Professional Heir

Chapter 2

Robert.

"A stupid idea getting all these gifts," Kimberly grumbled in frustration as she wrestled with some wrapping paper. Christmas was just around the corner and although Kimberly was usually organized with the gifts, this year she most definitely was not. With everything that had been going on we simply didn't have the time. So here we sat, on my office floor wrapping what felt like one-hundred presents.

"I don't even want to imagine how spoilt the baby will be." I didn't want to put Kimberly into the stereotype of a material girl, but she most definitely did enjoy shopping, and even imagining the hundreds of baby clothes that would be cluttering my home was enough to make my bank card ache. Clothes the baby would more than likely outgrow in the space of a few weeks.

She looked up at me through a few strands of hair that had fallen over her face. "At least it'll be worth it."

"It will."

"Are you scared? To have a baby." Kim sat back, clearly having decided to take a break from the wrapping.

"Well, of course, it's a human that I have to take care of."

The room fell silent for a moment. "And the company?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to sell it?"

I froze. A question I hadn't thought up an answer to. I believed it was obvious, wasn't it? "No."

Kimberly was expressive, she almost always wore her heart on her sleeve, but one emotion I would never have to worry about mistaking from her was anger. She kissed her teeth. "Why?"

"Why would I?"

She quite literally laughed in my face. "You must be kidding. What could possibly be a good enough reason to put your child in danger?" Her eyes were dark, shooting daggers right at me.

"Do you not remember murdering Eli? He's gone, there's no longer anyone to worry about."

Kimberly was quick to shake her head. "That isn't how it works. You and I will forever have enemies, big or small." She stood to her feet. Circling the pile of gifts, she hopped up onto my desk with her legs dangling beside my head. "Do you really believe no one will come out of the woods to avenge Eli? We have no idea who he made friends with after he left."

I turned so I could see her, still seated on the floor. "I want to give you the world."

"And there will be nothing left of this world if you're not in it." She raked her fingers through my hair. "I will not be sitting around waiting to see if you're going to come home in one piece."

"And you don't have to." Running my hand up her clothed leg I let out a sigh. "I'm doing it all for us. To make sure our little baby can have the best schooling, so they can grow up with luxuries. Is that so bad of me?"

She stayed silent for a moment. "If anything happens to you, I will murder your ghost."

And although I believed she was overreacting a little, I had to admit, I had never been so terrified of dying.

*****

"Are you done yet?" I called into the bathroom, knocking on the wooden door.

"Almost," Kimberly called back. Only two days until we left for Wales and we still had a million things to do, but luckily all the presents had been wrapped. We were getting ready to visit my parents for Christmas and of course, Kimberly was taking hours just to impress my mother.

But once she finally stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, I was utterly mesmerised. With a white dress and red lips, I couldn't help but feel like I was transported back to a day I'd never forget for as long as I lived.