Mandy

Even though he is downplaying it, Trey looks as if he has been sucker punched. Settling into the back of the limo, I rack my brain for a rational explanation as to what Dad could have said to him. A million different thoughts run through my mind, but it’s not like I have a bunch of skeletons in my closet or anything. What the hell?

“One out of every three people here is a millionaire,” Trey says, obviously making small talk. “It’s the only place that has more per capita than Zurich and Geneva.”

“That would explain all the yachts,” I reply, gazing out the window of the car. My mind is still racing because the incredible chemistry that has existed between us suddenly feels very awkward. It’s almost as if we have suddenly become strangers. I squeeze the phone in my hand, determined to give Dad a piece of my mind the first chance I get.

“I loved this place when I was little,” he says in a tone that sounds sadly reminiscent. “For me it was way better than Disney World, even as a kid.”

“Huge yachts, shiny sports cars and fast motorcycles everywhere you turn, what’s not to like? Not to mention all the gorgeous hotels lining the sugar sand beaches. This place definitely looks like a playground for rich guys.” Part of me cringes at the thought of overly tan, jewelry clad middle-aged men strutting around in their Speedos.

“And a gold digger’s paradise.” He says with a pain-filled smirk.

“What did Dad say to you?” I instantly feel my blood pressure skyrocket. “Do you really think I’m a gold digger?”

“No!” He laughs, closing his eyes and tilting his head back against the seat. “Do you really think your father would tell me that his daughter is a gold digger?”

“Well, if he did it’s not true. After my family lost everything, I decided to never let money or the lack of it control my happiness. You can’t buy love or happiness.” I suddenly realize what Dad must have told him. “I already told you why I went to law school. How Victor and Gloria Allred inspired me to join the other side and fight back.”

“Yes. I knew that. However, I didn’t realize just how passionate you were about it.” Trey turns toward the window avoiding eye contact.

“Really? I spent three years in law school and went to work for the SEC! Those aren’t small, insignificant steps.” Is he fucking kidding me right now? “Your father completely destroyed us. You don’t think I would be pretty passionate about that?”

“I know.” He reaches over and takes my hand, drawing it to his lips and giving it a kiss. “Don’t worry, I still love you. I just need a little time to process everything.”

What? Did he just say he loves me? Judging by his facial expression, I don’t think he even realizes what he just said. Now my mind is really whirling. Obviously whatever Dad said to him was very hurtful, but he still loves me? I suddenly find myself angry, elated and confused all at the same time. What the hell? I look at my phone and realize that it’s not even nine am. This is going to be a long, rollercoaster day.

As we pull up to the hotel my mind is still going a thousand miles per hour. The word Hermitage is proudly stamped across the top of the statuesque ivory colored building that simply oozes with class. The doorman greets us and welcomes us into a world of utter perfection. Stunning white light with shades of blue reflects off of the polished white marble floors. Enormous white pillars and elaborate archways hint at the luxury that waits beyond the lobby.

While Trey checks in, I wander over to a set of glass doors, attracted by a stream of shimmering pink light. Peering inside, I see the most vibrant red and white carpet that one could imagine offset by huge crystal chandeliers and a ceiling that is reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel.

“This is where my parents held their twentieth anniversary party,” Trey tells me as he comes up next to me and turns the handle opening the door.

“I have never seen anything like this,” I assert in utter amazement. “There have to be a dozen paintings up there!”

“Thirteen,” Trey clarifies. “The one large one in the center and there are a dozen smaller ones surrounding it. It’s one of the most elaborate ballrooms in the world, which is why my father always favored it.”

“I have never seen anything so elaborate and detailed,” I reply, unable to pry my eyes from the incredible ceiling.

“Just wait til you see the cupola that was designed by Gustave Eiffel,” Trey remarks. “He’s the one who designed the Eiffel Tower.”

“Yeah, I assumed that.” I tilt my head and roll my eyes at him.

By the time we reach the room, my mind has been nearly saturated by extravagance and grandeur. As he opens the door to our suite, I am surprised to be greeted by an elegantly modern room. Gorgeous hardwood floors, modern contemporary art and beautiful furnishings seem like a perfect escape from over indulgence.

Trey takes my hand and leads me directly out to the terrace. “Here is the best part,” he says with a smile as we walk up two steps into absolute paradise.

“Wow! This is incredible!” I feel my jaw drop as I look down upon the yachts in the harbor that leads to the beautiful blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. “This is like something out of a dream.”

“It is.” He gives me a tentative smile. “All you need now is one of your new swim suits. They are in the closet in the master bedroom.”

“My clothes are here already?” A small bit of giddiness flutters within me.

