Raine”I’m sorry, ma,” one of the executives said, standing at the edge of the table and holding a thick stack of printouts against his chest.
I slammed my laptop shut.
The sharp noise cut through the room, and everyone instantly stopped talking.
“Apologies won’t bring back the market share we’ve lost,” I said, keeping my voice completely level.
“Taking this firm to this height wasn’t accomplished by apologies, but by hard work.
Get your acts together, every single one of you.
This is our sweat and hard work.
This is our sleepless nights for the past four and half years, and now that we’re finally getting the recognition we deserve, you want to start giving excuses?” The room went completely dead silent.
None of them dared to look at me.
“Get me that project before the end of today,” I said, standing up from the table.
“Yes, Ms.
Argent,” the executive muttered, nodding quickly before he and the rest of the board hurried out of the room, leaving me alone.
I leaned my hands against the table and took a slow breath.
Five years was a long time, but it was amazing how quickly you could build something when you had no choice.
When I first arrived in New York, I was pregnant, exhausted, and completely alone.
I had a single suitcase and a hidden pregnancy.
The first year was the hardest, balancing doctor’s appointments with late-night consulting work, but the moment my twin boys were born, I stopped feeling sorry for myself.
I built Argent Solutions so they would never have to depend on anyone.
My phone buzzed on the table.
When I saw Lena’s name on the screen, the tension in my chest completely vanished.
I swiped the screen to accept the video call.
“Mommy!” two clear voices shouted at the same time.
Leo and Liam were running across the living room of the penthouse, their long legs moving fast as they chased each other around the sofa.
They were four years old now, walking, talking, and full of energy.
“Raine, please tell me you’re coming home because your sons have turned the living room into a racetrack,” Lena said, though she was laughing as she caught Liam by his waist so he could wave at the camera. Read this novel at novelping dot com for the best experience.
“Leo also just gave me a full lecture on why he shouldn’t have to eat his dinner.”
”I’m leaving the office right now, Lena,” I said, a smile finally touching my lips.
“We just locked in the Vance account.
Dinner is on me tonight.”
”We want the park, Mommy!
The one with the blue ice cream truck!” Liam pleaded, pressing his face close to the screen.
His dark eyes were wide and soulful, and for a split second, my breath caught.
He looked so much like a miniature version of Miguel.
Both boys had inherited almost everything from their father, including his dark hair and piercing gaze.
Every morning, I had to apply a specialized scent-masking ointment to their skin to hide their dominant Alpha lineage from any stray pack wolves in the city, but I couldn’t mask their faces.
All I needed to do is to stay away from him for life.
I’ve been doing that successfully and will keep doing it.
“We will go to the park as soon as I get home,” I promised them.
I said goodbye and hung up, putting the phone into my bag.
I picked up my briefcase, walked out of the office, and took the elevator down to the garage where my driver was waiting.
The city traffic was heavy, the late afternoon sun reflecting off the glass buildings as we moved through the streets.
I watched the crowds of people on the sidewalks, thinking about how far away the Northern Pack felt now.
The car finally pulled up to the front of my apartment building.
I thanked the driver, grabbed my bag, and walked inside.
As I rode the elevator up to the penthouse, I could already hear the distant sound of my boys laughing through the door.
The moment I unlocked the front door and stepped inside, the heavy weight of the corporate world completely slid off my shoulders.
“Mommy!”
Two small bodies came hurtling down the hallway, their sneakers squeaking against the hardwood floor.
Liam reached me first, throwing his arms around my knees, while Leo followed a second later, wrapping his arms around my thigh.
I dropped my briefcase onto the bench by the door and sank to my knees, gathering both of my boys into a tight embrace.
The familiar, clean scent of baby soap and the faint metallic tang of their masking lotion filled my senses, grounding me instantly.
“Careful, boys, let your mother put her bag down first,” Lena said, walking out of the kitchen with a dish towel in her hand and a warm smile on her face.
“We are being careful, Auntie Lena,” Leo said, pulling back slightly and looking up at me with a serious expression that always seemed too mature for a four-year-old. Get faster updates on novelping.com.
He carefully reached out and took my leather handbag from my shoulder, carrying it over to the hallway table with perfect manners.
“Hello, Mommy.
Did you have a successful meeting with the shipping men?” I couldn’t help but laugh softly, smoothing down his dark, messy hair.
“Yes, Leo, it was very successful.
Thank you for asking.
And you?
Were you a good boy for Auntie Lena today?”
”He was an angel,” Lena answered for him, leaning against the doorframe.
“He helped me clear the lunch plates without even being asked.
Liam, on the other hand, tried to feed the sofa a piece of cheese.”
”It was hungry, Mommy,” Liam chimed in, his wide eyes full of completely innocent mischief as he looked up at me, his bottom lip puckering just a fraction.
He grabbed my hand and began tugging me toward the living room.
“But I washed my hands after.
See?
They are very clean now.
Can we go to the park?”
”Yes, we can go to the park,” I said, standing up and letting him lead me into the spacious, sunlit living room.
The apartment was tidy, save for a few wooden blocks scattered near the rug, proving that despite their endless energy, the boys always listened when they were told to clean up their toys.
“But first, I want both of you to sit down on the sofa for a minute.
I have a surprise for you.”
Liam gasped, his entire face lighting up as he scrambled onto the soft grey cushions, while Leo walked over more quietly, climbing up next to his brother and folding his hands neatly in his lap.
They sat there side by side, identical in every way except for the subtle differences in their personalities.
“Is the surprise a new toy?” Liam asked, bouncing slightly on the cushion.
“Or more paint?”
”No,” I smiled, sitting down on the low coffee table directly in front of them so I could look into their eyes.
“Mommy?” Leo asked, his voice soft and hesitant.
“Yes, my love?”
”Is the surprise about Papa?
Is he coming to the dinner?”
The words hit me like a sudden blow to the chest.