Chapter Twenty-Six

Odette

H e was so much taller than me in my nine-year-old body. Daddy had always been a big and rather scary man. Especially now, as he stormed up to me in his office.

I didn’t know why we were there or why he looked so angry with me. Although I was confused, I wanted to make him happy. That was all I ever wanted. I loved nothing more than when he had a good day at work. He’d come home with a smile for me and ask about my day. Sometimes, he’d even take me out for a pretzel.

Days like that didn’t happen often for daddy, so when I got his smiles... I cherished them. My chest warmed, and my heart felt like it could burst when he was happy. I always tried to do my best to be perfect for him.

Daddy didn’t like it when I did certain things. It upset him if I was too noisy, bothered him, ran around, asked him to play, or clanked my fork against the plate at dinner. When I remembered, I always made sure to avoid the things that didn’t make him happy.

How he ended up so angry was a mystery because I couldn’t recall doing anything to upset him. That didn’t matter; I would try to brighten his mood!

“Hi, daddy.” My voice was small and high as I spoke with a smile. “What’s wrong?”

His pace didn’t lessen as he raised a big fist in the air. “Daddy?” I widened my eyes as he punched me.

I was so confused. I cried as he kept hitting me, begging him to be happy. My body hurt, but my heart was shattered.

Why would daddy do this? I was his pretty girl; that was what he called me when he was happy. I couldn’t be pretty if I had a bruised face.

“Daddy, what did I do?” I wailed, wishing I could fix this. “I’m sorry!”

“Odette!” Niko’s roaring voice woke me, his hands firm on my shoulders, softly shaking me into reality.

I sat upright in his bed; my eyes (or just single eye really) were wide as I fought to break out of the nightmare. My face was wet with tears, breathing strained, and my hand was balled in a fist over my heart.

A single candle on Niko’s dresser cast faint light and shadows in the chilled room. I watched it flicker and dance calmly for a moment, wishing my pounding heart would mirror it.

Wyatt touched my neck, turning me to face him. “You’re safe. It’s just a bad dream,” he attempted to calm me. His sandy hair was a tousled mess, showing that he’d only just woken. Despite their sleepy state, he and Niko both looked distressed.

“I’m sorry,” I huffed quickly, having a hunch they’d been trying to wake me for more than the seconds it should have taken.

“I told you to stop saying that,” Niko gently scolded, his hand holding mine. “Are you okay?”

No. Yes? My professors were safe. I protected them and was proud of myself. I’d do it all over again if I had to. When I thought about it, that was all I cared about. I was happy, happy that I saved them.

So why? Why did I feel so... shattered? I had a goal that I achieved. I went there to make things better, and I did. I had a few bruises and scrapes, but I stuck up for myself and for the men I loved. I won.

A pain lingered in me. It wasn’t physical; it weighed in my chest and my stomach. When Dominic asked me what hurt the worst, I lied. My arms were terrible, and even now, they throbbed. It was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

Why couldn’t I have made up dreams and nightmares? Fake monsters and fake problems. Why did I have to dream about the past and memories that hurt?

My shoulders wracked with a silent sob as I placed my hand over my mouth, trying to keep it together.

“Baby,” Wyatt traced his thumb along my cheek. “Talk to us. What’s going on?” He pried.

“I...” I let go of Niko’s hand, holding my face in mine as I cried. “I don’t want to dream anymore,” I confessed. “And I miss...”

Deep down, I was still that little girl. My father was capable of being kind. I’d seen it before. Some part of me clung to that part of him, desperately hoping that one day, that was the father I’d know again. It was stupid and childish... but so was I.

That was what this sadness was. The part of me that clung to the idea that one day we’d be a happy family vanished. I had to let go of it. It hurt so fucking much to let go of that fantasy. There were a lot of reasons that would never happen.

For now, I had to be okay with the fact that I only had a few happy days with my dad before he became Charles. I was so incredibly heartbroken for my childhood self who’d come up with the idea. She carried that hope into adulthood, only to have it beaten out of her by the same man she always tried her best for.

“I shouldn’t be sad,” I swallowed hard. I didn’t know how to explain how I felt to them. To an outsider, he was nothing but evil, abusive, and cruel. Somewhere in there, at least at some point, there was a sliver of a man who liked being my father.

