When History Repeats Itself

Chapter Twenty

The following week, I was off duty for two days—Monday and Tuesday—and so was Dom. Neither of us dared show up at the office or anywhere public—unless it was at each other's temporary safe houses. I was holed up at my dad's house, Dom was at his aunt's.

We enjoyed privacy from reporters, bloggers, podcast hosts—you name it. A bunch of vultures laying in wait for us at any public space, hoping for a sound bite or something personal to use as media content.

The plan was Dom and I were to remain hidden away until after our interview on Wednesday. The first public sighting of us together after the so-called cheating scandal news broke should be our televised interview. We had agreed to meet at my dad's or his aunt's if we wanted to see each other.

The rollout was choreographed down to the second. My family's interview aired Monday evening. His followed Tuesday. Ours was scheduled for Wednesday. All to be aired right after the evening news- prime time. A national spectacle. They would also be streaming the interviews for the world to watch,

When Zynelle's publicist floated the idea of using the interviews to promote Chase Men, the firm, and Evolve, the collective glare from the rest of us had him fidgeting with his glasses as Zynelle apologized profusely on his behalf. Some things were sacred, even in the business of image rehabilitation.

That Monday evening, I was hidden among the crew watching my dad, stepmom, mum and mum's boyfriend being interviewed by a one of the country's most respected journalists, a national treasure, at the national media headquarters. Nii had agreed to show up in person rather than deliver a video to support my mum—a gesture that spoke to the kind of man he was, the kind of love they'd built together.

They looked at ease, seated on brightly upholstered couches, taking turns weaving a carefully constructed story of healing and blended-family unity. They spoke about me—linking both households—like I was a bridge made of gold, not broken glass. There was laughter, warmth, carefully curated truths. They made rebuilding a family after betrayal seem like a life skill everyone should learn by age thirty. I half-joked to Sumaya afterwards that we should've hired Zynelle and the publicist back in primary school when our lives first became a soap opera.

Later that night, Dom came over for dinner. Discreetly, of course. No pictures. No leaks. Nick had rented a blacked-out SUV which plates that traced to no names in the Chase family. The SUV was a decoy as much as it was a vehicle—Zynelle and her team took turns being seen in it to reinforce the illusion that it was strictly for business. Every night, it was parked outside her office.

Dom insisted on always being the one to come to me. Said the thought of me stepping out and being swarmed by cameras or heckled in public made him restless. I had already deactivated my social media for the sake of my sanity. Zynelle's warning had come two seconds too late.

Nick Chase had also gone into overdrive, hiring a former military operative with a résumé in counter-surveillance and tactical driving. A whole detail, just for Dom. He brought up Princess Diana in the family group chat. That was the end of discussion.

His family's interview was gripping. They laid bare their journey through infertility, grief, single fatherhood. The bond between Daniel and Nick, and by extension, Dom and Chris, shone through.

When Nick spoke about Ruby—Dom's mother—it was impossible not to feel something shift in the room. He didn't cry. His voice didn't waver. But each time he said her name, his eyes lit up so much you could see his heart smile Ruby had been it for him. That once-in-a-lifetime love. Viewers across the country probably wondered if a love like that could ever happen twice.

Nick Chase, once tabloid bait for dating women half his age, had been repackaged: not as a playboy, but as a widower healing from a consuming love he could never recapture.