Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
JULIA
J ulia stared at the rosy picture on her phone, memories of snapping it before she and Grant left the beach together spilling into her mind. Her thumb rubbed the wedding band around her finger. They’d left that beach with a plan and a new resolve. They’d left that beach as a team.
But were they a team in name only?
She killed the display, unable to look at the picture anymore. Their vacation to her hometown had been a disaster. What Sierra had hoped would be a time for family bonding had turned into a fight between her past and present. And one that had nearly torn her apart.
In the end, she realized as she sat alone in a cave, trapped by a rockslide after saving her stepdaughter who had fallen over a cliff, that she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t at least finish what she and Grant had started.
Even if it meant her heart would be broken in the process.
She set her phone down on the desk and stared blankly at her computer screen. Memories of Luke and Grant floated through her mind. She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to stop the march of unwanted thoughts, but failed.
Seeing Luke again had triggered a maelstrom of emotions within her from their deep-seated connection to the anguish of the harrowing decision to leave him behind. She reminded herself why she’d done that and that nothing had changed since she had. At least not for him.
She, on the other hand, had developed feelings that went well beyond the parameters of the contract tying her to her current husband. She bit her lower lip as she tried to temper the frustration swirling within her.
Why had she been so stupid as to have allowed him into her heart? Even if he felt the same way, which she highly doubted, she couldn’t trust him. She was nothing like his ex-wives. Based on their looks and personalities, he wouldn’t have picked her from the bunch.
And even if he did, his track record suggested their relationship would crash and burn faster than a doomed rocketship.
She shook her head at herself, trying to focus on the problem they faced. They’d learned some information from their double agent, Kyle, but not enough to stop her plans.
And even if they had enough information to nail Lydia for what she was doing, they still risked her exposing the photos of Sierra. She curled her fingers into a fist. She couldn’t let that happen.
The jangling of her phone interrupted her thoughts. She glanced down at the display, spotting her sister, Alicia’s name.
Her mind automatically recalled the last time they’d seen each other. As they’d sat on the runway in Harbor Cove, waiting to be cleared for takeoff, the pilot appeared in the cabin. “We can’t take off.”
“What’s the problem?” Grant asked.
“There’s a cop car blocking the runway.”
Grant’s annoyance had been obvious, though, after everything her sister had done to try to separate them despite her contractual obligation, she couldn’t blame him.
Julia winced. “That’s probably Ally. I’ll talk to her.”
“Wait,” Grant said, grabbing her wrist as she stood. “You shouldn’t go alone.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea if you go, too. She’ll just accuse you of–“
Grant flicked his eyebrows up. “I’m a little worried about you not coming back if you go alone.”
“For once, I agree with him,” Kyle said. “Your sister is crazy.”
“You ought to talk, Crazy Kyle,” Sierra shot back.
“I’m not crazy. Although, I’m not sure I can say the same for Alicia. She literally faked a restraining order to stop us from seeing Julia.”
Sierra lifted a shoulder in the air. “You kidnapped her.”
“Fine, fine. I’m crazy. Which means I can easily assess someone else who is crazy.”
“Will you two stop bickering?” Grant spat before he rose, taking Julia’s hands in his. He centered his gaze on her, his features pinched with concern. “Julia, I’m just a little worried about what she may do.”
“I’m coming back. I promise. But she’s not going to leave unless I talk to her.”
“Or she kidnaps you,” Kyle said.
“Is that your professional takes-one-to-know-one assessment?” Sierra asked.
“She’s not going to kidnap me. That would be stupid because you’d know where I am.”
“But we can’t get to you because the cops and people here will just close ranks around you like some kind of human bubble.” Kyle rose, shaking his head. “I’ll go with you.”
“If anyone’s going, I’ll go,” Grant said.
“It would be better if–“
“No one is going with me. This will be much easier if I go alone. Now, please, let me get this over with so we can get out of here.”
Grant heaved a sigh as he nodded. “Okay. But if you don’t come back in fifteen minutes–“
“Yep,” she answered with a slight smile.
Worthington opened the cabin door and she climbed down the stairs to the tarmac. Her sister emerged from the police cruiser blocking their plane, slicking a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. Her red eyes betrayed that she’d been crying, and her pinched features suggested she still carried the worry with her.
“Really, Ally?” Julia asked as the woman crossed to her.
Before she spoke, her lips tugged into a frown. She flicked her gaze to her boots as a tear slid down her cheek. “Juju, please don’t go.”
Julia sucked in a breath, trying to find the strength for this argument after the long week. “Ally…”
“No, please. I…I’m sorry, okay? I went way over the top. I get it. I just…” She licked her lips as she blew out a shaky breath. “I can’t have you leaving when you hate me.”
Her voice cracked and the last few words came out like a squeak. Julia pressed her lips together before she pulled her sister into a hug. “I don’t hate you, Ally.”
The firm grip around her shoulders tightened as her sister’s shoulders shook with sobs.
“Ally, it’s okay. I don’t hate you.”
Alicia pulled back, wiping at her cheeks. “But you’re leaving.”
“Because I have to. You know that.”