Wyatt gently pulled my hands away from my face. “There are no shoulds or shouldnts with emotions. You are sad, and it’s okay to feel that way, even if you think it’s wrong. Your body and your mind are telling you how to feel. Listen to it,” he declaimed.

“I hate him,” I confessed bluntly. “So much...” Wyatt and Niko listened to me without saying a word. “It hurts because I didn’t—I didn’t hate him as a kid. For so long, all I’ve thought about was how horrible he was,” I said between hiccups. “But there were good days,” my words faded as I cried.

They were quiet, watching me with sympathetic gazes as they took my blubbers in. Niko ran his hand through my braided hair, twirling the end of it.

“It’s okay to hate him,” Wyatt said, lying on his back, gently pulling me with him. Niko followed on my other side, wrapping his arm around my middle. “I think... sometimes we have to mourn the versions of people we wanted them to be,” he said, placing a tender kiss against my hairline before resting his head in the crook of my neck.

Laying back down, I felt sleep try to swallow me again. Wyatt’s soft-spoken words replayed in my mind, and I realized he was right. The pain I felt in my chest was mourning. Charles still had a couple days left, but the version of him I clung to—my dad—died tonight.

“Odette,” Niko whispered a few minutes after Wyatt’s breathing evened out as he slept.

“Hm?” I hummed, barely turning towards him. He was lying on his side, his hand underneath his head, propped up by his elbow. He rarely called me by my name, and hearing it in his sleepy rasp felt intimate.

“When you dream, do you dream as yourself now or when you were young?”

“I’m always a kid. Sometimes, I’m trapped in my younger self, knowing what I know now, screaming at myself, but I can’t hear my voice. Other times, it’s just twisted memories,” I explained. A part of me was glad he asked; I hadn’t told anyone the details of my dreams before.

“I might be stepping into Aiden’s territory here,” he chuckled once. “But, it seems like your subconscious is trying to protect your inner child. I’m no expert, and it kills me that I don’t know how to help you,” he admitted, and I heard the frustration in his tone. “You have friends that can help you; who know what you’re going through,” he kissed my shoulder. “Dominic told you to count the stars. Reesia would tell you to write your younger self a letter, letting her know that everything’s okay—at least, that’s what she does (or did) when she got bad,” he laid his head on the pillow next to mine as he spoke.

“I’m not good with words like Wyatt or have all the answers like Aiden does, and I can’t help you like Dom,” he prefaced. Turning to fully face him, I prepared to tell him that his comfort and love were more than enough. However, he spoke again before I could. “But I’ve got one hell of a memory. You have a big heart, and a day will come when you might not hate Charles or convince yourself he wasn’t that bad. It could be the day they put him down like the perro he is, five—twenty years from now. The day will come, and on the day, I’ll be there to remind you what he did. I’ll tell you where each bruise was, its size, and the color.” His voice was laced with venom as he whispered into the night.

[Dog.]

I’d never heard him speak with so much hatred, and it made chills run down my spine. The entire night, he’d looked like he’d seen a ghost. Now, I understood that he wasn’t as lucky as the rest of us. We wouldn’t forget, but we didn’t have photogenic memories like he did. He memorized every single mark Charles had left on me. It explained the terror in his eyes and the tears that I pretended not to see.

“So if you’re ever considering forgiving him, I won’t allow even a dead man the courtesy of your love. And if you can’t hate him, I’ll hate him for you,” he promised. His eyes closed as his arm joined Wyatt’s around my waist. “Now, close your eyes, stop thinking, and sleep. I’ll chase any bad dreams away,” he placed another kiss against my shoulder.

He chuffed with his eyes closed before muttering, “I’ll chase them to Dom’s room. I don’t think your monsters will be as successful facing him,” he thought.

A subtle smile crossed my mouth as I watched him. And here he thought he couldn’t comfort me as much as the others...

They were all so special—so incredibly gifted and lovable in their own ways. The ache in my chest lessened as I closed my eyes, reflecting on how thankful I was to have met them, let alone know and love them.

Even Cat, wherever the rascal was. I loved all my guys, and although I hated what I had to do to achieve it, I loved that we had our bubble back.

