Page 41 of The Billionaire's Distraction

“I’m here, my little loves!”Melissa assured them, hugging them close.“I’m here,” this time in a desperate whisper as she closed her eyes, savoring the long-awaited hug.

Then she stood, gathering her fallen purse.“Come on, sweethearts,” she said softly, stroking their hair.“We’re going to the playground.”Her voice broke a little, but she masked it with a smile for her children.

“Melissa!”Tom barked, spinning around.“Get the hell out of my house!You don’t have the right—”

His tirade cut off as Tony pressed a hand to his chest, shoving him backward into the foyer.Melissa herded her boys out of the house, asking her sons about their day, about their studies, and anything else to distract them from what was happening in the foyer.

“You can’t…!”Tom tried again, knowing that the two boys were his only protection against what the three angry men were about to do to him.He didn’t know the details.He just knew it was going to be painful.

They walked in, uninvited.Tom tried to slam the door on them, but Tony put a hand against the door and pushed it back open, glaring Tom down.

The two other men followed, closing the door with a quiet click that sounded more ominous than any slam.

Tony pulled his phone from his pocket, speaking without taking his eyes off Tom.“Is everyone else out?”

Lizzy’s voice came sharp through the speaker.“The house is empty other than the four of you, boss.”

“Shut off the video feed,” Tony ordered.

“Done.”

Tom’s face paled.“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”he sputtered, trying to pull his voice together to sound more confident, but it cracked, going high-pitched in the middle of his demand.He jabbed a finger at Melissa’s retreating figure.“She can’t be here!And you—you’re trespassing!You get the hell out of my house right now or I’ll—”

Tony rolled his shoulders, the muscles of his arms bulging as he stepped closer.The move was subtle, deliberate, and it made Tom squeal like a trapped animal.He stumbled back, his spine pressing against the wall.

“I’ll call the police!”Tom shrieked, scrambling for his phone.“I’ll—I’ll have you all arrested!”

One of Tony’s men snorted, amused, but Tony didn’t crack a smile.His eyes stayed locked on Tom, unreadable, dark with something far more terrifying than rage.

Tom swallowed hard, his bravado withering under that stare.His voice dropped to a whimper, a pathetic sound, even to his own ears.

Tony flexed his fists once, the leather of his gloves creaking.

And Tom Peterson, empire-builder, self-proclaimed family man, crumpled down onto his own carpet, whimpering like a child.

Chapter 24

Theplaygroundwasempty,the swings swaying lazily in the early evening breeze.The last traces of sun glowed through the leaves, painting everything gold.Melissa inhaled deeply, savoring the quiet, the feeling of her boys’ small hands tugging her forward.

For the first time in months, she wasn’t watching them from across a street or from the shadows of a bench.They were here.With her.

Mark scrambled up the play structure first, calling down to her excitedly.“Mom!I can climb all the way up now!”

Jacob followed, slipping a little before catching himself, his little-boy giggle carrying across the playground.“Naomi showed us how to use our legs more,” he said proudly.“She says we’re strong.”

Melissa’s heart squeezed.“Youarestrong,” she agreed, lifting her chin to hide the sting of happy tears in her eyes.

For the next half hour, she listened—truly listened—as her boys talked over one another, sharing all the things they’d been learning.Jacob described in great detail how he could read small words now, and Mark demonstrated with dramatic gestures how he had been practicing his “letters” by drawing lions and turning them into words.

But it was the mention of Naomi that kept slipping in, steady and consistent.

“She’s nice,” Jacob admitted as he pumped his legs on the swing.“But if we could choose, we’d want you, Mommy.”

“Yeah,” Mark chimed in, hopping down from the monkey bars.“Naomi’s fun.But you’re our real mom.”

Melissa swallowed hard, her throat tight.She knelt down, pulling both boys into her arms, hugging them until their laughter muffled against her shoulder.“If I could, I’d be with you every single day,” she whispered.“Don’t ever doubt that.”

They believed her.She saw it in their beaming smiles, in the way they clung tighter before darting back to play.