Page 98 of Battle with a Billionaire

She licked her lips and shook her head. “No, it was…” She sucked in a breath, turning an apologetic glance toward him. “An argument. You assumed I had been cheating. You had pictures.”

Her face settled into a frown. It looked like the emotions that had been present that day still coursed through her. That had been the day that had sent the tumultuous events with Kyle into motion.

The memory cut him and a shiver ran down his spine. This wasn’t the first memory of him he hoped she’d recall. Their argument and his accusation were the last thing he wanted her to remember. Her first memory of him was tainted with distrust and anger. Could he bridge the gap now and turn this painful recollection into a steppingstone to move forward? Or did this memory feed into everything Kyle had told her?

She’d had two memories of Kyle, both that she associated with being positive, and the sole memory she now had of him was a negative one.

She glanced up at him, her features still pained. “I wasn’t, was I?”

“No,” he said as he rubbed her shoulder. “It was all a misunderstanding. It was your brother-in-law. And…I’m sorry I had you followed.”

Her brow crinkled again.

“Julia? It’s okay. We discussed it and worked everything out. It was just a misunderstanding.”

“Right,” she said with a fleeting smile. “Unfortunately, I still can’t remember that part. But I’m glad we did.”

“I guess I should probably tell you we don’t see other people. We agreed to that.”

“That makes sense. If this is all about image, it wouldn’t look very good if we did, would it?”

His heart sank with every word in the conversation. The memory that had filled him with so much hope now led to nothing but disappointment. He wanted to explain it was far more than appearances, but with her patchwork memory, he didn’t want to overwhelm her.

Their estrangement at this point was obvious. She couldn’t remember any connection between them and every step they took closer to regaining her memory seemed to set them back ten steps.

She sucked in a breath, giving him a smile that looked fake. “Sorry, I think I’m going to go lie down.”

“Of course,” he said with a nod. “Let me know if you need anything.”

She glanced down at the key fob in her hand, then back at him. “Thanks for the car.”

“You’re welcome,” he murmured as she pushed through the door into the house. He stood next to the car that he’d hoped would make her day, feeling empty, his heart a mix of hope and anguish. He recalled the early days of their marriage, the hesitant smiles and slow-building trust. Now, faced with only fragmented memories, he felt a deep sense of loss, not only for what they had but also for what could have been. As she left him behind, she took a piece of his heart with her, and it was one she didn’t even remember she was holding.

With a sigh, he let himself back into the foyer.

Worthington offered him a questioning glance. “Did she like it?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered as he let his gaze linger at the top of the stairs.

“She didn’t say? That seems most unlike Mrs. Harrington.”

“Well, unfortunately, she’s not really having the best time of it lately,” Grant answered as he shuffled into his office and poured himself and Worthington a bourbon.

Worthington glanced down at the proffered drink with raised eyebrows. “It went that badly, did it?”

“Sit down, Worthington, and I’ll tell you just how badly this entire week is going.”

The butler eased the doors closed before he took a seat across from Grant who eased into his desk chair.

Grant sipped his beverage as he leaned back in the supple leather. “I really thought our worries would be over when she woke up.”

“Yet you seem more upset since,” Worthington answered.

“I am. I’m thrilled she’s awake, but this memory loss is really difficult.”

“For her or you?” Worthington asked.

How did his butler always know? “Both, I imagine. It can’t be any fun for her. She doesn’t remember much from her life.”

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