Page 42 of A Billionaire's Secret

He walked across the table and pulled the chair out for me. “I’m glad to see we match,” he smiled, referring to our blue outfits.

I stared at him, my eyes full of questions and concern. “How could you?” That was all I could say.

“What do you mean?” He raised his brows.

“You know what I mean. Why would you buy Mischief for me? It’s too much, Christian.” I blurted out.

“Too much how?” He played dumb.

“For what we are!” I raised my voice and lowered my head at the sight of a waiter approaching our table.

“Sir, can you please bring us a bottle of your best red wine and the chef’s choice of appetizers,” Christian rushed the waiter off and turned back to me. “For what we are? And what’s that?”

“For starters, I barely know you,” I began hesitantly. “Your daughter doesn’t even know about us. And, honestly, I don’t know if I can trust you with the rest.”

I could tell my words hurt him as his face frowned, his eyes grayed, and his lips flatlined.

“That’s why I’m here now. Ask me anything,” he urged me with determination in his voice.

“Alright,” I agreed and sipped the red wine that had magically appeared to my right. “Have you told Diana anything?”

“I didn’t have to,” he looked down at the table. “She had figured it out.”

My eyes widened in disbelief. “What? How?”

“I’m sure you’ve noticed a pendant of yours had gone missing,” His eyes pointed to my neck. “She had found it in my house, and someone at the stables saw her wearing it. Well, that person knew it was yours, and eventually Diana knew too.”

My fingers massaged my bare neck, reminding me of my Grandfather and all the lessons I had failed to learn from him.

“And? What did she have to say about it? About us,” I demanded to know.

“She didn’t have much to say except that she was disappointed in me,” Christian cleared his throat. “Nothing about you.”

“Why did you buy me that horse?” My next question flew out of my mouth before I even agreed to let it out.

“Because seeing your smile that day made me feel things I’d never felt before,” he spoke softly, drowning in my eyes. “Because I fell in love with you, Victoria Hampton.”

I fell for you too, Christian Forbes.

My eyelids froze midway and refused to blink for the next few seconds. The last sip of wine latched itself in my throat mid-swallow. This time the words I wanted to say refused to come out. Eventually, I blinked, swallowed, and opened my mouth. And then it closed.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Christian placed his hand over mine. “I know this is all too much, but I promised to answer all your questions. Honestly.”

“Did it ever occur to you that I don’t want your lavish trips and expensive gifts?” I continued. “That they make me uncomfortable? That I feel bribed?”

My last words made him twist in his seat, and he loosened his tie. “Bribed? To do what, Victoria? I never asked you to reciprocate my feelings. I’d gladly give them to you for free. If I took on lavish trips and bought you expensive gifts, it was because my heart desired it. Not to buy your love. That’s ridiculous!”

“Is it?” I raised my voice. “Or maybe it’s a habit? You’ve gotten so used to spending money in return for favors that it’s just like breathing to you. Gift in—favor out.”

I examined his face for a reaction. My arrogant prodding was intentional and aimed at discovering the truth about Desert Rose. It was now or never.

“What are you really trying to say, Victoria?” His voice raised a notch, and his eyes darkened. “If you don’t want my gift, or my love, just say that, and we can move on.”

I looked at the steaming appetizers before me, and in any other situation, I would have already shoved a few of them in my mouth. But my neck felt blocked by the next question I wanted to ask. I paused, inhaling a breath that only scorched my dry throat even more, and fixated my eyes on Christian’s.

“Did you, or anyone you know, have anything to do with bribing Dennis, the vet, to drug Desert Rose?” I spat out the question that had suffocated me for days.

Christian’s face turned pale white, and his calmly resting, masculine hand twitched. I didn’t need to hear the answer. His face said it all.

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