Chapter 9 - The Proposal That Wasn't a Business DealA year later, I took Mara back to the restaurant where everything began.

Four little boys walked into a restaurant bathroom only hours before I was supposed to announce my engagement. Five minutes later, I was staring at four identical versions of myself—and realizing someone had buried a secret powerful enough to destroy the life planned for me. That afternoon, everything had been arranged. My black suit was tailored in Manhattan. My grandfather’s cuff links gleamed beneath crisp white sleeves. In my pocket sat an engagement ring chosen with the approval of my mother, my attorneys, and nearly everyone except me. By seven o’clock, I was expected to propose to Brielle Cartwright at my family’s conservatory overlooking Central Park. It wasn’t love. It was business wearing a diamond. Then I entered the men’s room. Four little boys in matching navy uniforms stood at the sinks. They couldn’t have been older than six. At first, I barely noticed them. Then one pushed his wet hair back. The others copied him. My heart stopped. Fingers sweeping from forehead to crown. A slight shake. Then the left hand touching the back of the neck. I had done that my entire life. My father used to laugh and say, “That’s how you know a Whitaker man is nervous.” One boy caught me staring through the mirror. “Mister, why are you copying us?” “I’m not.” All five of us faced the glass. The same gray-blue eyes. The same sharp chin. The same dimple in the left cheek. “I’ve always done that,” I whispered. They grinned. “So have we.” The boldest boy held out his hand. “I’m Milo. That’s Mason, Max, and Micah. We’re quadruplets.” My mouth went dry. “Where’s your mother?” “She works here,” Milo said. “But she’s arguing with the manager because we need somewhere to sleep.” I followed them into the restaurant. Then I saw her. Mara stood in a black server’s apron while a manager spoke coldly. “Employees cannot sleep in the storage room.” “My boys only need somewhere safe until morning,” she pleaded. “Not my problem.” Then Mara looked up. Time stopped. The tiny scar above her eyebrow. Those impossible green eyes. The woman I had loved more than anyone. The woman my mother claimed had abandoned me six years earlier. “Mara…” Her face filled with panic. “Boys, come with me.” Outside, February wind cut through the street. Two worn duffel bags sat beside the children. I offered Mara the key card to my empty Tribeca apartment. “No questions tonight,” I said. “Just take them somewhere warm.” She refused until Milo whispered, “Mom, I’m tired.” Finally, she accepted it. Before entering my SUV, Mara turned toward me. “You don’t get to disappear for six years and suddenly decide you’re their father.” The words hit harder than any accusation. I looked at the four boys waiting inside. “I’m not deciding anything,” I said quietly. “I’m trying to understand why they have my face.” At 4:18, I called my assistant. “Cancel tonight.” “Your engagement announcement?” “Yes.” “Your mother is already welcoming guests.” “I don’t care.” I ended the call. I didn’t yet know whether those boys were truly mine. I only knew I would not marry another woman until I discovered why Mara vanished—and who had convinced me she chose to leave.

10 chapters