Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 230

*Michael*

I was relieved when I pulled up to the townhouse and saw that Bruce was still parked out front, and the nanny’s car was still parked in the driveway. At least Shelby hadn’t been home alone waiting for me.

I opened the front door, and it hit two suitcases sitting in the entrance hall. It looked as though Shelby had taken me seriously when I told her to start packing, which made me breathe a little easier.

“Miss Constance,” I said, surprised as I walked around the corner and nearly bumped into our nanny. “I didn’t expect you to be downstairs. I figured you’d be upstairs with Shelby.”

“Mrs. Astor is upstairs packing, sir. She mentioned that you two are going on an impromptu vacation,” she said, clearly confused by the sudden change.

“Yes, I surprised Shelby with a vacation to the Caribbean,” I said, lying through my teeth. “I actually have a favor to ask of you while we’re gone if you’re up for it. It comes with a pay raise if you’re interested.”

Miss Constance raised her eyebrows at me, a little wary but also intrigued as she nodded for me to continue.

“I need you to keep coming to work while we’re gone, just your regular schedule with the babies even though they’re coming with us. I just like to make sure that our home is taken care of while we’re gone, looked after, if you will. I just need you to water the plants, get the mail, that sort of thing,” I explained.

“But sir, that won’t take up the hours I’m normally here every day,” Miss Constance said.

“Well, the rest of the time, you could read, watch movies, take a nap, anything you want, really. I just need you to be here during your normal hours … to watch the house,” I said, knowing my explanation seemed incredibly strange.

“But, why, sir?” Miss Constance asked, always straightforward.

“I will pay you double your regular rate. Look at it like your own staycation,” I offered.

“If you’re sure,” Miss Constance said, seeming anything but sure.

“Very sure,” I said, then added. “I do need you to be careful, though. If you see or hear anything out of the ordinary, leave right away and call the cops.”

“Sir? Is everything alright?” Miss Constance asked.

“Of course, you know how people are. If they hear a billionaire is out of town, they may think his home is an easy target. That’s why we need you here during your normal hours, so no one knows we’re gone,” I explained. “We have security measures, though, so I”m sure you’ll be safe.” I hoped so, anyway.

“Alright, sir,” Miss Constance said, seemingly okay with my explanation.

“Thanks, Miss Constance. You can head home for the day,” I said before making my way upstairs.

The twins were lying on their playmat on the floor of our bedroom, cooing at the ceiling fan lazily spinning above them. Shelby had the bed covered in clothing she was carefully folding into open suitcases.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Shelby said with a large smile on her face.

I was surprised to see her so chipper, especially since we were currently in the process of packing up our entire lives, preparing to take on completely new identities. Identities that came with a terrible last name at that.

“Hey, Shelby,” I said, pulling her into me and kissing the top of her head. “You okay?”

“I’m doing great. I almost have us all packed and ready to go. Then we can head downstairs and pack Amelia and Thomas’ things,” Shelby responded.

I stood next to her and started slowly folding a pair of pants before I said, “I didn’t expect you to be okay with this, honestly.”

“Well, I probably wouldn’t have been if I hadn’t found what I did today,” Shelby answered.

“What did you find?” I asked, unable to hide my curiosity.

“I found evidence, and it is really big. It turns out that there were multiple emails regarding the failing equipment at one of the plants. I found a string of emails between the owner, CEO, and the plant manager about needing upgraded equipment and facilities. The plant manager very clearly outlined the possible dangers of neglecting the necessary upgrades and repairs, but the owner and CEO both voted against the proposed upgrades. They had a stockholder meeting that was coming up and wanted the company to look good on paper for the shareholders,” Shelby said, taking a deep breath.

“How long did they want to put off the repairs?” I asked.

“That’s the damning part of the evidence. In the emails, the owner promised upgrades after the year-end review meeting with the shareholders. However, the emails were dated three years ago, and there is no paperwork supporting that the repairs and upgrades were ever completed. And there are more emails with the plant manager asking for the upgrades, every year,” Shelby finished.

“So they knowingly put their workers at risk,” I said, shaking my head. As the owner of my own company, I could not imagine being so negligent.

“Exactly!” Shelby said, tossing her hands in the air. “This completely breaks their case open. We finally have the evidence to prove they were knowingly in the wrong.”