“Is this necessary? You know my legs are perfectly fine,” I all but groaned as Wyatt placed me down on the sofa after carrying me downstairs—and everywhere else all morning.

We slept for a long time, at least by our standards. It was nine when we finally got out of Niko’s bed, the smell of his pancakes beckoning us.

“You complain as if you mind being carried,” Wyatt sent me a knowing look while placing both hands on either side of my head, trapping me in his looming gaze.

I was beyond fucked up physically and feeling the furthest away from sexy. Still, his tall stance over me made my stomach flutter with nerves. I may resemble a rotten, bruised peach, but the monster between my legs was still aware of the provocative men in the manor.

Of course, I wasn’t in any kind of mood for sex, and I was sure they weren’t either. It would be days until my bruises even began healing. Truth be told, looking at myself in the mirror and seeing the damage... made me gag. I got sick this morning after catching my reflection before showering. The reminder of what Charles did was covering nearly my whole body.

They wouldn’t think differently of me if they saw my body in this state. But for now, I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin and definitely wouldn’t be showing it off anytime soon. The oversized sweats and sweater were telling of that.

“You’re right. You should be my personal manservant and carry me everywhere,” I joked, shrugging innocently.

He stood to his full height and laughed. “Don’t tempt me,” he warned before walking to the kitchen.

Aiden was quick to plop down beside me, turning on the next Harry Potter movie in the series.

It was decided that none of us would do anything today—no cramming for a final and no working. We desperately needed a day to relax and enjoy each other’s company, especially after the nightmare that was last night.

Even so, we found ways to busy ourselves. Wyatt was quick to email an attorney to validate the housing documents. Dominic still sat with a stack of papers, insisting that he wasn’t really working, just ‘going over a few things.’

Respecting the rules of the day, Aiden, Niko, and I were all sitting on the floor around the coffee table in the living room. The board game Life entertained us—well, it entertained Niko and me; Aiden was tolerating the childish game. He was frustrated that it was a game purely based on luck and not skill. Really, I think he was bitter that he lost twice in a row.

“What’s that look for?” Aiden suddenly speculated, cocking a brow behind me.

Following his eye-line, I turned to see Dominic looking... relieved? No, it was more than that. He looked somewhere between excited and dumbfounded as he stared at his computer screen. It was strange seeing the serious man look so neutrally overjoyed. He was smiling, and his eyes looked as bright as they did whenever he got his first sip of coffee in the morning. For most people, it was a look of content, but Dominic wasn’t expressive. Not like this.

The four of us shared a look, confused by his expression and following silence after Aiden’s question.

“Did you finish grading everything?” Wyatt guessed.

Dominic’s eyes flicked up at us. For only a second, he looked caught off guard that we’d noticed his reaction to whatever he looked at. “Uh yeah... everything’s—everything’s graded,” he chuckled absentmindedly.

He was frazzled! I was slightly worried about his unguarded behavior, but mostly, I thought it was refreshing to see him so happy. “You look excited,” I noted with a grin. I was sure it was more than finishing his work for the school year.

Niko stretched his arms in the air and groaned. “Seriously, it’s kind of creepy to see you smile like that. What’s going on?” He teased.

Gaining some of his composure back, Dominic quickly ran a hand through his hair before leaning forward, his arms folded in front of him. His gaze wandered between us as if struggling to form a sentence.

This behavior was so not him. Part of me wanted to be excited with him about whatever had him so antsy, but another part of me was unsettled by how serious his demeanor was. It was clear his following words would be significant, and we were all on the edge of our seats—or carpet.

“Dom...?” Aiden pushed gently. Not even Aiden could crack the code of what was going through his head.

“I did something a little crazy,” Dominic started hesitantly. “Well, I’ve been doing something crazy for several years now,” he chuffed before shaking his head. “And I know I’m a dick for not mentioning it, but—”

Three knocks on the front door interrupted our attention. None of us expected anyone, which showed in our annoyed glances.

Niko rolled his eyes, ignoring whoever was knocking. “Out with it! What’d you do?” He demanded impatiently.

“I got—”

Three more knocks made Aiden stand abruptly off the floor, nearly stomping to it. We all wanted to know what Dominic was going to say and were equally irritated at the intrusion.

