, you need a bride. Yours is currently MIA. I offered to help you, but if you’re so certain you can continue to bungle this all on your own, then fine.”

“Seth!”

We both glanced toward the doorway as Sage scuttled into the room. That was a misnomer. A few days ago, Sage might’ve scuttled. Her self-confidence seemed to waver with the tide, and she often seemed content to hug the wall.