The Billionaire Boss's Scandal

A Strange Conversation

That evening, after dinner, Amara sat on the couch in the living room, rocking Joel to sleep. Ethan held Abigail, feeding her with a bottle. The sun was starting to dip behind the houses outside, casting an orange glow throughout the room. It was fading fast.

"I think we need a light on," Amara said.

"Yeah," Ethan agreed.

But neither of them got up. Amara tried to convince herself that it was because neither of them wanted to disturb the babies, but if she was being completely honest, she didn't want to spoil the mood. It was quiet, and perhaps, things were the most peaceful that they had been since the lawsuit. She was afraid that, if she moved, she'd wreck it. She wondered if Ethan was feeling the same way.

Just as the room got dark, the front door opened. After a moment, Gabby appeared in the doorway of the living room.

"Wow, it's so dark in here." She flipped on a light. Her mouth spread into a grin. "Aw. You guys look like such a family."

Amara giggled. Then she wanted to slap herself. Why was she giggling? The two of them exchanged a glance, then looked away, both equally embarrassed. 

"I'm gonna put Joel to bed," Amara said, slowly standing.

"Yeah," Ethan rose. "I'm right behind you with Abby."

---

After putting the twins to bed, Amara sat at the kitchen table, sewing a scrunchie. She had gotten six more orders over the past week, and they all wanted multiple sets of scrunchies. Amara had chosen to not disclose anything concerning the investigation with her prospective clients, so there couldn't be any delays. Otherwise, they'd get suspicious, and probably wouldn't want to buy from her.

Gabby sat at the table, while Ethan unloaded the dishwasher.

"Hey, did they ever find out how Joshua died?" Gabby asked.

"Gunshot," Amara said, without even looking up. "Clean through his forehead."

"Ouch," Gabby said. "You think they talked to him beforehand or just took him out with a sniper?"

Amara paused and stared at her. 

"Did they let you see any pictures?" Ethan asked from across the room.

Amara turned her attention to him. "What is with you two? I never expected you to be so invested in details like that."

"Well, yeah," Gabby said. "Dude was a jerk."

"I just find this to be a lot like an episode of CSI or Criminal Minds," Ethan said. "It's just interesting to see it in real life."

"I don't know," Amara said. She resumed her work. "You guys just seem a little desensitized."

"Like I said, dude was a jerk," Gabby pointed out. "He may have been our boss and the father of your children, but he failed on both accounts."

"Technically, he didn't fail as a boss," Ethan said.

"Technically, yes, he did, because he's not the boss anymore," Gabby stated. "He had to have failed somewhere."

"That's if you subscribe to the theory that one of his workers or colleagues killed him--"

A knock sounded at the door. Leaving the two to their argument, Amara stood and went to answer it. As soon as she opened it, she wanted to close it again. Nicole stood there, blonde hair illuminated by the porch light.

"What are you doing here?" Amara asked.

"It's a free country," Nicole stated. "I want to talk to you. Let me in."