Battle with a Billionaire: A Suspenseful Billionaire Romance (Hearts and Holdings Billionaire Romanc

Chapter 12

For the second time in as many days, Julia stood behind Grant with the glare of cameras bearing down on them both. The room was a flurry of activity as reporters thrust microphones forward like weapons. The air remained charged with anticipation, with all eyes trained on them.

Grant read the statement Kathryn prepared nearly word for word. The scene reminded her of the one that had occurred almost one year prior when a murder charge loomed over him. She’d stood by him then, and she would now.

The entire year had been fraught with false accusations and bogus charges that threatened to undo everything they’d worked toward with their fake marriage. Ironic that they were fighting all these fraudulent claims with deceit.

Reporters clamored for questions as he finished with his statement, but Kathryn stepped to the podium, hushing them to silence. “We will take a few questions, but one at a time.”

Grant stepped back next to her, sliding an arm around her waist. She smiled up at him as she looped her arm around him, too. She would have done it even if Kathryn hadn’t told them to appear as close as possible today.

“We want it to look like you’re very much still in love. No tension, no reason for body language experts to pick apart what you’re doing. No hands clasped in front of you, no leaning away from him. But don’t be too clingy. Don’t look like he’s your sugar daddy, and you’re just worried about being sent on your way with a fat check. True partners. That’s the look we’re going for.”

Julia pulled her mind back to the present as Kathryn’s shrill voice echoed in the microphone. “In this day and age? Photo manipulation is a cinch. With the money poured into our opponent’s campaign, I can’t imagine he didn’t have the funds to pull this off. Lady in the green blazer.” She pointed at another reporter.

“Question for Mrs. Harrington. How can you continue to support a man who has been constantly embroiled in scandal?”

Next to her, Grant tensed, though she’d been prepared for a question like this. “I believe him and I believe in him. These accusations don’t define him, quite the opposite—they define his opponent’s campaign. If you’d prefer someone who would stoop this low to win an election, by all means, support the other team.”

As the words left her lips, the irony of the situation struck her. She defended a man she was contractually bound to, yet the sincere and genuine urge to protect him laced most of her words. The blurred lines of their arrangement continued to tug at her.

Grant’s fingers squeezed her side in a silent thank you. She returned the gesture.

Kathryn offered her a sly smile before she spun back to the throng of reporters. “One more here, gentleman in the blue tie.”

Julia offered Grant a reassuring smile as the press conference continued.

“Yes, what’s being done to disprove these photos?”

“We are tracking every lead we can to find the evidence we need to prove that these photos are fake. That’s all we have at this time. As soon as we have more, we’ll let you know. Thank you all for coming.”

Reporters continued to shout as they strode from the room. The silence of the hall outside the press room was a stark contrast to the scrutiny of the media.

Kathryn blew out a long sigh as she led them to her office and dumped her folders on top of her desk. “That went well, considering.”

“Do you think it helped?”

“We’ll see what the numbers say. See if public opinion changes after that. Julia, you did very well. Throw it back at the other guy as irresponsible. And Grant, your statement was flawless, firm, yet vulnerable. Perfect.”

“Are we actually making any progress on determining how these came to be?” Grant asked.

“I’ve got the best people looking into this. They tell me it can be done. We’re still trying to figure out how. And who would have done it? But this isn’t going to be easy. Without someone stepping up to say, ‘Hey, I did this,’ we may never know.”

Grant’s jaw tensed at the words.

Julia squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry this is so frustrating.”

“Thanks, Juls,” he said as he patted her hand. “I suppose you need to head out?”

“Yeah, I do need to get back to the office. Call me if you hear anything.”

“I will.”

Julia slung her purse over her arm before she reached for his hand and squeezed. “Or if you need anything else.”

The second statement brought a slight smile to his face. “Thanks. Have a good day at the office.”

He kissed her cheek as she thanked him before she strode from the room. A check of her phone showed a text message from Kyle. Great job at the press conference. Do you think DG could be behind this, too?

His willingness to consider Grant’s innocence, even begrudgingly, marked a departure from his usual stance. Was his cynicism a shield for a thoughtful, albeit conflicted, person? She typed a response as she walked to the car. It’s possible. Are you finally believing he’s innocent?

Her phone chimed again as she fired her engine. Let’s not go crazy here. But I’m willing to entertain the idea that he was framed. It’s happened before.

Julia chuckled at the response before sending her own. Several times.

She threaded through the busy city streets to her office. As she plopped into her desk chair with a thick stack of messages in hand, her mind turned to her other issue. What would happen tonight at seven?

Her hand rested on the phone’s receiver as she considered calling Mike Donovan when her cell phone buzzed. She glanced at it, finding another message from Kyle. So where are we at with the DG investigation? Did Metcalfe take the bait?

She sat back in her chair as she stared at the message. Should she let him know about the meeting tonight?

As she tried to figure out how to respond to him, her phone buzzed in her hands. She expected to see Kyle’s name, but Ethan’s showed up, jolting her with surprise.

