Chapter 2
“Oh my God! You actually said okay?”
“Yeah, being a judge really isn’t for me. But the resignation process takes ten days. Once everything’s sorted out, I’ll be there.”
Her classmate Thane Callowell had moved to California right after graduation to start his own firm, and had invited Sierra multiple times. Back then, she’d shelved the idea because of her marriage to Magnus.
“Have you… talked this over with your husband?”
A bitter smile crossed her lips. “I don’t have a husband anymore…”
She wasn’t just husbandless now-she was technically still single. How pathetic.
Silence hung in the air. Thane was sharp enough to catch the subtext about the failing marriage and chose not to dig further.
“Thane, I’ll come to California, but I have two conditions. If you can agree to them, I’ll sign a lifetime contract with Callowell &
Associates.”
“First, help me wipe all my identity records from Boston-mine and my mother’s. Second, I want to bring my mother and son with me when I go to California.”
Thane’s voice brightened. “Done! That’s nothing for me to handle. Sierra, I can’t wait to have you on board!”
After hanging up, Sierra leaned against the cold wall, tears streaming down her face.
Less than a minute later, her phone rang again. Magnus.
Same voice she’d heard in court, but with a completely different tone-distant and cold. “Are you in New York yet?”
“Yeah, I’m here…”
She’d told Magnus about her “surprise” job after finishing her paperwork at the courthouse.
“I booked you and Eli flights back to Boston for the day after tomorrow. Let him play around for a couple days. I’m leaving on a month-long business trip tomorrow, so I won’t have time for you guys.”
Sierra laughed bitterly. He was already kicking her out, probably rushing off for that island vacation with his sweetheart.
“Magnus, can we meet face-to-face?”
He made an impatient sound. “I’m swamped, Sierra. Could you please not be so needy?”
Before she could say another word, he hung up.
Staring at the dark screen, the last flicker of hope in her heart died out.
Magnus didn’t love her, and he didn’t love Eli either. Fine. She’d take Eli and disappear from his world entirely.
Sierra dragged herself back to the hotel, and the moment she opened the door, a soft little bundle crashed into her arms.
“Mommy! Eli missed you so much!”
Her lashes trembled as she fought back tears, pressing kisses to Eli’s cheek.
“Eli, would you like to live in California with Mommy? It would just be Mommy and Grandma there… no Daddy.”
15:25
Eli’s face lit up as he nodded innocently. Mommy and Grandma were his whole world.
“You’d be okay never seeing Daddy again?”
Eli puckered his lips and planted a wet kiss on her cheek. “Wherever Mommy goes, Eli goes too.”
She hugged him tight, finding a moment of peace at last.
Sierra didn’t tell her mother about the plan-Marion had high blood pressure, and Sierra wanted to break the news gently after they’d
moved.
The next day, she submitted her resignation to the court’s administration.
Her assistant and colleague were shocked when they found out.
“Judge Whitlow, did you win the lottery or something? Being a judge is so hard to land, and you’re just giving it up?”
Sierra smiled. “I’ve been thinking-I want to go back to practicing law.”
“Makes sense. Lawyers in New York make bank these days. So you’ll be Attorney Whitlow now-don’t forget us little people!”
Sierra didn’t mention she’d be practicing law in California and would never see them again.
New York was a city that had broken her heart. She’d never come back.
Before her shift ended, Sierra got a call from an unknown number.
The moment she picked up, Eli’s crying filled her ear.
“Is this Eli’s mom? He got food poisoning at our daycare and has a low fever… Do you want to take him to the hospital?”
How was Eli at daycare? A fever?
Sierra’s heart lurched. She didn’t even request time off-just raced to the daycare.
She tried calling her mother repeatedly on the way, but no one answered.
She had no choice but to take a weak Eli straight to the hospital.
Thankfully, it wasn’t serious. The doctor prescribed some medication, and Eli perked up after taking it.
She couldn’t help asking, “Did Grandma drop you off at daycare? Where did she go?”
Eli looked down, nervously fidgeting with his hands before finally speaking.
“Grandma went to make money. She said Mommy works too hard, so I should be good at daycare, and she’d buy me ice cream…”
Sierra felt dizzy, her vision going black.
Her mother must think she and Magnus were fighting over money and was trying to help out however she could.
Half an hour later, her mother finally called back, but her voice was hushed and nervous.
“Sierra, honey, I’m working as a nanny at an employer’s house right now. Did something happen to Eli?”
Sierra’s throat tightened. She couldn’t bring herself to scold her mother.
“Eli’s fine,” she said hoarsely. “Is the work hard? Where are you? I’ll pick you up after work.”
Her mother sounded relieved, her tone brightening. “Don’t worry! I had Magnus recommend this family through a friend. I mean, I told him it was for a friend-I didn’t say I was taking the job… I just want to help you two out…”
Magnus recommended it?
The same man who casually bought ten-million-dollar diamonds for Odessa was playing poor in front of them.
She wondered how long he planned to keep up this broke son-in-law act.
Sierra didn’t think much of it as she took Eli and followed the address her mother had sent.
It was one of New York’s famous hillside estates.
Elegant surroundings, backing up to the Hudson River with stunning city views-and a price tag that would make anyone’s jaw drop.
Sierra found the address and rang the doorbell.
Eli was in his curious phase, pointing at the plaque on the gate and sounding out the words.
“Love… Dessa… Estate…”
The sensitive words made Sierra’s heart skip.
The black and gold plaque really did read “Love Dessa Estate.”
Click. The door opened, and Sierra felt like a giant hand was crushing her throat, cutting off her breath.
Odessa Verrier had answered the door.
15:25