Alicia chewed her lower lip. “Please don’t go back with him just because of what I did. I’ll stop, okay? I promise. No more pushing Luke, no more–“
“Ally, I’m not going back with Grant because of anything you did. This isn’t me teaching you a lesson or punishing you for anything you did. You don’t like what’s happening. I get it, but…”
“But?” Alicia asked with a sniffle.
“But that doesn’t mean I agree with you or that I’m going to do what you say.”
Alicia scrunched her lips as she flicked her teary-eyed gaze out over the landscape. “I am so scared this is going to take you away from me for good. Juju, you nearly died.”
“I know. I know how that must have been finding out about it after the fact. And I’m sorry. But we need to finish what we started. There is more at stake here than you realize.”
“For you or for him?”
Julia let her gaze fall to the pavement below her feet. “For everyone.”
Alicia set her hands on her hips, the badge on her belt glinting in the afternoon sun. “So, there’s nothing I can do to stop you from getting back on that plane?”
Julia shook her head. “No. But now you know, so you can call me anytime and check on me. You can call Grant if you can’t get a hold of me.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he’ll answer my calls.”
“He will. He understands why you were upset.”
Alicia heaved a sigh before she reached for Julia, pulling her back into a bear hug. “I hate this. I don’t want you to go, but…if I can’t stop you, then please promise me you’ll be safe.”
She leaned back, cupping her sister’s face in her hands. “Please, Julia. I’ll see you in eight months when this is all over. Please.”
“I promise. We’ll talk. Probably every day. And you can pass the time by working on your marriage. You and Ethan reconnected while I was here. Build on that. Okay?”
“Yeah,” her sister answered with another sniffle. They clasped their hands together, lingering for a few more moments before Julia fought back her own tears as she let go of the warm familiarity and strode back to the plane.
The memory faded as she swiped to answer the call. “Hey, sis. How are things?”
“Awful,” her sister’s voice croaked. “Ethan and I had another major fight.”
“Aw, I’m really sorry to hear that,” Julia answered as she shifted the phone onto her shoulder and tapped on her keyboard to initiate a search.
She stared at the images that popped up, her mind clouding with doubt for a moment before her sister’s shaky voice refocused it on the problem at hand. “This just keeps happening, and I don’t know what to do about it.”
“Maybe you need a break.”
“So, what? My marriage is over?”
“No, but…maybe you just need to spend some time away from each other and cool off.”
“He’s gone, so we’re apart. He took a call, as usual.”
Julia heaved a sigh as her sister continued to sniffle. “Okay, well, while he’s gone, maybe take a nice hot bath or watch a movie. You sound really upset, Ally.”
“I am,” she said, her voice breaking again. “I wish you were here with me.”
Guilt coursed through her as she swiveled in her chair, catching sight of her wedding photo in the process. She was, once again, torn between two worlds. “I’m right here, Ally. I can talk as long as you’d like. Or you can just cry, and I’ll be right here.”
“I don’t want you to be so far away,” her sister sobbed.
“I know,” Julia answered, desperately searching for a way to move the conversation forward. “Okay, that brings something to mind. When I was in Harbor Cove, you and Ethan reconnected. Why? What was different?”
“We were focused on something else. Something bigger than us.”
“All right, well, maybe you need to find a project. Something you can work on together that’s outside of your relationship.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, umm, a charity. Or…a town initiative. Something you’d both enjoy.”
Her sister’s sniffles met her suggestion. “Could you just come home again and bring your idiot husband so we can both hate him together? That worked.”
“No, I can’t. And he’s not an idiot.”
“Pretty close,” Alicia said.
Julia sighed, shaking her head as a slight smile crept over her face. “I’m not coming to Harbor Cove with Grant so you can collectively hate him and save your marriage. If you need Grant to save your marriage, you’re in trouble.”
Silence spanned for a few seconds before her sobbing sister answered, “I think we’re in trouble.”
Julia’s shoulders slumped. “Oh, Ally, I’m sorry. I know this is hard. Trying to decide if your marriage is salvageable or not is probably gut-wrenching, but I think you need to just…take some time here.”
“Time for what? Another argument?”
“Yes and no. Time for you to really think about what you want, what you need, and what you’re both willing to do to stay together. You shouldn’t jump into anything.”
“It hardly feels like jumping. We’ve been at it for over a year.”
“I know. And that’s a long time, but guess what? You’re still together after a year. So one or both of you feel like there’s something there worth saving.”
“Or we’re both too lazy to take the first step and leave the other one.”
“No. You both are working through your emotions. And that’s a good thing. But you need to take some time to really think through your options. Can you live without Ethan? Do you want that?”
“I don’t know,” she answered with a sigh.
“No, I’m sure you don’t. But that’s what you need to think about.”
Alicia heaved a sigh as Julia swallowed hard, resisting the urge to take her own advice and force herself to think about a life without Grant. Whether she wanted it or not, the choice may not be hers.
“Okay,” Alicia said, sounding defeated. “I’m going to go watch a movie and think about my life.”
“Don’t overthink, just…take your time, Ally.”
“I love you,” Alicia answered.
“I love you, too. Call if you need anything, Ally. Okay? Day or night.”
“Thanks, Juju.”