She swiped to accept the call. “Ethan? What’s up?”

“Hey, Juju,” he said, his voice sounding defeated. “Do you have a minute?”

“For you, I always have time. What’s going on? Everything okay with Ally?”

“No, it’s not,” he said with a sigh.

Julia’s stomach clenched at the words. “What happened? Did something happen? Is she sick? Hurt?”

“No, no, nothing like that. She’s just…has she talked to you lately?”

Julia licked her lips as she considered her response. “We talked last night.”

“So, you know?”

“That you two had a fight? Yeah. Ethan, it happens. All couples have them.” Except those who are contractually obligated not to.

“No, this is different. And now…”

“Now?” she prompted.

“I can’t find her. She’s gone.”

“Gone?” Julia’s heart skipped a beat. “As in missing or what?”

“I can’t get a hold of her. I came home, she’s not here, she’s not answering my calls, she’s not answering texts.”

Julia’s panic built.

“As a cop, you know where my mind goes immediately.”

“Ethan, I think you’re jumping the gun, but let me call her and call you back. Maybe she’s just still mad? Or maybe she went for a hike. Cell service in the park is terrible.”

“I know but…yeah, just…can you call her?”

“Absolutely. Let me see what I can find out.”

Julia ended the call and ran a hand through her hair as she blew out a long breath and scrolled through her contacts to find her sister. She pressed the call icon and waited as the line trilled. By the third ring, her dread ramped up. What if she couldn’t get a hold of her sister?

A second later, her sister’s voice answered. “Hey, Juju.”

She blew out a sigh of relief as she pressed her hand against her chest. “Whew, oh, Ally, thank goodness you answered.”

“Why? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Ethan called. He said he couldn’t get a hold of you. He’s panicked.”

“Yeah, well, he ought to be.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’m sick of playing by his rules. I’m going to play by my own from now on.”

“Ally! What is going on here?”

Alicia sighed on the other end. “I’m fine. But Ethan goes out when he wants. He gets a call, he’s out. He needs to run somewhere, he’s gone. With me? Where are you going? How long? Let someone else get that call.”

Julia rubbed her forehead as she listened to her sister’s grudges in her marriage. “I assume he’s just interested in protecting you, not keeping track of you.”

“Well, is it too much to ask that he allows me do the same?”

“No.”

“Thank you. So, maybe you can call him back and tell him that because he won’t listen to me.”

“Okay, I’m going to call him back and tell him you’re not dead in a ditch somewhere and to tell you when he’s going out.”

“Don’t make fun,” Ally said.

“I’m not.”

“You are so. You’d understand this if you were married.”

The words slapped her. She was married. Sort of. She shook her head at the statement. “Sorry, you’re right. Anyway, I am going to call him back and let him know you’re okay.”

Alicia groaned. “I guess I can call him. I’m being stupid.”

“You’re not, but I think it would be best if you called. Maybe you can work something out.”

“Yeah, right. Wishful thinking. But I’ll give it a try.”

“Good luck, sis.”

“Thanks.”

They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Julia leaned back in her chair and blew out a long breath. Too many things were going wrong lately. Her life was getting harder and harder to juggle.

Her ringing phone startled her. She expected another call from Ethan or Alicia, but instead, Kyle’s name filled her screen. “Hello, Kyle.”

“You can’t ignore me, Julia,” he answered.

“I’m not ignoring you. My brother-in-law called, then my sister.”

“The ones who still don’t know you’re married.”

Tension built at her temples at the words. “Yes, those ones. My only sister and brother-in-law.”

“Well, anyway, what’s going on with the DG investigation?”

She sucked in a breath, wondering if she should take him along. The crackle of the hospital’s paging system sounded through the speaker.

“Are you at work?”

“I don’t like that you’re not answering,” he said. “Yes, I’m at work.”

“Shouldn’t you be checking on patients instead of calling me?”

“I’m between patients.”

“Right. This is why it takes so long in the emergency room. Because doctors keep calling people to chat.”

“Julia, you’re the one who didn’t answer your texts.”

“I’m sorry, I have a family and a company to run.”

“And now you have two minutes to tell me what’s happening. I don’t like that you keep avoiding that.”

Julia pressed her lips together. If he was at the hospital now, he’d probably work through the meeting. She’d be on her own. There was no way she was going to tell him she was going to a secret DG meeting alone. “Nothing yet. Sorry. Maybe it’s a false alarm.”

He hesitated for a moment before he answered. “Well, keep me informed. If you hear anything, let me know. I’m on until eleven, so I’ll be up.”

“I will,” she said before they ended the call.

She set the phone down, a chill snaking down her spine as she considered the meeting tonight. Had she made a foolish decision by not telling him? Or anyone?

Likely not. Perhaps it had nothing to do with DG Industries. She’d do a little recon and go from there. Maybe she’d end up with a new suspect to put through the rigors.

