Never the Same

Chapter 2

Being sat sitting in front of both Nick and Jane Madden as they stare intensely down at you is very unsettling. It's almost like you're a kid again who has gotten into trouble and you're getting a telling off for whatever it is you've done. In this case, it's not something that either Luca or I have done but something that someone else has done.

Nick is standing with his arms folded over his chest whereas Jane is standing with her hands on her hips, her dark red lips pursed. They're both waiting for Luca and I to say something, anything, but we don't know what to say.

What can you say in this situation? How can you explain why someone you've been looking for has suddenly shown up out of the blue? How can you explain that that said someone is now demanding their parental rights back? How can you put into words how messed up things have become in such a short period of time when things were making a turn for the best?

Simply put . . . you can't.

No one can.

"What did she say to you exactly?" Nick has repeatedly asked us this exact question since we left Luca's office nearly an hour ago. It was the first thing he asked as soon as he found out about Nadia being back and the very first thing he asked as soon as we stepped into his home office. "I need to know her exact words if we are to get ahead of whatever it is she may be planning."

"She basically said that she wanted access to Louisa," Luca says after a loud sigh.

"Not happening," Jane says defiantly. "I hope you told her that."

"Of course I did." Luca snaps. "I'm not letting her anywhere near my daughter. I don't give a fuck who her so-called husband is. She won't get close enough to even get a glimpse of her."

"Hold on a second." Nick raises a finger and frowns. "Husband? She has a husband now? Since when?"

"No idea but that's what she said." Luca pinches the edge of the armrest of the charcoal coloured chair he's sitting on next to me, then taps it a few times before scoffing. "She even said he was more than ready to go head-to-head with me for not only my daughter but for my business, too."

"Did she mention what part of your business?"

"No."

"Your airline company," Jane states. Everyone looks at her. "It's your airline company. That's what her so-called husband is after."

"We don't know that for sure, Jane." Nick responds.

"Just think about it. What part of Luca's company has been targeted with takeover offers recently? What brings in the most income to his company every year? What would destroy his company more if he lost it?"

"I can think of a lot more than just the different sectors of his company that would break him if he lost them," Nick calmly answers.

"I'm not talking about his personal life."

"But I am."

"His personal life isn't plastered over the news every day. The things he does for work are."

"Now that he confessed his love for Kaylee to the world and spoke openly about her to a magazine, it's always going to be written about in the news. It's how whoever trashed his apartment got information and photos of the two of them."

"That can easily be concealed. He did it once before and he will do it again."

"But that won't matter now that everyone knows who Kaylee is." Jane groans loudly and looks away from her husband. "It also won't matter now that they're engaged. Something that is a happy moment for both of their families and a moment that should be celebrated regardless of other circumstances."