The Doctor's Secret Bride (1) (42 page)
Fondly,
Ana
The Mogul’s Reluctant Bride – Book Two
Chapter One
“There must be some mistake, Steven.” Kaya Brehna’s hands tightened around the arm of the chair as she stared at the man behind the mahogany desk.
“I really wish there was, Kaya.”
“They… they left nothing?”
“Nothing,” he reiterated with a shake of his head. “I’m sorry to have to be the bearer of more unpleasant news, but that’s the reality you’re facing.
Kaya pressed an unsteady hand to her chest. Her heart raced with fear and her mind swam in a pool of confusion, uncertainty, and regret. Even though she never had a close relationship with Lauren, when Steven had called with the horrifying news of her sister and brother-in-law’s deaths, Kaya had dropped everything and taken the first available flight from Florida to New Hampshire to be with her nephew and two nieces.
Up until a minute ago, she had every reason to believe that nine-year-old Jason, four-year old Alyssa, and three-month old Anastasia were financially secure. She’d never met the children before yesterday, but the minute she saw them, she knew she could not abandon them. She’d already decided to put her life and career on hold in order to give them the nurturing they needed while they grieved the loss of their parents. She’d come to Steven’s office this morning to discuss their financial affairs, but the lawyer and executor of Michael and Lauren’s will had dropped a bombshell on her instead.
They had died bankrupt.
Nothing made any sense
.
Forcing back the hysteria in her throat, Kaya struggled to her feet and braced her hands against the edge of the desk. “Steven, I’ve worked in the homes of some of the wealthiest people in Florida. I know money when I see it. That three-story, eight-bedroom mansion my sister lived in is worth millions, yet, you’re telling me she died penniless?”
“Those are the facts, unfortunately.”
“Well, here’s my fact,” she replied as fear of the unknown mounted inside her. “I can’t stay in Granite Falls now. I have to return to Palm Beach as soon as possible, and I have no choice but to take the children with me.”
Steven rose and strolled around the desk. “I’m aware that you and your sister weren’t very close, Kaya, and that there are events about her life you may not know. But, I was Michael and Lauren’s friend, and if there’s one thing I do know, it’s that they would not want you to take their children to Florida. Granite Falls is their home.”
“
Was
, Steven.
Was.
” Kaya threw her hands up in frustration. “Everything is changed now. I was willing to settle down in Granite Falls, put my life on hold for a while until they got used to me as their caregiver. But that option is off the table. My career in Palm Beach is the only fighting chance I have to provide a decent living for all of us.”
“I understand the financial dilemma you’re facing, but it won’t be wise to uproot the children so soon after the loss of their parents. They have ties in Granite Falls. Ties that shouldn’t be severed at this precarious time of their lives.”
“You’re talking about Bryce Fontaine,” she said of the children’s godfather.
“Bryce is a big part of their lives. Despite the fact that you are their aunt and only living relative, they will need him to get them through this tragedy. He has been like a second father to them ever since they were born, and now that Michael is gone, they need him more than ever.”
Kaya tried to ignore the insinuations in Steven’s words. She needed no reminders that the children didn’t know her, that they’d never met her until yesterday. “When is he coming back?” She was still to meet this Bryce who’d been on a skiing trip in Switzerland the day Michael and Lauren died.
“He’s on his way already. His jet could be landing anything soon. You know what that means for Jason.” Steven’s blue eyes clouded with concern. “I can’t force you to stay in Granite Falls, Kaya. I can only strongly advise that you reconsider. Stick with your initial plans to remain here, at least for now.”
Kaya walked over to the window and stared out across the parking lot. She felt as listless as the wind-blown snowflakes tumbling aimlessly to the ground. Steven was right about the children’s need to remain in a familiar environment, around familiar faces. But what was she to do? They were destitute. Returning to Florida immediately was her only option. Even there, with three children to support, she could still end up broke like Michael and Lauren.
Kaya never anticipated that her life could spiral out of control so quickly and violently. There was only one other time in her life when she’d been this scared—the day she saw her father for the last time.
Kaya’s fingers closed around a locket dangling from a chain around her neck. It was a locket that her father had given her when she was five years old. It contained a code to a safety deposit box at a Miami bank. Her father had instructed her not to go to the bank until she was eighteen, and now even after six years, Kaya was still awed at the contents of that safe.