“So does this mean you’re going to be able to close the case faster?” I asked, hoping we wouldn’t have to live these fake lives for too long.

“It can’t hurt. The courts are always slow, but hopefully, with this kind of evidence, they won’t be able to drag out the trial for too long,” Shelby said.

“Good. All done,” I said, placing the last pair of pants in the suitcase.

“Help me with the babies’ room next?” Shelby asked, leaning down and picking up Amelia.

I followed her downstairs, carrying Thomas in my arms. We settled the babies in their cribs and started pulling outfits, diapers, and wipes out of the many drawers in the nursery.

“I don’t remember how this place got so disorganized,” I said, pulling a scrunched-up onesie out of the changing table drawer.

“It’s called having twin newborns,” Shelby said with a small laugh.

“So, finding this evidence made you okay with hiding away for a while?” I asked, trying to get back to our previous conversation.

“I just realized that if they find out who discovered this information, they will do anything to make sure it doesn’t get out. I just want to be certain our family is safe,” Shelby said, stuffing a bag full of rattling baby toys.

“I’m glad you see it that way,” I said, relieved I didn’t have to do any convincing. “I just want to keep you three safe.”

Bruce helped me carry all of our bags out to an SUV that I had never seen before. We were purposely trying to avoid any of the vehicles we drove on a regular basis. As soon as the bags were packed, we loaded the babies in and headed for our new home.

Bruce was driving one of our regular cars and was headed for the airport. If anyone was watching our neighborhood, it would seem as though we really were going on a vacation.

Shelby was sitting silently in the passenger seat next to me, staring straight out of the front window.

“Do you want to know our new names?” I asked, hoping to break Shelby away from the stress she had been feeling.

She nodded slightly, and I pointed at the glove box. She pulled out the yellow envelope with our new identification cards. She flipped through them, and I glanced over to catch a slight smile break out across her lips.

“The McFrinkleman’s? Really?” Shelby asked, amused.

“You can thank Delaney for that one,” I said, laughing.

“Deborah and Mark McFrinkleman,” Shelby continued. “It has a ring to it, though I wouldn’t call it a nice one.”

“And don’t forget our children Fenix and FaeLynn McFrinkleman,” I added.

This comment broke Shelby’s reserve, and she started laughing hard. I couldn’t help but join in, feeling the tears filling the corners of my eyes.

We pulled up to the apartment complex, and the first thing I noticed was a large number of security cameras. It seemed that every flat surface was supporting a bulky security camera. A security guard sat at the front gate and checked our fake IDs before letting us in.

It made complete sense that Delaney had picked this place out for us. There was no way someone could sneak around without being caught.

The apartment was a small two-bedroom, but the furniture was nice, and the place looked as though it had just been remodeled. The countertops were white quartz, and the entire place smelled like new paint.

“What do you think?” I asked Shelby. “Will all of the babies’ stuff fit?”

I set Thomas and Ameila’s baby carriers down on the hardwood floor.

“It is a bit smaller than we’re used to back at the townhouse, but I don’t think it will bother me. Don’t you remember the size of my apartment when we first met?” Shelby asked, turning around in a circle, taking in the open-concept living room and kitchen.

“We could fit two of your apartments in this living room alone,” I said, chuckling.

“The living room is a very nice size,” Shelby said before exploring the apartment more, peeking into the closed bedroom doors.

“It looks like Delaney got everything we need. This room already had two cribs set up and a changing table. It will be nice to have our room so close to the babies,” Shelby said.

She never failed to see the positive in every situation. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to make it feel like a home,” I whispered, resting my chin on the top of her head.

“With all of the stuff we packed, I think it will feel like home in no time at all,” Shelby said, leaning into me.

“I’ll start bringing the bags up. Will you be okay with the babies for a minute?” I asked.

“They’re sound asleep. I actually need to make a quick phone call to my boss. I should be done by the time you get back up, and then we can start unpacking,” Shelby said.

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, kissing the top of her head as I breathed in the smell of her.

I stopped to check on the twins before heading out to get our many bags, and I heard Shelby’s voice in the other room, echoing off the empty walls.

“Hey, can we set up a meeting tomorrow,” Shelby said, clearly on the phone with her boss. “Yeah, I think I finally found the evidence we need to nail these bastards once and for all.”