“They are.” Trey takes my hands and looks into my eyes. For a moment I’m expecting a romantic gesture, but the look is deceiving. “Go change, then we will order some breakfast and enjoy the beautiful morning.”

Trey

For a brief moment I had managed to push the conversation with Ray out of my mind. As soon as Mandy walks away, however, it immediately consumes my thoughts again. The one person who might be able to help me is Jürgen, so I send him a quick text explaining my dilemma. I let out a deep sigh upon seeing Mandy grab a few things from her makeup bag and disappear into the bathroom. Tired of waiting for a reply, I walk out onto the terrace and give Jürgen a call.

“Thanks for picking up,” I tell him as he answers my call.

“Well, I had to after seeing your text message. You have to feel like you’re living in the twilight zone,” he replies quite accurately.

“No shit!” I take a deep breath, trying to relax and figure out a plan. “Can I just send you a hair sample? How long does it take?”

“A hair sample has to include the follicle. It’s easiest to take a Q-Tip and swab the inside of your cheek, put it in a zip lock bag and overnight it. I can have preliminary results within a matter of hours,” he explains as if it’s no big deal.

“Her dad doesn’t want me to tell her, so I have to try get a sample without her knowing,” I inform him.

“No. Trust me Trey, you need to talk to her. I don’t care what her dad said,” he states adamantly. “If she finds out that you withheld something like this from her, it will be the end of your relationship.”

“That was my gut reaction too. But her mom is really sick and Ray thinks it will kill her if she finds out.” I glance back to find Mandy standing at the doorway in her new bikini.

“If she finds out what?” Her eyes instantly flare as she walks straight up to me.

“I’m going to have to call you back, Jürgen,” I hang up, knowing I no longer have a choice in the matter.

I take Mandy by the hand and try to speak as calmly as possible. “Your father insisted that I wasn’t supposed to share what he told me, but I can’t keep it from you.”

“Why? What did he tell you?” She asks with a look of terror haunting her face.

“He doesn’t want your mother to know, so you have to promise not to say anything to her. Okay?” I try to clarify prior to telling her.

“I’m not going to promise anything, but if I see the need to protect Mom, you can trust that I will.” Her eyes darken as her emotions swing from fear toward anger.

“I haven’t had a chance to process any of this myself, but apparently there is a 50/50 chance that you and I share the same father,” I say, simply throwing it out there.

“What do you mean?” She gasps, looking completely bewildered.

“Apparently, Ray and Silvia had a long term affair. Both he and Mom seem to think that he may be my father, as well as yours,” I tell her, still unable to fully comprehend it myself.

Mandy flinches, covers her stomach and turns toward the railing. She says nothing, but the groan that emanates from her is simply eerie. I know exactly how she feels since I went through the same emotions less than an hour ago. I stand in silence rubbing her back, patiently waiting for her to say something. For now, she appears to be focused on overcoming her gag reflex. It’s definitely a lot to take in.

Mandy

I don’t even know how to react right now. After spending the last five years completely focused on getting back at the man who ruined our lives, it suddenly seems that my own father may have caused it. How could he do that to Mom? She remained steadfastly by his side through the whole ordeal. My first urge is to call him and give him a piece of my mind. I pull out my phone and click to my favorites.

“No. Let’s talk first,” Trey says, placing his hand on mine. “It’s two in the morning there anyway, so take some time before you do anything rash.”

“What do we do?” I ask, feeling absolutely wounded and bewildered.

“The first thing we need to do is find out whether or not you actually are my half-sister.” He puts his arm around me and lets out a small chuckle.

“I’m not in the mood for any humor,” I snap, shooting him a stern look.

“I know, but I seriously do want to find out as soon as possible.” He pulls me tighter to him. “I really don’t think we are related, but it would make me feel a lot better if we knew for sure.”

“Yeah! You and me both. I am absolutely in shock right now. If you are my half-brother, I think I’m going to kill myself!”

“Don’t say that.” He continues to hold me close. “Regardless of how everything turns out, we will have to make the best of it.”

I lift my head and say, “If we turn out to be related, neither you or I are breathing a word of it to anyone!” with the utmost conviction in my eyes.

“Trust me, I won’t. If anyone found out that Dad wasn’t actually our father, it would most likely jeopardize our entire inheritance.” A look of worry washes over Trey’s face as the words pass over his lips. “His fiancé would jump all over that.”

“You were obviously talking to someone about it,” she says, looking over at my phone. “What do we have to do?”

“We need to get some Q-Tips and swab the inside of our cheeks. Then we just stick them in a zip lock bag and I’ll FedEx them to Jürgen this afternoon. Once he receives them, he will know within a matter of hours whether or not we are related.”

