Chapter 19 

-The Red Carpet Walk 

James Monroe quietly opens the front door to the multi-million dollar beachfront property he shares with his second wife Amelia. It hasn’t been an easy marriage.  He is aware of his wife’s many faults but he always forgave them because she made such a major sacrifice in leaving her child behind with her ex-husband for him.  It’s always bothered him that mother and child were separated because of him but over the last few years he began to rethink that theory. 

His wife claimed her then husband would have dragged their child through a nasty divorce if she asked for custody and because their relationship started out as an affair she didn’t want him or his businesses to suffer.  With all the money they have she never tried to fight for custody of her daughter and she never talks about her.  

He has stayed with her all these years he realizes because of his children.  He doesn’t want to drag them through another messy divorce.  His relationship with them was already tenuous.  Amelia seemed to be able to do something he couldn’t in bringing them together.   Through the years he has turned a blind eye to her cheating with other men after all she did cheat with him.  He has also had to make many payoffs to cover up other numerous scrapes she’s gotten herself into.  

James is tired of it all.  He walks to the locked desk in his study opening it to slide the large envelope he was given by Rita Hurst into the drawer locking it up.  It’s a recent investigation into the life of Kara Marina Santino.   

Nana Hurst does not trust women around her grandsons.  After what happened to Lester, the women in relationships with her boys are investigated.   The envelope James locks away in his desk is the investigation results for Kara.  It also contains information about the ownership of Santino’s restaurant. It shows two names on the deed to her family home and it contains her parent’s divorce papers including the depositions taken during the divorce which have opened his eyes.  

James Monroe walks over to his liquor cabinet then changes his mind.  He doesn’t need a stiff drink.  He needs to have all his wits about him at the charity gala tonight.  He’s sure he is going to hear more lies but he also doesn’t know how Amelia is going to take it when she finds out that the child she abandoned thirteen years ago is going to be at the charity event. 

Although they flew up on separate planes, James and Amelia were able to find out that Braylin wasn’t on the Hurst plane.  They were told he would not be attending the gala this weekend.  Seeing him at Nana Rita’s home was a surprise, seeing what a beautiful woman Kara Santino grew into was a shocker.  She is far more beautiful on the inside and out than her mother could ever be. 

James climbs the stairs filled with contemplation.  Entering the bedroom he shares with Amelia he doesn’t see her until he walks to her closet.  She just had her hair done she's picking out a pair of shoes to go with the dress she will be wearing tonight to the charity gala.  He takes one look at her face and decides he’s going to keep his mouth shut.  He knows this woman and her ways.  He wants Kara to enjoy as much of the event as she possibly can before his wife starts to interfere in her life.  

Kara sits through the entire luncheon on edge watching Lauren Mathews follow Braylin every time he gets up to speak with someone or go somewhere.  While Nana Rita is thanking everyone for coming to the luncheon Braylin and Lauren aren’t anywhere to be seen.  Kara is already thinking wherever they are Lauren is taking advantage of the chance to have him to herself. The look his cousin’s keep sending her way make her feel like they know something she doesn’t. 

She has already embarrassed herself once over Elise.  Not this time she is going to be smarter in how she handles things.  They haven’t come back yet after Nana Hurst is through speaking. 

Lester is by her side when she stands up to leave.  “Hey, I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier.  I had no right to speak to you the way I did  I’m sorry.”  She can see that his grey eyes are still full of sadness and memories. 

“If you want to talk about it or just talk, we can.”  Kara tells him.  Lester looks around him noticing they are getting attention. 

“Come on.  I don’t think you’ve seen the gardens yet.”  He says walking her in the opposite direction of some of the guests.  Their leaving the area is not missed by Lauren who is walking back onto the veranda to find her father.  She notices Braylin is through having a conversation with one of their guest, he is on his way back to the veranda.  Hurrying to catch up with him Lauren links her arm through his smiling up at him.   

“Braylin, please wait.”  He stops walking she latches onto his arm.  “You and I we need to talk.  It’s been a long time.  Besides, your girlfriend is with Lester, it doesn’t appear that you’re being missed.  I thought you Hurst men never shared women or maybe that only applies to me.”  She laughs up at him. “Lester really seems interested in Kara.”  Lauren squeezes his forearm looking purposely in the direction that Lester and Kara are having a conversation.   

