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

Chapter 24

Julia stared up at her husband, imagining a cold outburst similar to her memory of him. It was all she knew of him. His reaction seemed subdued but the tension in his shoulders and his jaw suggested he’d rather have it out with her.

Perhaps he didn’t want to say anything because of her condition. But she couldn’t stand people holding back anymore. She needed reality, truth, not a veiled representation of it.

“Is it?”

His brow creased as he eyed her.

“Okay, I mean. Is it? I feel like no one tells me the truth because everyone is afraid of damaging me beyond repair. But I’m struggling to piece my life together with no information. The only thing that seems clear to me is that you and Kyle really don’t get along.”

He let his gaze fall to the floor as his lips curled into a fleeting smile. “We don’t. It’s not gotten any better recently.”

“Why?” she asked.

He flicked his eyes to her. “I didn’t know he existed until recently. He’s got a lot of anger about that. He expresses it by blaming me for everything.”

Julia pinched her eyebrows together. That could explain quite a bit. Were Kyle’s overtures less about her and more about ruining the contract? At the very least, it explained why he constantly painted Grant in a bad light.

Had his negative emotions about his father caused her to experience a single negative memory of Grant? Or were Kyle’s assessments simply closer to the truth than the picture Grant was painting for her?

“Right,” she answered after a moment. “I’m sorry for bringing him here this morning, he insisted–“

“I’m sure he did,” Grant said as he held up a hand. “Kyle has a real knack for crossing lines. You don’t need to apologize for that. Or for seeing him if it’s helping you parse through your memories.”

Something about the way he said the last statement seemed hollow. A flicker of emotion crossed his eyes that she couldn’t read.

“I don’t know why almost all of my memories are of him. It’s frustrating.”

He snapped his gaze to her, his eyes narrowing as though he was trying to assess the statement.

“I have a sister,” she said with a shrug. “I can’t remember her either. You would think we spent a lot more time together than I ever did with Kyle, but not a single memory of her.”

“I’m sorry, Julia.”

“She called yesterday. I thought her voice would trigger something but nothing. This is just so frustrating.”

“Believe me, I wish you had all your memories back.”

She raised her eyebrows. “I’ll bet. Maybe then you could put this whole DG Industries mess to rest and move on with your life.”

The statement seemed to make him uncomfortable. He shifted from his lean against the desk and circled around it.

She suddenly wished she wouldn’t have said it. “Anyway, I think I’ll go let Kyle know he can leave and…well, I don’t know. I don’t remember anything that I used to do, so I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“I’ll call James. He can drive him back to his place. Why don’t we plan to go out to dinner tonight?” Grant asked. “Maybe that’ll trigger a memory for you.”

She tilted her head before a smile crept across her face. “Okay. As long as you have time. I’m sure you’re very busy.”

“I’m not too busy for that,” he answered. “We’ll go around six? It’ll be nice to eat dinner alone.”

“Great,” she said with a smile as she rose. “See you then.”

She stepped toward the door, ready to leave his office behind when he called to her. “Julia?”

“Yeah?” she asked as she twisted to face him.

“I’m glad you’re safe and home.”

“Thanks,” she said with a smile that lingered on her lips even as she left him behind. Was this all some sort of elaborate charade or did he actually care? Or did he care because he preferred not to field questions about where his wife had slept the night before or if something had happened to her?

She imagined the PR disaster if she’d ended up dead somewhere. Though he could have spun that as a grieving widower most likely.

The entire scenario made her head hurt again.

“Hey, you don’t look very happy,” Kyle said as she approached him.

“I’m fine.”

“Can we talk?”

“Ahhh, maybe it’s best if you–“

“Let me guess. It’s best if I go. I’ve upset the almighty Grant.”

She let her gaze fall to the marble floor, studying the black specks in it as she struggled to bridge the chasm that divided father and son.

“Julia, don’t let him dictate your life,” Kyle said.

“I’m not,” she answered, “but I’m trying to be fair.”

