𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞

Chapter Twenty-Nine

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They returned home on a Sunday night. Imani pleaded with Matthew to let her and Jamie take the cab instead of Pete dropping them off. Although he agreed, he couldn't help feeling rejected. He understood her caution, but he was only human and deeply in love with a woman who was still living in a limited relationship with him. He knew there was nothing he could do but wait for her to willingly come to him, yet he was afraid he might lose her while waiting. But they say you cannot force someone to love you, so Matthew had no option.

Opening the door, Imani gently pushed Jamie inside the house when she heard her neighbors muttering, she wasn't in the mood for small talk even though she adored Mrs. Fernandos.

"Shh," Imani said to Jamie, putting her finger across her mouth, he smiled, doing the same thing.

They both rushed to the living room, huffing loudly as they dropped their bags on top of the couch before collapsing into giggles.

Jamie had carried a white shopping bag with a few toys Matthew had bought him to thank him for coming to Italy. Imani had grudgingly agreed to let him keep them with the promise that Matthew would never again buy him expensive toys without her consent. Although he had agreed, Imani knew he would find an excuse to buy him anyway. Buying him toys for coming to Italy with him, like Jamie had had a choice. That had been Matthew's excuse

As they both sat on the floor staring at each other with grins across their mouth, Imani knew neither Jamie nor herself would ever forget this trip.

It was engraved into their hearts, forever a reminder of what true happiness had been. Not just because they managed to go to a foreign country, but because they had felt like a family.

Matthew, her, and Jamie—finally a family she had dreamed of since their mother died making her the sole provider of both her and her brother.

"I had fun, Imani." Jamie gleefully said, slowly pushing himself to lie on her lap.

"I know, baby. So did I."

"Can we visit Matthew again?" Imani hesitated. She wasn't ready to break his heart by directly telling him he would never see him again, which was the plan, so she decided to tell him Matthew was a busy man.

"Oh, "

"I would like to see him."

"Im sure he feels the same about you."

"you think?"

"Definitely." She watched as Jamie's eyes brightened with excitement. He had fallen in love with Matthew too, Imani thought, feeling both happy and sad. She knew their affair would come to an end, so she was prepared, it would break Jamie's heart if she invited Matthew into both their lives and then have to promptly end it when the time came.

Jamie wouldn't understand, Imani couldn't let them have a relationship. It was her duty to protect him.

When Monday came, Matthew's heart pounded with the thrill of knowing father Josè would make the call he and Imani were waiting for. He was learning that excitement and anxiousness could go hand in hand. He has been in the business for quite a while, but Matthew had only experienced titillation of winning but never nervousness.

While he kept looking at the door waiting for Isaac to budge in, Imani's eyes were on her phone willing it to ring.

The call came in the afternoon, it was also the highlight of the day for most of the employees.

Isaac heard the laughter of the man he had only heard on the phone— father Josè. He had his number on his contacts because although he wasn't a regular caller, he was important to Mr. Ocean.