Adrenaline still coursed through Max, making him feel on edge. He pulled Vivienne close to him, her small form fitting perfectly against his side.

The image of the three of them reflected on the glass stole his breath. He couldn’t help but see a family. Something he had thought he wouldn’t need or want for several years.

Wilson’s steps startled Max back to the moment.

“Your parents are coming,” Wilson said, stepping in front of him.

“Why did you call them?” Max bristled.

“I didn’t. They watched the news and called you. When you didn’t answer, they hired a taxi and called me on the way here.” Wilson’s eyes lowered to Amber Rose before looking back at Max. “And you know there’s no power great enough to stop your mother when she sets her mind to something.”

The elevator in the foyer dinged.

“And here they are,” Wilson said, looking over Max’s shoulder.

Accompanied by Hugo, his parents burst into the living room.

“Max, we came as soon as—” His mother stared at Amber Rose, her mouth hanging open.

Coming to a screeching halt by his wife, his father looked first at Max, then at the baby, and finally at Vivienne.

“Oh, Max,” his mother cried, hurrying to him, her hands stretched in front of her. “Let me hold her.”

“Of course.” Max leaned forward, releasing Amber Rose to his mother.

“She’s just perfect.” His mother’s tears touched Max deeply.

His father hugged his mother’s shoulder as she cradled the baby, mirroring for a moment the image Max had seen on the window a few moments earlier.

“Max,” his father started, but couldn’t finish his sentence. He hastily wiped the moisture pooling at the corner of his eyes. “Hi,” he said to Vivienne. “Augustus Prize.” He offered his hand to shake.

Vivienne took his hand for a vigorous greeting. “Vivienne Bosch.”

“Corinne.” His mother, too, offered her free hand to Vivienne. “It’s so nice to meet you, Vivienne,” she said, giving Max a much too-pleased look.

His mother often nagged Max to settle down and find a nice girl. His usual answer to her was that there were too many fish in the sea to settle down for one single variety. Still, since meeting Vivienne, he hadn’t thought about any other woman, and now, there was nobody he wanted by his side but her.

Life was full of surprises.

“We might want to sit,” Max said, sliding his arm from Vivienne’s back to her arm before releasing her. He felt the loss of her warm skin but kept his hand to his side. A lot was going through his mind, and his emotions were all over the place, making him vulnerable.

Vivienne moved to the couch, and he sat close to her, motioning for Wilson to join them, too.

“I’ll wait outside and let you guys talk in private,” Wilson said.

“Stay,” Max said. “You are part of the family.” He then proceeded to tell his parents what he knew. Wilson interjected once in a while to add a few details, but otherwise remained silent as his parents alternately held Amber Rose, who slept throughout the entire conversation.

“Louise is behind all of this, isn’t she?” his mother asked after Max finished his tale.

“Most likely.” Passing his hand through his hair, Max sighed. As much as he would’ve liked to think that his ex-friend wasn’t involved in his present predicament, he knew better. “She wants to see me ruined.”

“But what’s her connection with the baby’s mother? How could she get hold of the information so fast?” his father asked.

“I know that Louise approached a few of Max’s dates in the past. She might have known Lauren…” Wilson let the rest of the sentence trail as he slightly tilted his chin, silently asking permission to continue.

“Go ahead.” Max didn’t keep secrets from his parents and trusted Vivienne wouldn’t run to the press.

Wilson continued, “Maybe Lauren didn’t act alone when she snuck into your yacht with the intention of drugging you.”

Max had already thought about it and didn’t like the conclusion he had reached, but there wasn’t any other explanation for Amber Rose’s existence. “Lauren somehow managed to drug me after all.”

His parents’ reaction was immediate.

“How?”

“What happened?”

“Were you okay?”

“Why didn’t you tell us!”

“What kind of drug was it?”

They asked at the same time, their voices growing more frantic with each question.

“I can’t be sure about the drug she used on me, because I wasn’t aware she used any until I discovered that she was Amber Rose’s mother and connected the dots with that night on the yacht. But it can’t be otherwise because I always use precaution—” He gave Vivienne an apologetic shrug. His parents wouldn’t get upset about the topic, but maybe Vivienne would. He didn’t know her, although he wanted her to be privy to his life. It was a foreign concept, and yet a pleasant one.

Vivienne blushed a little. “We are all adults,” she said, waving her hand for him to continue.

“The pill I caught her sneaking into my drink was the classic date rape mix, but in a dosage that would have affected me. I don’t remember feeling confused before or after I sent Lauren away, but she must have used something that altered my perceptions.” As much as he racked his brain for an answer, Max couldn’t find any.

“She could have punctured your condoms,” Vivienne said in the lowest of whispers, her eyes glued to the point of her boots.

“Of course.” Max wondered how he hadn’t thought of that himself. The simplest answer was always the most plausible one.

Lauren could’ve done the deed when she went to refresh herself in the master bathroom that was attached to the bedroom.

“Of course,” he repeated, shaking his head.