CHAPTER 3 IRENE

"I swear, if I have one more sleazy board member trying to sweet-talk their way to a contract." I muttered, fiddling with the front door lock and pushing the door open with my shoulder. “I might actually combust.”

Cinnamon and something sweet-scented filled the air as I stepped in. Home.

I kicked off my heels with a groan and slammed my bag down on the side table. My body ached. My head ached and my face ached the more from pretending to smile and give a fuck about those shit heads.

"Ms. Nowell!" someone shouted down the hallway. It was Rina, the nanny. She poked her head out from behind the kitchen door, still wearing an apron around her waist. "Tough day?"

"I just want to forget what happened today, Rina," I muttered.

She laughed. "You starving? I can prepare something quickly," she said.

"Not yet,” I replied. “Where's my little dictator by the way?"

"In the playroom,” Rina said, taking my bag from where I’d dropped it. “I’ll take this upstairs ma’am,” she muttered, before she continued speaking. “Charles said he was hard at work on his 'top secret engineering project' and I couldn't come in."

I let out a dramatic sigh, but deep down, I was happy. "One day he'll build a robot army and hold us all hostage."

"Likely so,” she laughed. “Just remind him who pays for his cereal."

I laughed softly and headed down the corridor, rubbing the back of my neck to relieve the tension there. I needed to take off these contacts but I’d do that when Rina was gone. My pace slowed as I reached the door and before I could knock—

"Mommyyyyy!"

The door opened and a tumble of curly hair and spindly legs launched itself into my body. I moved back and caught him mid-air, twirling him around.

"There's my baby boy," I gasped, holding him tight. Now, I could finally breathe with him in my arms.

"I’m not a baby anymore, Mommy. I'm five!" Charles stormed back, holding up five chubby fingers, a cute pout on his lips. "And– and I just created a device that won't explode. Unlike the ones on the internet."

"Then we're selling it to NASA and buying a yacht," I said, planting a kiss on his forehead.

“Yayy,” he screamed, pulling from my hold and jumping everywhere. My goodness! How much sugar did Rina give him? "But only if I can name it."

"Deal,” I said with a smile. “And what do we call it?"

He grinned, all missing front teeth and dimples. "Butt Cheeks One.”

"Yeah… We’ll work on that baby,”

He grinned, and then took my hand. "Come and see! I even left space for your makeup on the dashboard!"

I laughed and allowed him to drag me into his mess of Lego blocks, sketchbooks, and shattered toys. For a few minutes, the world outside ceased to exist.

"Charles," I gasped. “Look at your room.” My eyes scanned through the mess. Goodness, my boy was smart, even smarter for his age but boy was he not tidy.

"I prefer to call it an open-plan lab, Mommy," he said firmly. "Genius is displayed in chaos."

I just shook my head and smiled.

See what I mean by smart?

I fell onto the couch and pulled him onto my lap, burying my face in black curls he inherited from me. He smelled like peanut butter and crayons.

He snuggled in. "You okay, Mommy?"

"Yeah," I whispered. "Just tired."

We sat for a moment, the TV buzzing in the distance. My fingers absently traced the curve of his jaw.

Then—

Flash.

Not from the TV.

But from a memory.

"Iridina, calm down," Kieran said, his voice flat as he buckled up his pants.

I was on my knees not because I was begging but because of the overwhelming burden of the betrayal I felt.

"You were sleeping with my sister!" I wailed. “Why the fuck would you be telling me to calm down?!”

My fingers shook, nails digging into my palm as I tried to rein in my anger.

"It was one mistake," was all he said.

"More like five," Lyana corrected from the bed, flipping her hair. She didn't even try to cover herself up.

I glared at her. She was meant to be my sister, my blood. But she didn’t bat an eye as she betrayed me like this.

"I hate you," I whispered. "I can't even look at you without wanting to throw up."

Kieran stepped closer then, his form towering over me, cold and imposing.

“Don’t talk to your sister like that, Iridina,” he said coldly.

He should have just poured ice over my head because that was what his words did to me.

"You're not walking out of this marriage," he continued, like he’d not just broken my heart further.

I let out a bitter, shattered laugh. "You think you still get a say in this?"

"You have nothing without me," he replied.

Wrong.

I had something he had no idea about.

And I walked out.

Straight into the rain.

Straight into the wreck that changed my life forever.

A tiny finger grazed my cheek.

"Mommy? Where did you go just now?"

I opened my eyes and looked down. Charles was staring at me with those impossibly wise eyes. My eyes. He looked just like me and for a moment, I took a second to thank God that at least he hadn’t made my boy look like him. Not that I’d have loved him any less, but at least, the memories wouldn’t have to come too often.

"I'm here, baby," I said, touching his cheek in return.

He stared at me for a moment, as if looking for something then, he murmured softly, "Don't think about Daddy, okay?"

My heart shattered at that moment.

"I'm your man now," he said, putting on a brave face.

I smiled through the fire in my chest. "You always have been."

He nodded seriously, as if he understood more than any five-year-old ought to.

"I'll go change into my pajamas," he said, jumping off and out of view down the hallway.

I let him.

Later in the evening, after Charles had finally come down from his sugar high and several games of Galaxy Blasters, I sat down on the couch with a glass of wine in my hand.

Ding.

A text.

You are cordially invited to Black Enterprises' Annual Corporate Gala. Attendance is mandatory.

—K. Black

"Of course," I muttered.

I picked up my phone and scrolled to the encrypted number labeled "Librarian."

I keyed in CALL.

One.

Two.

Then a low, gravel voice spoke. "Yes?"

"I'm in," I said.

There was a brief pause before he finally spoke. "Okay,” he said. “I need you to be careful. Eyes will be everywhere, watching you."

"I've got this," I replied.

"Your window is closing,” he continued. “Ready yourself."

The call ended and I set the phone down and stared into the fireplace.

James.

He'd been my lifeline since the accident. The man who'd pulled me out of the crash. Who'd helped me fake my death, reconstruct my face, erase my identity. The guy who'd taught me to cease being Iridina and start being Irene.

But why did he do all this?

I still didn't have an answer.

He never asked anything. Never informed me of the real motive behind him assisting me. Only that I was worth something, and the world still didn't know it.

I owed him everything.

Even now, five years later, I couldn't help but feel…

That he wasn't done with me yet.