Hiding the Billionaire's Twins (English)

Chapter 6

The next day, I didn't wake up until nearly noon. The club had closed late into the night owing to the massive crowd, leaving me exhausted. After making my bed and tidying up the room, I returned to the mattress and reached for my phone.

My heart sank a little when I checked the screen, not a single missed call or text from Amer. I quickly dialed his number and waited through several long rings before he finally picked up.

“Amer, why did it take you so long to answer?” I snapped, my irritation bubbling over.

Before he could reply, I heard the playful banter of two little voices in the background. “Hold on, Fay, we’re busy right now,” he chimed in. “The kids and I are bonding, and you’re ruining the moment.”

“Hey! I am the mother of those two children! If anything bad happens to my twins, you can forget about us ever being friends, Amer!” I warned sharply.

I had no idea what he was doing with them, nor why they hadn't bothered to ask for me all morning. Knowing Amer, he was probably telling them all sorts of stories, and if he so much as uttered a single word about Rihav, I was going to lose my temper.

“Oh, here you go again with the dramatics, girl,” he teased, letting out a dramatic laugh. “Calm your blood pressure, you have a heart, remember?” I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his ridiculous response.

“Is that Mommy, Tata Amera?” I heard Hera’s soft voice ask in the background.

A warm smile immediately spread across my face at the sound of her voice. It had only been a day since I left, yet I missed both her and Hacov terribly. Ever since they turned three last year, I had never spent a single night away from them. I always made it a point to sleep at home so I could tuck them in every night.

Now, here I was, sacrificing that closeness just to build a better future for them. I refused to let things reach a point where they might choose Rihav over me if their paths ever crossed. And with Rihav now sharing the very same island, that fear felt entirely too real.

“Yes, baby girl, it’s your Mommy. Do you want to talk to her?” Amer said on the other end.

“Hello, Mommy! It’s Hera! I miss you so much! Tata Amera said you won't be home for a while because you’re looking for Tata—” Hera's cheerful voice cut off abruptly as Amer jumped in.

“Hera!” he interrupted loudly, making me roll my eyes.

“Oops, sorry, Tata,” she giggled softly. “Mommy said lying is bad. It’s a sin, Tata, and you’ll go to hell!” she added with pure innocence.

Amer burst into a loud laugh over the phone. Leave it to a child to state the plain truth so earnestly. Hearing her words, a pang of guilt rushed through me, after all, I was the one lying to them about the true identity of their father.

“Mommy? Are you still there? Mommy?” I heard a cute voice again.

“Yes, Hera, Mommy’s right here. What is my little princess up to today?” I asked gently.

“Mommy, Hacov and I are turning four soon, right? We want to go to the Mall in La Fera Dos because we didn't get to explore it last time!” she chirped excitedly.

Their birthday was coming up next month. I had noticed lately how articulate Hera had become, her baby talk entirely fading away. It had been nearly five years since I last spoke to their father. A quiet, heavy thought crossed my mind: What if I just told them the truth? That they’ll never see their father... that they were born out of wedlock?

The thought alone sent a sharp ache straight to my heart. Telling them now would break their little hearts, especially since Amer kept feeding them subtle hopes of meeting their dad. They would end up hurt either way, but right now, they were simply too young to process such painful realities.

“We can celebrate back home in La Meyanda, Hera,” I suggested gently. “Remember how you told me you wanted donuts? I’ll buy plenty of donuts for you and Hacov.”

As much as I wanted to bring them to the city so they could see how bright and lively La Fera Dos was, the risk of running into Rihav was too high. Even a passing glance from him would be enough, Hacov carried his exact eye color and features.

“Mommy, Obet said there’s a really fun place with...” Hera paused, clearly struggling to remember the word. “What was it called again, Tata? The place with all the games?”

“An arcade, baby girl,” Amer supplied.

“Yes, Mommy! An arcade!” Hera repeated smoothly.

Her speech really had improved so much. Out of the twins, she had been the first to speak, and her very first word had been 'Tata', mostly because Amer had been the one holding her during those early months. And the Madreal Twins because I was having postpartum depression.

“Mommy will think about it, Hera. For now, let Mommy work so we have money to play at the arcade once I make up my mind, okay?”

“Okay, Mommy! Thank you! I miss you so much... Mommy, Hacov is snatching the phone from me! I’m not done yet, Hacov!” Sounds of a playful scuffle broke out on the line.

“Let Hacov have the phone for a moment, Hera. He probably wants to talk to Mommy.”

I heard Hera pout in protest before Hacov’s soft voice greeted me on the line.

“Hi, Hacov,” I said warmly.

“Mommy, why aren't you coming home?” he asked softly. “I’m not used to sleeping without you beside me... good thing Tata is here.”

Even Hacov was now calling him 'Tata.' Amer had clearly been brainwashing them. He used to call Amer by his name; now, why had it changed so quickly? I know that he did something to my twins.

“Mommy is working right now, Hacov,” I explained gently. “I’m saving up for that phone you wanted, remember? I’m going to buy it for your birthday.”

“Mommy, I don't want the phone anymore,” he mumbled, his voice dropping. “I just want you here. Please come back home... I won't ask for anything else, j-just please c-come home...” The longing in his cracking voice was unmistakable.

