The Rebel Billionaire (The Frazer Family #5)

Chapter 1

HARPER

Iblink, my eyes locking on the brown envelope sliding across the table.

Focus, Harper!

I stare at the mouth of the woman opposite me. My thundering heartbeat smothers all other sounds, making it impossible to decipher what she’s saying.

A hand grips my arm. The sensation grounds me, and the sound of the plane rushes back in. I turn my head. Kristophe.

He hands me a bottle of ice-cold water.

“Drink,” he says.

I do as I’m told.

I close my eyes as the frigid liquid forces me into the present.

You’re Harper Brooke Frazer. Get a grip.

Opening them, I sit up straighter and meet the woman’s steely stare. Her piercing gaze seems to sink into my soul.

“Who are you again?” I ask.

“I’m The Seamstress, but who I am doesn’t matter. It’s why I’m here that does.”

She sits back, apparently satisfied that she has my attention.

My eyes meet Kris’s. He doesn’t look fazed.

Does he know her?

Did he know I was going to be ambushed?

I take another long swig of the water and gather my thoughts.

Pen told me I can trust him, and I trust her. She’s like a second sister. Someone who would never hurt Elijah or me. She organised my grand escape and enabled me to make a run for it.

The woman opposite leans forward and taps the envelope.

A memory surfaces.

“You knew my father,” I say.

She ignores me, but her shoulders tense.

“This contains your new identity,” she says. “Open it. Memorise it.”

The woman I remember was younger, but it’s definitely her. I’m good with faces.

I incline my head.

Gone is the glamour. Now she looks like a middle-aged schoolteacher. A strict one. The kind I loved proving myself to.

My stomach churns.

“I don’t understand,” I say, refocusing. “I thought the plan was for me to lie low for a couple of months. Stay with a friend of my mother’s until things calmed down. Are you telling me that’s changed?”

She sighs, the sound surprising me.

“No, the plan remains the same. Only the computer we recovered from Sir Leonard Crawley’s office has revealed further information, so we are employing additional safety measures.”

“What information?”

“I’m not at liberty to share.”

I quirk an eyebrow as I meet her gaze. “Not at liberty to share?” I say, determined to hold firm, despite my skin crawling at the mere mention of the man’s name.

“That’s what I said.”

“But it involves me?”

She stares ahead, as if considering what she can reveal. Her lips tighten.

“All I can tell you is that we believe your life is in danger.”

An icy chill slides down my spine.

She’s not joking.

I drop back in my seat.

“This information you’ve uncovered affects me? My life? But you’re not at liberty to share?”

Crossing my arms over my chest, the compulsion I’ve always had to stand up for myself comes to the forefront. That’s the joy of having four much older siblings who spent my entire childhood trying to tell me what to do.

“Excuse me if I have a problem with that,” I say. “That bastard and his cronies just blew up my life. Are you telling me they had other things planned? Haven’t they fucked with me enough?”

She raises an eyebrow, but I refuse to back down.

Who does she think she is?

She’s boarded Kris’s private plane, delayed take-off, and is now trying to dictate how my life is run.

Forgive me if I have questions!

“This is no longer just about you. The sex tape he released was the tip of the iceberg.”

“Deepfake sex tape,” I correct.

My stomach roils at the memory. It may not have been me. But they used my face and voice.

“And I beg to differ. This is about me. It’s my life he has blown up. You need to give me something.”

Our eyes clash, neither willing to look away. I swear I sense indecision.

“You did know my father,” I say again.

She sits back and nods.

“It’s why I’m here.” Her lips twitch. “You’re clearly as stubborn as he was.”

I lift my chin. “I knew I recognised you. You used to come to his office.”

Her mouth opens and closes. “I’m surprised you remember. You were only five, maybe six.” She inclines her head, pausing for a second. “Fine, but what I’m about to tell you cannot be repeated.”

Her eyes move to Kris, and he nods.

“As I said, you’re not the only one affected, and until we sort this out and have all the perpetrators in custody, your life and the lives of others are at risk.”

I draw a breath. “Are you saying someone wants to kill me?”

She shakes her head, her nose wrinkling. “In some ways, what we’ve uncovered would be worse than death. These men, if you can call them that, run a human trafficking gang. If they get you, I’m not sure even we will be able to find you.”

My blood runs cold at her words. My hand trembles as I take another sip of water.

She continues before I can think too much about her words.