She’d transferred it to another safe in a West Palm Beach bank when she moved there. She’d had it appraised, and almost fainted when she learned how much it was worth. How did her father come into possession of a gem like that? Unsure what to do with it, she’d just left it alone. She was sure it was worth more than
L’etoile du Nord
, her sister’s estate. Had her father given Lauren a similar gem? Had Lauren sold her inheritance to purchase her multi-million dollar estate? Had she squandered her inheritance, and gone broke?
Kaya sighed as the questions surged through her mind. Steven was right again. There was so much about her sister’s life she didn’t know. What she did know was that the contents in that safe was all she had of her father’s memory, the only tangible bond she had to her ancestry. She couldn’t bare the thought of parting with it, even though it would solve her newly acquired financial problems and set her and the children up for life.
There was one other alternative to keep her from selling her birthright. She turned from the window, a glimmer of hope tethering in her heart. “What about the house? It’s worth millions, hopefully more than Michael and Lauren owed to their creditors,” she said walking back toward Steven’s desk. “If I sell it, I can—”
“Um, Kaya, you can’t sell that house.”
“Why? Don’t tell me there’s a lien against it.” That faint thread of hysteria was back in her voice. If Lauren had been given a similar inheritance to hers, she could have paid cash for that estate.
“No. There’s no lien against it. It simply didn’t belong to Michael and Lauren. It doesn’t belong to the children.”
Kaya’s mouth dropped open. “What do you mean it didn’t... doesn’t belong to them? If it isn’t their house, then whose is it?”
“Mine.
L’etoile du Nord
belongs to me,” came a deep masculine voice behind her.
Kaya spun around, her heart flying to her throat when her eyes collided with the powerful bronze body of a man standing on a pair of legs that would make a Viking proud.
Bryce Fontaine, New England’s business mogul—CEO and President of Fontaine Enterprises—in the flesh.
He was far more handsome than his pictures portrayed, she thought, staring in admiration as he bent his snow-dusted head to get his large frame through the door.
The ample shoulders, stretching beneath a dark-green sweater, the sharp chin, and generous mouth, all spoke of power and resolute strength. The man possessed a captivating presence and an air of authority that made you stop and take note when he entered a room. She was taking note—a lot of notes.
If Kaya had to sum Bryce Fontaine up in one word, it would be,
intimidating.
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed against the edge of the desk.
“Bryce, you’re back.” Steven hurried to his side. Even Steven, who was about six-feet, three, had to roll his head back to face the giant.
Steven had called Bryce the night of the tragedy, but a blizzard in the Alps had delayed his return. He must have flown all night, Kaya thought, taking in his stubble chin and disheveled appearance, which made him seem even more imposing.
When Kaya had enquired about the handsome man in her sister’s family pictures, Libby, Steven’s fiancé whom she’d met at the house yesterday had given her an earful.
Bryce Fontaine had made his first millions in real estate then quickly expanded to the rest of the business world, devouring companies from glass blowing to computer software programing, and as he’d just stated, he also owned the estate on which her sister lived.
Seemed like the man owned the entire town, she thought, recalling driving by the Youth Performing Art Center, Granite Falls Towers, and Country Club, to name a few buildings and skyscrapers that bore his name. His signature was everywhere in Granite Falls. He’d even built an airport, with a runway long enough to accommodate his private jets and those of his friends, Libby had told her.
As if sensing her scrutiny, he turned his head and pinned her with an evaluating stare. Breathless seconds ticked by before he stepped around Steven and headed in her direction, a compelling energy seemed to coil within him at each step he took.
Forcing her legs to support her, Kaya pushed off the desk, just as he came to a stop, mere inches in front of her. His gaze was dark and penetrating. Kaya had never felt so susceptible to a man, not even her fiancé.
“Bryce.” Steven made the introductions. “This is Lauren’s sister, Kaya Brehna. Kaya, Bryce Fontaine.”
Other Works by Ana E Ross:
Her Perfect Valentine Birthday Surprise
The Brit Who Loved Her
Mark of a Good Man
Coming Soon in the Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls Series:
The Mogul’s Reluctant Bride
– Book Two
The Playboy’s Fugitive Bride
– Book Three
The Tycoon’s Temporary Bride
– Book Four
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