Page 21 of The Billionaire's Secret Heir

“I thought you preferred the noise and chaos,” Beckett said.

“Oh, I do. But sometimes the contrast is nice. Did you want something? Courtney makes the best sandwiches, but I’m sure I could throw something together for you.”

Beckett couldn’t remember what he had eaten that morning, but his stomach felt like it was rolling on a rough sea. “I’m fine.”

Graham pushed his plate away, a piece of a crust left there. He saw Beckett noticed and gave him a conspiratorial wink. “Sometimes Courtney cuts the crusts off for me.”

For reasons he could not explain, Beckett flushed. He felt like Graham had just shared something more intimate about his relationship with his wife. He cleared his throat, but didn’t have words to start. Silence blanketed the room.

“Why are you here, Beck? Is everything okay? I mean, I know you’re upset about the thing with papa and the company, but anything else going on?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

For a long moment, Beckett met Graham’s gaze. It shouldn’t be hard to open his mouth and say the words: I have a daughter. But he couldn’t force the words out. He wondered if his father had talked to Graham, but his brother would have called him right away if he knew.

Graham put both of his hands on the white quartz countertops and examined his fingernails. “Dad is dying. At least, I think he is.”

“What?” A laugh bubbled up out of Beckett, sounding more like a cough. The words tumbled around in his brain as he tried to make sense of them.

Graham turned fully sideways in his seat and stared at Beckett. “Haven’t you noticed? I can see the pain in his face more when he moves. He’s slower. More irritable.”

Emotions were hitting Beckett from all sides, tossing him around as he tried to steady his mind. He didn’t want to imagine his father dying. Yet he knew it was true. If not imminently soon, within the next few years. His father’s health was one of the reasons he came today. But hearing Graham confirm that he had noticed his father’s declining health was still hard to hear.

“The contract and the company,” Beckett said. “Is that why he was suddenly insisting on this?”

“Yes. I think so. He wants to see us both happy. Fulfilled. With something maybe like what he and Mama had.”

Beckett cinched his eyes shut. With his elbows on the counter, he put his face in his hands. “I have a child. A daughter.”

Graham’s mouth fell open. He blinked several times, hard. Within seconds, his shock transformed into something else entirely. His eyes filled with tears and his mouth broke open into a smile that then turned into a laugh. He lay his head down on the counter and laughed. Beckett thought again of Madi, laughing on her front lawn. He felt a longing ache in that moment. When was the last time he had laughed, really laughed?

“I’m sorry for my reaction,” Graham said. “You have shocked me. I didn’t think that I had it in me to be shocked anymore. But you did it. Well done, brother. Fill me in. When did you have a daughter? And when can I meet her? Also, congratulations. I have cigars if you’d like?”

“No congratulations necessary,” Beckett said. “It seems that a woman I briefly dated got pregnant two years ago. She died and her sister is now taking care of the child.”

All the mirth left Graham’s face and his eyes looked dark. “Wow. Beck, that’s a lot.”

“The mother died a month or so ago and the sister has been taking care of the—my child.” Somehow now he felt the need to claim her. “The lawyer contacted me. I guess he had been trying before she died, but now he’s been working for the sister. Taking advantage of her was more like it. You wouldn’t believe what he tried to ask for in monthly child support. It was outrageous.”

Graham held up a hand. “Wait, slow down and back up. They’re trying to get child support from you? Are you sure this isn’t a scam? Rather convenient.”

Beckett felt oddly defensive. “The lawyer seems like a crook. I’ve taken care of him. Now I’m trying to get the sister—Madi—to accept reasonable terms for support. She wants an amount that I don’t think is enough for them to live on. I’ll get an independent paternity test to confirm, but I wouldn’t doubt it. The aunt says she looks like me. The timing is right. And this solves my issue with Papa.”

Graham’s eyebrows shot up. “She wants less? Back up. I’m still reeling. You have a daughter, but the mother is dead. I’m sorry, by the way. Now you’re dealing with the sister, who doesn’t want to take all your money.”

“That about sums it up.”

Graham simply stared. “How are you doing with this?”

Beckett shrugged. “It gets me out of handing the company over to you. That’s a plus.”

“Beck, I know you aren’t a very in touch with your emotions kind of guy. I get it. And you’re dealing with a lot right now. Dad’s health. Your child. But don’t pretend like your only interest is how this lets you keep control of VDKI. You aren’t that guy anymore.”

“Maybe I am.”

Graham rolled his eyes. “You aren’t. Sure, you’re a workaholic. But you aren’t shallow.” He pointed a finger at Beckett. “I bet you’ve already tried to swoop in to find and fix problems for them.”

Beckett rubbed the back of his neck. “No comment.”

---