“Can I help you?” I heard Aiden say as he opened the door. The sofa was blocking my view of the front door.

“Yes, I was told I could find Miss Whitlock here,” an elderly woman’s voice answered.

I shrunk onto the floor, stopping a groan. “I’m not here,” I whispered to Wyatt and Niko, who seemed amused. I was sure this was about what happened last night. She probably worked for Charles and wanted to make sure I kept my mouth shut.

“She’s unavailable, sorry,” Aiden replied before I heard the door creak close.

Before it clicked shut, it stopped with a thud. From the floor, I saw a woman’s shoe between the door and the wall. “Odette, my name is Rita Thumborn; I’ve worked for Charles for years as an attorney,” she called into the space, seeing past Aiden’s excuse.

I widened my eyes at her boldness. “Email me,” I responded back, still out of sight. I needed a break from everything to do with Charles. Besides that, I looked like I’d been put through a blender; I couldn’t be seen like this.

“There have been major changes to his will. Please, I need ten minutes of your time,” she said.

Knitting my brows together, I almost felt like laughing. Looks like I really pissed him off. “I don’t want anything from him anyway,” I dismissed. I couldn’t care less if he took me off the damn thing.

There was a thick silence before she signed. “Odette, you want to talk to me.” There was a deepness in her tone that gave me goosebumps. It was clear she wasn’t backing down.

I sat up, looking between Wyatt, Niko, and Dominic, who all gave me similar looks that said, ‘It’s up to you.’

Damn it.

Preparing for an unpleasant conversation, I stood and walked towards the front door. Aiden opened the door again, letting Rita inside. I’d seen her a few times but never spoken to her. The top of her head only reached my shoulders, although I was sure her teased pixie cut gave her a few extra inches.

Her eyes widened for a moment when she saw my face. My hood was up, and thick clothes covered everything else. But there was no hiding the hideous black eye and swollen cheeks. If I thought about it too much, I’d make myself sick again. “Yes?” I asked, urging her to say whatever she came all this way for.

Trying to be polite, her posture changed from sympathetic to professional. Gesturing to the folder she had in hand, she nonchalantly eyed my professors before speaking. “Is there somewhere we could speak in private?”

They could hear whatever she had to say. I had nothing to hide. Lord knew they knew everything about me already. Not wanting to be any more rude than I already had been, I invited her to sit with me at a tall table in the living room. My professors took the hint and disbursed a bit. Niko and Dominic stayed in the room while Wyatt and Aiden went into the kitchen.

“Thank you,” she faintly smiled at my willingness to meet with her. “I’d like to start by saying I don’t know what happened last night. I’ve heard rumors, but I’ve worked with your father for thirty years and know when to mind my business. With that being said, I received a frantic call from Charles at three in the morning demanding immediate changes to the will—”

“He took me off of it,” I nodded, trying to cut to the chase.

She placed glasses at the bridge of her nose, opening the folder. “Quite the contrary.”

“I don’t understand. What changes were made?” I asked.

She looked at me over her glasses. “Prior to the changes, you were told that something north of 17 billion would go to the man you wed, correct?” I nodded.

“Miss Whitlock, Charles put all of his assets in your name,” she informed.

I heard Niko choke and cough from where he sat.

“So he took out the husband part?” I clarified. She didn’t need to come all this way to tell me that.

“Yes. As well as making you the owner of all his companies, the sole beneficiary of his estate and funds,” she corrected.

My mind went completely blank as she showed me documents containing Charles’ assets, revenue, and massive numbers—incomprehensible numbers that far exceeded 17 billion.

“Niko,” my voice shook as I waved him over. I couldn’t possibly do math right now, even if it was addition. My stomach was in knots.

He was at my side in a second, scanning the documents, his fingers twitching at his side as if using an abacus.

“Wait,” I chuckled in disbelief. “I don’t know anything about owning these businesses. Honestly, I don’t even know what most of them are. I’m only 20!”

Rita gave me a calming smile. “That’s why I wanted to speak with you in person. I’ve worked with wealthy individuals my whole career and can advise you,” she nodded. “I’ve got a few financial advisors I personally use and recommend. As far as being the owner of the business, you don’t have to participate in the decision-making process. There are overly qualified CEOs and shareholders who have meetings to make decisions. All you have to do is show up to a few galas and charity events, show face, and leave,” she said.