He shook his head, his annoyance obvious. “Nothing about this is fair. Especially not to you.”

“There’s just a lot going on right now, and I’m not sure I can handle all of it. The undercurrents here are way more than I’m capable of dealing with right now.”

“Okay,” he said, his disappointment obvious. “But I’m just going to say again before I go that I don’t think this is normal or healthy. The first thing you said to him when you got here was ‘I can explain.’ Julia, that’s not okay.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I just think it came across…awkwardly when you said it the way you did. Besides, given my current state, I’m not sure my abnormal, unhealthy contractual relationship is really the priority for concern.”

“Maybe it ought to be. Maybe this happened for a reason.”

The doors opened to Grant’s study, and he froze in the doorway, his eyes going back and forth between the two of them before landing on Kyle. “Oh, you’re still here.”

“Yes, I am,” he said with a sigh. “Because I’d like to talk to Julia, but thanks to you, she feels uncomfortable doing that.”

Julia shook her head. “That’s not…”

“And now she’s going to apologize for it or deny it because she’s too afraid to tell you the truth,” Kyle added.

Julia bit her lower lip as her features pinched. She had no idea what she felt, but these constant skirmishes were taxing. She didn’t want to upset the balance of the household she lived in, that wasn’t fair. But she couldn’t explain that to Kyle without him getting upset and blaming Grant.

“Okay, you know what, you’re welcome to stay, Kyle. Stay all day. Move back in if that makes you happy. Just stop pressuring Julia like this.”

“Me pressuring Julia? I’m hardly pressuring her. She knows that.”

“Oh, right, that’s why you’re seeking her out every chance you get.”

“I’m trying to help her, but to be clear, she came to my place on her own because she had another memory.”

The characteristic tense of Grant’s jaw alerted her that his frustration was growing. Even with no memory of him, she’d seen that enough to know Kyle was pushing every button he had.

“Please stop, both of you,” Julia said as she pressed her palm against her forehead. “I really hate that I’m causing this much trouble.”

“You’re not, he is,” both of them said at the same time.

She heaved a sigh, shaking her head. Her day already threatened to overwhelm her. She wondered if when she had all of her memories this was any easier to navigate. She supposed it was because she had a full picture of each of them. But this…threatened to be too much for her.

“Julia, I’m sorry,” Grant said as Kyle reached for her hand. “This isn’t what you need right now. We shouldn’t be adding to your stress.”

Kyle softened his tone. “For once, he’s right. I’m here for you, Julia. This shouldn’t be about our issues. I’m not trying to make things worse.”

She glanced between them, a mix of relief and uncertainty in her eyes. The complexity of their relationship seemed to depend on the labyrinth of her recovering memories despite both of them expressing their concern for her wellbeing. “I know. Neither one of you seems to be doing that, but you can’t be in the same room together without fighting. And while that may be normal for your relationship, right now nothing is normal for me. It’s all overwhelming.”

“I’m sorry,” Grant repeated. “Kyle, I’m sorry. Please stay as long as you’d like. No questions asked, no judgments.”

Kyle pressed his lips together as he eyed Julia. “Why don’t you take some time alone and text me when you want to talk?”

She kept her gaze trained on the floor as she nodded. “Okay. I think that’s probably best. I need to sort through some things.”

“Of course,” he said. “Call or text any time.”

She smiled at him as she squeezed his hand.

“James can take you back to the city. Unless you want to wait here,” Grant said.

Kyle squeezed her hand before he shook his head. “No, I’ll go back to my place. Thanks, though.”

Though the tension remained, it had eased considerably from the earlier argument. Julia blew out a sigh of relief as the door closed behind him. She shook her head as she opened her mouth to speak.

“Don’t apologize, Julia,” Grant said before she could.

“I feel like I should. This situation is becoming untenable.”

“That’s not your fault. It’s ours. Both of ours. And we really shouldn’t be arguing like this constantly in front of you. It traps you in the middle and that’s not fair.”

