|| ✨||

The school's graduation ceremony was being held in the school's assembly hall. Parents lined the rows with their children. Only immediate family members were permitted to this private event given the exclusivity of the students.

However, I didn't need to follow that rule, one perk of being a part of the Love Family. Harvey and Lorenzo remained by the entrance doors, keeping their eyes out for any suspicious behavior.

The walls of the auditorium are wrapped in silk drapes, the navy blue and maroon colors shining through the room. The stage is decorated accordingly, their school colors were strewn over every surface.

Two rows on either side of the aisle were empty, reserved for the graduates and our family's row was reserved right behind them. Uncle George, Elijah, Jasper, and Corinne sat in their seats, Amari shuffling quickly to sit with them while Santiago and Franco walked a few steps behind Finn and me.

His hand brushed mine every few moments but I refused to take the hint and entwine our fingers. The last thing I needed was for people to know Finn and I were together which would only put a target on his head if he doesn't already have one from being in my general presence.

We came to a stop at the row of seats when my phone started ringing. I released a harsh breath, ready to decline the call so as not to miss Atticus but when my family accountant's name flashed across the screen I knew I couldn't ignore her.

I handed off my purse to Franco and pivoted on my heel, gesturing for them to take a seat while I walked out of the auditorium so my call would not be overheard. I pressed accept and raised the phone to my ear.

"Jerika, can't say I'm not surprised to hear from you, how's my money?" I asked, already picturing her grinning from her home office desk.

Her laugh echoed over the speakers. "Locked away just how you like it," she answered.

Jerika Jones had worked for my family since she graduated from NYU ten years ago, top of her class. She struggled to get a job in finance on Wall Street. Wall Street barely accepted women in the finance world there and her chance was slimmer as an African American but my father saw her potential and hired her on the spot.

I barely ever saw her since she worked from the comfort of her own apartment but she never failed to outdress me every time we did meet up. As much as it pissed me off, she knew how to dress and I could only respect that.

"Look, Ana, I wanted to call because I noticed a charge on one of the accounts for a large sum of money," she informed me, the sound of nails tapping on her keyboard in her background.

My eyebrows furrowed as I exited the auditorium, Lorenzo branching off from the wall to discreetly follow me as I stepped outside. One hand rested on my hip as I strolled towards the small garden. Parents and their children leisurely made their way up the stairs, passing me on their way in. "People are allowed to spend money on the family accounts, I have no problem with that."

My men all had their own credit card linked to one account where they were allowed to purchase anything they needed for themselves and the family as long as the charges were not astronomical, then a conversation needed to be had.

"And if that charge is almost one million dollars?" She pointed out.

My jaw dropped. Who the fuck needed to spend one million dollars? And not tell me? "For what?" I asked in disbelief. Look, I spend a lot of money, I know my faults but I don't spend that amount in one sitting, even I know that's too much.

Jerika's nails tapped along her keyboard again as she hummed to herself. "It was written off as a car payment but I traced the paper trail and it led me to an apartment on Fifth Avenue."

"An apartment? None of them have apartments, if they're in the city, they stay at The Athena Hotel because it's free for them other than that they're in the manor every day." I scratched the back of my head a gnawing feeling in my stomach at this news.

"Well then they're paying for an empty room," she stated sarcastically. "I can pull up the receipts and let you know whose name it's in if you want."

"Please."

I waited patiently while she worked. Various flowers bloomed along the small walkway through the garden. I picked a petal from a red rose and smoothed it between my fingertips before letting it drop to the floor.

"Okay, got it," she announced, her voice louder than before, "the apartment is owned by Francesco La Rosa. Paid for about three weeks ago."

Franco?

My head pulsed at the thoughts running through my head at why Franco would ever buy an apartment without coming to me first. I swallowed the sigh dying to come out and nodded my head to myself. "Okay, thanks Jerika for the heads up."

She clicked her tongue. "Just doing my job, Love."

