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

Chapter 23

Grant took the last sip of his bourbon, finding it a meager balm for his current situation. With Julia’s memories returning, he dared to hope he’d soon at least have his contractual partner by his side. But so far, the only memory of him was negative.

The clock over the mantel chimed, announcing the hour. He rose from his chair and headed for the dining room, hoping to find Julia in better shape than when he’d seen her last.

When he walked in, he found only Lydia. His mood soured immediately as he stared at Julia’s empty chair.

“Looks like it’s just us two, Grant. Just like the old days.”

Grant heaved a sigh as he sank into his chair at the head of the table. He couldn’t even depend on Sierra to be here. “At least this time we’re divorced already. That’s one thing to make it better.”

He whipped his napkin onto his lap as Worthington slipped into the room with a bottle of wine.

“Worthington, no Julia?”

“I knocked lightly, but she did not answer. I assume she is resting. Would you like me to wake her?”

“No, no,” Grant said with a shake of his head, hating to be stuck with Lydia, but wanting Julia to rest. “Let her rest. She needs it.”

“All that woman does is rest,” Lydia said as she lifted her wine glass.

“She nearly died, Lydia, and now she’s suffering from amnesia. It’s taxing.”

“It must be. Of course, some of us just push forward without being a drama queen.”

Grant narrowed his eyes at his ex-wife. “Are you actually trying to suggest that’s what you do?”

“Of course.”

“Lydia, you are the biggest complainer I know. And the biggest drama queen. You even top Sierra, and that’s saying something.”

Lydia rolled her eyes as she slammed the wine glass down on the white tablecloth. “You must be joking. Never mind. You are determined to misunderstand me. Let’s change the subject. How is your campaign going?”

“It’s not,” Grant answered as the staff delivered the first course.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I withdrew from the race.”

“What? Grant! Why would you do that? The Senate seat was so important to you.”

“It was a little too much for Julia.”

Lydia clicked her tongue as she stabbed at a piece of meat. “Unbelievable. The one thing you’ve wanted for decades, and she asked you to drop out because it’s too much on her.”

“That’s not true. She had no idea I dropped out until after I did it. She had no say in it, and in fact, she was very disappointed that I had.”

“I’ll bet. Now she can’t parade around pretending to be a CEO or hang all over a Senator’s arm.”

Grant let his fork clatter to his plate. “You’re the one determined to misunderstand things, Lydia. Julia doesn’t parade around pretending to be anything. She is the most genuine person I’ve ever met.”

“Except now, she has no idea who she is. Or who you are.” Lydia shot him a wide-eyed glance over the rim of her wine glass.

The statement sliced through the air and struck him like a knife to his heart. “Her memories are starting to come back.”

“Oh? What does she recall?”

“Just bits and pieces here and there. Nothing major yet.”

“Hmm, too bad. Maybe one day that fluffy little brain will recall all the details she’s lost. Until then, looks like she’ll have to rest quite a bit, leaving us to dine together alone.”

Grant stared down at his plate. He’d have to start taking his meals alone in his room. Or maybe with Julia. The thought brought a smile to his face. Yes, that was an idea. They could rebuild their connection little by little.

He’d show her their relationship went far beyond the sole argument she remembered. And he’d avoid Lydia.

“I think I’ll actually opt to eat alone with Julia while she recovers, but thanks for the offer.”

Lydia narrowed her eyes as Worthington removed her plate and replaced it with another. “If Sleeping Beauty can stay awake long enough.”

“I’m certain she can. Given that she’s been home for just over twenty-four hours, I think she’s allowed a night off.”

“Didn’t she have that last night? When I came down for dinner, Worthington told me you were with her…watching movies.” The last two words came out with a note of disdain.

“Yes, we did. Julia actually enjoys my company without it coming with an expensive bauble or needing to be in an exotic place.”

“Isn’t she sweet? Too bad she can’t remember you.”

Grant shoved his plate away as he rose. “That’s it. I’ve lost my appetite.”

“Can’t stomach the truth, Grant?” Lydia called as he strode away from the table. “Well, you’ll have to do it sometime. Because I have a sneaking suspicion sweet little Julia isn’t going to be so sweet anymore.”

Grant’s fingers curled into fists as he stormed away from the dining room.

Worthington met him as he hurried back with the wine bottle. “Sir?”

“I can’t take any more of Lydia. I’m going to check on Julia, then head to bed. This day has been exhausting, especially given my dinner partner.”

“Of course, sir. Is there anything I can bring you?”

“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “I’m fine. I just want to end this day and start fresh tomorrow, hopefully with a better result.”

“Good night, sir. I’m certain a new day will bring a fresh perspective.”

Grant nodded, certainly hoping that was the case. He climbed the stairs and snaked through the halls to Julia’s room. Her door remained closed. He gave it a light knock, but no one answered.