“Is this some kind of setup Braylin to make me keep my distance from you?  I’m sorry, I just don’t believe she is interested in you, I mean look at her.  Look at the way she’s smiling with him. They look very comfortable together.”  She takes a peek up at Braylin but his face doesn’t give away the emotion she expects to see. 

Braylin’s eyes follows her gaze.  He’s aware she’s trying to get into his head, he allowed it once before.  He can’t help but watch the body language between Kara and Lester.  He noticed it prior to this that they seem comfortable with each other.  Lester’s admission that he likes her and her hand touching his arm does make Braylin uncomfortable but he is determined to keep how he feels to himself.  Women have always gravitated to Lester more than to him or his brothers.  He never seemed to be concerned about it before but with Kara it’ different.   

Braylin is ready to excuse himself from Lauren’s hold when he notices Kara is making her way purposely toward them.  He can see that they are being watched especially by his Nanna. 

“Excuse me Lauren.”  He untangles his arm from hers as Kara walks up to them he reaches his hand out to take a hold of hers pulling her close to him.  Sliding his arm around her waist he feels her stiff resistance but ignores it. 

“Lauren Mathews, this is my girlfriend Kara Santino.”  He introduces them.  Neither woman holds out her hand to shake the others.  Instead they appear to be sizing each other up. 

“Wonderful, Lauren comments sarcastically.  I guess I’ll be seeing both of you tonight at the charity gala.  Braylin and I attended so many of these gala’s when we dated it’s going to be strange showing up without him.” 

“I’m sure you will manage.  Braylin and I will be attending To-ge-therrr.”  Kara makes it clear to her.  “Come on baby, I need to relax before the gala tonight.  Kara looks coyly up at Braylin.   “Excuse us.” Kara pulls Braylin along with her by the hand.  

“Errrr, I hate that bitch.”  Lauren protest aloud as she looks away from them unable to handle the thought of Braylin in a relationship with Kara.  

As soon as Kara gets to the foyer of the house she shakes Braylin’s hand loose walking quickly on ahead of him wanting to get away from him. 

“Kara.”  His long strides easily catch up to her grabbing her by the arm to stop her.   Kara has climbed up the first step to go upstairs to her room.  They are eye to eye when she turns around to face him. 

“What do you want Braylin.  I played my part.  I think I’m entitled to a break and I choose to take it now away from you.” 

“Are you sure that’s what you were doing, because I’m really getting a mixed signal here.  That looked more like jealousy to me.”  He smirks. 

“That’s the problem with you Hurst men, you think you’re irresistible to every woman.  I knew this wouldn’t work.  I didn’t agree to this to be humiliated.  How can I be your fake girlfriend when you can’t even give up your real girlfriends?”  Kara sarcastically responds. 

“She approached me to talk just like you were talking to Lester.  You’re making assumptions.”   

“Am I Braylin?  How many more of your girlfriends am I going to have to be insulted by before this is over?  

“You know for my fake girlfriend, you act like a real one.  I dated Lauren for several years through college.  We broke up after we graduated Kara, both of us have moved on.” 

“That woman hasn’t moved on.  She just made a move on you in front of my face.”  Turning away from him she runs up the steps to her room.  He quickly follows behind her catching the door as she attempts to close it behind her. 

“Kara, I’m not going to argue with you over this.”  His lustful stare of her body in her short white dress doesn’t go unnoticed by Kara. 

“Thanks for telling me.  You can leave now.”   

Walking toward the bed she notices her gown for the evening is already laid out.  It’s been steamed ready for her to put it on.  The shoes she will be wearing are sitting on the bed next to the dress along with a rectangular black jewelry box. 

Picking up the box she opens it inhaling a breath at the brilliance and sparkle of what’s inside then she frowns.  This is not hers, she couldn’t afford something this expensive.  The diamonds are so exquisite they have to be real.  She runs her finger across the aquamarine stones then closes the box with a reluctant sigh. 

“This isn’t mine.  The maid must have left it here.”  She holds the long jewelry box out to Braylin.  “Here, I don’t want anyone to think I took something I didn’t.”  She says abruptly. 

