Secret Revenge: An Enemies-to-Lovers Billionaire Romance

21. Emily

My apartment door shut, isolating me and Travis from the rest of the world. I was at his mercy now.

Travis’ heavy leather soles thudded loudly on my wooden floors as he made his way slowly into the house, and the sounds competed with the heavy heart beats thumping inside my chest. I followed slowly behind him, watching him warily as his eyes swept my living room.

I had never felt uncomfortable with my space before, but watching him sweep through my sparse furnishings with his eyes, I became conscious of how humble they probably looked to him.

For all I knew, he had never stepped into such a house in his entire life, used to affluence as he had been since his birth. I blushed a little from my embarrassment, but pushed the thought away immediately. There were more serious things to worry about than Travis’ perception of my apartment.

He walked towards my couch and turned back to look at me. “May I?” he asked with a voice so even, I had no idea what sorts of thoughts were running through his head.

I realized that I had been silent the whole time and cleared my throat nervously to avoid stuttering like an idiot. “Sure, of course. Please, have a seat.”

He nodded and sat in a corner of the couch. I sat in an armchair several paces away from him, making mental calculations about how fast I could get to the door if he chose to charge at me. It was a ridiculous thought: why would he attack me when he had the power of the courts and the law on his side? And he seemed so…calm.

Maybe it was the calm that unnerved me.

I clasped my hands in my lap, trying to still the trembling, a nervous reaction that had begun the moment I saw Travis on my porch.”Travis looked as cold and hard as though he had been chiseled out of a slab of rock. He sat motionless, and his dark eyes watched me coolly with a calm I had no chance of emulating.

The entire time I had known him, I had managed to keep him out of my house. I’d told myself this was a safety precaution, but in reality, I didn’t want to deal with memories of him in my personal space. Now he was here, and there was no going back.

I had betrayed him for nothing. All that work, and I hadn’t been able to find so much as a parking ticket written against him. He said he had come to give me a chance to explain myself. I didn’t know why he wanted to hear what I had to say. I knew I didn’t deserve that courtesy.

I was a criminal for all that the word meant. I intended to take all the blame for the data leak and whatever charges his lawyers chose to tack on with it. I didn’t want Michael or Jonathan in danger.

Travis watched me expectantly. I wondered if he wanted me to incriminate myself. And the truth was, I was out of will to resist. Lying now would only make my betrayal look worse in his eyes.

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, avoiding his gaze. “My real name isn’t Emily Skye. I mean, it is right now, but it was originally Emily Anderson. I assume you found that out already?”

Travis nodded, his expression unreadable

“You have no idea what it was like being around my father after he had everything taken away from him,” I continued. I kept my eyes on my shoes, and struggled to keep my emotions in check as I went down memory lane. “I watched him break into pieces before my eyes. He stopped being the wonderful man he used to be and turned horrible.

“He would sit in a corner of the house, drinking all day. There was the verbal abuse hurled at me and my mother. Having to duck out of the way of the empty whiskey bottles he would throw at us.

“He stopped helping with the family life in any way. My mom had to work extra hours just to keep us afloat. I know my father wasn’t blameless. There are no excuses for the monster he became. But…”

I paused in my narration, taking several deep breaths as I forced away the tears that had been welling up in my eyes. I’d never bared myself like this to anyone before. I could only imagine how silly I looked, telling a sob story to seemingly escape punishment for my wrongdoing.

Travis remained quiet while I composed myself, holding back whatever questions he probably had for the time being.

“Everything changed when I found my father dead. Alcohol poisoning,” I managed to force the words out. “I was just sixteen, a junior in high school preparing for school that morning. It changed my life.

“I found him sprawled lifelessly on the carpet, a half empty bottle beside his head. The living room reeked of vomit. That morning, kneeling beside his body, I made a silent vow to get revenge for my father on Travis Ross Senior, your father.”

For the first time during my narration, Travis shifted in his perch. I glanced up at him, afraid of what I might see. I saw his lips move, as if he intended to say something, but he remained silent. He assumed perfect composure once again, a perfect mask.

“After my father’s funeral, I began searching the papers for anyone that had exposed Mr. Ross for his crimes. I was disappointed to find that no one had ever spoken out against him, at least not successfully. There was no mention of his evil in the countless newspapers I read.

“Instead, I found articles, which were obviously paid for, where your father was painted in a good light. Talking about the charitable foundations he gave a pittance of his profits to convince the public he was doing good things with his wealth.

“That was when I decided to become a journalist. I threw myself into my studies with a single purpose. I wanted to be the person who exposed men like your father, dragging their crimes to the light and bringing justice to the people like me, whose lives men like him had altered and destroyed endlessly over the years.

“Luckily, my mom met and married someone else… a good guy. I decided to take my stepfather’s name, Skye, in an effort to remain anonymous. In a cruel twist of fate, the day I graduated from NYU was the same day your father died.

“I felt cheated when I found out about his death. I couldn’t destroy a dead man. Taking him down had become my sole purpose and his sudden death left a gaping hole where my desire for vengeance had been.