“Okay, you find some Q-Tips and I’m going to put some clothes on,” I tell him. For the moment, I’m no longer comfortable wearing this string bikini.

Trey

Within the hour, both of our swabs have been picked up by a messenger and are on their way to the nearest FedEx drop box. Jürgen sent me a couple links to home test options that we could use, but I would rather have them run in a professional lab. I want to call Mom right now and get some details on their affair, but since it’s only four am in New York I’ll wait a few hours.

“Can I get you anything Bro?” Mandy smirks, joining me out on the terrace.

“I could use a tall glass of something eighty proof, but I could maybe settle for a good breakfast and a strong cup of coffee. There are menus on the desk… Sis.”

We both make light of it for the moment, but there is going to be some serious emotional scarring if we turn out to be siblings. Mandy returns with a menu for each of us and plops down in the chair next to me. “I’m not even sure I can eat,” she concedes with a pained expression.

“I know. I’m just hoping that something will settle my stomach. I feel like shit! My stomach has been gurgling ever since I got off the phone with your dad.”

“Do you think Victor found out about the affair?” she asks after staring at the menu for several long minutes.

“I know he did.” I think back to when he missed our eighth birthday party. “That explains why everything changed so suddenly. Both Tyler and I thought we had done something wrong. As I got older, I accepted the fact that he had simply turned into a greedy asshole. It makes me sick just thinking about it.”

“I know. I spent years hating Victor, thinking that he had set out to destroy my family for no good reason,” she reflects. “I can’t believe Dad, himself, was the reason behind it.” The stunned look on Mandy’s face is a mirror image of mine.

“I would give anything right now to have a conversation with Dad.” I close my eyes and try to get a grip on my feelings, but tears escape from the corners of my eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Trey.” I can hear that Mandy is succumbing to her emotions as well. “I was wondering why Dad practically begged me not to confront him.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I actually went to his office the week I was in New York. I wanted to hear firsthand why he betrayed our family. After sitting in the reception area for nearly an hour I called home to kill some time,” she explains. “When Dad answered, I told him where I was and he came completely unglued. I’m sure he knew that Victor would level with me about what had really happened.”

“That was just a few days before he was killed?” I ask, just trying to put together the timeframe.

“Yeah, it was that Tuesday,” she replies. “Since Dad didn’t want me to talk to him, I left his office and sought out a mercenary instead.” She seethes with sarcasm. “I had a hundred grand in cash that was burning a hole in my pocket.”

“I wasn’t implying that you did it, for Christ sake. Relax, Sis.” I laugh and shake my head. The admission, however, did bring her father into the mix. Having someone killed to keep an age-old affair under wraps seems like a bit of a stretch though.

Mandy gives me a look and turns her attention back to the menu. We both need a good meal and some time to decompress. I pull up the Hermitage web site on my phone and scroll through the spa services. “Would you like a massage and facial after breakfast?”

“Definitely!” She asserts without a hint of hesitation.

“Would you like a manicure or pedicure as well?” I ask, scrolling through the list.

“Why not.” She shrugs. “I need something to take my mind off of everything.”

“Exactly. I think I’ll just get one long massage while you do the whole package.” Hopefully it will relieve some of this tension.

Mandy

This hotel is amazing, our room is gorgeous and breakfast was absolutely delicious. I should be relaxing and enjoying this wonderful massage, but instead my mind keeps processing everything Trey told me. I know he wants me to suppress my feelings simply because Dad didn’t want me to know about it, but I can’t do that. I need him to explain why he did that to Mom and our family.

I begin thinking about my grandfather and how he lost his best friend, someone he had been close friends with for fifty years. I can’t believe Dad didn’t own up to his mistake and take the blame for it. My heart begins to ache as I feel the respect I once had for my father fading into oblivion. It suddenly dawns on me why Dad never complained much about what had happened. I was always under the impression that he was being the bigger man. What a fucking disgrace. I guess I better wait a while before I talk to him.

“You are really tight,” the masseur says with a strong French accent as he works the muscles between my shoulder blades.

“I’m sure. We had a long flight and it’s been a stressful morning,” I explain before falling silent once again. Since I’m trying to relax, I decide to avoid striking up a conversation with a complete stranger.

Even though my mouth has fallen silent, the thoughts continue to churn relentlessly through my mind. Dad is right about one thing though; this would kill Mom. My older sister, Darla, on the other hand would kick his ass. Maybe I should tell her about his indiscretions. I can feel my cheeks pushing against the face cradle as a smile crosses my face. She would rip him a new one.