“I’m graduating with an engineering degree in three days... Engineering !” I exclaimed.

“It may not be business or communications, but you’re an heiress whether you like it or not. The first thing I recommend you do is hire security,” she widened her eyes, capturing my frantic attention again. “I hate to say it, but this much money makes people do stupid things. You should hire a bodyguard or two to escort you—”

I absentmindedly pointed to Dominic—the colossal unfuckwithable man that he was. “I’m fucking him .”

Niko snorted beside me, and Dominic simply waved to Rita without looking up from his computer.

Rita nodded in agreement. “Fair enough,” she shrugged, unfazed by my aloof outburst. Although she did do a double-take at Dominic before sending me a brief look of approval.

“Is all the money clean?” Niko asked. “There are offshore accounts here,” he pointed to a few sections on the paperwork.

I was beyond grateful that he could think for me and ask the important questions. My mind was racing, and I couldn’t understand why Charles would do this.

I didn’t know the total and honestly didn’t know if I wanted to know. All I knew was that I had a revolting amount of money and assets that would be under my name in three days. If I really wanted, my life could consist of luxurious vacations, private jets, extravagant jewelry, anything and everything that money could buy. It wasn’t necessarily a new lifestyle, but the thought of all of it being mine alone... overwhelming was an understatement.

I zoned out as Niko took the reins and asked all the essential questions.

Only two possible conclusions came to mind when I pondered why Charles would do this.

Was his way of buying my silence about what happened last night? Was he buying his reputation, his good name?

Or was this his way of apologizing?

While I was stressed about having to go to events, I trusted Rita and what she said about just having to show up a few times a year. I could do that. Lord knew I loved ballgowns, dressing up, and wearing jewels around my neck.

There was no doubt in my mind that Charles knew I would end the partnership with all of his old business partners immediately. They would lose millions. It still wasn’t enough to undo what happened to me, but I would enjoy seeing the look on their faces as I single-handedly ended them. They deserved worse.

Whatever Charles’ reason was for doing this, there were upsides and downsides.

When Rita finally stood, I was pulled from my thoughts and snapped back into reality. I didn’t know how long they’d been talking, but she and Niko seemed to have a friendly rapport. I wasn’t surprised; he was easy to get along with.

“I’ll have my assistant email you a summary and a calendar so we can begin to schedule meetings. After Charles passes, I anticipate it will take a month for you to meet all of the company’s shareholders and executive teams,” Rita shook my hand.

She pulled me slightly closer to her and whispered, “Off the record, those of us who know about the change are thrilled to be working with someone who’s... well, human,” she winked before taking her leave.

I couldn’t help but grin at her jab at Charles and how cruel he was. It was refreshing to know that others were aware of how despicable he could be.

It was quiet for a bit after she drove off. I turned to Wyatt and Aiden, who exited the kitchen after eavesdropping. “I think someone’s scared shitless that you’ll expose him,” Aiden chuckled. “You okay?”

I nodded. “Nauseous,” I smiled sarcastically.

“Do you want to know how much it is?” Niko chucked from beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Sugar mama,” he winked.

“No,” I rushed out. “I’d rather get back to whatever Dominic was saying,” I said as Niko and I sat on one of the sofas. I desperately needed to think of something else before I got sick. It was killing me not knowing what had Dominic all riled up.

“Oh yeah, what’d you do?” Wyatt stood with his arms crossed.

Dominic grinned, and that same excited glimmer shone in his eyes. “You all know I hate teaching. I hate the students. I hate it all—”

“So chipper,” Niko snickered.

“Not all students, obviously,” I added my own comment.

Dominic lifted his brows. “ You were never in my class. You don’t count,” he shot back. “Also, I’m fucking you, not the other way around,” he playfully corrected my earlier blurt.

“Whatever,” I waved him off with a laugh, urging him to continue. “Come on, what has you so giddy?”

“I just got my results back for my final test in medical school,” he answered. “I got my PhD.”

My mouth dropped open at his bluntness. Suddenly, his sleepless nights and coffee addiction made sense. I never understood how he’d always had such a bigger workload than the other three. Now, it clicked. The man was working a difficult full-time job and putting himself through medical school.