“And then, you and your brothers took over the family business. I was so convinced that you were all little pieces of the same monster, and it infuriated me to watch you act like you were different from him. I felt a renewed sense of purpose. If I could not take down the father, I could take down his pretentious sons.”

I took a pause and swallowed hard. I looked up at Travis and saw that he remained unmoved, impassive like a marble statue. “Would you like me to get you anything?” I asked sheepishly. That was my guilt talking.

“No, thank you. I’m fine.” His reply was as perfunctory as his countenance, his voice barely loud enough to be heard. “Please, go on.”

I shrugged and sighed. “I admit, I did come to Calypso that night because of you.”

Travis’ expression betrayed his shock. It was clear he had not been expecting that piece of information.

“I know what you’re thinking,” I said. “At the time, I was convinced you still worked with Blackwell, one of your late dad’s strongest allies before his death.”

“How did you manage to get into Calypso on your own?” Travis asked quietly. “I mean, have you been working alone this whole time?”

I considered his question thoroughly. I didn’t want to implicate Jonathan or Michael, but it would be ludicrous to pretend I’d done all this on my own.

“I had help from a few people…” I began. “A friend of mine provided technical support, and I got my funding from Jonathan. He’s another journalist and like me, he had a bone to pick with your father. I know I broke the law several times with my actions. And I know I betrayed your trust. But I genuinely believed I was doing so for the greater good. When I found out the truth…” I looked away.

“I found out that you were nothing like your father and that you had never been. I really can’t even tell you how sorry I am. I have never been so wrong in my life about anyone as I was about you. This whole time I believed you were a monster, and all you wanted to do was some good. I am willing to accept whatever punishment you have in mind. I deserve it.”

I felt out of breath when I finished speaking. I felt like I had been speaking for hours and my throat felt dry. I could feel my emotions bubbling to the surface, my control over them tenuous. With the way Travis sat watching me, I was certain he couldn’t make up his mind on a suitable enough punishment. I was certain that he would not be able to forgive me. I had broken his trust in the worst ways possible.

I thought about my mother and stepfather. How would they feel when they found out I was going to jail? All I wanted to do was help them, but all I had done was make myself a burden to them. My student loans would pile up while I was behind bars. At least Travis would find them and pay them reparations. He didn’t seem like the type to blame them for my actions.

Given the high profile of the brothers, I was sure that mine wasn’t going to be a short sentence. Stealing corporate data violated several federal laws and I could count on Travis’ big bucks lawyers to pursue the maximum sentence possible. I almost laughed aloud when I realized I could not afford a lawyer for myself, and that I was probably going to rely on the lawyer provided by the state for my defense. I was going to be put away for a long time, and all for nothing.

Travis got up from his seat and walked briskly towards me. I sat up straight and made an effort to maintain eye contact with him. Before I could process what he wanted, he reached down and pulled me gently to my feet. To my utmost surprise, he wrapped his strong arms around me in a hug.

My mind felt foggy. Why was he hugging me? My confusion mixed with a surge of hope and the dam of my emotions broke with a loud crack. The tears I had managed to keep at bay the whole time forced their way out of my eyes, and I was powerless against the onslaught. I sobbed and keened in his arms. I had wanted to go out with dignity, with my head held high. Now, I didn’t care anymore. Why was he being so kind? I didn’t deserve his kindness after everything I had done to him.

“I’m not going to press charges, Emily,” Travis said softly, patting my head gently. “I never intended to.”

“Why?”

“Because I understand why you did what you did,” Travis replied. “I know that you meant well, and that your actions came from a good place. You weren’t trying to make a quick buck at my expense. You only wanted to learn the truth. Hell, I might have done the same in your position. If I were as brave as you.”

He broke off the hug and smiled at me. I couldn’t understand it.

“It’s also not entirely your fault. You were used,” he said.

I blinked in confusion. “What do you mean? I did everything I did willingly.”

“You mentioned a man you called Jonathan. Jonathan West is one of Blackwell’s henchmen. When my brothers found this out, they immediately thought the worst, but I believed you were being tricked. After listening to you now, I know I was correct.”

My eyes widened and fresh tears of panic spilled down my cheeks as Travis raised his phone, showing me pictures of Jonathan with Blackwell.

I immediately remembered how antagonistic Jonathan had been about the USB drive. The severity of my situation grew in my mind.

“I- I promise I had no idea Travis! I didn’t give them anything I took! I swear! I’ve only looked through it myself…” I was desperate for him to believe me.

Surprisingly, Travis offered comfort, “It”s okay. I wouldn”t blame you, even if you had shared it. Your intentions were to do the right thing.””

He wiped my tears and tucked a loose lock of hair behind my ear. The tender gesture weakened my knees. Gently, he lifted my chin, bringing our eyes to meet.

“Emily… that’s one of the things I love the most about you.”

My heart stopped. I stared into his eyes.

Love…?

It couldn’t be. It couldn’t be.