We hung up shortly after and I stared at the ground for a moment, running a hand through my curls. I shook my head, plastering a smile on my face, and turned around, catching Lorenzo's eyes on me, and walked towards the entrance once again.

As soon as I stepped inside my phone started ringing again. I clenched my fingers together, wishing for my phone to crumble in my fingers before I answered. "What?" I demanded, hearing the principal announce that the ceremony would start in a few moments.

Silence greeted me in return.

Pulling the phone away, I noted the shipping warehouse's name and placed the phone back to my ear. "Hello?" I asked in annoyance.

"Um, apologies for the disturbance Miss Love but we have a situation here," the man over the phone stuttered over his words.

My eyes closed and I face the sky from where I stood on the steps to the entrance. "What kind of situation?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"There seems to have been some mistake with one of the shipments, it had a different delivery address than this one and they're not releasing it to us without the proper authorities," he explained, the sound of machinery and yelling bombarding my ears.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, of course, one more fucking thing that I need on my plate right now. "Very well, email me the address it had on it and I'll send someone to you tomorrow to sort it out, okay?"

"Thank you, Miss Love, and again, apologies for the interruption of your day." His words were rushed as he spoke, clearly nervous about this delay in our supplies.

My teeth bit down on my lip as I heard the introduction song playing for the graduates. "Thank you for informing me," I said quickly, hanging up the phone and racing up the steps in my stilettos.

Everyone already sat in their assigned seats and the graduates were slowly making their way through a side entrance to their allocated seats. I raised my chin and quickly walked to my seat. pushing past Santiago, Franco, and Finn to get to my seat between him and Amari.

Jasper raised an eyebrow at my late appearance and I made a motion with my hand telling him that I would inform him later. Finn grazed a hand along my thigh and he tilted his head when I looked at him. With a small shake of my head, I leaned slightly forward, my eyes landing on Franco sitting there with a bright smile on his face as he watched my brother walk through the doors.

A hand smacked against my leg. "There he is!" Amari whisper-yelled, nudging me repeatedly.

My attention turned to Atticus as he shuffled to his seat, keeping his head down. A smile formed on my face as I watched in amusement when he cringed away from any pictures the professional photographer took of him. Elijah let out a whistle and multiple disapproving heads turned our way eyeing us with distaste.

I eyed them all down until they shied away from my stare. Facing the front again, I placed my hand over Finn's which still rested on my thigh, and watched the ceremony begin.

|| ✨ ||

Atticus' graduation party was well underway by the time I made it outside. After dealing with a few phone calls and some hotel work that needed to be looked over, I finally called it quits and changed into my bikini, and followed the noise outside.

Atticus and some of his friends played a game of volleyball in the large infinity pool against Santiago, Franco, and Luca. Harvey manned the barbeque with Chef Joe, grilling burgers, and hot dogs. Another table had been laid out with different toppings and sides, enough to feed an army.

Everyone in the house had been invited to this party, including the staff. Those who wished to not join, walked the ground, ensuring security over the property.

The younger housekeepers, including Nina and her friends, sat near the edge of the pool, laughing and talking to a few of my men. Uncle George sat with Nora and the older staff who opted to sit in the shade under the canopy by the edge of the pool area, keeping out of the sun while relaxing on the loungers and couches provided.

Corinne sat under an umbrella, protecting her pale skin from any form of the sun as she sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top, watching everyone around her with a careful eye. Things had been awkward between us since she signed the contract, more so on my side than hers. She changed nothing about her attitude but I didn't feel the need to have her around me constantly anymore.

Jasper sat on a pool lounge chair, his sunglasses blocking his eyes as he read a book quietly.

Amari and her two friends, ones that had been severely vetted by Owen before they were permitted on this property, spread out their towels along the stony floor and tanned. Not one male gaze over the age of eighteen even peeked in the direction of the sixteen-year-olds tanning in their swimsuits.

