Chapter 48: Revelations

The next morning, Gwen opened her eyes, and Finn was still by her side on his enormous bed. She didn’t remember when they finally fell asleep the previous night, but just the memories of their rendezvous made her feel butterflies in her stomach again.
She had so much she wanted to ask him, so much to catch up, but she’d rather take things slower this time.
“Morning.” His hoarse voice echoed by her side, and she turned to look at him.
“Good morning.” She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek.
“Are you feeling better?” Finn asked.
Gwen nodded, still mesmerized that she was really waking up by his side. If her past self saw this scene, she wouldn’t believe it.
“Guess we’ll have a lot to catch up on the next few days, right?” he joked, pulling her closer for a hug.
She stayed there, quiet and cozy against his chest, only feeling him breathe and enjoying that moment.
“Do you think Cody is already awake? I was thinking we could all skip work and class today and just do something fun, like a normal family. What do you say?”
Finn’s suggestions caught Gwen off guard. There was nothing in the world she would want more than just feel like they were finally a real family.
“I'd love that, and I’m sure Cody will be delighted. But are you sure you want to do that today? With everything that’s going on?"
Finn stared at the ceiling, thoughtful.
“Yeah, I think that would make me feel much better than going to the office and burying myself in work.”
“Okay, so I will wake Cody up so we can have breakfast and you decide our itinerary for the day, okay?” she asked, getting up from the bed, but Finn’s hand grabbed her wrist before she could get too far.
Gwen fell over him, confused.
“What was that for?” she complained.
“You owe me a kiss. And I also wanted to tell you that what I said yesterday still counts. You won’t escape from me again. I’ll marry you, and it won’t take long.”
Gwen widened her eyes, surprised by his mention of marriage. Swallowing with difficulty, she placed a gentle kiss in his lips and got up, leaving the bedroom and going to wake Cody.
The little boy was sleeping very deeply, and she felt sorry for waking him up, but it was for a good cause after all. Having a day off with Finn and Cody had been her dream ever since the little boy was born. And now it was finally coming true.
When Finn told her and Cody the itinerary he had in mind, Cody started to run around the kitchen with Mr. Boots in his hand, screaming and singing like he had just won the nicest toy in the world.
Gwen and Finn exchanged glances, both extremely pleased to see their son so happy.
They went to the zoo, had lunch in a thematic restaurant that Cody loved, went to the park to have an afternoon picnic, and ended the day at the movies.
When they finally got back to Finn’s apartment, Cody was already asleep. He had been exhausted with all the adventures they had been through during the day.
Finn carried him in his arms and put him on the bed, while Gwen opened a bottle of wine and headed to the balcony to wait for him. A good glass of wine was all she needed for that day to end perfectly.
Finn hadn’t mentioned anything about his mother the entire time, but she noticed him stepping away from her and Cody in the park for a few minutes to talk on the phone. She had no idea if he was just doing business or if he was receiving any news about Marcy.
She had heard him asking for a report by the end of the day to one of his men, so she wanted to enjoy the peaceful time they had left as much as she could.
“Drinking alone?” His voice came to her ears and she turned to look at him.
“I actually brought a glass for you as well. Will you join me?” she smiled, pouring some wine in his glass and handing it to him. Finn sat on the couch by her side, taking a sip from the dark red liquid.
“You know, in the midst of so much bad news, I actually have something I’ve been dying to tell you,” he started, making Gwen instantly curious.
“What is it? Did something happen?”
“Yes, it did. But it’s something good. Very good.”
Gwen raised her brows, but he didn’t say it right away, which made her frustrated.
“What is it, Finn? Just say it,” she insisted.
Finn took another sip and looked at her, his eyes stripping her soul one more time.
“I ended things with Vivienne. For good this time. And I wanted to explain to you why I had to endure her this whole time.”
Gwen finished the content in her glass at once, feeling disappointed that the subject of the conversation was a person she hated, but also relieved that Vivienne wouldn’t be a problem anymore. At least, that’s what she hoped.
“Okay. Go ahead,” she encouraged him, trying to keep her opinions to herself.
“So, basically, Vivienne’s father had a lot of shares from my company in his possession. My mother made a deal with him when my father died and, to explain things in an easier way for you, I could barely run my own company without having to worry about him.”
Gwen frowned, surprised that she had never even imagined something of that sort.
“My mother did that in exchange of his daughter’s hand in marriage. She thought I would agree to it back then, and I actually tried, but I failed. I didn’t want to live in a marriage without love. It’s not who I am. I’ve always wanted to have a normal and happy family, something I didn’t have when I was a kid.”
She nodded, her hand moving to gently rest on his leg.
“And when I broke up with Vivienne and met you, things got out of hand. Her father threatened me, saying he would take the company from me, and I had to accept Vivienne back in my life, until I found a way to recover what was mine.”
“What did you do?”
“With the money I got from several contracts, I created another company under a different name, and I bought the shares back from the other shareholders, promising them a spot in my new company’s board of directors. Now I’m the owner of two major companies in the country, and neither my mom nor Vivienne’s father can control me anymore.”
Gwen didn’t know what to say. Her jaw had dropped at Finn’s smart plan.
“That's so impressive. You outsmarted both of them. I’m so proud of you,” she remarked, stroking his hand.
Finn smiled and took another sip from his wine.
“Well,” she continued, carefully choosing the right words not to sound like a jealous girlfriend. They hadn’t had that conversation yet, but she assumed she was close to that title. “How did Vivienne react to that?”
Finn sneered.
“In Vivienne's way of course, if we can put it that way. She threatened me, saying that she would never forgive me and that I would regret doing that to her. You know, her dramatic self as always.”
“She threatened you?” Gwen asked, worried. “Are you sure she won’t try to do anything? I mean, imagine if she discovers that we are together. How will she react to that?”
Finn shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t care. You’re the woman I love, and no one can do anything about it.”
Gwen lowered her head, suddenly very embarrassed by his blunt confession. At that moment, his phone buzzed on the coffee table, and he grabbed it hastily.
“Yes?”
Gwen observed Finn get up from the couch and sit again, nervously listening to whatever the person on the other side of the line was reporting to him. She could guess the topic of the conversation, but by the look on his face, the news was not good.
He hung up the phone and looked at her, desolated. And at the same time, the doorbell rang. Gwen looked at him and then at the clock. They weren’t expecting anyone and it was very late already.
She didn’t have the time to comfort him or even ask what the person had said to him over the phone; she went towards the door, Finn’s right after her, and she almost choked when she opened the door and saw those red lips and fur coat on the other side.