RAFAEL
I brought Savannah upstairs, and we strolled from the left wing to the right. While we were on it, I showed her where each hallway and door led.
My parents’ bedroom was on the right wing by the end of the passage, the biggest room on the floor. Across from them were Anya and Julian’s bedroom, while in the middle was Carter’s. On the opposite, in the left wing were mine and Adam’s. I had a second spacious bedroom on the floor because I was the first son.
The middle had a common room, which my father used as his study. It had an office, a library, and a piano. In that room, Anya was choosing her dress with Mika, my mother’s personal stylist.
When we came in, Anya was fitting in a charcoal knee-length maternity dress with a sparkling front gliding over her pregnancy curves. Behind her were racks of clothes, dresses, and suits, picked specifically for tonight’s party.
“This is really lovely and comfortable,” she said, pinching the fabric of her dress in front of the body-sized mirror. “But this is really cute, too.” She pointed to the dress the stylist was holding.
“Both look stunning on you!” Mika praised excitedly. “You have a few more hours to decide.”
“I’ll ask Julian. But I’m still taking these two.” She took the other dress from Mika.
“Excellent!”
“Oh, they’re here.” Anya noticed our reflection in the mirror. She pivoted. “Hi, Rafe, Savi. We’re expecting you.”
“Anya,” I greeted. “Good morning, Mika.”
“Good morning, Mr. Sebastian. It’s good to see you.” The middle-aged stylist gave me a brief wave, beaming in her ears. She always did that whenever she visited the house. She had always been accommodating to all of us. “I have yours ready here too.”
“I’ll get mine later.” I glided my hand at the small of Savannah’s back. “This is my girlfriend, Savannah. Savannah, this is Mika, my mother’s stylist. She works with our personal designer and seamstress.”
“And an aspiring fashion designer,” Mika added to describe herself. She approached her and kissed both my girlfriend’s cheeks. “It’s good to meet you, Savannah. I’ll be your fairy godmother today.”
Savi’s exquisite features glowed in awe. “Thank you. I always wanted a stylist.”
“Then this is your time.” Mika touched the tip of Savannah’s nose. “You are really beautiful and have delicate skin.” She studied her figure and spun her around. “And look at these curves, hmmm! I’ll have fun dressing you.” Mika smiled again and looked at me. “No wonder my future boss is smitten. Come, come. I just have the right color for you.”
“How about you?” Savi asked me.
“Well, I can’t stay here while you girls are on it. Mika hates it when the guys watch.” I gave her a grin. I noticed that it made her gasp. “Also, I have a phone call to make. You’ll be fine. Mika’s excellent.”
She glided her palm over my chest. “Of course, I’ll be fine. Your sister-in-law is pretty sweet, and the stylist is more excited than I am. Do your thing.”
“You never ceased to amaze me.” She never ceases to amaze me with how confident and independent she is. I kissed her lips. “When you’re done, and I’m still occupied, you’re free to walk around.”
“Sure.”
Savi joined the girls, and Mika began her speech about her expertise. I then took my exit.
I went to an empty guest room with my chest beating against my ribcage. My last conversation with Paxton was still vague. His previous update didn’t give me much information about Mikhail, but another lead. I hope this time I wasn’t wasting my time taking another of his calls. It has been a busy week for me.
I pressed the phone to my ear, responding to his missed calls while standing on the balcony. It didn’t even take a ring, Paxton answered.
“Hello, boss. Thank God I’m able to connect with you. I’m sorry for the disruption.”
“I only just spoke to you the other day. I told you not to call me unless it’s necessary. If you can’t give me a good lead this time, I’m looking for your replacement.”
That sounded harsh, but I was fed up with this endless loop. I’d already replaced five investigators through the years of my search.
“I’m sorry, sir. But I didn’t expect I’d get to reach Elliot—the other investigator I was talking to you about. He asked to meet me at the carnival in Brooklyn.”
“So? Then meet him. I don’t think you need my permission over this.”
“Of course, Mr. Sebastian.” I thought I heard him sigh, but it could be just my imagination. No employee had ever sighed at me. “But the family looking for the missing boy might come with him to check.”
“Are you saying you want me to come too?”
“Exactly, boss.”
“This family might not be them, Pax. I’m a busy man. “ I gritted my teeth, gripping the phone hard.
“Yes, but this could be them, too. This could be your brother,” he insisted. “We’ve been doing this for four years, sir, but this is the only first time we have a good lead and a family who wants to see you that might actually be the ones we’re looking for.”
It was infuriating how he’s got a point. “Let’s say I come and see them. How do we know if we have the right or wrong people?”
“Elliot has documents to show us. A record from the amusement park and a foster home. They said you must be there because when you see them, you will know.”
