Page 128 of Battle with a Billionaire

“No, I’m after his blood.” Her eyes held a glint of something dark, her voice dripping with venomous intent. “This isn’t just about money. It’s a reckoning for years of being sidelined. You, my dear, are just a pawn in a much larger game.”

Julia sighed as she shook her head, her stomach turning over. She clenched her fingers into fists. “I’m not helping you, Lydia.”

“Yes, you will.” She lifted her chin and arched an eyebrow.

“What makes you think I’d do that?”

“Because if you don’t, I’ll destroy both you and Sierra.”

Julia’s heart raced, a mix of fear and disbelief swirling within her. The cold grin of Lydia’s words clutched at her, a stark realization of the danger now shadowing both her and Sierra. Trapped between her conscience and Lydia’s malevolent demands, Julia saw her newfound world slipping away again.

CHAPTER 27

GRANT

Grant’s jaw tightened as he followed the departure of both his wife and his son upstairs. The idea of Kyle back in Harrington House still made him uneasy. He was a wild card, and his behavior during Julia’s bout of amnesia had not only sent their relationship spiraling backward several steps but had made it clear that he wanted Julia for himself.

He felt the same way about her, and he couldn’t fault Kyle for falling for her, but he did blame him for undermining their relationship at every turn.

Her recovery was the only bright light in the mess of their current lives. His heart swelled with relief and hope. Her remembering their shared moments was more than a medical victory, but a rekindling of their connection, and a promise to a return of normalcy, whatever that was at this point.

He’d enjoyed working closely with Julia through their investigations in DG Industries. His lips curled into a smile as he remembered their sleuthing at DG’s headquarters, and the piecing together of the clues they’d found there.

They could recapture those moments as they continued to track down DG’s backers. He vowed to give her some time to rest and recover, then broach the subject.

He gave one final glance up the stairs, the smile faded from his lips as he spotted Lydia sashaying down the stairs as she glanced over her shoulder. “Was that Caleb with his luggage?”

“Kyle,” Grant grumbled. “And yes, it was.”

Lydia’s lips twisted into a devilish grin. “Moving him back into the house, Grant? Are you sure that’s wise? He is every bit as handsome as you, though a good deal younger.”

“Please don’t start with me, Lydia. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Don’t want to hear what? That your son and your wife are–”

“Doing nothing. He’s here to take care of her…medically. He is a doctor.”

“Oh, I’ll bet he’s taking good care of her. And what medical issue is the poor dear suffering from this time? She seems to be a walking accident.”

Grant heaved a sigh. “Nothing. It’s precautionary. She…fell and hit her head.”

“Again? She is accident-prone. How did that happen?”

“It doesn’t matter. The only thing that does is despite the fall, she got her memory back.”

“All of them?”

Grant strode to his office, a sanctuary of dark wood and leather, and crossed to the drink cart. The afternoon light filtering through the heavy curtains cast long shadows, mirroring the tension between him and Lydia. “Yep. All of them.”

“Really?” Lydia trailed inside behind him.

He poured himself a bourbon, taking a long sip of the amber-colored liquid. It finally tasted like a sweet celebration instead of a bitter salve for the wounds that had been inflicted on them since they’d married. “Yes, really, Lydia. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.”

“Bad news?” she asked as he spun to face her. “More like convenient news.”

“Convenient?”

“Yes. Just when she pushed her luck a little too far with Junior, her memories come flooding back so she can worm her way back into your heart.”

---