For a moment, Rauf didn’t know what to say.
He had expected June to reject his invitation. In fact, he had rehearsed several responses to her refusal, hoping one of them would convince her to reconsider.
But he hadn’t expected this.
June wasn’t refusing to attend because she didn’t want to be seen with him. She didn’t want to watch another woman take the place that rightfully belonged to her.
"You’re Serena’s daughter, June. You have every right to be at that party."
June continued stirring the eggs in the pan, her expression unchanged.
"And what exactly am I supposed to do when everyone welcomes Amie as her daughter? Smile and congratulate her?"
Rauf fell silent.
"Perhaps I should even thank her for taking my place," June added bitterly.
"June..."
"No, Rauf." She turned to face him. "You don’t understand. You weren’t the one who grew up believing you belonged somewhere, only to discover that your entire life was built on a lie. And now, when I finally have a chance to know my mother, I have to stand aside while someone else pretends to be me."
She turned back to the stove before he could answer.
"I can’t do it."
Rauf tried to come up with a better explanation.
"But you need to be there to convince the Monterrios. If you miss it, all of Serena’s plans will be for nothing."
June shrugged.
"I don’t want to think about that. It’s not my problem."
As she transferred the eggs to a plate, she glared at Rauf.
"Aren’t we supposed to stay out of each other’s business?"
The reminder felt like a slap in Rauf’s face.
He had been so comfortable having the conversation with June that he had temporarily forgotten their situation.
He stared at her, and the determined look on her face told him he wasn’t going to change her mind anytime soon. So, he stepped back.
Just as June took her food to the dining table, the door opened, and Henson walked in with about eight women.
June’s gaze moved from Henson to the women. These must be the people who had applied for the positions of cook and housekeeper.
Trying to remind Rauf that the topic was closed, she turned to Henson.
"Let them wait somewhere for me. I’ll attend to them when I’m done eating."
Rauf spared her one last glance before leaving the dining room.
As he walked out, June noticed two of the women following him with their eyes until he was out of sight.
She bit her lower lip.
Those two were certainly not qualified for the job.
When Henson left with the women, June finally focused on the food in front of her.
Because of their conversation, she had actually lost some of her appetite, but she had to force herself to eat for the sake of her baby.
Soon, she would be going for antenatal care again, and she wanted everything with the baby to be alright. Dr. Ashley’s last warning had frightened her.
This time, she wanted nothing but good news.
So, she forced herself to eat, taking her mind off the introduction party, Amie, and her mother’s decision.
When she finally finished her food, she went in search of the women Henson had brought. He had taken them to one of the empty rooms in the building, where there were a few chairs to keep them from getting tired of standing.
June entered the room, and the women fell silent, sitting upright.
She introduced herself to them with a smile.
Some of them smiled back at her, while others looked her up and down, their eyes focusing on the small bulge in her stomach.
But June didn’t care.
She had no reason to hide her baby from them. In fact, since Rauf already knew about the baby, she planned on carrying it with pride.
She started the interviews by asking them a few questions about household chores and the tools used to keep a house clean. She watched their responses carefully, paying attention to how they behaved while answering.
June planned on hiring someone based not only on their words but also on their attitude.
She observed how they responded to simple questions and their body language while answering.
She was having so much fun getting to know the applicants that she barely thought of stopping.
She also asked a few questions about food and how different dishes were prepared.
June would have preferred a practical interview for those who had applied for the cook position, but they claimed they hadn’t been informed in advance and weren’t prepared.
June wanted to say that it didn’t matter, but she didn’t want to come across as rude.
After she was satisfied with her questions and their answers, she gave them the standard response.
"I’ll get back to you."
They nodded and left one after the other.
Even without completing the interviews, June already knew whom she wasn’t going to employ.
It seemed they had only come because of the owner of the building and had no real interest in working there.
The realization wasn’t supposed to hurt, but it stirred a strange anger within her, and she wanted nothing more than to keep them as far away from Rauf as possible.
Not because she cared about Rauf, but if her child was going to have a stepmother, she didn’t want it to be someone like them.
She was still resting, lost in those thoughts, when Henson returned.
"Ma’am, were you able to find anyone among the applicants you liked?"
June nodded, pushing herself up.
"I think so. I’ll let you know so you can inform Rauf."
Henson shook his head.
"There’s no need for that, ma’am. The boss already said you have full authority to employ as many people as you want."
June nodded.
"Fine. I want Miss Fleur..." She listed two more names that rolled off her lips easily.
"Consider it done, ma’am. When would you like them to resume, ma’am?"
The repeated use of ma’am was getting on her nerves, but she knew better than to correct Henson again.
"I want them to resume as soon as possible."