Page 3 of Battle with a Billionaire

“Speaking of, I should prepare her martini.”

“Martini? It’s only ten after eleven in the morning.”

“Yes. Already ten minutes too late for her liking.”

Grant scrubbed his face as he pondered for the umpteenth time why he’d allowed Lydia to move back into this house. “I really need to talk to her about moving out.”

“From what I understand there are no suitable homes available at the moment.”

“I’ll bet,” Grant said with a shake of his head. “I may have to speak to her realtor myself.”

“Good luck, sir, we will all be hoping that works out as well.”

Grant chuckled at the man’s subtle insult toward his first wife.

“Is there anything else I can get you, sir?”

“No, thanks. I think I’m fine.”

“Call if you need anything,” Worthington said with a bow of his head before he strode toward the doors, stepped into the foyer, and neatly shut Grant inside.

As silence settled over him, he shifted his gaze to the wedding photo next to his monitor. The late morning sun sparkled against the silver frame as he traced the outline of Julia’s smiling face.

He yearned for a lifetime filled with such moments: warm, tender, and genuine. But deep down, he feared he might never experience them again.

A knock pulled him from his rumination. “Come in,” he called, giving the photo a last glance.

He snapped his gaze to the door, tension building between his shoulders as his son, Kyle, walked in. “Dad,” he said, his voice tinged with an iciness. “Just checking on you.”

“You don’t have to bother.”

Kyle tugged a stethoscope from around his neck. “Well, I am your doctor, so I do.”

“I can switch doctors, Kyle.”

Kyle heaved a sigh as he pressed the stethoscope against Grant’s chest. “You could do a lot of things, but somehow whatever is most convenient for you is usually what happens.”

Grant shook his head as he pressed his lips together, trying not to react to his son’s angry words.

“Nothing to say?” Kyle asked as he flung the stethoscope around his neck. “Well, maybe you can just listen. I saw your little announcement on the news. And it’s only made me more sure I’m right about you. And I’m going to prove it.”

Grant clenched his jaw at the words. He really hoped Julia’s continued presence could help him deal with his son. The man pushed every button he had. “Kyle?—"

“No, no, there’s no need to answer. It wasn’t a challenge. It was just a fact. You’re not going to keep getting away with everything you’re doing.”

Kyle’s icy grin, laced with years of unspoken grievances, sent a chill down his spine before he let himself out.

Grant slid his eyes closed at the not-so-subtle warning he’d just received from the son who only grew to hate him more and more with every move he made. No matter what he did, Kyle found a way to slant it to the negative.

The only reason they hadn’t killed each other yet was Julia, who seemed to be able to hold their hostility at bay and give them their only chance at any kind of relationship. However, that had been threatened when Kyle had learned about their marriage contract courtesy of an upset Sierra.

His epic reaction to that was a problem Grant wasn’t certain even Julia could fix.

As he pondered discussing it with her, his phone buzzed across the polished wood of his desk. He glanced at the caller: Kathryn Wentworth, his campaign manager.

He swiped to accept the call. “Kathryn, how are things looking on the campaign trail?”

“Hi, Grant,” she answered in her no-nonsense voice. “I’m confident given our last polling numbers, but there are a few things we should discuss.”

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