Page 13 of The Billionaire's Secret Heir

Beckett watched the various responses with amusement. George looked exasperated but resigned. He knew better than to fight Beckett. Bret’s fury bubbled just below the surface, barely contained. He was clearly a man used to having his way. Not that Beckett was much different. Just the thought that he had anything in common with Bret disturbed him.

George was already on his feet and moving to the door when Bret stormed out ahead of him, shooting a look toward Beckett. After George closed the conference room door, Beckett stood. Not breaking eye contact with Madi, he walked to where she sat and pulled out a chair beside her. He wanted to make her more comfortable, but if he was being honest, he simply wanted to be closer to her.

Madi still looked fierce, but her hands were shaking before she pressed them together and dropped them in her lap. She was a contradiction in strength and weakness, bravery and fear. It made him curious about her. Beckett couldn’t predict how she might react to things, which intrigued him.

“I think there were a few too many lawyers for one room,” Beckett said, with a smile that he hoped was warm.

“At least one too many,” Madi said, then looked shocked, like she hadn’t meant to say it out loud. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

Beckett smiled. “I won’t tell him.”

She returned his smile. “Thank you. Bret has been incredibly helpful. I don’t want to be rude.”

“Standing up for yourself isn’t rude. Your lawyer works for you, not the other way around. Which is why I wanted to get them out for a few minutes. You looked like you wanted to speak and I wanted to give you that opportunity.”

She nodded. “Thank you. May I be blunt?”

Beckett smiled. “Please do. I’d prefer it.”

“That was the first time I had seen what Bret planned to ask for. I did not approve asking for that.” Her hands twisted in her lap.

“Your lawyer did not consult with you?”

Madi shook her head. Now that Beckett was close, he could see that she had delicate features. They were not unremarkable, as he had first thought. They were subtle. She had a petite, upturned nose and perfectly shaped lips—not overly full, but with a slight lift at the corners that gave the impression she was on the verge of a smile. Even now, when it was clear that she felt stressed and uncomfortable.

Her eyes surprised him the most. Up close, they were not just brown, but almost had the appearance of a beautiful wood surface, with varying tones of warm, rich brown and amber. Her voice had lost the hard strength she had used when Bret was in the room, but her eyes held a fierce and raw strength he admired.

I am not admiring her. Beckett cleared his throat and tried to bring his mind back to what Madi was saying.

“Bret had been trying to reach you since before my sister died. I had no idea. Neither of them told me. They were good friends. He offered to help me with everything after she died. Calista hadn’t left a will or set up any kind of provisions.”

Again, Beckett’s protectiveness surged. A lawyer should have recommended that his friend take care of those things. Especially where a child was involved. Instead, Bret had been helping Calista secure child support and now was helping Madi. Which meant that he was looking for a payout. Not surprising.

Beckett couldn’t help but notice that Madi emphasized the word friend, maybe in a way that she didn’t even realize. Were Calista and Bret more than friends? Beckett noticed that Bret touched Madi frequently. Was he trying for more than friendship with her as well? Or did he see an opportunity to use both sisters for money, with the child as a sort of pawn in the middle?

“Go on.” Beckett hoped the rising anger he felt toward Bret was not evident in his voice.

Madi put her hands flat on the table and leaned forward slightly before continuing. “The reality of my situation is this: my sister did not plan well for the future. As you may know, she was a model. Most of her money went toward paying for her lifestyle. She employed me as her full-time nanny. With the funeral and all the other expenses, there is no estate to speak of. I’m still caring for Becka full-time, but now without pay.”

She paused, blinking back tears and clearing her throat before continuing, still in a firm voice. Beckett admired her poise and determination. He could see evidence of her big heart, but she didn’t let emotions sweep her away.

“Becka is the most important thing to me. I’m petitioning for official and legal custody, but I have two problems. The first is you. As her father, you would have the first rights to custody, if you want them. I don’t want that hanging over me, wondering if one day you might take her away. The second is that I now have no source of income. If I get a job, then I’ll also be paying for childcare, which is incredibly expensive.”

Madi had articulated the situation clearly and honestly. It couldn’t have been easy to speak this way about her sister and the poor choices she had made. But Madi managed to do so in a way that didn’t seem bitter or make Calista sound terrible. Beckett hadn’t known her well, but his memories of her were not particularly pleasant. Beautiful, yes, but also shallow and with a thinly-veiled obsession with Beckett’s money. Madi seemed to hold no illusions about her sister, but loved her anyway.

What was also incredibly clear from her words was just how much Becka meant to her. He saw the lengths she would go to in order to take care of the child. It was hard still for Beckett to wrap his mind around the fact that they were talking about his child.

He hadn’t realized how long of a pause had taken place in their conversation. She was waiting on him. Her fierce brown eyes softened and Beckett realized she was again on the verge of crying.

“What would you propose?”

Madi took a moment to pull herself together. Beckett felt the tension drain from his shoulders as she sniffed and then looked at him again, her eyes again clear and fierce.

“I want to raise Becka. That’s my primary concern. I know this has all come as a shock to you, so I’m not sure how you feel about everything, but I would hope that you would sign over custody to me.” She pursed her lips. “The last thing I want is to ask for money. But to be perfectly honest, I’m in a position where I need financial support. I cannot care for Becka in the situation Calista left me in. The number Bret wrote down is ridiculous. I can’t see how anyone would need that or could afford to pay that. I’m sorry he even asked. I feel ashamed just thinking about it.”

She reached across the table and touched his hand. The movement was unexpected, and Beckett pulled his hand away without thinking. Madi’s cheeks flushed as she looked down at her lap.

Beckett felt terrible. He hadn’t meant it personally, but he simply hadn’t expected the gesture. Her fingertips had been soft and her touch gentle and he wished that he could rewind the moment and not pull away like some jerk. It was too late and she had put her hands back in her lap, so he couldn’t reach for her.

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