This feels easy, and right.Just perfect.
People start dancing.Dani, Raquel, and Cari pull Maya from my side, and she goes without any hesitation.I like that they include her, and that she seems at ease with them when she barely knows them.
Jett appears and watches the women dancing.“She’s fit right in,” he remarks.I don’t know what to make of that, but my muscles tense anyway, instinctively bracing.
“She’s the reason behind the Stella stake?”he asks mildly.
Hell.Why’s he even going there?The last thing I want to do tonight is talk business.“She’s not the reason.Not the main one,” I shoot back, careful to keep my voice even.“Stella needed help, and I knew I could make a difference.”
Jett nods slowly.“That’s not what I heard.”
I glance at him, wary.
“We were talking over a business dinner last week,” he continues.“Someone mentioned the operational reset you pushed through.Cost controls.Supply renegotiations.Early signs are good.”He finally looks at me.“You did what you said you would.”
I blink, caught off guard.Praise from Jett is rare enough that it lands harder than criticism ever does.Maybe—just maybe—my older brother isn’t here to make my life difficult tonight after all.
Dex approaches, rubbing his hands together mischievously.“You ready for the cake, brother?”
Fear lances through me because I don’t like the way he’s looking at me.I pray he’s not uncouth enough to do something stupid like hire a stripper to jump out of the birthday cake.I wouldn’t put it past him.
“I don’t want any tricks,” I caution, because I know what a trickster he can be at times.
“Tricks?No tricks, I promise.”
I believe him.Cake, now?Why not?“Sure, go ahead.”The music lowers, and the women all come back.
“What’s going on?”Maya asks.I reach for her hand, and intertwine our fingers together.“We’re about to cut the cake, apparently.”
“Exciting!”
Dex waves to the crew who are standing by.They disappear, before coming out again, pushing one of the biggest cakes I’ve ever seen.Holy shit.It’s five tiers.A towering white creation that looks more like architectural model than something that’s about to get sliced and eaten.A circle of candles on the topmost tier flickers in the breeze.
“That’s humongous!”I cry, in shock.
“Wow!”Maya gasps.
Brooke squeals.“Is that Lego?”
It is too damn big, and too damn ostentatious.I turn to Dex.“Who are you feeding?A thousand people?”
“Relax, bro.”Dex slaps a hand on my shoulder.
“There aren’t a thousand people here,” Rio remarks casually.
“Why not go out with a splash?”Enzo appears suddenly.
“He’s not dying,” Matteo retorts.
Guests gather around us, glasses raised.Phones come out, tiny lights blinking as people start filming.I feel serenely happy.Holding hands with Maya while my brothers and their girlfriends flank me.For a moment, I feel so ridiculously blessed.
The cake hasn’t been cut yet—it’s too big for that.This is the ceremonial moment.Candles first.Photos.Applause.The actual slicing will come later, down below, handled by the crew.Someone starts singing.Then everyone joins in, voices growing louder, slightly off-key, the familiar chant rolling across the deck.
“Happy birthday to you.Happy birthday to you.Happy birthday dear—”
The energy changes.It’s subtle at first.A ripple.A hesitation.Words trail away slowly, and voices drop out one by one.The singing falters, before stopping altogether.
What’s going on?