“Remember, Harper, these men are not after money. They want leverage and power. Taking you would give them that, and more.” Our eyes meet. “Tell me, what would your brothers, sister, mother do if someone threatened you?”

I bite my lip, wanting to deny it, but knowing I can’t. She’s right. They’d turn the world upside down to ensure my safety. Over the past few weeks, I’ve watched them tear themselves apart, wanting to protect me but knowing they can’t.

Getting on this plane was supposed to be my escape, a break from the guilt of what I’ve put them through. My impulsivity over the past seven years has finally caught up with me and bitten me on the arse.

“What are you saying?” I ask. “That someone wants to kidnap me? But Crawley is dead.”

“Crawley may be dead, but he was not the one calling the shots. He became a loose cannon. We’re not even sure he knew who was at the top of the pyramid, and the others we’ve arrested aren’t talking. They’re scared.”

A shiver racks my body.

There’s a reason they say ignorance is bliss.

“We’re still going through all the documents and files we uncovered, but we need you on board. If not, I cannot guarantee your safety.”

My hand goes to the envelope.

“And this?” I ask.

“This contains your new identity,” she says calmly.

“The moment you land in the United States, Harper Frazer disappears, and Brooke Feldmann, a girl from a tiny village in southern England, is born. You’ll be hiding in plain sight, but will need to blend in.

I cannot stress enough how important it is that you tell and trust no one with your real identity.

” Her voice hardens. “Only Sophia Bianchi can know the truth, and that is only because your mother contacted her, and she’s expecting you.

” She sighs. “If I change that part of the plan, then Francesca will recall you, and we’ll be back to square one. ”

“You want me to lie to my mother?”

“No, I want you to do what she’s expecting. Allow Sophia Bianchi to assist you, hide you.” She stares me down. “But make no mistake, Harper. This operation’s success is entirely on you.”

My gaze shifts to Kris, sitting across the aisle.

His eyes meet mine, unwavering and firm.

Sucking in a breath, I pick up the envelope, emptying the contents onto the table. A new passport, driver’s licence, birth certificate, school reports, exam certificates. Shit, they’ve covered everything. There’s even a CV.

“The references are real. If someone calls or writes, they’ll receive either a verbal or written response.”

I glance over the documents. Brooke studied the same subjects as I did—helpful. At least I’m not expected to know facts I haven’t learned. The grades, however, aren’t mine. This is Brooke. Harper Frazer is a straight-A student. Brooke is average at best.

I flick through the passport. It contains several entry and exit stamps. Again, places I’ve travelled to.

“Nothing will flag up. Brooke exists. She’s you,” she says confidently.

“Who are you?”

“I’m a friend, and provided you don’t cross me or put my officers and this investigation at risk—”

“And if I do?”

Her expression hardens, her mouth forming a tight line. “It’s not something I would advise.”

I pick up each item, then place them back into the envelope before holding up one final booklet.

“What’s this?”

“Your life story. Read it, memorise it, and then destroy it before you leave this plane. You have a near-photographic memory. I’m not asking the impossible.”

Fuck, not many people know that.

“Stick to the facts listed when discussing your past, but my recommendation is to keep to yourself as much as you can. It’ll be safer that way.”

I flick through the pages. Family members, friends, schools, places I liked to hang out as a child, clubs I went to in my teens. The names of old boyfriends, my first part-time job, and my full-time job.

Shit, they’ve thought of everything.

I glance up.

Understanding passes over her face.

“I know it’s a lot…”

“Please don’t say you understand or that it won’t be easy.”

“Oh, it won’t. It’s going to be damn near impossible.

” Her chin lifts. “You’re intelligent, sociable, not to mention impulsive and reckless.

Your influencer platform and your partying days have shone a spotlight on you.

I’m asking you to become a nobody, someone people walk past in the street, the wallflower at every party.

Brooke Feldmann must become everything Harper Frazer is not. ”

Bile burns the back of my throat.

Too much time inside my own head has never been a good thing. Can I go against my natural DNA? My personality?

If I’m not Harper Frazer, what is left for people to be drawn to?

For the safety of my family. I’ll do anything. Never again will I—

I close my eyes and refocus.

“You must delete your social media presence. Brooke Feldmann is not online, and it must remain that way. Photographs and posts can be flagged, searched, and matched through facial recognition. You need to disappear, become untraceable. You’re moving to a city where cameras are on every building and street corner, and in every hallway. ”

“So why am I going to New York? Surely—”