The Conspiracy of Baby-Switching novel Chapter 28

Gabriel Ferrara engaged to Ariana Rossi.

I search her name and click on images.

My stomach twists, picture after picture of the most beautiful Italian woman you have ever seen.

Long dark hair, perfect olive complexion, a figure to die for and looking like she’s just stepped off a runway. She’s everything that I’m not.

Not that I care, I hate him.

I’m so infuriated with myself that I wasted all those years working for him while pining for a man who didn’t even know I existed.

What the hell was I thinking?

I hate what he did to me, but damn it, I hate that I’m now the one feeling guilty as if I’ve done something wrong.

He asked me to stay away and I did just that.

Dominic walks out in his Little League uniform and I smile. “You ready to go?”

He nods in an over exaggerated way. “Uh-huh.”

“Lucy,” I call. “We’re leaving, honey.”

“Coming.”

I throw our bag of snacks over my shoulder. I just need to get on with it.

I tap my foot as I wait for Deb to answer her phone. Ring ring, ring ring.

“Pick up.”

The crowd cheers and I pretend to be excited. The very last place I want to be today is at Little League.

I can’t get on with it, I’m freaking the hell out.

You’ve reached Deborah, leave a message.

“Call me urgently,” I whisper into the phone. The crowd all cheers and I push the phone into my ear to try and cancel the noise. “Shit’s gone down,

bad shit.” I hang up in a rush. “Where the hell is she?” Debbie is the only person who knows the whole story.

“Where is she?” I dial her number again.

“What’s wrong?” She answers first ring.

“Thank god.” I stand. “Excuse me.” I squeeze past the other parents who are sitting in the stand. “Excuse me.” I need to get away from everyone so I can talk privately.

“Where are you?” I ask.

“I’m away for the wedding.”

“Oh god, I completely forgot.” I drag my hand through my hair. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Gabriel turned up at my house.” Silence.

“Did you hear me?” I stammer.

“Gabriel who?”

“Gabriel Ferrara,” I snap as my eyes bulge from their sockets. “What other Gabriel is there?”

“Oh…fuck.”

“He knows.”

“He knows?” she whispers in a panic. “How does he know?”

“I don’t know.”

“What happened?”

“We were leaving to go to ballet and I had toast hanging out of my mouth and then he turned up and I knew that he knew and I cried and then Dom went into crazy guard dog protection mode and I thought Gabriel was going to kill him.”

“Oh…Violet. Shit, this is bad. This is really, really bad.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I listen. “You think?”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know, he was furious and he left and then? —” “And then what?” She cuts me off.

“I googled him and he’s getting married soon.”

“To who?”

“I don’t know, some beautiful Italian bitch.”

“Good, good riddance. Fuck off, asshole, and leave us alone.”

“Why would he come here when he’s getting married?” I whisper angrily.

Silence.

I can almost hear her brain ticking over.

“I mean…it doesn’t make sense,” I stammer. “Why now?” “Oh…” She gasps as if having some kind of revelation.

“What?”

“He wants to buy you.” “What?” I frown.

“He wants to ensure you never talk so that his new wife never finds out about his illegitimate children.”

Happily oblivious to their mother’s inner turmoil.

It’s Sunday night, and I don’t know what to do next. I haven’t heard a word from Gabriel since he left here yesterday morning.

Should I call him…?

I glance over at my two precious babies lying top to toe on the couch, a blanket over them, so oblivious to everything. I need to make sure that’s how it stays. They cannot be affected by any of this, I won’t drag them through it.

I’ll call Gabriel tomorrow and ask him to meet. This needs to be amicable between us. He’s getting married soon and he can move on with her and have children of their own and live happily ever after in their penthouse in New York.

But I need to make something absolutely clear with them from the beginning.

These children are mine.

“Come on, guys.” I pack up the school lunches and put them into their bags. “Let’s roll.” Monday mornings are always hectic, but when you haven’t slept for two nights, they are especially chaotic. I bundle everyone’s backpacks onto their backs and we walk out the front door. I stop on the spot.

A black car is sitting in my driveway.

The driver gives me a stifled smile and gets out of the car and stands beside it.

Fuck.

Acting cool as a cucumber, I walk down the front steps and unlock my car. “Jump in the car, guys.”

“Who’s that?” Dom asks.

“My friend. Get in the car.” I open the backseat door and wait as they climb in. I slam the door shut and walk over to the man. “Can I help you?”

“Hello, Miss Coleman.” He smiles. “My name is Benson, I’m here…” He seems nervous. “Mr. Ferrara sent me, I have a doctor in the backseat accompanying me.”

I glance down and can’t see into the car through the blacked-out windows. “What are you doing here?”

“Mr. Ferrara has instructed us to carry out paternity tests.” He gives me an awkward smile. What?

“No.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean no, what else could I possibly mean?”

“Miss Coleman, I strongly advise that you go ahead with this.”

“And I strongly advise you to keep out of my business. My children have school today and will not be taking any such tests.”

“Just one moment.” He dials a number on his phone. “Hello.” He turns away from me so that I can’t hear what he’s saying, but I still can. “She said no.” He listens for a moment. “I’m not sure…” “Is that Gabriel on the phone?” I ask.

He nods.

I walk over and snatch the phone from him. “Listen here, you selfcentered son of a bitch.” I sneer. “You stay the hell away from me and my children. If you dare come to my property again without an appointment, I will call the police quicker than you can say the words restraining order.” I hang up the phone and pass it back to him. “Goodbye, Benson.” I get into my car and pull out of the driveway.

Fuck you.