Secrets Book 2
Autore
S. Fern
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Capitoli
28
1: Prologue
SHAY
Book 2: Unfolded
Shay’s life had been a whirlwind for the past two years. Following a life-altering accident, she traded the hustle and bustle of the Upper East Side for the tranquility of Mountain Lakes, a small town just outside New York City.
The accident that upended her life involved her twin sister, Sky, herself, and Maddison—the other driver. Shay had always aspired to follow in her father and brother’s footsteps, to save lives. But life had other plans.
She took the fall for Sky, claiming she was the driver while Sky fled the scene. Shay was arrested, and her mugshot was leaked.
Suddenly, Shay’s life was thrown into chaos. Her dream of becoming a doctor was shattered. She considered joining her family’s business, Haze Industries, alongside her uncle and brother, but it wasn’t her passion.
Instead, she capitalized on the leaked mugshot, transforming herself into an Instagram model and influencer.
Shay worked tirelessly to clean up her image and the leaked mugshot. She tried to rewrite her past, but eventually, the truth about the accident surfaced. Evidence emerged that Sky was the one behind the wheel, driving under the influence.
They were both slightly intoxicated.
Despite the truth coming out two years later, not many believed her. Many assumed her family had bribed the judges and the police, but that was far from the truth. Shay didn’t care anymore.
She had done everything she could to move on.
Maddison was the driver of the other car. She didn’t die from the accident but overdosed, causing the crash. What Shay didn’t know was that Maddison had a boyfriend.
To cut a long story short, Shay fell for a man named Ethan. A billionaire and a family friend, their meeting seemed like a chance encounter—or so she thought. Initially, Shay resisted Ethan’s advances, but eventually, she let him into her heart.
Falling in love with him was easy. He was there for her, and they were planning to move in together within weeks.
Shay was a virgin before Ethan, and she had planned to save herself for marriage. She was comfortable with her sexuality and her body, despite being a virgin. Ethan never pressured her to do more than she was comfortable with, but eventually, she slept with him.
He proposed shortly after, and everything seemed perfect.
Then, a sex tape was leaked, and she was blindsided. Her reputation was destroyed, and her life spiraled out of control. Shay discovered that Ethan had accepted a bet against her—a bet for her virginity and a twenty percent share of his best friend’s company, A&C.
A bet that forever altered her life. Breaking up with Ethan was the hardest thing she had ever done, but she couldn’t trust him anymore. She felt like she was just a pawn in their game.
Shay confronted Asher, Ethan’s best friend. She wanted to know why Asher had initiated the bet. She learned that Maddison was his girlfriend, and in his grief and misunderstanding of the truth, Asher sought revenge.
He wanted to ruin her and the life she had built. The recording was his idea, and he succeeded in humiliating her.
In the aftermath, Shay moved out of her apartment. She temporarily stayed with her stepmother while she searched for a new place in the city. She had to figure out her life.
Shay was pregnant with Ethan’s twins, but she lied to him, telling him she had an abortion. She planned to raise the twins on her own, far from the world and the man who broke her heart.
Ethan Ramsay.
***
Unexpected Visitor
SHAY
Fast forward seven years, to Thursday, February 9th.
“Could you guys please stop running?” Shay hollered over the noise of her bustling kitchen, stirring a pot of homemade sauce. She sighed, feeling the familiar dampness of leaking milk, a constant reminder of her new role as a mother.
With a kitchen towel, she dabbed at the milk seeping from her left breast. Glancing down at her attire, she was clad in loose jogger pants, sagging at the waist, and an unbuttoned shirt that revealed her sports bra.
How life has changed in the past decade, she mused. She had transitioned from a medical student to a social media model, and now, a mother of twin boys. Twins were a common occurrence in her family—she was a twin, her older brothers were twins, and even her father was a twin.
Her family was the proud owner of Haze Industries, the world’s largest medical supply chain. They manufactured a wide range of medical equipment for hospitals and clinics, amassing a fortune in the process. Her father was a doctor by profession, while her uncle served as the CEO of Haze Industries.
