|| Over A Year Later... ||

My hand slammed on the table. "I refuse!" I yelled.

"Come on, Ana, you don't need to overreact," Isla said softly, holding her arms out like she was trying to tame a wild animal.

"Overreact? If you think this is me overreacting, I'll show you over—."

Hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me off the conference table I started climbing on. "And that's my cue," Finn said in a strained voice, pulling me down onto his lap where he sat next to me. "Ana, you're being unreasonable."

My jaw dropped. My head slowly turned to face him. "You did not just say that. She is a monster!" I whisper-yelled, pointing at Isla across the table.

Isla gave me a flat look. "It's just a dress, Ana."

Amari squeaked from behind me. "Just a dress?" She asked, shocked.

I sat on the edge of Finn's lap, my hands splayed on the conference table. "I would rather be caught dead than let my niece stumble down that aisle in a dress from—," I mimed gagging, "from Target."

Isla sighed, placing her hands on her head, the light catching the sparkle in her engagement ring. "She's one. She won't remember the day."

"I'll remember the day, and I refuse. Veto. I'll get Chanel on the phone right now," I threatened.

Isla shook her head, a chuckle of disbelief crossing her lips. "I told you, it's not going to be an extravagant wedding."

Amari slammed her hand on the table, the other braced on her hip. "You're getting married, Isla. This is the one day we're supposed to go over the top," Amari explained, exasperated.

I gripped the arm of the chair, still comfortably situated in Finn's lap. "Who doesn't want the big wedding, Isla?" I asked, eyeing her expression.

Her lips pinched in the corner. "Jasper said he wanted something small—."

"Who cares what Jasper wants?" Amari demanded, throwing her hands in the air. I pointed at her and nod in agreement.

Isla stared at the two of us. "I would think since he's the groom, we'd all care about what he wants."

I scoffed. "Isla, you're forgetting the most important part of this entire situation," I said, arms wide before gesturing to her, "You are the bride that means, what you say, goes."

Amari rounded the conference table and placed both hands on her shoulders, leaning her head next to Isla's. "Think about it, you can choose what you want, and he can't say shit because he'll want to keep you happy."

I snapped my fingers. "Exactly." Finn's shoulders shook in silent laughter as he buried his face in my hair.

"You can have whatever you want," Amari whispered, "If you want Ed Sheeran to sing live for your first dance, we can do that," she said earnestly, a calming smile on her face, "You want swans in the pond outside the lake house? Tell me how many and you can have it," she shook Isla's shoulders lightly. "And if you want a giant ice sculpture of you and Jasper, done. We can do anything, Isla, you just need to believe."

The ice sculpture may have been a bit overboard but from the dreamy-eyed look on Isla's face, we seem to be wearing her down more and more. Amari and I together are unbeatable.

"Isla, you don't need to listen to these two—." I slapped my hand over Finn's mouth, glaring at him over my shoulder.

"Don't ruin this for us," I hissed, scowling when he licked the hand covering his mouth. His eyes crinkled from the grin he sported but couldn't see.

We'd spent the last month trying to sway Isla away from the stupid idea of a quiet, inexpensive wedding. Jasper and Isla decided to wait for baby Alena Love to make her entrance into the world before they got hitched, and soon after her birth, they pushed the date further, wanting to focus on being parents for a while before picking up the wedding magazines again.

Once Alena turned one, Amari and I put our Louboutin stiletto-clad feet down, demanding they pick a date before we lost all hope on the first Love Wedding.

Now that Amari had recently graduated from high school, we managed to put forces together to defeat our one enemy during wedding planning...Jasper's cheap ass.

What's the point of being a millionaire if you don't spend your money?

Subtly, Amari slid a generic wedding catalog away from Isla and I slid an updated one that Amari put together featuring dresses from Vera Wang, Versace, Dior, and other top designers.

Isla's eyes scanned along the pictures, her finger brushing against one. "This one is so pretty," she murmured, almost breathlessly.

"Just say the word, and it's yours," I baited, lifting my legs so they hung over Finn's. His fingers immediately started trailing along the bare skin of my legs since my short skirt rose every time I shifted.

Amari pouted her lips. "We can even get a matching one for Alena, it'll be the cutest thing ever."

Isla's head tilted to the side, her resolve slowly melting away. A jolt of excitement ran through me at the thought of finally gaining back the control I never realized I wanted. I need a new hobby.

She chewed on her lip. "Um," she began, "If I agree to the expensive over-the-top things, can we please keep it small?" She asked, her fingers still tracing the pages in front of her. "Jasper wanted a minimal amount of people there and I don't want to be a spectacle."

Finn braced a hand on my thigh, giving me a pointed look. "Isla," I said softly, giving her a practiced encouraging smile Finn used on his patients constantly, "At the end of the day, it's your special day, we just want to spoil you and Alena." Finn slapped my thigh. "And Jasper, of course," I added as an afterthought.

