Page 59 of Mr. Billionaire's Second Chance

I started trailing kisses down her neck right there in the hallway of her apartment building, and she giggled, lifting my head up as I smirked at her. She shoved her wristwatch in my face, and I pressed my lips together, giving in.

“We’re going to be late. You don’t want to be late to your own gala where you’re being honored as the businessman of the year, do you?”

“For you, I don’t care if we had to skip it altogether,” I said, winking at her.

She rolled her eyes at me playfully, dragging me by the hand, while we made our way down to the car.

The hotel was packed with guests for the gala, entering in with their tailored suits and glittery gowns, and I took a deep breath. I knew that at some point tonight I’d have to give an address, thank everyone for hosting such an event, and reassuring them all that everything would be fine. I probably should’ve prepared something. I thought, but that’s when I looked over at Katherine. She gazed out the window, and I took in the sight of her, the scent of perfume, the way she was going to all this trouble to be here for me even though she wanted to keep things between us discreet.

You’ll be fine now that you have her by your side. Trust that.I told myself. The moment Katherine and I stepped out, there were paparazzi waiting with cameras to get a snapshot of what they were seeing. They called out to us, but we didn’t look in their direction. Katherine held onto my arm tightly, keeping her head held high, and there wasn’t a single moment where I caught a glimpse of any nervousness.

“Thank you for coming with me tonight, Katherine. It means the world to me.”

“It means the world to me too, Preston. I also think it’s time we be the ones making news with our own story for a change, especially because I trust you. I know that everything is going to work out just fine,” said Katherine.

“Does that mean that the investigation was a success?”

“I suppose you can say that. I just want you to know there’s nothing you have to worry about. Just leave the rest to me,” she said, and I furrowed my brow at her.

Before I could ask any more questions I was whisked away by some business associates for a chat. She waved for me to go, and I caught a glimpse of her a little while later with a champagne glass in hand, looking like she fit right in.

“Preston, I’m so glad to see that you came,” said William, raising his glass to me.

“Of course. I am being honored tonight after all. It’s surprising because of the way the board made it seem, it’s like they’ve already decided they don’t want me anymore. I guess there are a few people that still believe in me.”

“I believe in you, Preston. The board makes very difficult decisions, but for the moment it is better to honor them. Let’s not talk business tonight, okay? Tonight, we’re here to celebrate you,” he said.

“Then why the hell does this feel like a send-off?”

“Your father used to say the same thing at these events. Trust me, it isn’t over yet,” said William.

He patted me on the shoulder, heading over to a group of Manhattan socialites right when Katherine made her way back over to me. She engaged a subtle glance with William and he smiled brightly at her, which seemed a bit strange, but I wrote it off as them just being polite. If Katherine says I have nothing to worry about then I need to trust her. Hopefully, once this is all over she can tell me who her client is and tell me what I need to do to prevent this from happening again.

Katherine put all of her trust in me and I worked hard to make her see that I was no longer the same guy that didn’t call her back after an amazing night together. It was time I gave her the same courtesy. It was time I gave her my all.

“You doing okay, Preston?”

“As okay as I can be. This all still feels a bit strange with everything going on, but I’m glad I’m not alone.”

“You won’t ever have to be alone again. I’m here,” she said, and her words warmed my heart.

The large ballroom started to quiet down just as William got everyone’s attention to thank them for coming out tonight and to call me up to give my address. My heart started beating loudly in my chest, but I downed the rest of my champagne, fixed my tie, and took center stage.

“It’s an honor to be here tonight with all of you. I first want to start off by thanking you all again for being here. If my father were here, he’d pat me on the back and tell me, “This is what it means to be a Clarke.” He’d ignore all of the talk, accept his award, and move on. Though, I’m not him. As you all know, there has been quite a bit of chatter circulating about the state of my company. Right now, it’s thriving just as it always has been. If that changes, you’ll be the first to know.”

I glanced down in the audience to see Katherine standing there with a smile on her face, and everyone around her started clapping. It felt good to tackle the rumors head-on, and to prepare for this nightmare to finally come to an end. Before I had the chance to talk to her again, I watched as William approached her. He whispered something in her ear that seemed to startle her, but she shook it off just as he left. I approached her while she flashed me a warm smile.

“Is everything alright?” I asked.

“Yes, it is. Mr. Wolfe just wanted to remind me what’s at stake with me being here. He mentioned that it’s going to be quite the media circus tomorrow,” she responded, and I nodded.

So that’s what that was all about.I inched closer to her, outstretching my arm so she could loop hers through, and we made our way around the entire ballroom so she could get the proper introduction she deserved. With every encounter, the worry on her face slowly started to melt away, and that was truly all I needed.

The festivities were in full swing and I was about to make my way over to get Katherine and I another drink before we had to sit down for dinner, but that’s when I heard the incessant sound of heels approaching from behind. Oh no. I turned around and there she was with her sleek blonde hair and wide smirk. She looked Katherine up and down, but I was surprised to see she wasn’t at all bothered by Leighton’s games.

“Oh look, Preston. You decided to bring your charity case out to the Upper East Side. How nice. Darling, you do know that he’s only going to all this trouble to sweep you off your feet so you don’t destroy him, right?” she reminded Katherine, but I watched as she just shook her head.

“It must be sad living a life like yours, Leighton. How does it feel to know the man you’ve been pining for your whole life doesn’t love you anymore? It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“I-I-”

“You what? Need to get back to the billionaire you’re trying to bed so you can keep the cash flowing? Sure, be my guest,” she said, waving her off.

I couldn’t help but smile, taking Katherine into my arms, as my hand caressed her cheek, my lips pressing up against hers. I heard Leighton scoff before she took off, and it felt so sweet.

“You’ve got one hell of a fire inside of you, Kat.”

“Yeah, well you should know. You lit it,” she teased.

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