So you are rich?

„WHAT?! Are you kidding me now?"

„No. Think about it, there is no heir and Mr. Lors can only take one branch… but officially I am Thomas's wife, if I tell them that you are my daughter, they will surely agree to the adoption and then the Skyfield property will come to you!"

„You're sick!"

"We'll say we didn't reveal our relationship, because you wanted to prove your abilities."

„Get lost."

„Sophie…"

„Get out! „

I pushed her out the door. I didn't want to believe someone could be so disgutingly hungry for money. Yet, how did the idea come to her , that for a wild stranger to claim for herself what this family had worked for 70 years? I thought she won't been able to surprise me anymore, but I was wrong…

„Sophie, listen to me! „

She pounded on my door for a few more minutes, but then gave up. At least I hope… though I'm afraid she just came up with something bolder.

„ I'm done."

I fell back into my chair. She's going to shout that I'm her daughter… and there's nothing I can stop her from… she smelled the money and got bloodshed.

'Maybe Dereck could influence her, but he's just a director… or he could warn Thomas, somehow without mentioning my name…'

"I don't even understand that, how she can believe that a stranger will be entrusted with the work of their lives… she will be fired immediately from my family, I will be fired from my work… my career will be mowed and I will never wash the gold digger title off myself…"

I put my head on the table.

Eventually, I took strength on my own and headed home. I called a taxi, I felt like I couldn't drive home… I was dizzy, I felt weak… maybe too much work, maybe too much stress, or just that this woman was back in my life… completely sucked my life down.

It couldn't even make me feel better that when I got home I found Dereck half-naked in an apron , while he was making an expensive romantic dinner, but I just went into the room dressed and lay on the bed.

Actually, he was the best thing in my life. Compared to how I thought at first that this relationship is a bad idea, I fell in love so much. I could always count on him and trust him… at least so far.

„Is there something wrong?"

He brought a glass of water.

"I don't feel well, I'll tell you tomorrow."

I fell asleep with that.

I woke up at 5 in the morning… I didn't want to wake up Dereck, so I just quietly looked at his beautiful lashes and the wandering locks. So on second thought, I don't know anything about him… I don't even know his family. Maybe he doesn't have one? After all, he has been living here for more than half a year and no one has ever visited him, he is only called by phone from the company… As I brainstormed about it, the sin came up.

„Good morning!"

He greeted me a little dazedly.

„Good morning!"

I smiled back at him.

„ Have you been up for a long time?"

„ Just a couple of hours."

„Just?"

He laughed.

„ Listen… do you have a family?"

I was pretty much straightforward, might sgould have been asking it kinder…

"I mean,…,"

I tried to refine.

„Yep. You."

He touched my face with a smile.

„Are you an orphan?"

Why the fuck can't I ask more kindly, but I'm pretty curious!

„ Well, pretty much. I was 18 when my parents died in a car accident… but my brother and sister are alive, and even my grandparents."

„Are you ashamed of me?"

„ How come you think that ?!"

"Then why didn't you introduce me to them?"

"My siblings are 12 and 15 years older than me, my sister lives with my grandparents and runs the family business in America, I lived with them while I worked abroad… I usually keep in touch with them by phone on weekday mornings. My relationship with my brother has gone sour…he blames me for the deaths of my parents, we haven't talked for 9 years, he also works in the family legacy, he's here in England."

„What company?"

„My family has been successing in alcohol business for 100 years. Whiskey, brandy, gin. My great-grandfather started… The business came to him pretty soon, so…"

„ So you're rich?"

I sat up in surprise.

"Well, if my grandparents pass away, I may inherit something… but I have two siblings too, so…"

„What is something?"

„ I don't really follow the company's revenue .. but if I could guess… 1 maybe two…"

„Million?"

„Billion…dollars."