Isla grinned. "You've spoiled us enough, Ana." Her smile turned sad. "You've taken care of me and Alena better than my own family—," she sniffed, cutting herself off.

The topic of Isla's family was never an easy one to get through. We tended to avoid it entirely if we could. Her parents couldn't get past the idea of a child out of wedlock, and it sure as hell didn't help when they found out Jasper wasn't religious either.

Throwing our Greek Orthodox mother into the mix barely helped, and by then Isla had decided to cut ties with her family after they refused to visit Alena until they were married. Safe to say, Elijah had to put Jasper on a lockdown before he got loose on her family.

Amari rubbed Isla's shoulders. "You are going to look stunning!" She squealed, breaking the tension in the room. Isla smiled brightly, her eyes glassy.

The door opened. "I knew you would corner her," Jasper said with a scowl, little Alena in his arms with a smile that matched her mother's perfectly.

Elijah strolled in behind them, making silly faces for Alena who giggled at each one.

My eyes tracked her little face, desperately needing a wet wipe. Finn's arm tightened around my back.

Jasper glanced at his fiance, his eyes assessing the damage. Amari gave him a sweet innocent smile. He looked at me but all my eyes focused on were Alena's dirty little fingers. I adored the child don't get me wrong, but she was always dirty, spreading her kid germs everywhere.

With my back against the arm of Finn's chair, I lazily smirked at my brother. "I win."

His expression fell flat. He sent his fiance a pitying look. "You caved?"

She pouted. "They're good," was all she offered, adding a shrug. His lips twitched as he tried to hide his smile.

Ever since Isla and he officially moved into the apartment he bought them and I managed to get our official licenses for our exclusive underground casino and bar, it was like a permanent weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He frowned less and agreed more.

His smiles were still a work in progress, one thing we all accepted was the fact that we'd never be able to rid ourselves of the trauma we suffered from childhood. Some memories you can't block out no matter how hard you tried.

I stood up with a flourish, tugging my skirt down before walking to Isla and leaning over her. "Don't worry Isla, it'll be perfect," I whispered, placing a hand on her arm before moving away to stand in front of my brother. "Sucker," I said with a sweet smile. Elijah snorted, and I high-fived Amari. Alena grinned at me, showcasing her four teeth. I fixed her little skew pigtails. "Your parents wanted you to wear polyester," I whispered to my niece, looking her in the eyes. Her big brown eyes stared back. "but don't worry, your Aunts came to the rescue."

She reached out to me but I panicked and took a wide step back, keeping my distance from her sticky hands. "Nice try." I gave her a wink, and she giggled, reaching out again.

Elijah called my name, pulling me to the side while the others spoke. Jasper threw Alena into the air, her squeal deafening anyone close. "Ana, I wanted to chat to you about the California Athena, Jock told me that he's having issues with the meat supplier that the kitchens use, apparently they've been charging us double the money but giving us fewer cuts of meat."

My lips pursed as I listened, folding my arms across my chest. "Okay, then tell Jock to go back to the supplier and tell him to get fucked—."

"Language," Jasper growled from the table without turning in our direction. Alen currently stood on the conference table and threw herself in Finn's awaiting arms.

I rolled my eyes, sticking my tongue out at him. I face Elijah again. "Then tell Jock to find a new supplier. You may have to go out there to watch over the change because I don't want any drama coming from it. He does us dirty, he loses our business, end of story. If push comes to shove, take Corinne with you, she'll get it done."

Elijah nodded and pulled out his phone, typing down something. Elijah quickly became our Hotel liaison after our father went to prison. He had a knack for getting everyone to like him, a task that proved much harder for Jasper and me so we gave him the job. It did require him to travel more since we had over two hundred hotels worldwide with twenty more opening by the end of the year.

"Will Atticus come back for the wedding?" Amari asked from where she stood with a notebook and pen in hand, already creating a to-do list for the wedding.

I nodded my head. "He promised he would come back for a few weeks for the wedding before going back to London."

The room quietened significantly as I spoke. The topic of Atticus didn't sit well with the family. The events of our father's arrest and Uncle George's death weighed heavily on Atticus and soon after the trial, he quickly decided he wanted to study overseas in London.

I gave him my full support, releasing his trust fund to him early and giving him the freedom he needed. What he didn't mention was that he wouldn't come home to visit at all unless it was an important occasion. The last time he'd set foot in the USA was for Alena's birth.

I'd visited him a few times, unable to help my overprotectiveness at times when I missed him but he was doing great there, creating a life of his own away from our family name.

None of us blamed him for it. We just missed him.

A few seconds after walking out of the conference room hands wrapped around my waist, dragging me backward flush into Finn's chest. Featherlight kisses peppered my neck. "You," whispered, causing a shiver to run down my back, "Are evil for pulling that with Isla."

