Chapter 5 Secrets And Lies

Nova Bassey's POV

From the moment my eyes met Quin's, my world froze; my heart pounded, so frantically I was sure he could hear it. What was he doing here? Was he following me? Did he know? No, that wasn't possible. I had only just come to terms with my pregnancy.

"Nova?" Quin's deep voice carried a sense of confusion, his cobalt eyes taking over me.

I was somehow snapped back into reality and dashed out, slamming the door behind me so that my mother couldn't come over. I did not want her to start asking more questions in front of him.

"What... what are you doing here?" I whispered and kept my voice low.

His eyes lingered on me for a moment before a slight frown creased his lips. "I should be asking you that."

That worked to raise my eyebrows. "This is my parents' house."

Quin's eyes subtly darkened but were still kept perfectly calm. "I'm here for me. Bassey. I had no idea you were related to him."

My father? Why would Quin want to see him? That made no sense. My father was a retired businessperson and had cut himself off from most of his connections years ago.

"So, you want to see my father?" I repeated, still trying to grasp what was happening.

"Yes. Is he home?" he clarified.

I hesitated. Letting Quin inside would stretch my mother's instincts to the limit. She would see the tension between us and start asking questions I just was not prepared to answer.

Before I could answer, though, the door swung open.

"Nova, who is at the...." My mother's voice trailed off, her eyes falling on Quin.

There was a slight gasp followed by a full-fledged smile, and to my utter amazement, "Oh my, what an unexpected guest. You must be Mr. Quin."

"Yes, ma'am. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Quin said, always maintaining his poise.

Her eyes darted between us. I could tell she was already weighing her options. Then she stepped aside. "Come in, come in! My husband has been expecting you."

I blinked. Expecting him?

Quin spared me one last glance before entering, and I was obliged to follow. My mother had taken him into the living room, where my father was seated in his usual chair with the newspaper.

"Dad, you have a visitor," I warned.

My father turned down his newspaper, and the moment he cast his gaze on Quin, his face hardened. I was tense. What was going on?

"Mr. Bassey," Quin said formally.

My father showed no sign of answering until he had surveyed Quin closely, at which point he resumed saying, "So, you're the one who came to discuss the contract."

Contract? What contract?

Quin nodded. "Yes, sir." I understand you used to have strong ties with U&K. I believe working together again could be beneficial for both of us."

I was shocked. Dad had business with U&K? And Quin? Why couldn't I have known about this?

"Let us talk outside," Dad said and rose. "I don't talk shop in the house."

With that, he strode out, taking Quin with him to the porch. I was still glued to the floor, trying to get my thoughts together.

Then I felt my mother's piercing eyes upon me. I turned to see her with arms crossed, penetratingly curious.

"Nova," she said, dragging the syllables out, "how do you know him?"

I swallowed hard. "He's... my boss."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Your boss?"

"Yes," I lied. "I didn't know he was involved with Dad's business."

Her gaze lingered on me for a long moment before she hummed. "Is that all he is to you?"

I should have seen that coming. That woman has got a hawk's eye. She must have picked on the vibe between Quin and me.

"Of course," I replied hastily, trying very hard to sound casual.

"Hmm." She did not seem convinced, but thankfully didn't push further. "That being said, you might want to stay out of your father's business talks. He's been in a foul mood all week."

I gave a little nod-respecting my father's current mood, which was unhappy without any bearing on business.

I sat stiffly in the living room, listening as my father and Quin spoke outside. I couldn't hear them clearly, but it was quite evident that their voices were serious. I had so many questions but knew my father would never answer even if asked.

After about thirty minutes, the front door opened again, and they both stepped inside. My father looked displeased, while Quin remained as composed as ever.

"I'll think about it," my father said curtly.

Quin nodded. "Take your time, sir."

Then his eyes flickered towards me, and for a brief second, something unreadable passed through them. "Good to see you again, Nova."

I forced a polite smile. "Yeah. You too."

Without another word, he turned and left. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

Once he was gone, I turned to my father. "Dad, what was that about?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," he said firmly.

"But...."

"Nova." His tone left no room for argument.

I sighed. There was no point in pushing it. My father had always been secretive about his work, and that certainly hadn't changed.

As I lay in bed that night, my thoughts were whirling. Quin was connected to my father's past business dealings, and that meant he would probably be around sometimes.

That couldn't be allowed to happen.

I had to find a way to handle this before it overtook me.

And I needed to decide-was I really going to quit my job, or was I going to face Quin and deal with the consequences?

.......

The very next morning, I woke up with a thumping headache in my skull. Probably from all that deep thought last night or just because of suddenly having Quin back into my life. In either case, life was wearing me out badly.

I dragged myself from my bed to the kitchen, where my mother, intent on preparing breakfast, was already busy. If it were, fried eggs and fresh coffee brewed to an aroma, still, my stomach turned to merely think about it. Food has not been my friend lately.

"Good morning," I mumbled, settling myself at the dining table.

My mother shot her pointed look. "Did you sleep well?"

I shrugged. "As well as I could," I replied.

There was silence for a moment, then she placed a plate on the table before her. "You should eat something, even if it's just a little. You're looking pale."

I nodded, knowing she wouldn't take no for an answer. I picked at the toast and eggs while she sat opposite me with her tea.

"You didn't ask about the meeting yesterday," she said all of a sudden.

I hesitated. "That's because I know Dad won't tell me anything."

"You're right about that," she admitted as she sighed. But I heard a few things. "It seems your father doesn't trust Quin's company."

Which wasn't surprising. My father was ever so careful where business was concerned; he seldom trusted anyone, especially having just retired.

"Do you think he would agree to work with him?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know. But that young man, Quin... he seemed very determined."

I bit my lip. I hated that my mother had noticed Quin's determination because I had noticed it too. He wasn't the type to give up easily. And if he was truly determined, that meant he'd be coming back. I wasn't ready for that.

Just the thought of facing him, especially since I hadn't sorted out everything in my situation, twisted my insides into knots.

Next week, are you going back to work? My mother asked, pulling me from my reverie.

I swallowed. Well, I don't know yet.

"Well, you ought to," she said decidedly. "I know you have been through a great lot, but running away will not change anything."

I sighed. I wanted to tell her what was really on my mind: that I was not just running away from work but also from Quin; that I was pregnant with him, and I had no idea how to deal with that.

But I couldn't yet.

Before I could speak, the front door swung open. The sound of my father walking in was all seriousness. He put his briefcase on the counter and gave my mother a look.

"We need to talk."

A knot grew in my stomach. I felt the next taut string of apprehension in his voice.

"Come on," my mother said and stood, trailing into the living room behind him. I stayed seated, mulling over whether I should eavesdrop. My curiosity won.

I tiptoed to the kitchen doorway and listened intently.

"Did you make a decision?my mother asked.