“Maybe it would be better if I went somewhere else…do I still have my apartment?”

“What?” Grant asked, his voice a mix of shock and disbelief. “No, Julia, that would not be better.”

“I just think this is too difficult. I don’t want to cause any more trouble, but at the same time, my biggest connection to my past is someone you can’t stand.”

“That’s fine. I’m a grown man, I can handle it. What I can’t handle is you somewhere else when you should be here with us so we can make sure you’re okay.”

She let her shoulders sag a little, still feeling guilty over her most recent actions.

“Julia, I’m serious. I want you here. Kyle can come and go as he pleases, I’m not going to say a word.”

She shook her head, the confusion and regret still swirling. “That’s really not fair to you.”

“I’m not worried about being fair, Julia, I’m worried about you and what you need right now.”

She stared up at him, trying to reconcile this version of Grant with the single memory she had of him and the information from Kyle. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. You have done more for me than I could ever thank you for. This is the least I can do.”

His words did little to ease her pain, but she clung to them anyway. She didn’t know enough about him to assess if they were genuine or not, but she had to take them at face value. “Okay.”

“Julia, I mean it. Stop worrying about Kyle and me. We’ll get along, okay?”

She furrowed her brow, her first instinct was to argue that he shouldn’t have to, but she squashed it. Sometimes maybe it was best to just accept help when it was offered. She forced a smile onto her face and nodded. “Okay.”

“Now, maybe you should try to relax. I know that feels like all you’ve been doing, but that seems to be what you need.”

“You’re right. My mind just keeps searching and searching, and quite frankly, it’s exhausting. That’s probably why I fell asleep on Kyle’s couch last night.”

“You slept on the couch?”

“Well, he did move me when he got home, but yes, I slept on the couch. Same thing as when I slept there the last time.” She smiled at the memory. “I fell asleep on the couch because he promised if I could stay awake for five minutes he’d take me back to the hospital.”

“I guess you didn’t make that.”

She chuckled at the statement, a measure of relief washing through her. “I think I made it two. Even with my sister’s call interrupting us.” She winced.

“What’s that face for?”

Julia wrinkled her nose as she glanced up at him through her eyelashes. “In my exhaustion, I stupidly told Kyle she didn’t know I was married, which of course, he picked up on.”

“Well, thanks to Sierra shouting about it, he knows everything anyway.”

“Oh,” she said with a furrowed brow. “He told me he knew but he didn’t say how he found out. At least, it wasn’t me.”

Grant laughed. “No, Julia, it wasn’t you. We have Sierra to thank for that. Anyway, let me know if you need anything, okay? No matter what it is, just come find me.”

“I will, thank you.”

After a last smile, she climbed the steps, heading back to her room. She stepped inside the quiet sanctuary, becoming more and more used to the space. Was she remembering it or simply becoming accustomed to it?

Her gaze fell to her phone. She’d left it behind in her frantic race to get to Kyle’s before she forgot it. Her behavior was erratic, and she hated herself for that. But every site she’d read had said it could be.

With a groan, she slumped into her chair, trying to piece together what she’d remembered with those memories she’d built since she awoke.

Nothing seemed to fit. She felt a pull toward Kyle, but nothing he said fit with Grant’s behavior. She scrubbed her face as her head began to ache again.

The unlatching of her door drew her attention. She swallowed hard as Lydia slinked into the room, easing the door shut behind her.

“Hi, Jason. It’s me…Lydia.”

She said her name slowly, as though Julia wouldn’t understand. “I remember your name, Lydia, but thank you. Jason?”

“Bourne. Jason Bourne. The famous amnesiac. Oh, you probably don’t remember that either.”

Julia heaved a sigh. “Did you need something?”

“Oh, I was just checking on you,” Lydia said as she waddled her way into the room and collapsed in the armchair next to Julia. “Figured we could shoot the breeze, spend a little girl gab time, get reacquainted.”

