The Baby

thirty two

grayson astor

If it was up to me, my father would be locked away at the most hidden prison in Honduras.

When I had taken Amelia and Kalani home from Barcelona, I knew I had to act quick. The same resources I used to track Kalani down would be the same ones Blake used to follow through with his threats.

My father is a powerful man. But with him slowly handing over his workload to me over the years, he's underestimated the connections he now lacks. I've always been a cautious person and people have always taken it as paranoia. But I've never fully trusted anyone. Especially not my father and over the years I've kept records for every illegal thing he's done—embezzlement; wire and mail fraud; and money laundering. As soon as the police were informed, he was arrested and sent to jail with no bail. His trial wasn't scheduled until sometime in July, but I had no doubt in my mind he would be getting a minimum sentence of fifty years with no parole.

Lucky for me, Kalani had many conversations with a woman at her society meetings—Bridget Noble. Bridget's mother happens to be the judge appointed onto my father's case and with the slightest whisper in the right direction, my father would be nothing but rotten bones by the time his sentence is over.

Astor Incorporation was in need of a CEO and with me being COO, the board quickly voted me into the position. To ensure Astor Incorporation didn't suffer for my father's actions, I made it known to the public Astor Incorporation has detached itself from Blake Astor and we have absolutely no ties to his crimes.

Somehow everything had worked out perfectly. I was CEO, I had a beautiful healthy daughter, and I was about to marry the love of my life in less than three hours.

We had travelled to Cedar Lake Estate the day prior to the wedding for the rehearsal dinner. Today Kalani had woken before me to take Amelia outside. The weather today was perfect. It wasn't too sunny and Kalani seemed excited for the photos.

Standing by the window, I opened the blinds to watch the two of them. The farmhouse we stayed in was right by the lake. They were seated on the dock playing with a few of Amelia's baby toys.

Before them, I didn't know I was capable of loving anyone other than myself. I didn't know it was possible for me to ever take my attention and passion away from Astor Incorporation. But they made it easy. These two girls became my new obsession and I don't even remember what my life was like before them. I was sad and miserable and I didn't even know it.

I turned when I saw the front door of the house opened. Paige came inside with a pyjama set with her name written on it.

"I'm here to take away the bride to be. It's time for her hair and makeup," Paige sang with this excruciating high pitched voice. But today I wasn't going to let it bother me. Kalani wants a happy day, so I'm going to be happy. As happy as I can be.

"I'll go get her," I stopped Paige from going out the back door. I went outside after putting on these ridiculous water shoes Kalani bought me. They're made completely out of rubber? If I remember correctly, they're called Crocs and I thought they were a stupid joke until I saw half of her family wearing the same shoes but in different colours. Are water shoes some weird trend I don't understand?

"Look, a duck," Kalani gasped, pointing to a duck out on the lake. Amelia screamed, clapping her hands as she jumped up and down. I'm afraid Amelia might one day grow up to be an animal lover. If her and Kalani team up on me to get an indoor pet, I don't know what I would do. If Kalani knew I could never say no to anything she asks of me, this would be a dangerous world.