Braylin takes the jewelry box from her.  He opens it looking at the ear-rings and bracelet inside.  “Do you like them?”  He questions watching her carefully.   

“Of course I like them Braylin, they're exquisite.”  She says breathlessly then frowns not sure why he asked. 

“It’s not a mistake.  Michelle told me about your gown.  I got these for you to wear with it. " He explains. 

“Keep it.  I can’t wear something like that.  They must cost more than the car I drive.”  

“I haven’t seen the car you drive, but I assure you I can afford them.  They’re paid for and I don’t do returns. Keep them.  I bought them for you.  If you don’t want to wear them don’t.”  He says defensively.  

Kara tentatively takes the jewelry box from his outstretched hand to lay it on the bed.  “Thank you.” She says apologetically realizing he just gave her something other women can only wish for.   

Sighing he watches her lay it back on the bed without further interest in it.  “I have to admit, that’s not the reaction I expected.  You’re the first woman I’ve met that isn’t happy with an expensive piece of jewelry.”  He is struggling to keep the derision out of his tone but it breaks through.  

“Excuse me if I don’t jump into your arms showering you with hugs and kisses of gratitude.  Under the circumstances this makes me feel like I’m being paid to play a role and forget about whatever I see or hear this weekend.”   Kara speaks her thoughts out loud annoying him.   

Staring at her he notices that she seems on edge.  “What is it with you?  There is no ulterior motive in giving that jewelry to you.” He shows his own frustrations. 

Kara closes her eyes knowing she has to tell him.  She’s put it off for so long now it’s haunting her. 

“That man in the kitchen?  He said his name was James Monroe.  You do know I’ve been getting other offers besides yours.  I usually ignore them.  I mean I met with a few, but none of them came close to what I wanted.  I had forgotten all about the offer until you told me about Lester’s wife not that it’s the same situation or anything.”  She looks up at his already glowering face.  He takes a step closer to her standing over her in an intimidating manner. 

“Did he make you an offer in this house?”   

Kara looks up at him startled.  “No…..no, it wasn’t like that.  I’m not sure he even knows about it.  I mean I think it’s his company.  I got the offer before I moved in with you.  I have an appointment with them next Wednesday to discuss their offer.”   

The constant movement of the muscle in his jaw let’s her know that he’s angry.  His fist are balled up at his sides.  She backs away from his stone like body. 

“Who are you supposed to meet with on Wednesday?”  He quietly questions. 

“Maxim Monroe.”  She automatically responds as if programed.  He inhales, his nostrils are flaring. 

“I see.  You had another offer you were considering all this time and you didn’t tell me.”  She’s never seen him this angry before. 

“It wasn’t like that.  I’ve asked you to give me the agreement papers twice and you haven’t.  I’m not trying to do anything behind your back Braylin.”  She says in her defense. 

“Really, then why wait until Monroe showed up in this house to tell me about the offer?   Maybe you were afraid he would take the opportunity to let it be known that the Monroe’s’ are about to ruin another deal for us right under our noses again".   

Kara has a headache but she refuses to acknowledge it right now.  She can’t believe what she’s hearing.  They don’t have the best relationship but she thought he would trust her.  After all, he is the one that held back giving her the paperwork to sign she didn’t force him.   

“Why are you saying these things, you talk like I’ve already betrayed you.  Braylin his company just made an offer.  I haven’t signed anything.”   

“You haven’t signed anything with us either Kara.  Why else would you keep the appointment if you weren’t interested in what they have to say?”  He glares at her. 

“I can’t believe this, you don’t trust me at all.  Braylin, I live in your house, you have the keys to mine.  I have nothing to hide from you?”   

“So you won’t have a problem telling Mr. Monroe tonight at the charity gala that you are cancelling the appointment with Maxim.  You will tell him you will not sell your land to his family.  Tonight you play your role as my girlfriend. If you want to leave my house when we get back to Manhattan I won’t stop you.”  He gives her his ultimatum.  

Kara isn’t shocked that he’s angry but moving out of his house hadn’t occurred to her.  He must want her to go to say it.   Her mind is spinning she knows right now is the time she needs to negotiate for what she wants but it hits her deep in her gut the only thing she wants is him.  She’s not sure why her head is throbbing.  She needs to take the pills the doctor gave her.  