She spent the rest of the afternoon trying to focus on clearing the work that had come across her desk earlier in the day.

As the sun lowered in the sky, she glanced at the clock. Just over an hour to wait. She sent Evelyn home for the evening, telling her she was just going to finish up a few emails.

Instead, she spent thirty minutes drumming her fingers against the polished mahogany wood as the shadows grew across the floor from the sinking sun. She hoped at the twilight hour, she’d have a clear enough view of the meeting.

As the evening hour approached, she grabbed her purse and hurried to her car, navigating through the streets to the popular city park. Even at this hour, she should be able to blend in and hide from whoever Christopher Metcalfe was meeting.

She parked nearby and entered through the north entrance, cutting across the grass toward the meeting spot. Several people milled around the water’s edge, jogged along the trail, or sat on the benches in the picturesque spot.

A cool breeze rustled the leaves on the tree she placed between her and the entrance. She eyed the entrance as the lights sprang to life along the walking path. She held her breath as Christopher Metcalfe strolled in, holding a set of folders under his arm.

Her heart pounded as she awaited his partner’s appearance. Would she finally be able to put a face to the DG Industries name?

The seven o’clock hour passed. She waited ten minutes, wondering if the meeting was a bust. Metcalfe paced back and forth near an empty bench. By quarter after, she worried he’d been stood up until a figure made its way down the path toward him.

He recognized the person, as his pacing stopped. Julia leaned closer, her fingers grabbing the rough bark of the tree trunk as she waited to get a clearer image.

In a second, she had it. Her eyes went wide as her heart hammered. “Lydia!” she whispered.

She stood in stunned silence as the woman approached Christopher Metcalfe. He handed her the folders, and she perused them. A smile twisted her features, and she glanced at the man, speaking a few words before she handed the paperwork back, spun on a heel, and strode away.

Julia stood for another few minutes. She needed to tell Grant. Lydia had some involvement with these plans. Was she the head of DG or merely another pawn?

Either way, she was involved. She had to let Grant know. They’d fed right into the woman by inviting her into their home. She had access to everything there.

Julia forced herself to hurry toward her car on wobbly legs. She dug her phone from her purse as she reached the car. After sliding behind the wheel, she pressed the call button next to Grant’s name and pressed the phone to her ear.

The line trilled as she locked her doors, her heart still thudding against her ribs. She fired the engine and waited, but she got his voicemail. “Grant, call me. I think I know who may be behind everything that’s been happening.”

As a light rain started to fall, she casually tossed the phone into her cup holder. Thunder rumbled in the distance, marking the unexpected arrival of the storm, much like Lydia.

Julia pulled from the lot, aiming for Harrington House. Her mind went over all the events they’d lived through in the past year. Had Lydia been the one behind them all? She would certainly know how to strike at Grant.

The city faded as she left it, the rain falling harder. She flicked her windshield wipers a notch higher as she rounded a bend and a shiver raced down her spine.

Her phone buzzed in the cupholder. She glanced down at it as she passed through an intersection. The slight moment of distraction meant she never saw the car speeding through the stop sign.

In a heart-stopping moment, the world turned into chaos. Bright lights raced toward her, slamming into her, t-boning the sporty ride. Metal screeched and glass shattered. Julia’s senses were engulfed in a maelstrom of noise and pain. As the airbag deployed, a white cloud enveloped her. Every moment of her life flashed before her eyes. Then her world went dark.

When her eyes fluttered open again, a flurry of activity and flashing lights blurred around her. She lay on wet pavement.

“She’s awake,” someone said. “Ma’am, stay with us, okay? We’re taking you to the hospital.”

Someone jostled her and pain shot through her entire body. The stars in the night sky melted above her as she rolled toward something. Every bump sent agonizing pain through her body.

She struggled to keep her eyes open but lost the battle.

They snapped open again as fresh pain bloomed. She was moving again, rolling somewhere. Someone barked out information as bright lights burned her eyes as she struggled to keep them open.

A familiar voice sounded. “What do we have?”

“Multiple vehicle accident. Guy ran a stop sign and t-boned her. Air bag deployed. She’s in and out of consciousness. Multiple injuries, but nonresponsive primarily. Vitals are all over the place.”

A face hovered over hers, eyes wide. “My God, Julia!”

Kyle. She tried to speak but wasn’t able to.

“Get her into trauma room one,” he shouted, panic lacing his voice.

A buzz of activity descended on her. Leads were attached, erratic beeping filled the air, and pain burst through her again.

“Hang in there, Julia, I’m going to take good care of you, okay?”

Each blink was an effort. She struggled to stay awake. Breathing hurt.

Another voice burst into the room. Grant. Panic and pandemonium ensued, all of the voices melted into a cacophony that hurt her ears.

“Julia? Stay with me.”

Hands cupped her face. Kyle’s icy blue eyes stared into hers. “Stay with me, Julia.”

His voice sounded miles away. Her vision blurred before her head lolled, and her world went black again.