Page 20 of Betrayal of a Billionaire
Alicia leaned forward, squeezing her sister’s hands. “You need to get out of this.”
Julia’s shoulders slumped. “Ally, in eight months, this will be over.”
“Unless it’s not. I mean, this has already gone on longer than you expected. Julia, how can you live like this?”
Julia let her face fall to their clasped hands. She couldn’t admit that part of the reason was because she’d developed feelings well beyond that of her contractual obligations. She enjoyed their work together. But she didn’t want to hear the lecture from her sister. Especially when she had enough doubts of her own about him.
She imagined her sister lecturing her about being his fifth wife, about his playboy days which had made it across her desk. And she already knew all of those things. She didn’t need to have them thrown in her face.
“It’s been a balancing act. But at least now you know, and I don’t have to juggle that anymore, right?”
“Julia, I’m not joking. This seems…dangerous. Not to mention the really weird family dynamics. I mean, what’s with that strange daughter?”
“Sierra isn’t strange, she’s just…different. But she’s fiercely loyal.”
Alicia shook her head, her emotions finally coming under control. “I assume you didn’t tell me because you knew I’d hate this?”
Julia bobbed her head up and down. “Yes. I didn’t want to explain it, and I knew you wouldn’t agree.”
“No, I don’t,” Alicia said with a shake of her head. “But I don’t want any more secrets, okay?”
Julia patted her sister’s hand as she nodded. “Okay.”
Grant appeared in the doorway. “Juls, everything okay?”
Alicia’s expression morphed. The understanding flickering in her eyes, softened by sisterly concern, became swiftly overshadowed by a protective, almost ferocious glare. She rose from her seat, shaking her head.
“Ally?” Julia asked as she stood.
Alicia grimaced at Grant as she strode closer to him. “I’m good with my sister, but I have a big problem with you. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s free of you.”
She pushed past him and stormed to the door. It slammed seconds later, startling Julia. She swallowed hard, relief mixing with a fresh wave of anxiety. While honesty had lifted some of the weight off her chest, it had also opened a Pandora’s box. Now, she faced not only Alicia’s disappointment but a tangible threat to the fragile equilibrium of her life with Grant.
CHAPTER 5
GRANT
“Wow, someone really knows how to do research,” Sierra said as she slid a few papers over from the pile Alicia had slammed onto the dining table.
“Well, she missed the part where I re-kidnapped Julia, but thanks so much for telling her, Sierra,” Kyle said as he closed one hand over a fist.
“No problem. She appreciated my honesty.”
Grant let the conversation float past him as the tension in his jaw increased. Julia’s sister seemed no less angry than she had the night before, and this time, she had brought a laundry list of his sins to display.
This day wasn’t going much better than yesterday.
“Well, I didn’t. Julia’s sister has enough problems with this family, we didn’t need to add one more.”
“I didn’t add it, Kyle, you did,” Sierra sniped at him.
“Why did you invite me on this? So you could blame me for everything?”
“Enough,” Grant said, letting a fist slam onto the table. “This trip is already going badly enough without you two constantly fighting. We need a united front here.”
“Totally,” Sierra said with a head bob, “Julia’s sister is a real bi–”
“Will you stop that? She’s concerned about Julia.”