“Alright, I’ll tell him.”  She relents wanting to end their argument. 

James Monroe adjust his pocket square on his tuxedo for the fourth time as he waits for his wife.  She’s never on time for any events they attend.  She always wants to make a grand entrance.  He wonders how she is going to react when she sees Kara.  He wonders if Kara is going to recognize her mother.  Amelia has changed so much since she left Kara on that New Year’s Day.  He remembers it vividly and has had regrets about it since. 

Kara never saw the man her mother was having an affair with.  Amelia was careful not to let her see him.  She didn’t want it to get back to Enzo until she was ready to leave him. She told James she didn’t want Kara to see her parent’s arguing.  Yet on the day that Amelia left her family he remembers sitting in the car waiting for her.  She walked out of the house with a single suitcase.  There was nothing else she cared about.  She didn’t even say goodbye to the dark haired little girl standing in the doorway. 

A young Kara stood at the open door watching her mother as she went down the stairs of the porch.  She didn’t look upset, she wasn’t crying or begging her mother not to go.  He remembers Kara’s face vividly all those years ago.  It was resigned as if she knew her mother would someday leave her.   

He understands now what a young Kara must have been through during that time.  She had to have seen the arguments, the fights Amelia had with her father.  She was thirteen at the time, she must have seen or known about her mother’s fooling around even if Amelia kept the men out of sight.   

Amelia has quietly come down the stairs, she is watching her husband stare off into space.  He’s been like this since his return from the Hurst residence.  If only he knew of the things she has done to the men in that family she wonders if he would be so willing to try to work out their differences with Nana Rita. 

Kara sits looking out the window as the row of limousines in front of them pull up to the hotel entrance one at a time.  She’s thankful for whoever’s idea it was to ride to the charity in a limousine bus for the entire family.  It doesn’t look suspicious that Braylin is not sitting next to her.   

Kara finally has been officially introduced by Nana Rita to Stassi Hurst, the ombre haired twenty-five year old woman she already knows is Lester’s sister and to the nasty blond that rolled her eyes at her during their introduction.  She is Briana McLaren and Kevin is her brother.   Their mother was Braylin’s father’s sister.  Briana and Kevin’s parents were killed in a car accident.  They were sent to live with Nana Rita when Briana was sixteen and Keven was eighteen getting ready to go off to college.  Briana was such a handful.  She is now twenty-eight, twice married and divorced.  She and Lauren are close friends.  Kevin is single.  Lester and Stassi’s parents are in Dubai overseeing a hotel project for the Hurst Corporation. 

As they file out of the limousine to go inside the gala Kara isn’t sure if Braylin will escort her in.  He hasn’t commented on how she looks.  She’s wearing the ear-rings and bracelet he gave her.  He hasn’t told her anything about the people that will be attending this gala, she’s apprehensive about it. 

Lester approaches her as she is adjusting the hem of her dress after stepping out of the limo.  “Where’s Braylin?”  Lester looks around the people gathering to go inside.  Kara doesn’t care she’s having second thoughts about being here.  She really doesn’t know any of these people, her head is starting to hurt again.  She just wants to go home. 

“You alright.”  Lester slides his arm around her waist he’s looking at her with concern.  “Yeah, I didn’t eat much at the luncheon.”  She uses as an excuse. 

He frowns, she knows he doesn’t believe her.  “Come on let’s get you inside.  I’ll get you something non-alcoholic to drink and we’ll see if we can find some hors d’oeuvres you can snack on.” 

As they walk through the throngs of people to go inside Lester spots Braylin.  Briana is holding onto his arm practically dragging him over to greet Lauren and the two men with her.  They have just arrived.  Lester doesn’t approve of what Briana is doing.  He knows she’s keeping Braylin away from Kara purposely.  She wants him to get back together with Lauren. 

The two men Lauren is with are partners in her father’s investment group.  They are trying to get approval to build a rival casino and hotel in Las Vegas next to the property the Hurst will be building their own hotel and casino development.   

Lester is aware that Briana is attracted to one of the men, Logan Spector.   They have had a couple of dates but Logan doesn’t seem to be as interested in Briana as she is in him.  Lester is