Neither of them was used to my absence, and truth be told, neither was I. But I had no other choice.

“Hacov, Mommy can't leave just yet. Maybe next week I can visit, or...” I hesitated, my grip tightening on the phone as I squeezed my eyes shut. Taking a deep breath, I made a decision. “How about this? On your birthday, you and Hera can come visit me here in the city so you can play at the arcade.”

It was the only realistic compromise I could make. I couldn't afford to abandon this job; staying present meant earning full pay without deductions. Bringing them to me briefly seemed like the safest middle ground.

“Mommy, that’s still so far away,” he murmured sadly. “I want to sleep next to you now.”

A lump formed in my throat. “Mommy wants to sleep next to you too, Hacov, but I have to work right now. I miss you so much. For now, sleep beside Amer, okay?”

I heard him let out a soft, resigned sigh. Even without seeing his face, I could feel his disappointment. “Just make sure you come back to us, Mommy...”

“I promise, Hacov. Mommy will come back, and I’ll be the one tucking you in again.”

He murmured a quiet agreement and said his goodbyes before handing the phone back to Amer. I reminded Amer once more to watch over them carefully and sternly warned him never to bring up Rihav in front of the kids. He promised he wouldn't, though I still took his word with a grain of salt.

After hanging up, a knock sounded at my door. I straightened my clothes and walked over to open it, expecting Farah.

To my complete surprise, Sean was standing in the doorway holding two paper bags from a well-known fast-food chain. A wide grin was plastered across his face as he held up the food.

“How did you get up here?” I asked, staring at him.

“I took the elevator and walked,” he replied with a dry, sarcastic grin.

He was still the same Sean from our college days, sarcastic to a fault. If he weren't such a good friend, I would have swiped at him right then and there. Luckily for him, his help from last night was fresh in my mind, so I let the cheeky remark slide.

“Hilarious.”

“Fay, I’m being serious,” he chuckled, stepping past me into the room. “You ask a question, and when I answer, you get all feisty? That’s not very nice.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, holding back a smile.

“And please, stop calling me Sean,” he added, setting the food down. “Call me Semon instead.”

“And why should I do that?” I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow.

He had never complained about his name back in college. Why the sudden change?

“Because 'Sean' sounds like a boy’s name, and I’m a grown man,” he reasoned smoothly. “'Semon' sounds mature, and let’s be real—I’m a mature man now.”

“Coming from your mouth, that’s impossible, Sean,” I said, emphasizing his name on purpose.

Hearing Sean, who often acted like an oversensitive kid, talk about being 'mature' was laughable. This was the same guy who threw a full-blown tantrum back in college just because I ate the last piece of lumpia. I literally had to cook a fresh batch for him just to get him to talk to me again.

“Stop laughing, Fay. You’re making fun of me,” he said, deepening his voice in a failed attempt to sound intimidating.

“Alright, Semon,” I said, over-pronouncing it playfully.

He gave a satisfied nod before pulling the food containers out of the bags one by one. If the twins were here, they would have been thrilled. When Zoe and Zav brought this exact fast food over last time, the two of them ate like royalty. Once I save enough money, I’ll buy this for them all the time, I promised myself.

I sat down across from him, and we began eating together. He confessed that he had skipped both breakfast and lunch just so he could share a meal with me. Sean had always been sweet and thoughtful like that, he was constantly pursued by girls back in college, though I had no idea if he was currently seeing anyone.

I decided against asking about his love life, fearing the conversation might flip back to me and force me to dwell on Rihav again.

“So, tell me about your twins, Fay,” Sean said between bites. “Do they look like Rihav? Because if they do, you’re in serious trouble if he ever catches sight of them.”

I nearly choked on my food. I couldn't believe he had the nerve to joke about something so nerve-wracking. Panicking slightly, he quickly handed me a soft drink from the order. I gulped it down until my throat cleared up.

“Sean, stop it!” I scolded, swatting his hand playfully.

“Semon,” he corrected smoothly.

“Whatever!” I rolled my eyes and went back to my food.

He flashed a triumphant smirk, earning another eye-roll from me. So much for this whole 'mature man' persona, he was clearly enjoying pushing my buttons.

“Seriously, Fay, I’m curious,” he pressed, leaning forward. “If they really carry his likeness, one look from that guy and you’re never getting away from him.”

“What?” I paused, setting my fork down.

“Nothing,” he said, waving his hand playfully. “Just tell me which features they inherited from him so we know how to keep them hidden.”

I looked Sean dead in the eyes, trying to gauge whether he was being serious or just messing around. Letting out a slow breath, I finally decided to come clean about their appearance.

“They have his exact eye color,” I admitted softly. “Hacov is a carbon copy of him, and Hera inherited almost all his facial features, too.”

I decided to tell him the truth in hopes that he might actually help me navigate this mess. Despite his relaxed demeanor, I knew Sean had resources and connections at his disposal, his serious tone beneath the banter made that clear.

Sean’s smirk faded into a knowing grin. “Then you’re definitely tied to him for life, Fayre.”

“Shut up, i***t!” I snapped, playfully landing a punch on his arm.