Page 24 of Battle with a Billionaire

Lydia narrowed her eyes at the woman as the stinging implication hung between them.

“Can we talk about something more pleasant, please?” Sierra said.

“I think that’s an excellent idea, Sierra,” Julia answered.

Talk turned to lighter topics as they finished their meal. After a brief conversation about the press conference the following morning, Julia climbed the stairs, exhausted from the long day. She shut herself in her room, sucking in a breath as the silent sanctuary surrounded her. Her head thudded against the door as it clicked shut.

Before her mind could swirl with too many thoughts, she forced herself to change and slide between the sheets. The cooling comfort of the soft bedding soothed her frayed nerves. She drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

The shrill sound of her cell phone’s ring split the silence, startling her awake. She gasped in a breath as she shot up to sit, desperately trying to orient herself. After the second ring, she snapped her gaze to the phone.

Still bleary-eyed, she snatched it from the charger and answered without reading the display. “Hello.”

“Julia?” Kyle’s voice filled her ear, bringing even more panic to the odd late-night phone call. Something else startled her, too. Was it the tone of his voice? “Julia, it’s me, Kyle. I…I need your help.”

Her features squashed as she tried to pull herself awake. “Kyle? Why are you calling? It’s one in the morning.”

“I know. I know. I’m sorry, but…”

“What?” she prodded, hoping this wasn’t another ploy to rattle her into agreeing with him about Grant or their relationship.

“I’m in trouble. I got arrested. I need you to bail me out.”

The words stunned her as she sat in the darkness of her room. Her heart pounded with a mix of frustration and concern. Kyle’s continuous disruptions were exhausting, yet she felt a sense of responsibility she couldn’t shake off. She wondered if helping him just dragged her deeper into a situation she hoped to avoid.

Though through her still-sleepy haze, one question loomed. What was she going to do about this twist?

CHAPTER 7

GRANT

An incessant pounding pulled Grant from his pleasant slumber. He groaned as he glanced at the clock. Who was banging on his door at quarter after one in the morning?

With a grumble, he shoved back the covers. If it was Lydia with a ridiculous request, he was going to toss her out of the house himself.

He whipped the door open, his features immediately softening as he spotted Julia in the muted hall lights. His stomach twisted. Something must be wrong. He squinted against the light. “Julia?”

Grant’s mind raced as he read her troubled expression. Was it something he’d done? The recent scandal? Or something worse? Possibilities tumbled through his mind, each more unsettling than the last.

“Sorry to wake you. Especially for this.” She heaved a sigh, her features pained. “But I need your help.”

His protective instincts surged into overdrive as he reached for her, wrapping an arm around her as he guided her into his bedroom and eased her into an armchair. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

“No,” she said, though the pinched expression never left her features.

He crouched in front of her, rubbing the fluffy fabric of her robe-clad arms. The soft glow of his lighting cast shadows across Julia’s face, accentuating the worry etched in her features. “Just tell me what it is. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”

“It’s not really what I need,” she said, her lips tugging into a wince.

His concern grew for her. Whatever had prompted her to bang on his door at this hour must have been important, but she wasn’t making any sense.

“Okay, just explain from the beginning. Whatever you need, Julia, I’ll help.”

She flicked her worried gaze to him, her features pinching again. “Kyle called–”

Anger surged through him at the mention of the man’s name. He tensed his jaw as he rose to stand. “He really can’t leave you alone, can he? What is he? Drunk?”

“No, arrested.”

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