“What, am I supposed to use ESP now? That shit doesn’t exist.” I shoved my fingers through my hair. “Fine. When is it?”
“As soon as you return. I will call them when you’re available. They can wait.”
“And if you’re wrong?”
“Then you can replace me anytime if you think I’m not the man for this job. It’s only fair since we’ve only been going around circles for four years. Four years and seven months, to be exact.”
Paxton was serious, and he wasn’t going to let this go.
“Only this one time, Pax.” If this lead was just one of the hundreds of times we’ve failed, maybe it was time to hire someone else—someone that wouldn’t bother me while I was on special occasions like this.
I wouldn’t care about Mikhail’s situation right now. Alive or deceased, or if he was at the ends of the earth, I wanted to know where my brother was. I would not rest until I found him.
“I’ll call you before I return to Manhattan. Are you sure you can trust this Elliot? Why can’t he just tell you about this family and have a background check on them?”
“It’s faster this way,” he asserted.
“Fine.” I hung up.
I had no time to waste. This wasn’t the only thing that had to steal my precious weekend with Savannah. I still couldn’t tell her about my upcoming trip to Los Angeles next week because I didn’t want to spoil our moments. Billy emailed me about the trouble in one of my subsidiaries in the city regarding its employees and old management. It’d been quite stressful how the already six-month issue wasn’t resolved. I had another two-night trip to Dubai after that. I’d already had Billy stretch my schedules, but these things were unavoidable. And right at this moment, I needed to open my computer because my executive assistant sent me emails that needed to be attended to and signed.
I decided I’d interrupt Julian because I required his assistance.
SAVANNAH
The dress I chose was made exactly for me. Because why else would it perfectly fit every inch of my curves?
I always thought green was not my color, but I was surprised by how it captivated me at first glance, and it was the only piece in the world. Mika told me I could keep it since the clothes she brought here today were made for Rafe’s family. If so, it was like I really belonged here. It was thrilling just to think about it.
After the fitting, the housemaids took our dresses to bring them to our bedrooms. It was Carter and Adam’s turn to fit their suits, so Anya and I exited the room. She invited me to join her for a snack and a little chat on the veranda. She told me Julian must be with Rafe, working, if we couldn’t find them.
“Are they always like that?” I had to ask. “It’s their mom’s birthday party tonight.”
“Oh, yes.” She pierced a small bite of papaya with a fork and popped it into her mouth. “Julian isn’t very workaholic like Rafe, but you know when they’re together, he has no choice but to oblige. He looks up to Rafe so much.”
“You don’t seem to mind.” I mirrored her and ate a piece of fruit as well. I got a slice of kiwi.
“Everyone here respects Rafe since he will be the head of the family. It’s a practice their dad taught them since they were kids. It’s a plus they get along harmoniously.”
“How are the other guys? Don’t they want to be head of this family? Does it have to be the first son? It’s not the nineteenth century.”
“Oh, no. No one else wants to inherit the legacy. Carter and Adam think it’s a huge responsibility. As for my husband, I know he can do it, but he likes to teach kids more. It’s his passion.”
I nodded. I did hear Julian was her professor.
“They’re really fun to watch together. All of them,” I remarked. I was amazed at how they were loyal to each other.
“How about you? You mentioned marriage. In the future, you’ll likely be the mistress of the household, like Rachel. But you seemed not the type,” she probed.
Truthfully, I hadn’t really thought about that. But now that she mentioned it, I got curious. “Why not?”
“You seem like a career-driven woman.” She cocked her head as she gazed at me. “The type who always enjoys accomplishing big things and seeks more challenges that can elevate your disposition. You don’t give up until you get it.”
“Sounds about right. I mean, I even dreamed of having to own an entertainment studio.” I felt my cheeks burn at my admission.
“It’s different with Rachel. She’s pretty hands-on, too, and one of the most remarkable and capable women I know. She manages this house, runs social causes and charities, is an advocate, and represents Benjamin on special occasions.”
“Whoa. You’re right. That doesn’t sound like me,” I confessed.
She gave me a warm, reassuring smile. “Well, the reassuring part with Rafe is he is different from his dad. They seem alike, but Rafe is Rafe, and Benjamin is Benjamin. He’ll support you with whatever you’d love to do.”
“Because Savannah is Savannah.”
“That’s right.”
“Thank you, Anya.”
“You’re welcome. If you need help on something, just ask me, and let’s see if I can help you in any way I can…”
I held Anya’s soft hands, and she squeezed back. I was glad there was someone like her in the house who could enlighten me a bit more about the Sebastians. I already thought she and I were going to be good friends.
“