I was flabbergasted, surprised at myself for not noticing sooner. I always assumed the giant stack of papers was from his students—not his own schoolwork. “That’s amazing, Dominic,” I gushed.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Niko stood up, dramatically crossing his arms across his chest. “You’re telling me you’ve been in medical school this whole time? And you’re a doctor now? Which means you won’t be our co-worker? And why didn’t you say anything, dickhead?”

“What he said,” Aiden gestured to Niko.

“They mean,” Wyatt snapped, looking at his two friends harshly. “Congratulations—”

“No, I mean exactly what I said,” Niko dismissed, making me laugh. “I’ve got unanswered questions.”

Dominic chuckled. “I wasn’t sure how things would turn out. By the time I was a few years in and fully committed, I figured I’d tell you all about it when I finished,” he answered. “A few years ago, Dane Arwien mentioned that if I ever decided to pursue medicine, he’d hook me up with a residency. There’s a position in orthopedics waiting for me at the hospital down the street,” he explained.

I couldn’t stop the smile that broke out across my lips. I was so happy for him! It was apparent to everyone—even the other staff and students—that he despised teaching. Although picturing him in a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck was hard, I knew he’d make a great doctor.

Behind his rock-solid exterior, there was an empathetic teddy bear. He always kept his composure and was able to think critically during stressful times. The more I considered it, and the initial shock lessened, the more I realized it was the perfect career for him.

“This is a lot of information to take in 10 minutes. Our girlfriend is an heiress, and Dominic is a doctor,” Aiden grinned. It was then that I noticed how proudly he looked at Dominic. Wyatt and Niko were surprised, too, but their happiness and support for their friend were evident.

“When do you walk?” I asked. I would be there when he got that diploma; we all would.

He gave a dismissive shake of his head. “I’m not. I’ll just have it mailed.”

“You have to!” I sat up straighter. “Don’t be so macho; you earned it,” I scolded.

Dominic smiled and shook his head, giving his final answer.

“Boo,” Niko chanted.

“Fine. But we’re having a party to celebrate,” Wyatt pointed a finger at him.

Of course, Reesia was planning on throwing me a graduation party, just with my guys and our friends. I should work with her to plan one for him, too. Or combine them—it was his moment, and I’d let him decide. For now, I was just happy.

For the first time in a few weeks, I was hopeful that everything would be okay—more than okay—because I knew exactly what to get Dominic for his graduation gift. Putting himself through medical school and obtaining a PhD wasn’t cheap, but I think he’d be able to enjoy his new career debt-free from student loans.

It was the least I could do—it was also my first step towards becoming a philanthropist! A real one, unlike Charles.

“Does this mean you’ll actually sleep now?” I wondered in a soft tone. Literally, from the day I met him, he never slept, and when he did, it wasn’t for long.

A lovely, hearty laugh filled the room as Dominic laughed and shook his head at me. It was contagious, and the rest of us gave our own chuckles.

“You’re cute,” he grinned, and I blushed. “Does my lack of sleep really bother you that much?

“Yes.” My voice wasn’t the only one that answered. All four of us spoke in unison.

Dominic put his hands up in surrender, looking somewhat surprised at how concerned we all were. “I’ll try to sleep for you,” he mumbled.

Niko laid back on the sofa, placing his head in my lap and his arms around my thigh. I ran my hands through his thick brown hair, admiring his handsome face and chiseled jaw. For a moment, my mind slipped as I remembered my first night sleeping in his bed. The night I woke up with his head between my thighs. The night I agreed to be theirs.

Three months was all it took. My life had changed in so many ways since then. I recall thinking, ‘Even if it goes down in flames, the burn would be worth it.’ And it burned. There was lustfire that overtook my body, heartache that melted me from the inside out, and yesterday, everything almost burned down. Through it all, I felt like a phoenix, risen from the ashes.

Niko smirked. “Estás tan enamorado de mí. Mírate, fantaseando con mi lengua entre tus piernas a plena luz del día.”

[You’re so in love with me. Look at you, fantasizing about my tongue between your legs in broad daylight.]

“Niko,” I gently scolded while flicking his head. Cocky asshole.

“I was right, wasn’t I?” He teased before closing his eyes and cuddling further into me.