Claiming You (How to Marry a Billionaire #4)

Episode 132

EPISODE 132

EMILY FALLS IN LOVE

Emily

I cling to River as if my life depends on it. I’m not sure whether I’m frightened, angry, or ready to throw up.

Seems a little of all three.

“Christ, Misty,” Sebastian says. “Your father? The hotel magnate? Why the hell would he fuck Evangeline? And why would she think he’s a danger to her baby?”

Misty, still soaking wet, plunks down onto the sand and buries her face in her hands. Brett goes to her, sits beside her, and puts an arm around her.

Alex joins them on Misty’s other side and takes her hand.

I’m not even slightly jealous of their intimacy, and in that instant I regret choosing Alex for my date tomorrow.

If that date even happens. At this point, who knows what will happen?

I should have chosen River. So he was acting like an ass at dinner. So what?

Bloody hell.

I’ve gone and fallen in love with a Montana rancher .

A Montana rancher who still doesn’t know the truth about why I’m here.

River tightens his hold on me. The gesture is comforting, but does little to quell the storm inside me.

“Because he’s a monster, that’s why,” Misty finally says, her voice muffled by her hands. She doesn’t cry, just trembles slightly as if the cold reality just sank deep into her bones.

Brett delicately brushes the wet hair off Misty’s face, looking at her with a worried glance.

“His money and power don’t make him any less of a beast,” Misty says, her voice eerily calm. “You all think I have some ulterior motive for being here. I do. But it’s not just that I’m looking for answers.” She swallows and gazes out to the ocean as if she’s looking at something that’s not there. “My father has a lot of money and power, but the four of you... You have more. You can...”

“We can what?” Brett asks gently.

Misty turns away from the ocean and toward Brett, her gaze so intense I almost think she’s trying to communicate something with her mind. “You can help me find out about myself,” she whispers. Barely audible, but each word sharp enough to pierce the tranquil night sounds. “I haven’t been able to find out anything other than my birth mother’s name and that she had another child. The son who’s your same age.”

River tightens his arm around me again. This is usually where he’d make some sort of snide comment to Misty...but he doesn’t. Instead, he remains uncharacteristically silent, his arm around my waist a tense band of protective strength.

I nestle my head against his shoulder, his wet body a comfort. It’s a warm night, but all of this... It’s chilling .

“Your father,” Sebastian says. “Could he have any motive for keeping this from you?”

Misty scoffs out a humorless chuckle. “You mean other than the fact that he’s an evil bastard who’s intent on controlling everyone around him?”

“What’s his connection to Evie?” Sebastian asks. “I mean, other than the kid.”

“Think about it,” Misty says, again looking out to sea.

River lets go of me. “Damn it, Misty!” His voice explodes into the night. “You can’t just drop a bomb like that and then expect us to fill in the blanks! Start making sense. Now.”

Misty doesn’t flinch or retreat from River’s sudden outburst. Instead, she smiles slightly, a sorrowful and defeated kind of smile. “That high-profile match that went wrong for Evangeline? My father sabotaged it. And then he...”

“For the love of God, what?” I demand.

Misty stays silent.

“Misty,” Brett says, “how did Evangeline become pregnant with your father’s child?”

Misty stiffens. Her gaze drifts back to the sea once more. “He forced himself on her,” she finally says, shuddering.

The impact of that confession rings through our group like a gunshot. We all fall silent, the only sound being the soft lapping of the waves on the nearby shore. The air thickens with an unspeakable tension. I can taste it, a sour note in my mouth that makes me want to gag.

“What?” Sebastian shakes his head. “Are you saying he raped her?”

“No.” Misty squares her shoulders. “It wasn’t as straightforward as that.”

River looks as though he might explode again, but Alex interjects before he can. “Then explain it to us, Misty. Plain and simple.”

“My father didn’t physically force himself on her,” Misty begins. “He manipulated her. Convinced her that he was what she needed, what she wanted.” She inhales sharply. “My father took away everything she cherished—prospects, reputation, happiness. And Evangeline... She was desperate, vulnerable and...”

“And your father exploited that,” Brett finishes quietly.

A beat of silence follows before Misty nods.

The men—even River—seem to believe Misty.

But I’m not convinced.

Not by a fucking long shot.

“Tell me, then,” I say, keeping my voice as calm as I can. “If your father took away Evangeline’s livelihood, forced himself on her, knocked her up, and she’s afraid of what he’ll do to her and the baby if he finds out, why the hell are you using what you know as leverage?”

River goes rigid once more. “Emily’s right. What the fuck is truly going on here, Misty?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” She shakes her head.

I huff. “Uh...not to me.”

“I was trying to help her,” Misty says. “I heard through the grapevine that you, Brett, were looking for a matchmaker to put together an event for you and your three best friends. Evangeline is a matchmaker. And I had just found out that my birth mother was from the same small Montana town as you. And River...you still live there.”

River’s gorgeous features tense up, and I know what that means. He’s ready to blow.

“The poor woman’s been through hell because of your father,” he grits out, “and you’re using her, Misty. You’re using her for your own gain. Using what you know as leverage to get what you want. You’re a fucking blackmailer, and I don’t want anything to do with you.” He grabs my hand. “Come on, Emily. I’ve had enough of this.”

“No.” Brett’s voice is loud and firm. “We’re all in this together, Riv.”

Something passes between River and Brett at that moment.

A look. A silent understanding that only years of friendship could produce. River’s anger doesn’t dissipate, but it cools for a moment, his gaze never leaving Brett’s.

“I’m not a blackmailer,” Misty says, her voice trembling slightly. “I only wanted to help her and in return find out about my birth. I can’t get any information. It’s like my birth mother vanished without a trace. And I can’t find any information on who my birth father might be. I’ve tried several private investigators, but there’s no trace. It’s as if they don’t want to be found, as if someone with significant resources is blocking my path.”

River’s grip on my hand tightens to the point of discomfort, but I don’t say anything. I can feel his anger radiating off him like a heat wave.

“You said your father didn’t know you found your adoption papers,” he says.

“He doesn’t. At least not that I know of.”

“And if he finds out?” Brett’s question hangs heavy in the air.

Misty shrugs, a hollow, detached look on her face. “He can’t hurt me any more than he already has.” She pauses a moment. “But he can hurt Evangeline. And her baby.”