Page 62 of Mr. Billionaire's Second Chance

Epilogue

Preston

The executive chair in my office felt a little more comfortable today while I went through my afternoon emails, getting everything back under control. The office was bustling with interns, assistants, and countless packages were being funneled in, but it still felt empty. It felt empty now that Katherine was no longer sitting in the corner office, a few steps down the hallway from my own, where we’d shared such incredible moments together. I smiled to myself, thinking about how wonderful the night ahead was going to be, since we’d both been looking forward to it for a while. There’s something I need to do first.

I heard a knock on the glass door of my office and I waved for Claire to come in. She had her iPad nestled in her arm, and I had a feeling she was going to start reading off my upcoming meetings, but I stopped her before she could.

“Claire, I’m going to need the rest of the day. Any meetings I have, please cancel them. There’s somewhere I need to be.”

Her mouth nearly dropped to the floor and I could practically see the anxiety in those brown eyes of hers.

“Sir, as you know there are many people that want to meet with you ever since -”

“Ever since William nearly destroyed the company and everyone nearly lost their jobs? Yes, I know. I’m heading down to meet with him now. It’s about time I had the chance to confront him properly,” I said.

“Sir, the meetings aren’t -”

“I’m sure you can find a way to work around my busy schedule. Fit a few in during lunch for the rest of the week. Thank you, Claire. Oh, and please have the town car brought around to the front for me.”

“Right away, sir.”

She rushed off, heading back to her desk to call down for the car. I grabbed my new suit jacket, slipping it over my shoulder just as I heard my phone start to buzz.

“Hey stranger.”

“Kat. Now, how do you have time to call me in the middle of the day when you’re a hotshot at work now?” I teased.

“I’ll always have time to call you. Are we still on for tonight?”

“Of course. It’s about time we had dinner at my place again. With all that’s been going on, I haven’t had the chance to properly wine and dine you.”

“Ha, well we both know just how good you really are at that. I’ll see you tonight.”

I nearly felt the words slip out of my mouth, the three little words I’ve never said to any woman before in my life. I stopped myself, knowing that I wanted Katherine to hear it in person. I wanted her to know that I was in this for the long haul. Tonight. I’ll tell her tonight.

I walked into the quiet, barren room with nothing but a table and two chairs in it. I tapped my fingers on the surface, looking up as the buzzer sounded and in came William. He’d already been sporting orange, handcuffs dragging on the ground, and he looked tougher than I imagined him to. His beard was wildly disheveled, his hair a mess, and he was practically snarling at me from across the table when he finally took his seat.

“If you need anything, I’ll be right outside,” the officer said.

“Thank you.”

The door finally shut and I took a deep breath, remembering just how many strings I had to pull to have this meeting in the first place. I stared blankly at William, watching as he shifted around in his seat, barely able to make eye contact with me.

“What do you want?” he asked, his voice so low it was practically a grunt.

“What do you mean what do I want? I want to know what the hell happened to you, William? I want to know why the fuck you’d go to all this trouble to ruin me. We were in this together,” I said.

I couldn’t help but feel hurt by what he tried to do to me. We were family, and at the end of the day I really expected that he’d always have my back.

“I did what I had to do because I spent my entire life living in the shadow of your father and I wasn’t about to repeat fucking history with you. You’re just a goddamn kid. You have no idea how things really work out there,” he said, pointing behind me just as much as his chains and handcuffs would let him.

“I don’t know what kind of shit my father used to get up to, but I’m not him. I’m not going to stand for cheating my way to the top. You should’ve known better than to cross me. Now, your life as you know it is over. Even if your lawyers somehow manage to get your ass out of here, I won’t ever let you step foot near the business again. You’re done, William. You’re done.”

“You’re an idiot to think you won’t end up like me, Preston. When business gets real, when shit finally hits the fan, you’ll make the same decisions I did. You’ll make the same choices your father did to give you the perfect life you had. It’s only a matter of time.”

“No, I won’t. You know why? It’s because I’m not you and I’m not my father.”

“Then who are you?”

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