My fingers tugged on the top bun I made to keep my hair out of my face and away from any water. I wore a simple black bikini with a sheer sleeveless coverup that fell to my feet.

Finn sat at the edge of the pool, his feet dangling in the cool water, watching the volleyball game in front of him.

My feet bypassed him and stopped next to my brother. He didn't bother looking up. I smacked the back of his book. His eyes darted to mine like he only just registered my presence and slipped his sunglasses further down his nose, staring at me in question.

"We have a small situation," I informed him, my voice low. He sat up silently, shutting his book and lowering his feet to the ground, giving me space to sit. "One shipment was sent to a different address than the warehouse."

He sat back, brushing a hand through his perfectly styled hair. "What address?" He asked, eyes wandering around the space.

My chest tightened. "This one."

Jasper paused, turning his face to mine, his eyes calculating. "How did they get our address?"

I stared down at my fidgeting fingers, shaking my head. "I have no idea," I replied gravely. "I'm sending Elijah to the warehouse tomorrow to investigate further, he'll get answers." The one person I could count on to get answers was Elijah, he excelled in instilling fear when needed. Looking over at the pool and seeing him trying to run in the water with the volleyball in the air, refusing to give it up didn't give the best example of how ruthless he could be.

My brother blew out a harsh breath from his lips. "Okay, I'm spending the day with Owen tomorrow, we've got some potential feedback on the hit list that we need to look at."

I nodded my head, thankful that I had Jasper to take control of that since I had a mountain of things to do. "Good, let me know if you find anything."

Leaving him to read, my eyes fluttered across the outdoor area, catching Franco in the pool, trying to drown Elijah over the ball he wouldn't let go of.

A nerve flickered in my chest at the idea of him having a secret I knew nothing about. We had been close when we were younger and still trying to navigate adulthood. But this was different. Whether or not our relations lasted long, I still trusted him, we grew up together. His father has worked for my family for decades since my father and mother moved here.

Someone behind me cleared their throat and I turned around to find one of the staff members with one of the house phones in their hands. She held it out to me silently. I stared down at the phone, not taking it from her. "Who is it?"

Her lips thinned as she stared up at me with doe eyes. "They didn't specify. I was only told to give you the phone, Miss Love."

My tongue ran along the top row of my teeth and I gently took the phone from her and held it to my ear. "Anastasia Love, speaking," I said in a neutral tone.

"What the hell have you done?" The voice growled over the phone.

I tilted my head to the side thoughtfully. "You're going to have to be more specific, I've done a lot of things," I answered lightly, keeping my expression blank as I spoke on the phone. My feet slowly led me across the ground and onto the grass below, away from any eavesdroppers.

"Anastasia, I have heard nothing from the manor in a week, nothing," My father stated slowly, his British accent more prominent from his anger.  "Give the phone to Jasper." My blood boiled at him thinking he could use my brother to manipulate him into getting what he wants, not on my watch.

My foot swept across the grass, causing me to twirl around as I wandered around the garden. "Well, Father, what information could you possibly need? I am in charge," I said, giving myself a mental pat on the back for not crumbling from his tone. Before he could reply I added, "Are you calling to yell at me or to talk to Atticus?"

"I beg your pardon?" He demanded.

"Your pardon has been begged. Now, if you're not here to call your son on his graduation day, then I'm going to have to let you go," I added with a cheery tone before hanging up the phone, a frown immediately marring my face.

Familiar hands wrapped around my waist and I leaned back into Finn's chest. "Everything okay?" He murmured, brushing his nose against my neck.

"Mhm," I replied, holding onto his arms, "Just some work drama, nothing that can't wait until the morning," I said casually, not wanting to ruin the mood with my idiotic father.

His hands trailed up and down my covered sides. "Anything I can help with?"

