Page 20 of A Billionaire's Secret

James Barrington greeted me with a huge smile the following morning. I had been trying to avoid him like the plague for the past few days since my debt to him grew. Seeing him this happy sent red flags across my mind.

“Vicky, how’s my best jockey?” He beamed.

“Hi, James,” I cleared my throat and faked a smile. “I’m prepping for the Hillsdale race. You have my word. I’m winning that one and paying you immediately.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that,” he insisted, confusing me even more. “There’s no rush at all. Matter of fact, keep the prize money.”

I widened my eyes and blinked. James and Margot had been nothing but generous and understanding when it came to my debts with them, but lately, they had started to express their concerns. James’s dismissive comment regarding my dues was baffling, to say the least.

“That’s out of the question,” I declared. “I’m not a charity case, and you need the money to run the place.”

“Vicky, I’m not supposed to say anything, but your bills are paid.” James leaned in closer and spoke quietly.

“What do you mean?” My eyes bulged.

“Consider them paid. From an anonymous sponsor.” He winked at me, waiting for me to jump for joy.

“James, if you’re joking, it’s not funny,” I brushed him off. “Who would just pay all my bills like that?”

“I can’t say, but it’s done.” He smirked mischievously and proceeded to walk away, leaving me in total confusion.

Christian? Oh, hell no!

My breathing escalated into hyperventilation as thoughts of Christian’s charity work bombarded my mind. I couldn’t possibly accept his money, but he never even asked me. What was I to him? Paid entertainment? A tax write-off?

I hurried to the stables, desperate to numb my thoughts by exercising. My desperation grew deeper as I witnessed Diana jumping on a horse and taking over the practice rink. She pretended not to see me and pulled the reins too suddenly, startling the horse. In a state of confusion and eagerness to obey her, the animal jerked abruptly, and Diana tumbled to the ground.

I sprung to my feet and ran to her side.

“Diana, are you OK?” I held out my hand for hers.

“Dumb horse,” she grunted, massaging her neck.

“Flash is not fully trained yet. I’m not surprised at his reaction,” I attempted to reason with her.

I helped her up and slid my hand around her waist for support as she limped toward the building. I could feel her heartbeat quicken, and tears pooled in her eyes.

“Do you think I’ll be able to recover for the Hillsdale race?” She questioned me desperately.

“From what I can tell, you’ll be just fine,” I comforted her, speaking from experience, having fallen like that many times myself. “Glad to hear you’re booked for that.”

“Are you?” She managed a sarcastic laugh. “Well, now you can be certain I’ll lose.”

“Because of this little hurdle? Nah.” I tried to joke and break the ice between us.

She paused to look at me with curiosity. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

Her question startled me, and I looked away from her dark eyes, peering into my soul.

Before I could answer, the onsite medic flew through the doors to meet us outside.

“Ms. Forbes, what happened? I’ll take it from here, Vitoria.” He motioned me off and held Diana under her arm.

“Flash decided to act out,” Diana explained. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted another horse but my own.”

“It happens. Let’s take a look—” the medic’s voice drifted off as they walked toward his room.

I strolled back to the stable, deep in thought. Diana’s fall had awakened an unfamiliar impulse in me. My immediate reaction was to help and comfort her. All my grudges and resentment vanished with the flip of a switch.

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