Julia crinkled her brow as she studied the made-up woman in her slinky dress. “Did we spend a lot of time together before?”

“Well, no, but…I thought I could be a guiding force as you navigate the rather…murky waters of Harrington House.”

Julia’s stomach fluttered at the idea. Lydia didn’t seem like the type who wished to be a guiding force but rather a crushing blow. Grant bristled at her presence. It seemed even Sierra did. Though she couldn’t be rude enough to throw her out, and maybe she’d learn something or even trigger a memory. “I see. And what guidance do you have for me?”

Lydia’s lips turned down as she lifted a shoulder. “Make your choice?”

Julia’s eyebrows knit as she tried to parse through the statement’s meaning. “What?”

Lydia’s features settled into an unimpressed stare. “Make your choice, Julia. Unless you enjoy pitting father and son against each other.”

Julia’s lips parted at the words. She didn’t enjoy the tension, but she was trying to get her memory back any way she could. “I don’t, but–”

“Could have fooled me,” Lydia answered. “It seems like you quite enjoy this little…triangle you’ve created.”

“What?” Julia cried.

“Oh, stop playing innocent. That may work with Grant and Junior Cadet, but it won’t fly with me.”

“Lydia, I’m not–”

“Save it for someone who believes your saintly act, Julia. I see what’s going on here. You’ve got Grant’s ring on your finger, but you’re slinking off at every turn with the young buck. Spending the night with him even. That’s bold.”

“That’s not how it was at all,” she said with a desperate shake of her head.

“Right. He’s so concerned and interested because you’re not sleeping with him.”

“I’m not!” she exclaimed.

“It makes no difference to me if you are or aren’t. But here’s something to consider. I have it on very good authority that Grant’s…losing interest in you. So, you may want to snatch up the other one before he’s gone. Although, if you want my honest opinion, you’re dull enough that anyone would lose interest.”

Julia screwed up her face at the words as she scoffed. Lydia rose from her seat and stalked to the door, pausing before she opened it. “Grant and I have been spending a lot of time together. The spark between us never really died. But the one between you two is about to burn out. The only reason he hasn’t let you go yet is because he feels guilty about your little memory problem. Why don’t you just make this easy for all of us and ride off into the sunset with…whoever.”

Lydia spun on her heel and flung the door open before she disappeared into the hall.

Julia sat in stunned silence, Lydia’s harsh words washing over her. How true were they? Did Grant bristle at Lydia’s presence because he was drawn to her but they couldn’t be together because of the marriage contract?

The conversation added a new layer of confusion to the already mixed-up world she lived in. Her mind swirled as confusion reigned. She rose from her seat and paced the floor before she crossed to her nightstand, grabbed her phone and her keys, and left the room.

As she reached the foyer, muffled voices floated through the closed doors to Grant’s office. She recognized Lydia’s voice, undoubtedly revealing the conversation she’d had with Julia moments earlier. Had Grant asked her to do it?

She pushed into the morning air and skirted her car, still sitting outside the door from earlier. She’d text Grant later, for now, she just wanted to be off the property. She fired the engine and left the house behind with no destination in mind.

She threaded through the streets as indignation burned inside her. When she stared at a familiar building, she sighed. Was this a wrong move?

Without answering the question, she parked her car, took the elevator upstairs, and stood outside of Kyle’s apartment. She sighed as she knocked at the door.

It opened a moment later. “Julia! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said as she strode into his place. “I’m sorry for coming, but I didn’t want to stay at that house right now.”

He eased the door closed as he reached for her hand. “You don’t have to apologize, Julia.”

“I do. This isn’t fair to anyone–”

“I don’t care. Come in.” He slipped an arm around her and guided her to the couch. “Sit down.”

She plopped onto the couch that had brought her so much comfort the night before with a sigh.

“What happened? Was it my father?”

“No,” she said with a sigh. “It was Lydia.”

Kyle sighed as he slouched back against the cushions. “She could drive anyone crazy.”

