Lahat ng Kabanata ng Ex and Son Beg, But I Never Turn Back: Kabanata 121 - Kabanata 130

Willow’s POVThere is no panic in the world like the panic felt when you lose your child. Luigi and I pushed through the crowd, my heart hammering in my chest.How had this happened? They’d been right there, standing beside us? How could I have let my argument with Beatrice allow me to take my eyes off Carl?Beatrice and I had been fighting. I should have known that would upset Carl. He probably wandered off to find somewhere quiet. And Zoe must have followed him.The air smelled like caramel corn and fried dough, and the scent made my stomach twist. I pushed past a group of teenagers carrying stuffed toys, my eyes scanning every corner.“Have you seen a little boy,” I asked them, my eyes panicked. “Blue shirt? With a little girl whose face is painted like a tiger?”The teenagers just shrugged at us and said no.“We have to stay calm,” Luigi told me. “They can’t have gotten very far.”Beatrice and Carl had gone the other way to search for the kids.“I’m going to the security booth. Th

Beatrice’s POVPausing, I turned her offer over in my head. She had a reason for wanting to help me, women like her always had motives. I should know, I WAS a woman like her. But she clearly wasn’t going to divulge her motives.Giulia leaned back in the café chair, her fingers lightly tapping the edge of the table. Her smile was calm and controlled.“So,” finally said, “if we do this, I get access to the exclusive supply for Logan? But he won’t know where it’s coming from? Is that right?”Giulia tilted her head slightly, letting her smile widen just enough to unsettle me. “Yes. That’s the agreement. But there’s one thing you must understand.” Her tone hardened, and her voice dropped low. “You cannot tell anyone I’m involved in this. Not Logan, not your colleagues, not anyone. This stays between us. Lie to Logan. Make something up. I bet you’re pretty good at lying.”I chose to take that as a compliment.I’d be stupid not to take the deal. She’d already helped me with the popup, and the

BeatriceWith a spring in my step and a smile that refused to fade, I walked up the front steps to Logan’s house. The sun was shining brightly on my perfectly done hair, and I adjusted the strap to my slinky, silk dress before I let myself in.“Logan,” I called out from the foyer. Then I told Zoe to go and find Carl to play.Figuring Logan was in the living room, I made my way down the hall. Sure enough, he was on the couch, a sports program in the background.My eyes glanced over the empty cans of beer strewn across the living room table and then landed on his tousled hair and wrinkled shirt. He looked up at me with tired, bloodshot eyes. Truth be told, he didn’t look so good, which was and all the more reason he needed me.“Hi Beatrice,” Logan muttered, barely glancing at me.I expected a bit more of a reaction, since I’d gone through a lot of trouble to look my best. But he was clearly not in the best mood, so I let it slide.“How have you been?” I asked, taking a seat on the couch

Willow’s POVI pushed open the final door of the supply store, juggling the two heavy bags in my hands. I navigated the quiet parkade, my heels echoing sharply on the concrete floor. Adonis was busy at the studio, doing damage control on all the bad PR we’d gotten because of the fashion show. We both agreed that the best thing to do was to move forward and create another scent, with locally sourced ingredients. Then we could post about where the ingredients came from, and show that we supported local businesses.So, with my ingredients in hand, I made my way across the parkade.Pausing to fetch my keys from my purse, a sudden movement caught my eye. Two men were leaning against a nearby pillar, their jackets dark, their faces half-hidden in shadows. They weren’t talking to anyone, they were just standing there. My stomach tightened. Glancing around, I noticed there was no one else in the parkade.I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought. I was just being paranoid. Maybe they wer

Willow’s POVThe moment I saw Luigi, I relaxed a bit. Still frazzled from the men following me through the busy streets of downtown, I stood up to give Luigi a hug as he approached.“I was so scared,” I said into his neck. He held me for a beat, then told me to take my seat, and that everything was all right.“Why would someone follow me?” I asked him, as he flagged the waiter over.“I don’t think anyone did,” he replied, a bit abruptly. Cocking my head to the side, I fixed him with a perplexed look.“Someone did,” I said. “I know what I saw. There were two men in a black sedan following me. I’m sure of it, Luigi.”The waiter came over and Luigi told him that he’d already made arrangements for a set course for the two of us. Then he ordered a bottle of wine, even though I’d already ordered one. Fixing me with a smile, he said:“You’re in for a real treat tonight. Authentic French cuisine.”“Luigi,” I said, my voice a bit tight. “I just got followed. Don’t you care?”He sighed heavily a