He considered opening the door and peeking inside, but given their tenuous relationship at the moment, he decided against it. He leaned back and glanced under the door. No lights shone underneath.

She must be asleep.

Before he left, he crossed to the doors leading to her office and cracked them open. She wasn’t there. The room was dark. He smiled, at least she wasn’t researching or doing anything taxing. She must be resting, finally. Hopefully, that would help with her memory acquisition.

He strode to his room, pondering a scenario that brought a smile to his face. When he knocked at her door the next morning, she flung it open, a grin spreading from ear to ear. “I remember!” she exclaimed. “I remember you and us. I remember it all.”

With all the sleep she was getting now, it could happen. He slipped into his suite and crossed to his nightstand. He slid the drawer open and stared down at the velvet box inside. His fingers caressed it before he pulled it toward him and snapped it open.

The diamond inside sparkled. He couldn’t wait to give it to her. He closed the box, hoping that day would be soon. After changing, he stretched out in his bed, his mind centering on Julia.

He worried for her–and for them. He tossed and turned for most of the night, trying to think of ways to trigger nicer memories of them. Maybe a tour of the house. Or maybe a lunch at their favorite spot.

Kyle seemed to have the most luck triggering her memories. He hated that fact. Why was she only remembering Kyle?

Did she harbor some feelings for him outside of what she’d admitted to him? He knew she tended to feel sorry for him, but was there something more?

The thought soured his mood as he rose from his bed. It hadn’t improved by the time he pulled on his jacket and adjusted his cufflinks. He’d chosen the ones Julia had given him, hoping they’d bring him luck.

As he arrived in the dining room for breakfast, he found Julia’s chair empty again. A thought floated across his mind. What if Julia’s memories returned but they brought a past he wasn’t part of? “Worthington? Is Julia taking her breakfast in her room?”

“No, sir, I have not seen or spoken to Mrs. Harrington this morning.”

Grant froze with his glass of orange juice halfway to his lips. “She’s not up?”

“I do not know, sir. I did not get a response when I knocked.”

The glass thudded back on the table without Grant taking a sip. “I don’t like that. I think I’d better check on her.”

“Of course, sir. Please let me know if she needs anything.”

“I will,” Grant said, already half-way out of the door. He strode toward the stairs with wide steps and ascended them two by two before he snaked to her room. His pulse pounded faster with every step until he reached her door.

His frantic knock would have woken the dead. But no one responded. “Julia?”

He chewed his lower lip as he stretched and closed his fingers in and out of a fist.

With a shake of his head, he grabbed the knob. He didn’t care about her privacy. He didn’t like her lack of response. With his heart pounding, he pushed the door open. “Julia!”

The morning light filtered through the windows, casting a soft glow around the room, yet the room felt colder and emptier than ever.

He scanned the room, finding it empty. Her bed wasn’t slept in. He hurried inside, glancing in the bathroom, then into her office. His stomach twisted into a knot. Her phone sat on the charger, but there was no sign of Julia.

Panic bubbled up as he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to control his breathing as he hurried from the room.

“Is everything alright, sir?” Worthington asked as he flew down the stairs.

“No, Worthington, it is not. Julia’s not here. It looks like she hasn’t been here all night. She left her phone behind. I have no idea where she is.”

“I will call Mr. Bennett. Perhaps she took one of the cars.”

Grant strode to his office and nodded as his fingers tapped out a nervous rhythm on the mahogany desk.

Worthington snatched the receiver and pressed the button for his driver. “Yes, Mr. Bennett, has Mrs. Harrington taken one of the cars this morning?…I see. Yes, I shall inform him at once. Thank you.”

Worthington replaced the receiver, shooting Grant a nervous glance.

“Well?” he asked. “Does he know where she is?”

“No. Mr. Bennett said when he returned for Mrs. Harrington’s car last evening, it was gone.”

Grant’s stomach turned over as his chest tightened. “She’s been gone all night and no one’s known?”

“It appears so, sir.”

Grant pressed his lips together as a tremble shook his hands when he reached for the phone. “She could be anywhere. She’s confused, she’s sick. She could be hurt…or worse.”

He grabbed the receiver and pressed the button for his head of security. “Max? Julia’s missing. Find her.”

“I can track her cell–”

“No, it’s here. She left it. She has her car. The new one. Maybe try her apartment. Or that friend’s place. Maybe she remembered her.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll get the entire team on it.”

“Find her, Max.” Grant let the receiver hover over the cradle before he dropped it down and leaned onto the desk.

“Perhaps Miss Sierra has seen her,” Worthington said.

“Good idea. I’ll call Sierra.” Grant fished his cell phone from his pocket and found Sierra’s name. He placed a call to her, his fingers tight around the phone.

