Page 107 of Battle with a Billionaire

“Can’t stomach the truth, Grant?” Lydia called as he strode away from the table. “Well, you’ll have to do it sometime. Because I have a sneaking suspicion sweet little Julia isn’t going to be so sweet anymore.”

Grant’s fingers curled into fists as he stormed away from the dining room.

Worthington met him as he hurried back with the wine bottle. “Sir?”

“I can’t take any more of Lydia. I’m going to check on Julia, then head to bed. This day has been exhausting, especially given my dinner partner.”

“Of course, sir. Is there anything I can bring you?”

“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “I’m fine. I just want to end this day and start fresh tomorrow, hopefully with a better result.”

“Good night, sir. I’m certain a new day will bring a fresh perspective.”

Grant nodded, certainly hoping that was the case. He climbed the stairs and snaked through the halls to Julia’s room. Her door remained closed. He gave it a light knock, but no one answered.

He considered opening the door and peeking inside, but given their tenuous relationship at the moment, he decided against it. He leaned back and glanced under the door. No lights shone underneath.

She must be asleep.

Before he left, he crossed to the doors leading to her office and cracked them open. She wasn’t there. The room was dark. He smiled, at least she wasn’t researching or doing anything taxing. She must be resting, finally. Hopefully, that would help with her memory acquisition.

He strode to his room, pondering a scenario that brought a smile to his face. When he knocked at her door the next morning, she flung it open, a grin spreading from ear to ear. “I remember!” she exclaimed. “I remember you and us. I remember it all.”

With all the sleep she was getting now, it could happen. He slipped into his suite and crossed to his nightstand. He slid the drawer open and stared down at the velvet box inside. His fingers caressed it before he pulled it toward him and snapped it open.

The diamond inside sparkled. He couldn’t wait to give it to her. He closed the box, hoping that day would be soon. After changing, he stretched out in his bed, his mind centering on Julia.

He worried for her–and for them. He tossed and turned for most of the night, trying to think of ways to trigger nicer memories of them. Maybe a tour of the house. Or maybe a lunch at their favorite spot.

Kyle seemed to have the most luck triggering her memories. He hated that fact. Why was she only remembering Kyle?

Did she harbor some feelings for him outside of what she’d admitted to him? He knew she tended to feel sorry for him, but was there something more?

The thought soured his mood as he rose from his bed. It hadn’t improved by the time he pulled on his jacket and adjusted his cufflinks. He’d chosen the ones Julia had given him, hoping they’d bring him luck.

As he arrived in the dining room for breakfast, he found Julia’s chair empty again. A thought floated across his mind. What if Julia’s memories returned but they brought a past he wasn’t part of? “Worthington? Is Julia taking her breakfast in her room?”

“No, sir, I have not seen or spoken to Mrs. Harrington this morning.”

Grant froze with his glass of orange juice halfway to his lips. “She’s not up?”

“I do not know, sir. I did not get a response when I knocked.”

The glass thudded back on the table without Grant taking a sip. “I don’t like that. I think I’d better check on her.”

“Of course, sir. Please let me know if she needs anything.”

“I will,” Grant said, already half-way out of the door. He strode toward the stairs with wide steps and ascended them two by two before he snaked to her room. His pulse pounded faster with every step until he reached her door.

His frantic knock would have woken the dead. But no one responded. “Julia?”

He chewed his lower lip as he stretched and closed his fingers in and out of a fist.

With a shake of his head, he grabbed the knob. He didn’t care about her privacy. He didn’t like her lack of response. With his heart pounding, he pushed the door open. “Julia!”

The morning light filtered through the windows, casting a soft glow around the room, yet the room felt colder and emptier than ever.

He scanned the room, finding it empty. Her bed wasn’t slept in. He hurried inside, glancing in the bathroom, then into her office. His stomach twisted into a knot. Her phone sat on the charger, but there was no sign of Julia.

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