“So, it’s her, right? She’s not normal.”

“No, she’s definitely not.”

“Why does she live in that house?” Julia asked him.

“Uh, because she’s Sierra’s mother. I think…” Kyle winced as he slid his gaze to her. “You’re the reason she’s there.”

“Me?!” Julia cried, her voice incredulous.

“She showed up after the explosion claiming she wanted to be a family again. She announced she was moving back in and, despite protestation from both Sierra and Grant, after the three of you talked, you agreed to let her move back in.”

Julia chewed her lower lip as she tried to make sense of the statement. Why had she allowed that to happen? Merely for Sierra’s sake or because she’d picked up on the connection between Lydia and Grant and expected the contract to end?

“Let me get you some water.” Kyle hurried to the kitchen to retrieve the glass, then eased onto the couch as he held it out to her.

She accepted it and took a sip. “Why does nothing ever make any sense?”

“I don’t think sense and Lydia fit in the same sentence,” he answered.

Julia sighed as she shook her head. “She says she and Grant are getting back together.”

Kyle’s eyes widened at the statement. “What’s he going to do about the contract?”

“I’m not sure it’s true. And before you say you believe it, she also accused us of sleeping together.”

Kyle rolled his eyes. “She’s always very accusatory.”

Julia took another sip of her water, feeling herself relax.

“Any luck with any other memories?”

She eased back into the cushions with a sigh. “No. At least I didn’t have any memories about Lydia because I’m pretty certain those would be disturbing enough to make me not want to remember anything anymore.”

“I hope you get them back eventually, though hopefully, you’ll have some better ones before that.”

“Me too.” She tapped her fingers against her glass as her features pinched. “Do you have any cookies?”

“What?” he asked.

“Cookies. Do you have cookies?”

“Uhhh…”

“Seriously? How can you not have cookies?”

Kyle pushed himself from the couch. “My father wasn’t kidding about your eating habits. I think I have cookies. Wait, I’ll get them.”

She rose, too, following him into the kitchen with a chuckle. “Do I eat a lot of cookies?”

“You eat a lot of ice cream, from what I hear,” Kyle said as he tugged open a cupboard and shifted a few items around. “Here we go.”

He spun to hand her the cookies. She grinned at him as she reached for them when something about his eyes twisted her temples into a knot. The smile faded from her features as scattered images floated by in her mind.

Cool air against her skin, the city in the distance, Kyle’s car parked on the side of the road as she paced near it.

Her breathing turned ragged as fear ramped up inside her.

“Julia?” Kyle asked.

Her eyebrows furrowed even more as the memory of a heated argument—one that had frightened her—marched across her mind. Memories flooded back of being kidnapped, rescued, but then forced to stay with Kyle. He’d frightened her as he’d threatened to destroy Grant.

“Julia?” Kyle repeated as he reached for her.

She gasped in a breath, snapping her eyes up to his. The glass slipped from her hand, shattering at her feet as the memory hit her with full force.

“Whoa, Julia, what’s wrong?”

“You,” she breathed out.

“What about me?”

“You…you had something to do with my kidnapping. You wouldn’t let me go.”

He held a hand out as he tensed. “Julia, easy, I can explain.”

“No!” she shouted, panic forcing her back a step.

“Julia, please, this isn’t what you think.”

She wagged a finger at him as she backed away. “Stay away from me.”

His features took on a pained look as he desperately pleaded with her. “You have to listen. Just sit down, and I’ll explain all of this.”

“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “No.”

She twisted to flee, wanting out of that apartment as quickly as she could manage.

He grabbed her arm before she could get away, sending another jolt of panic through her. “Wait, Julia.”

“Let go of me!” she cried as she tugged against him.

With one yank, she managed to free her arm but lost her balance. She tumbled backward, losing her balance and slamming forehead first into the corner of the sofa table. Pain bloomed as stars floated in front of her. As the world turned black, she felt herself falling.