Chapter 39

They decided to have an early start because they wanted to have a proper tourist experience before they jet off to their next destination within the following 48 hours.
Their time in Bermuda was gradually coming to an end and they’d not had the opportunity to explore the place as they should.

Fortunately, Zoe was in a lively mood that morning when they went to her room to say goodbye to her. She was watching Telly Tubbies on the TV with Elaine and she was more than happy to stay back at home with her nanny. Her daughter’s jolly mood absolved Rachel’s mom guilt about leaving her in the house.

At Derek’s insistence, Shane and Frank remained in the villa with Zoe and Elaine, while Ed and Mark joined them for their outing. The drive to the harbor was a smooth one; they all chatted in the vehicle, reminiscing about their dramatic escape from Atlanta over two weeks ago. When they arrived at their destination, the yacht that Derek had pre-booked was waiting for them at the dock. It was a sleek white one named Catalina and looked quite exotic.

“She’s beautiful,” said Rachel as they climbed on board.

To her surprise, Ed took up the helm, ready to steer the yacht with Mark beside him as his assistant.

“Wait, does Ed know how to drive this thing?” She asked in amazement.

“There are so many things that Ed can do that you are not aware of,” said Derek, amused by her surprise.

“Wow, what an eye-opener,” she laughed.

The cruise began and Derek took the liberty of serving her champagne from the bottle that has been cooling inside an ice bucket before their arrival.

“This is the life,” she breathed and reclined on the deck where she and Derek were relaxing. “I feel as if I am dreaming.”

“I hope it’s a good dream, though?” He asked.

“Yes, it is. Thank you for this experience, Derek. This has been really nice.”

He leaned forward and kissed her lips. “You’re welcome.”

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the island resort of Rosewood Bermuda. A guide from the resort came to the dock to welcome them and take them to their suite for the day. After getting acquainted with their lavish spot in the resort, they went to the restaurant for brunch, accompanied by their bodyguards who got a table near them.

“This place is fabulous,” Rachel giggled. She was like a little girl in a candy store.

“I’m happy you like it,” said Derek with an indulgent smile. “Where do you think we should explore after we’re done with our meal?”

“Oh, I don’t know… maybe we could take a stroll to one of those fancy boutiques we spotted on our way here.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Their brunch meals consisted of cottage cheese pancakes, strawberry parfaits, shaved vegetable salads, jugs of freshly squeezed fruit juice, and coffee. They ate in companionable silence, admiring the seafront view from the restaurant. When they were done eating, they walked hand-in-hand to the boutique for some shopping.
Rachel had been to a designer store before in New York and had only managed to walk out with one dress that nearly cost half of her savings. Today, she wasn’t going to worry about the cost of anything, in fact, she made up her mind not to look at the price tags. She would just pick out the things she liked and let Derek worry about the price.

Everything looked so pretty that she felt like buying them all but she settled for an emerald-colored silk evening dress, a leopard print jumpsuit with one sleeve, a red mini dress with a full skirt that looked like a tutu, and a wide-brimmed straw hat that was perfect for sitting in the sun.

“You only want these?” Derek asked her.

“Yeah, I don’t want to bankrupt you,” she laughed.

He chuckled. “Don’t be silly. There’s this black sexy leotard I spotted in the back that I was hoping you’d pick. I’ll go and get it for you.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me if I want it or not?”

“Trust me, when you see it, you’re going to like it,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

He ran off to grab the attire and when he returned, Rachel burst out laughing. “Now, I see why you liked it, you dirty perv.”

The leotard was a cut-out piece with multiple holes in it, and it looked like a V-shaped net. Nothing would be left to the imagination if she wore this thing.

“This is what you’ll be rocking when we get back to the resort,” he informed her. “We are going to send Ed and Mark to the pool to relax while you and I figure out how to get you in and out of this thing.”

“You’re being a naughty boy, Derek,” she laughed. “And I like it.”

He paid for their purchase and they left the boutique to return to their suite. On their way, they passed by a flower shop and Derek offered to buy Rachel a bouquet of purple orchids.

“Yes, I’d like that very much,” she said happily and he walked off to get them, leaving her with the bodyguards.

“Hey, it’s you again!”

Rachel looked in the direction of the voice and was surprised to see the woman from the beach. She was wearing a short sun dress that displayed her slender body in all its curvy glory, while her bright orange-red hair glistened and flowed about her shoulders. Up close, Rachel noticed that the woman was quite stunning even with her minimal makeup and she was not as old as she’d looked the other day at the beach.

“Hi,” Rachel greeted her. “I’m quite surprised to run into you again,” she said candidly. What were the chances of running into the same stranger twice and at different locations? Was this just a coincidence or was the woman stalking her? That just didn’t make sense, did it?

“It’s a small world, my dear,” said the woman. “Where is your daughter?”

Rachel didn’t know how much information she should give this strange woman about the whereabouts of her child, so she decided to get away from her. She took a step back and bumped into Mark.

“Is this lady bothering you?” He asked her gruffly in his menacing bodyguard voice.

The woman instinctively took a step back, looking alarmed by Mark’s tone. “I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable,” she said. “I was just being friendly.”

“What the – “

Rachel turned when she heard Derek’s voice but she was confused when she saw how his face had gone deathly white and his eyes looked dazed. The pretty bouquet slipped from his grip and landed on the ground in a burst of color, oozing a sweet fragrance. She traced his gaze and realized that he was staring at the other woman.
“Derek, are you ok?” She asked but he remained silent and immobile.

“Boss, are you ok?” Mark asked, coming to stand beside him.

“You…” Derek whispered, his eyes still on the woman who was now looking like a deer caught in headlights.

“What is going on here?” Rachel asked. “Derek, do you know this woman?”

He shook his head slowly and said, “No, I don’t know her.”

At that point, the woman began to cry. “Yes, you do, Derek. You know me, you recognize me. You know you do.”

“No,” Derek repeated, still shaking his head.

“Yes, Derek. Yes, it’s me. I am your mother.”
The Billionaire's Unexpected Fatherly Fate: Derek and Rachel's Stormy Saga
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