Shay, like her siblings, held shares in the company, providing her with a steady income. In addition to her shares, she owned Shy Wear, her personal workout line, and had a collaboration with Nature for sustainable lingerie. Over the years, Shay had withdrawn from public appearances for brands and terminated all her other brand deals.
She was mortified by the sex tape scandal and believed her reputation was beyond repair. She even contemplated changing her name, but eventually decided to lay low and focus on her children.
Turning down the heat on the stove to let the meat tenderize, Shay heard the familiar cry of her baby. Her breasts, heavy with milk, ached for relief. Peering into the living room, she saw Elijah and Liam in the midst of their usual antics.
With a sigh and a shake of her head, she retreated to her office. Picking up baby Nate, who had just started crying, she soothed him. Tossing the kitchen towel aside, she positioned Nate to latch onto her breast, unzipping her sports bra slightly.
As he began to suckle, she felt a wave of relief wash over her, her shoulders relaxing. Looking down at her beautiful four-month-old boy, she admired his wide, curious eyes. He was such a good baby, and she was grateful that all her children were well-behaved, causing little fuss and sleeping through most of the night.
“I’m home,” Adam announced as he walked through the door.
A smile spread across her face—she was glad he was home early today.
“In here,” Shay called out.
Her smile widened as he entered her office.
“Hey, handsome,” she greeted, pressing a kiss to his lips. She was grateful for him, for his love, and for his acceptance of her past.
“How are the twins today?” Adam asked, setting down his bag and removing his coat.
She sighed and shook her head, a weary smile on her face.
“I love them, but I swear they’ll be the death of me,” Shay confessed.
Adam chuckled and squeezed her sides, looking over her shoulder at their son breastfeeding. She ran her thumb over Nate’s chubby cheek, utterly smitten with her baby’s plump features.
“How’s this little one?” Adam asked, gently stroking Nate’s cheek.
“He’s good, but could you take him after he’s done? I need to get back to dinner,” Shay requested, rocking Nate gently.
“Let me shower, and I’ll take care of the kids,” he offered.
She nodded in agreement, watching as Adam disappeared from view. She was immensely grateful that the kids got along well. Despite their occasional mischief, she loved her children more than anything.
Shay had met Adam years ago when he was a police officer. He was the one who had arrested her on the night of the accident. Their paths diverged, but they found each other again four years ago during his messy divorce.
Meeting her had been the highlight of his year. By then, Shay already had the twins. Raising them was a monumental task, but she dedicated everything she had to them.
Shy Wear was still thriving, and the scandal of her sex tape had faded. Her business continued as usual, but she became more reserved. She limited her social media posts to her clothing line and her collaboration.
She expanded her team, appointing Dario as her right-hand man and giving him a share of her company. Her business ran smoothly and successfully, without any hiccups.
Moving out of the Upper East Side was one of the best decisions she had made. She relocated to Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, where she led a quieter life. Not many people recognized her, and those who did were supportive of her journey.
Meeting Adam was pure serendipity. He had moved back to Mountain Lakes after his father’s death to take over the family business—a chain of grocery stores in New Jersey. Shay had bought a house there, having surveyed the area for a few months before settling on their current home.
The house was secluded, nestled beside a beautiful lake on a three-acre plot of land. Adam had approached her in the grocery store, recognizing her from the arrest and the infamous sex tapes. They chatted for a few minutes before he mustered the courage to ask for her number and invite her out.
They went on their first date and many more after that. Falling in love came naturally, and he proposed to her on their seventh date. She said yes without hesitation, but they took their time before getting married.
“Mama… Mama…,” Liam called, running toward her.
“Yes, my love?” she responded, stepping back slightly.
She ran her fingers through Liam’s hair.
“What is it, baby?” she asked, looking into his wide, innocent eyes.
“Can I have a brownie?” Liam asked, his lips forming a pout.
“Mooooooooooom,” Elijah whined, running toward her.
“Brownie?” she asked Eli.
Their heads bobbed in unison, and Shay chuckled. She knew her kids all too well.
“There are two small slices of brownie on the kitchen towel. One for each of you. If you finish your dinner, I’ll give you guys a whole slice each, okay?” Shay negotiated with her kids.