They said their goodbyes and ended the call. Julia slouched in her chair, allowing the emotional conversation a moment to settle before she refocused on the images filling her screen. She had an idea, but she needed to run it past Grant. Action would allow her to stop herself from overthinking her own relationship.
She dumped her phone on the desk and rose from her chair, navigating through the elaborate halls to Grant’s private office downstairs.
She found Worthington hovering at the door, overseeing a tense exchange between Grant and Lydia.
After Worthington discreetly announced her, she asked if she was interrupting anything.
She received differing answers from Grant and Lydia, then an invitation to come in. After a quick question, the source of the confrontation was revealed to be Lydia’s lack of invitation to the gala.
After a little massaging of the situation, Grant agreed to secure her an invitation for two, and she stormed off shouting for a martini.
The doors closed behind Worthington as he confirmed he’d bring it to her. Grant took Julia’s hand, sighing as his eyes slid closed. She knew the reason even before he said it. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
She twisted to lean against the desk, intertwining her fingers with his. “I know. She’s not making it easy.”
She waited, fixing her eyes on him, waiting to see if he wanted to vent any further about Lydia. When he remained silent, she forced herself to speak again. “That’s why I think we need to talk.”
His hand tensed around hers. “I really don’t like when you say things like that.”
The comment brought a fleeting smile to her face. “It’s not bad, it’s just…”
“Is it Kyle? Has he done something again?” Grant slid his hand from hers as he shook his head and leaned forward. “I knew bringing him into this was a bad move.”
“It’s not Kyle. Though we do need to discuss him.”
“Because he’s done something.”
“No, but…he’s really pushing to take this spying to another level which I think is a terrible idea. I think it puts him in a really bad position.”
Grant grumbled a sigh as he rose and crossed to the drink cart to pour himself another bourbon. “Kyle puts himself in bad positions constantly. It’s his talent.”
Julia shot him an amused glance as he spun to face her. “Maybe so, but I’m not willing to risk his life.”
Grant sipped his bourbon. “You think it’d go that far?”
She lowered her voice, leaning toward him. “If Lydia finds out he’s double-crossing her? Yes.”
“Is he?” Grant asked as he settled back into his chair.
“You still think he’s holding back on us?”
He stared into his drink before he flicked his gaze to her. His jaw tightened, a telltale sign of his deep-seated mistrust, honed by years of boardroom battles. “I don’t know, but I don’t trust him, Julia. And you shouldn’t either.”
“I have a healthy wariness of him, don’t worry. But I don’t think he’s double-crossing us. Though…that doesn’t matter.” She sighed as her concern flooded through her again.
His features squashed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean even if Kyle hands us Lydia on a silver platter–”
“Doubtful.”
She tilted her head as he held up a hand. “Sorry, continue.”
“Even if he delivers us Lydia, that still doesn’t mean Sierra is protected. I mean…Lydia could release those photos as revenge for us stopping her from stealing Harrington Global or ruining you.”
Grant let the glass clatter onto his desk as a groan escaped him. “You’re right.” A curse escaped under his breath. “So this has all been for naught.”
“Not necessarily,” Julia said. “It just means that we need a two-pronged approach. Kyle can help us bring Lydia and DG down. But we have to find another way to make sure those photos never see the light of day.”
“How?” Grant said. “I talked to Mike Donovan, he thought ensuring all digital copies were deleted was impossible.”
“Maybe, but…”
“But?” Grant asked.
“I have a friend who has a friend…he’s very good at this type of thing. I don’t know if he’ll even do it, but if anyone can do this, he can.”
Grant leaned back in the chair, tenting his fingers as he considered it. “Can we trust him?”
“I think so.”
He slid his eyes to her. “We need to be sure before we have a bigger mess on our hands.”
“I trust my friend.”
“But it’s not her we need to trust.”
Julia shook her head. “But he’d never betray her. And she’d never do that to me. So, by extension, we can trust him. I just…wanted to run it past you before I even asked her about it. I’m not certain she or he will agree, but I wanted to make sure we were on the same page.”
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Thank you. I appreciate that, but I also trust your judgment. If you think we can trust them, then I say we move forward.”
“Okay, I’ll send a message to Ava and see what she says.”
“Keep me informed. I can’t wait until this mess is over. I really can’t take much more of Lydia.”
“I know this is hard. Really, really hard. But hopefully, it won’t be much longer. If we can get rid of her leverage with the pictures, we can push back much harder.”
The corners of his lips turned up. “That would be nice.”
“We’ll get there. Wish me luck with this new angle. Let’s hope it works out.”
She pushed away from the desk, intent on sending the message to her friend immediately.
His hand tensed around hers, refusing to let go. “Julia, I…”
His words died off as she furrowed her brow. Did he have some concerns about the plan?
His features pinched and his gaze flitted around the room as though searching for the words he wanted to say. Before he could speak, though, the opening doors interrupted him.
Kyle pushed into the room, quickly closing off the space again. His gaze focused on Julia. “I’m glad I found you. We have a problem.”
Julia’s stomach clenched at the words. If Kyle thought there was a problem, maybe they’d already lost on the Lydia front.