Page 40 of Battle with a Billionaire

“But it stinks,” she admitted. “And it’s definitely not fair.”

The words soothed the tension in his jaw as he sank into the chair next to her. She reached for his hand. “Whatever decision you make is fine with me. But don’t do anything you don’t want to do, okay?”

“Like what? Admit to an affair I’m not having?”

She lifted a shoulder at him.

“Even if it costs me the election?””

“What do you want more? The election or your integrity?”

He rubbed his chin. He didn’t like losing. But he’d grown beyond that. He’s found other things in life that mattered more than winning. He had a decision to make. An impossible one.

CHAPTER 10

JULIA

Julia left Grant’s home office behind, the tension still in her shoulders despite her best efforts to stay calm and reassure him. She climbed the stairs, blowing out a long sigh as she pushed into her bedroom and shut the door behind her.

Tears pricked her eyes the moment she was alone. The weight of the day crushed her, from the corporate maneuvers to the tricky relationship with Kyle to the fake photos.

She wandered to her armchair and curled in it after kicking her shoes off. Grant insisted the affair was false. She believed him. Mostly.

The photos haunted her. The Grant she knew–thoughtful and unexpectedly kind–didn’t jive with those pictures. As whispered doubts began to creep into her mind, echoing his playboy reputation, she questioned whether she truly saw the real Grant or if her own emotions clouded her judgment. Was her judgment clouded by a growing, unacknowledged attachment? The realization unsettled her. Their relationship, built on a foundation of convenience and mutual benefit, wasn’t supposed to branch into a realm of genuine emotion.

She’d told him she’d stand by him. And she meant it. So, why was she still tied in knots? She pulled herself from the chair to change. She knew exactly why. It had been because of her reaction to those photos.

Their marriage was based on a contract only. If that was true, though, she’d have simply glanced at the photos and wondered when the press conference would be at which they’d need her to appear. Instead, she’d felt a distinct twinge of jealousy and a deep sense of betrayal. Real or not, she’d let emotion cloud her judgment.

And that had been extremely foolish. She should never have let herself get this close.

As she slid under the covers, her phone rang. She swiped to accept the call from her sister. “Hey, sis.”

“Hey,” her sister said simply.

Julia’s heart skipped a beat. “Ally? What’s wrong?”

Her sister blew out a long breath. “Ethan and I had a really bad fight.”

“Aww, Ally. I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” she said with a sob. “I just want to know you’re there while I cry.”

“Ally…” Julia said as her sister sniffled. “Okay. You go ahead and cry. I’m right here.”

“It’s just so stupid,” her sister squeaked out.

Julia clutched at her covers, twisting them in her fingers. “You tell me what you want, or you just keep crying. I’m right here, whatever you need.”

“It started over him pushing his chair in at the table. You know how he always leaves it sticking out?”

Julia bobbed her head up and down as she recalled Ethan’s bad habit. “Yeah, I remember.”

“Well, you know…I just…I don’t know, tonight I just couldn’t take it. I shoved it in. And then he said, ‘Do you have to be like that.’ And I said, ‘Do you always have to leave your chair out?’”

“Well, okay, this doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Yet. It spiraled from the chair to how I’m always on him about everything, and then I said he’s inconsiderate. He said I’m aloof. I said he’s impossible. And the next thing you know, we’re screaming at each other about things that happened two years ago.”

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