“Good morning, Daddy. Did Julia remember yet?”

“No, Sierra, she’s gone.”

“What do you mean gone?” Sierra asked.

“I mean she must have left last night without anyone knowing. She didn’t take her phone, no one knows where she is. Have you seen her?”

“No, I haven’t. I’m coming home.”

“Thanks,” he said before he ended the call. He needed all the support he could get, especially since another lead turned up with nothing. Where was she?

He stared down at his cell phone, his forehead creasing as he considered one more person he could call. With an abundance of reluctance, he pressed the call button next to Kyle’s name. The line trilled a few times before Kyle answered. “What do you want?”

“Kyle, I’m sorry to call this early, but have you seen Julia?”

“Why?” his son snapped.

Grant slid his eyes shut as worry coursed through him. He shoved his pride aside. Julia was his priority. “She’s…not here. She left last night. No one knows where. We all thought she was asleep, but she wasn’t. She’s been gone for hours, Kyle. And she’s extremely vulnerable right now. So, please, have you seen Julia?”

Kyle sighed on the other end of the line. “Yes, I have. She’s with me, she’s fine.”

Grant collapsed into his chair, relief coursing through him that she was safe. “Please bring her home.”

“I will as soon as she’s ready,” his son answered before the line clicked.

“Oh, thank heavens,” Grant said with a sigh despite a niggling notion at the back of his mind. “She’s safe. She’s with Kyle.”

“Thank goodness, sir. Is Dr. Carter bringing her home?”

Grant hesitated. “Yes.”

“That sounds…less than preferable from your standards.”

Grant heaved a sigh. “At least she’s safe. But I’m not very happy that she’s with Kyle. Again.”

Worthington offered him a tight-lipped smile. “Let’s hope she is home soon, sir. I will call Mr. Sterling and inform him.”

Grant tightened his grip on his chair arm as he imagined Julia with Kyle again. He bristled as the idea of Kyle filling her head with his usual lies rushed into his mind. He couldn’t wait until she was home.

As he sat alone with his thoughts, waiting for her to return, the void left by Julia’s absence echoed loudly in the quiet of the room. Each tick of the lock reminded him of the growing chasm between them, fueled by forgotten memories and unspoken fears.

It seemed to be an eternity before he spotted the red Porsche sliding down the driveway toward the house. She stepped out of the car and eyed the house. She seemed fine but looked uncomfortable to be here as she strode toward the door.

He stepped from his office, a sigh mixed with relief and envy escaping him as she stepped inside. A storm of relief and frustration swirled inside him. And one question hung between them. What if her night away had changed something irrevocably between them? “Julia, thank goodness. Where have you been all night? Your bed wasn’t slept in. We were so worried.”

“I–”

“She spent the night at my place,” Kyle said.

Julia slid her eyes closed at the statement as Grant’s jaw tensed. She grabbed his arm and shook her head. “I can explain.”

Kyle shook his head at the words before they shared a glance. The looks between them twisted the knife even further. Maybe he didn’t want to hear this explanation. “Julia, you don’t–”

“I do.” She glanced over his shoulder. “Can we go inside?”

“Of course,” he said, his posture stiffening. Why did she want to speak in private? What was she about to reveal and would it ruin everything?

She eased into a chair as he crossed to her.

“Julia, are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Really. I…it’s hard to explain.”

“Just…take your time.” He tried to force steadiness in his voice, but he felt anything but.

She swallowed hard. “Yesterday, I…a memory cropped up again…a place. I had to see what it was. So, I took the car and went there. It was Kyle’s apartment. When I went inside, I had this rush of a memory of being there.”

Grant’s heart clenched at the words. Had she connected with Kyle in other ways after that memory?

“I fell asleep there. I’m sorry. I just…needed to follow that memory to try to bring more of these fragments back. I can’t stand this blank space in my head.”

Grant gripped the side of the desk until his knuckles turned white. “He couldn’t have called?”

She snapped her gaze up to him. “Kyle wasn’t there. I fell asleep before he got home. He didn’t want to wake me. I’m sorry.”

“I understand the need to chase your memories, but please tell me next time. Or someone. We’ve all been worried.”

“Sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking, but my mind is scrambled lately.”

“It’s okay, Julia. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Grant’s fingers eased a little. She’d been alone. It brought him some measure of relief. Though the idea that she’d been comfortable enough there to fall asleep troubled him. Her connection with Kyle grew stronger by the minute.

Yet another memory had led her to Kyle, not him.

He wanted her to find solace, to heal, but the thought of her finding it with Kyle was a bitter pill. Each remembered memory with Kyle felt like a betrayal, even though he knew it was irrational.

And one frightening question lingered in his mind. By the time she remembered him, would she already have given her heart to another man?