I sighed, pressing myself further into him while looking out into the garden. The phone in my hand started ringing and a harsh breath left my lips. Finn laid a kiss on my neck as I brought the phone to my ear. "What?" I asked in an emotionless tone, my head twisting at the ticklish sensation from Finn's small kisses.

"Is that any way to speak to your mama?" My mother demanded in her thick accent.

I clamped down on a groan and threw my head back, accidentally knocking Finn's chin with my forehead. He let go of me and grabbed his chin, eye wide. "Apologies Mama, I thought you were someone else," I muttered softly, turning around and batting his hands from his chin. I ran my thumb gently over his chin and brought his head closer to me so I could brush a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw.

"I want to talk to my baby, Atty, where is he?"

Finn shot me a wink, a playful smile on his lips. "He's here in the pool, I'll get him for you," I said and grabbed Finn's hand, dragging him with me back to the pool area.

Atticus sat on one of the pool steps with his friends, arguing about something. I nudged his back with my foot and he looked up at me. I let go of Finn and held a hand over the phone, blocking my voice from my mother. "Our mother would like to talk to you," I said softly and he nodded, standing up and wiping his hands on a towel Finn held out to him, "If Father picks up the phone and starts talking, you hang up, do you hear me?"

He slowly nodded his head, eyes wide yet focused, and took the phone from my hands, placing it to his ear. "Hello, Mama?" He pressed a hand over one ear to hear her better as he jogged onto the grass.

"Your father was on the phone?" Finn stepped in front of me, his eyes searching mine.

My lips tilted into a tired smile. "Nothing I can't handle," I said unenthusiastically, keeping an eye on Atticus as he walked in circles, waving his arms in the air with a smile on his face. At least they had her.

A hand slid along the back of my neck, gently massaging the knots there. "Was it about what you did to Shan?" Finn asked quietly, sensing my focus elsewhere.

A small chuckle left my lips. "I don't even think he's heard about it, the other Heads don't have any way of contacting him," I shrugged, "His only correspondence was Corinne and now he's lost her too."

Finn's blue eyes widened. "Corinne?" He questioned.

I bit my lip, holding out my arms helplessly. "You said that you didn't want to hear about my work," I said in a pointed tone, raising my eyebrows at him.

He ran a hand through his white hair. "I know, I know, but Corinne?" He stressed, his eyes roaming over everyone around the pool area until they stopped at Corinne's figure, reading quietly. "And it's dealt with?"

I glanced around the space ensuring that no one seemed to be listening in to what we've been saying and nodded. "Yes, it's been dealt with otherwise she wouldn't be around my family right now." My gaze flickered to Franco again, watching him swim around with the others as I wondered whether I should be keeping him around my family. Why would he need an apartment to himself and not tell me?

My mind started wandering, my thoughts turning corrupt whether every face that came into view. I always thought I could trust everyone in my circle. Usually, I never trusted anyone but myself, but I thought I could trust the people in my circle. I accused Jasper of trying to get rid of me and Corinne was an actual informant for my father. Franco bought an apartment without telling anyone and played it off as a car payment.

What else was everyone doing behind my back?

"Hey," Finn soothed, "What's going on, your body froze there?" My head lifted to his and I looked him in the eye, drowning in the different shades of blue that brightened with each blink. Would he betray me too? I shook my head, answering my own hopeful thoughts and clearing my head at the same time.

"Just thinking about all the work that's piling up on my desk while I sit poolside the whole day," I said with a small smile, trying to ignore the intrusive thoughts battling inside.

He grinned, and grabbed my hand, leading me to a lounge chair. "Well then let's put you poolside so it's at least worth it," he replied with a chuckle.

My smile widened. No, he wouldn't hurt me.

|| ✨ ||

Sorry, for the late update, I've started training for my new job so it's been a little crazy on this side. No more super late-night writing sessions for me...boo

Please bear with me, I'll try to do most of my writing on the weekend but I may be a day or two late on updating until I get back into a rhythm.

Until next time,

Sammipott xx