I grinned, tilting my head so I could see him. "I'm not evil. I'm a businesswoman," I cheerfully said, raising a sly brow. "And besides, I didn't hear you complaining when I used said businesswoman skills to help you secure that location you wanted for your mother's second location of The Corner Store."

Finn smirked, pressing another kiss to my neck. "Did I ever tell you how much I love and adore you?"

"Mhmm," I hummed, lacing my fingers with his resting on my stomach, "You could mention it a little more, I do require lots of attention otherwise I'll burst into flames."

He released me with a loud laugh, tapping my ass as we walked forward. "I can assure you, you get plenty of attention from me," he mentioned with a wink and I bit my lip. Yes, I suppose I did.

I spun on my heel. "I got you something special to congratulate you for becoming the new Medical Chief at your mom's new location," I informed him, my eyes widening in mock excitement.

He squinted in my direction, his gait slowing while I continued walking backward. "I'm afraid to ask."

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "Come on. It's outside." I laced our fingers together, all but dragging him to the closed front doors. His free hand reached out to open the doors but I stopped him, moving to stand in front of the doors. "So, it's a new model, just came out on the market," I said slowly, watching his face transform into shock as I spoke, "Just promise you'll drive it carefully—."

"You got me a car?" He asked, dumbfounded, and reached for the doors again, pushing them open to see the driveway. His expression turned to one of confusion, his eyes darting to my innocent smile.

I pointed to the medium-sized box on the top step a few feet away from us. "I got you a toy car," I laughed when he sent me a flat stare, "that's the only car you're ever going to drive with me next to you."

His jaw dropped. "How dare you misdirect me like that," he accused with a comically shocked face.

"Are you mad, I am saving lives by keeping you off the road, you'll have a personal driver until the day you die if I have anything to say about it," I argued playfully, handing him the box with a smile.

He glared. "I hate you."

I tilted my head with a purposely cute smile. "You really don't." I leaned forward and kissed him quickly. "I cannot in good conscious let you drive my cars, they're my babies and you've wrecked three already."

His jaw dropped in disbelief at my words. "Wrecked? That's bullshit, they were fender benders!" He defended himself.

"Babe," I said sternly, wrapping my arms around his bicep as we wandered back inside, him carrying his box, "You drove into the back of a stationary car," I reminded him.

"The light was green," he argued.

I gave him a flat stare, tugging on his arm. "It was in a parking lot."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever." The typical male response when they know they're wrong. He opened the door to our bedroom and dropped the box in his closet. I sat down on our chaise lounge and toed off my stilettos, letting the red soles drop to the floor one by one as I stretched my feet. "Would you ever want one?" He asked suddenly.

I laid back on the chair and angled my head to face him. He leaned against the doorway, his arms folded while he watched me lie there, a small smile on his face. "Want what?" I asked, yawning. I could go for a nap, manipulation is an exhausting task.

"A kid." I froze in my position. "A little you and me?"

I cringed. "I don't like kids, you know that."

He chuckled, walking over and perching on the edge of the rolled arm. "You hate germs, which is why you won't hold Alena until she's had her bath and it's why you don't let her touch you. But I can see your frozen heart thawing each day you spend around her." He ran a hand through my curls, his fingers massaging my scalp. God that feels good.

"While I may be warming up to her, I'm not ready to have a kid now," I said straight. We've never really had conversations like this before. He knew I preferred having clothes over children but while the idea still sat wrong with me, the idea of a little Finn running around wasn't entirely unappealing.

He pressed a kiss to my head. "I don't mean now, and I'm honestly not pressuring, kids were never really in the books for my specific line of work but I just wanted to ask."

I lifted my arm up and threw it across his lap, holding onto him. "How about," I began, twisting on my side to face him properly, "we cross this bridge after Alena hits the terrible two's? That way we can determine if that's something we want to go through together."

His blue eyes brightened and he ran a hand through my hair, gripping some in his hand and kissing me roughly. "Deal."

We broke away and I smiled up at him. "You're stuck with me," I whispered against his lips.

Finn moved so fast, that I barely registered that I was laying on top of him until he kissed me again. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

|| ✨ ||

I'm not crying, you're crying.

I loved every minute of writing this book. I almost can't believe it's over. We've been on a wild rollercoaster and I'm so thankful that you all took a chance on this story. I know its contents are VERY different from my previous works but thank you for reading it!

ALL NEW SERIES: My new series is the Chesley University Series which is a New Adult Sports College Romance!! The first book LET ME LIVE is currently being updated WEEKLY every Wednesday.

I can't wait to create these fun and exciting characters for you all! Until we meet again in a new beginning! Love to you all!!

For the Last Time,

Sammipott xx