She knew they couldn’t resist her homemade brownies. They had been asking for them ever since they heard the oven timer go off.
“Thank you, Mooooom!” Eli squealed, dashing off in the opposite direction.
“Thank you Mama!” Liam echoed, following Eli.
Shay’s heart fluttered as she watched her children dart toward the kitchen. Elijah and Liam, her twin boys, were the spitting image of Ethan. They had just celebrated their sixth birthday, marking seven years since she last saw Ethan.
His memory was a constant presence in her life, a ghost she couldn’t shake off. She yearned for him, but she knew their paths had diverged.
Ethan was oblivious to the existence of their children. The last time they spoke, she’d told him she had terminated the pregnancy.
Her family was aware of the twins, but she had made them swear to keep Ethan in the dark. They had reluctantly agreed.
She missed him, a secret she kept locked away. The last conversation she had with Ethan was marred by her lie about the abortion.
She would never have done such a thing. She had always wanted children, even if it wasn’t the most convenient time.
If Ethan had truly known her, if he had listened, he would have known. But he didn’t.
A part of her was hurt by his ignorance, but a larger part was relieved. She was glad he never came looking for her, glad she didn’t have to share her children with him.
She was glad she didn’t have to see him while she was still nursing her broken heart. She was still healing, and she wasn’t sure if she would ever fully recover from his betrayal.
But that was a problem for another day. Her relationship with her family had been strained after the sex tape scandal.
It took time, but she eventually confessed her pregnancy to them. It was one of the hardest things she had ever done.
Once the shock wore off, her parents supported her decision to keep the twins and raise them on her own. Her brothers visited every other weekend, taking turns to spend time with her and their nephews.
She hadn’t seen Sky since the accident and had no plans to. Their relationship was strained, but she was okay with that.
Asher Price had found her after their confrontation and begged for her forgiveness. It took time, but she eventually forgave him.
He did the right thing, reported his actions, and publicly apologized, despite the backlash. He apologized for choking her in the heat of the moment and for everything else he had done to her.
She had given the voice message she recorded to Dario, who converted it into a thumb drive. She sent the thumb drive to Ethan’s office, thinking he deserved to know the truth.
If he already knew, then shame on him. Shay had been out of the public eye since her last video.
She occasionally appeared in photoshoots, which Dario would personally drive her to. She avoided social events and went into hiding, partly out of embarrassment over the video with Ethan.
But as time passed, she found she preferred the simplicity of her life in Mountain Lakes. The sound of tires crunching on gravel drew her attention.
Peering through the window, she saw a car pulling into her driveway. Unsure of who it was, she glanced back at the kitchen where her twins were happily munching on brownies.
Holding Nate in her arms, she headed to the front door, unconcerned about her exposed breast. If anything happened, her husband was upstairs with a gun.
She waited behind the door for the knock. As she watched Nate peacefully nursing, a smile spread across her face.
She loved her children more than anything. She gently stroked his fluffy cheeks.
Nate looked just like Adam, with his piercing eyes. She was proud of the beautiful children she had brought into the world.
Knock knock.
She swung the door open immediately, turning back as she heard footsteps behind her. “Yes?” she greeted the person at the door.
Her heart pounded as she locked eyes with him. Seven years had passed, but seeing him at her doorstep left her speechless.
“What are you doing here?” she managed to ask. His gaze roamed over her, stirring up a flood of memories.
She noticed the subtle changes in his features. He had aged a bit, with faint lines at the corners of his eyes. He looked more mature, and it suited him.
“Shay,” he said, his voice filled with a relief she didn’t understand.
“Mama!” Liam called, running toward her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She quickly averted her gaze from Ethan.
“Go inside and play with your brother,” she told Liam, patting his back and sending him off.
“Are they mine?” Ethan asked cautiously.
She sighed, her face scrunching up in frustration. “What are you doing here, Ethan?” she repeated, his name rolling off her tongue for the first time in years.
“Who’s at the door?” Adam’s voice came from the stairs. She tensed as he placed a hand on her back.
“I’m Ethan,” he introduced himself, extending a hand.
