ChanceThat was an asshole move, I’d admit.After Byron delivered a detailed and in-depth background check, I finally understood this woman a bit better. Admired her even.“If you really want her,” Byron said, sipping his scotch, “-you have a way to blackmail her.”I skimmed through the documents. There was a lot more to Lilly Walker than met the eye. Daughter to immigrant parents, she spent a good part of her childhood in Croatia. After their death, she returned back to the States and went to college where she met her friends and her future husband.Her financial situation was stable and separate from her husband. Until she lost her job. Now, it was just bleak and she was a payment away from losing it all.But it was her husband that took most of the pages. While Lilly thrived, her husband was a goddamn loser. A cheater and a fucking broke playboy. About five years into their marriage, odd things started happening, all of which pointed to domestic violence. There was no record of it

LillyThe next morning, Kimberly set a cup of coffee on my table for Chance before I even had a chance to sit down. Glancing at the clock, I noted it was little after eight. Chance said working hours started at nine.“I’m not late, right?” I asked, worried I might have misunderstood. I stayed up later than normal, googling Chance Macklemore. Wealthy parents. Playboy father. Chance served in the military - Special Forces. Huge scandal in regards to his ex-wife. Yeah, there were some surprising revelations on the internet, and it only gave me a glimpse into the man he was today.“No, not at all,” Kimberly replied, shaking her head. “You are right on time,” she answered, the smile on her face smug. I eyed her suspiciously, wondering if maybe I did something wrong. She didn’t seem the type to gloat because of someone else’s suffering.Rolling my shoulders back, then straightening my spine, I headed for Chance’s… hmm, Mr. Macklemore’s office. As I walked into it, his gaze flicked to me. So

LillyLike a good employee, I went to Chance’s preferred stores. I bought a few skirts, blouses, a couple dresses, one cocktail dress in standard black, and a pair of shoes to go along with it. I didn’t bother trying it on and was on my way out when the lingerie section caught my eye.Unknown to everyone, including my late husband, lingerie was my guilty pleasure. Or nicer sleepwear. Baby doll satin pjs. Or a matching top and short set that was sexy but not overly revealing. I just loved the feel of the satin or silk against my skin. I’d wear jeans all day long, but at night, I loved my luxuries.So sue me.I started browsing items, despite the fact I wasn’t going to agree to the personal contract with Chance. I couldn't resist the temptation. My fingers brushed over the smooth, cool material. God, I really wanted it. I could just get one piece. The cash register rang somewhere behind me and realization sunk in. I’d be turning in my receipts and both Kimberly and Chance would see it.

LillyThank God for small blessings!I had the entire weekend to get myself together. Two days should be enough to find a way to come to terms with what had happened and hide all my emotions behind a neutral mask. It took Chance one minute; it would take me the entire weekend. Assuming I’d even pull it off.If I didn’t need the money and the job so badly, I would have resigned on the spot. Saturday morning, we went hiking to Annapolis Rock, our favorite spot, and after several hours of trekking through the woods of the Appalachian trail, we all felt tired but relaxed and happy. Seeing my kids’ ruffled hair, rosy cheeks, and smiles across their faces, happiness swam in my chest.On a whim, I decided we should have lunch out. After all, it had been a long time since I could afford that luxury.“How about we celebrate Mommy’s new job, and my first paycheck at the new company, by having lunch somewhere?” I asked in an enthusiastic tone, pushing all thoughts of my boss out of my mind.Exc

LillyTwice in the same day. On the very day I wanted to avoid him.I stood in my bathroom, brushing out my hair. The girls were bathed and dressed. They were ready for Lena’s birthday party, eagerly waiting for my boss to pick us up since he so graciously insisted. And Saoirse accepted with a wide grin. You’d think she won a carnival trip.My eyes traveled over my daughters, dressed in coordinated colors. Their choice, not mine. Theme color of the day was pink. Go figure, they wanted to look like twinsies, or triplets in this case, though they looked nothing alike. Sierra, my youngest, had wild blonde curls and baby blue eyes that could break your heart if she decided to cry to get what she wanted. As fair as Sierra was, Saoirse was her contrast with her dark hair and even darker expressive eyes that were always full of spark and mischief. Unless her feelings got hurt. Sienna, on the other hand, was something in between my youngest two. She had long straight blonde hair, light olive