Page 39 of A Billionaire's Secret

This was the sixth time I had tried to reach her, and it felt like she was purposefully ignoring my calls. My patience wore thin, and I poured another large glass of whisky, hoping it would ease my troubled mind.

The amber liquid sloshed in the glass as I sat there, the room swaying with my intoxicated state. Contemplating the recent turn of events, my thoughts blurred and mingled with the fumes of alcohol. The persistent knocking on the study door broke through the haze, forcing me to focus.

"Come in, Diana," I called out, my voice slightly slurred as I tried to maintain an air of composure.

Diana entered the room, her steps deliberate, her eyes burning with anger. My gaze fell upon the silver horse charm hanging from her neck, and my heart sank. It was the same charm I had seen Victoria wear, and I knew its implications. Panic fluttered in my chest, but I had to gather myself.

"So, I heard you went to England,” she placed her hands on her hips and stared down at me. “Care to enlighten me on what you did there? And who you did it with?” Diana's voice dripped with sarcasm and accusation, cutting through the haze of alcohol-induced fog.

“It seems to me like you already know,” I sat up in my seat and crossed my arms in anticipation of her tantrum.

Instead, she smiled sarcastically and pointed to her neckline. “Do you like my new charm?”

“I guess,” I furrowed my brows, pretending to look confused.

“Dad, how long are you going to lie to me?” Diana raised her voice and slammed my desk. “A stable hand who’s close with Victoria saw me wearing this when I went to pick up some leftover belongings, and when he stared at me like I was plagued, I made him tell me whose it is. Surprise! It’s Victoria’s.”

“And?” I attempted to hide the truth one last time.

With a sudden burst of anger, Diana ripped the chain from her neck, flinging the charm at me.

"You must think I'm stupid? Now, will you tell me how long this has been going on?” Diana’s voice crackled with disappointment and betrayal.

Coming to terms with the gravity of the situation and the amount of pain my secrecy had caused, I sighed heavily and stood up to face Diana.

“Dee-dee,” I began cautiously, choosing every word wisely. “It seems like a looming cloud of lies and secrets has been hanging over our family for a while. I think we should get down to the bottom of it.”

“You think?” She scoffed. “Well, start talking then.”

“Here’s the thing, baby girl,” I leaned closer. “There are more important things at hand than my dating life.”

She stood frozen, realizing what I was aiming at, and searched my eyes for compassion.

“William Boyd is on the way,” I placed my hands on her shoulders. “The vet you and I bribed is back for more. It’s time we accept the consequences of our actions.”

Diana’s anger and disappointment vanished, giving way to worry and fear. She sulked on the couch and stared into space.

“My actions, Dad. You have nothing to do with this.” She confessed.

“Oh, but I do,” I assured her and sat beside her. “The moment I bribed him, I became equally involved. But I don’t regret it. I wanted to be in this with you. I’d never let you suffer alone.”

Diana threw her arms around me and buried her head in my chest, tears falling down my shirt. “I’m scared, Dad. What’s going to happen.”

“We’ll deal with it. Together.” I pecked her head and stared at my watch.

Come on, William, what’s taking you so long?

Diana and I sat on the couch, silently mulling over our fates. William’s heavy knocking hand startled us, and we both jerked in our seats.

“Hi, Christian. Diana.” He greeted us politely. “Sorry, I’m late. I had to finish reading some information that might help us.”

“I sure hope so,” I mumbled, pointing him to the armchair across the coffee table. “Well, we’re all ears. What did you find out?”

“If any of this sees the light of day, we’re looking at prison time and hefty fines,” William spoke firmly and informatively, sending hot flashes through my body and tears to Diana’s eyes. “But the vet will also be liable and face similar charges.”

I loosened the top button of my shirt, hoping to let in some air through my choked-up throat. “I doubt the fucker will want to do that, right?”

“That’s the only silver lining. We need to convince him that he’ll go down with us if he tries anything.”

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