Chapter 3 – Research

Waylon “Ah! Ah! Aah!…” I woke up to loud moans and groans echoing from the other side of the house. No doubt it was Damian and Demi—engaged in one of their typical makeup sessions after an argument. I sighed and rolled out of bed to get ready for work. An hour later, I stepped out of my room only to find their bedroom door wide open. If the bed weren’t tucked in the corner, they might as well have been putting on a live porn show. Not that it bothered me anymore. At this point, I’m not sure if they’re trying to prove something, make me jealous, or if they’re just a couple of shameless psychos. Either way, it’s become routine. Every argument ends the same—loud sex, door wide open, morning after moans. It’s always the same, too—just me and them in the early hours. The maids don’t come upstairs until we’ve left for work. My father, on the other hand, lives in a separate guesthouse out back, rotating through girlfriends like clockwork. It’s easier that way. Widowers with money and freedom rarely stay alone. “God! I’m coming, I’m coming! Ahh…” Demi screamed, followed by Damian’s groan. I ignored the heavy breathing and headed downstairs for breakfast. “Good morning. Would you like French toast or biscuits today?” asked Marla—probably the sanest person in this whole house. “Biscuits and coffee. Pack them up—I’ll eat on the way.” “Samuel, you really shouldn’t do that. It’s not healthy,” she argued, sounding just like the mother I never had. Marla is Dan’s mother. She had been with my family for a long time—first as my mother’s personal maid. Before my mother passed away, she made my father promise to take care of Marla, so he hired her as the permanent housekeeper. That being said, Dan and I have known each other since childhood. After we graduated college, we roamed around for a while, doing a bit of everything before my father finally decided to retire and hand over the company to me. Being the son born from a mistress, I was never his first choice. But Damian, being an idiot, didn’t leave him with much of a choice. My father, ever the businessman, knew the risks of putting a compulsive gambler like Damian behind a CEO’s desk, so he made the “smarter” choice—me. At the time, I didn’t even want the position, but I needed money and power. Mr. Thompson’s decision opened the gateway to both. So I took it… and dragged Dan along to suffer with me. I mean, I couldn’t suffer alone, right? “Thanks, Marla, but I’ll be fine,” I said, heading to the car. Dan stayed behind to do his usual morning ritual with his mother, and I left quickly. It seems like everyone has something to hold on to—except me. “Any updates on Terra yet?” “No, sir. The Andersons aren’t exactly small fry. They’re good at keeping secrets.” “I know. Speed up the process. I need answers as soon as possible.” “Yes, sir.” His eyes kept flicking between me and the road—annoyingly so. “What is it?” I snapped. Dan hesitated. I glared at him, and that was all it took to break his silence. “Sir… you have her phone number. Why not just call her? Set up a date?” “She doesn’t want to talk to me,” I said with a sigh. “Why not? All the women in the country want to talk to the hottest man in the USA,” Dan said, gesturing at me like I was a centerfold come to life. “Yeah, well… not her. She’s clearly built different. Immune to my charms. Probably a medical anomaly.” “I don’t understand.” “It’s complicated.” “I’m all ears,” he said, leaning in like a nosy aunt at a family reunion. “When I say, ‘it’s complicated,’ I mean ‘butt out.’ Take the hint. No wonder you’ve never had a girlfriend before.” His eyes darted between me and the road, face scrunched like he just sucked on a lemon. “For your information, I was waiting for you,” Dan shot back with dramatic flair. I snorted. “Well, stop. I’m not into men.” “Give it time,” he mumbled. “Dan… di…” “Wait, wait…” He halted me mid-sentence, eyes wide with mock alarm. I chuckled silently. He sighed, patting his chest as if I’d just given him a heart attack. “That was dangerous territory,” he mumbled. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he added quickly. “I meant waiting to see who the madam will be.” “You’ll be waiting forever then.” “I believe in miracles,” he said like an innocently little girl. Cringe. “What are you, a walking Hallmark card? Miracles don’t exist,” I cut through his daydreams with a dose of reality. “Want to make a bet with me?” he asked, grinning. “A bet?” I raised an eyebrow. Marla always says I’m too serious, usually while chastising her son for being too goofy. It’s always Dan who drags me into doing stupid things all over town. This felt no different. “Yes,” he said with a mischievous smile. “If I win, you find me a wife. If you win, I’ll stay single with you.” “You’re on. I can already see us in our eighties, causing chaos in the nursing home together.” “We’ll see about that,” he beamed with excitement. I’m still not sure if he was excited about me finding him a wife… or just the idea of growing old with me. “Oh, one more thing—I looked into it and found that the flight Ms. Terra was on that day came from Texas. Also, there’s a flight record for Tyson Anderson, her brother, returning from Mexico.” “Carry your search over there.” “Already on it.” “You know me better than anyone.” “Aww, are you falling for me?” “No.” I deadpanned, and we both chuckled. The day went on like normal—at least until after we clocked out. That’s when Dan finally barged into my office. “The report you requested.” “What took you so long?” “What did you expect? We’re up against the Andersons.” I took the folder and gave it a quick glance. The report confirmed that there was no official record of Terra’s pregnancy in the United States. However, Mexico wasn’t quite as discreet. Even then, the information was limited. There was only one hospital report, dated five months after she arrived in Mexico. Oddly, the report didn’t mention anything about a pregnancy. Everything else was hearsay—from neighbors and nurses. One rumor claimed she’d gone to the hospital for an abortion. But clearly, that wasn’t the case, since she ended up with two children in the end. The report ended there. “That’s it?” I asked, staring at the thin stack of paper as if more answers might bleed through the ink. Unsatisfied. “The Andersons’ influence stretches far. Even in a country like Mexico—where silence can be bought cheap—they buried the truth deep. No official record. Just rumors. Hearsay from nurses and neighbors.” I leaned back in my chair, brows furrowed. “Keep digging. I don’t care what it takes.” Dan nodded. “Already on it.” He hesitated for a beat before asking, “Why not just do a DNA test on the kids?” I scoffed. “You think she’d let me take samples on a hunch? Without proof? She’d slap me across the face and slam the door.” “Fair enough. But if it is proven... if they are yours… what then?” I didn’t answer right away. My fingers drummed against the desk. I hated how unsure I was. “That... I haven’t figured out yet.” Dan’s tone softened. “Waylon, I’ve known you for over two decades. I’ve watched you fight lawsuits blindfolded, win negotiations before you even walked in the room. But this? This is the first time I’ve seen you hesitate.” I let out a humorless chuckle. He wasn’t wrong. For the first time in my life, I genuinely didn’t know what to do. I’d been so consumed by the question—Are they mine?—that I hadn’t once considered what comes after. “I’ll figure it out,” I muttered. “You can go. I’ve still got paperwork from yesterday.” “I’ll help you.” I raised an eyebrow. “Why do you think I’m stalling? I’m not exactly rushing to go home.” “You’re really spending another night at the office?” “Mm-hm. Now get out of here.” Dan paused in the doorway. “You really need to find a woman. Ms. Terra isn’t a bad candidate, you know.” I didn’t respond right away. “She’s not bad,” I said finally, my voice quiet. “I am.”