Page 48 of Believing in a Billionaire
“No, I’m fine. I just need some rest. And Kyle is taking good care of me. I trust him.”
“Nice try at flattery, Julia. But it won’t work. I’m going to let you get some sleep, but I’m keeping a close eye on you. If you get any worse, you’re going straight to the hospital.”
“Fine,” she said as she struggled to keep her eyes open.
The voices around her faded in and out.
“…take her now?” Grant’s voice asked.
Kyle answered, “Let’s give her a few hours…”
“…worried…” Alicia said.
The night passed in a blur of discomfort and restless dozing. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, pain pounding at her temples and twisting her stomach.
By morning, she was weak enough that wishful thinking and denials were no longer sufficient.
She moaned as her eyes fluttered open.
Kyle hovered over her. “Her fever’s higher than ever. She’s pale, and her heart rate is too high. She’s in enough distress that I don’t think we should wait any longer.”
“I’ll call an ambulance immediately, sir,” Worthington said.
“I’m calling ahead to let the hospital know we’re coming,” Kyle answered him.
“Grant?” Julia murmured as she struggled to focus on the room spinning around her.
“I’m right here, Julia,” he answered, clutching her hand closer. “I’m right here.”
She struggled to reach for him but found herself too weak and sick to move. A tear rolled from the corner of her eye as the room faded from her view, blackness replacing it.
As her vision faded, her last conscious thought was a silent plea for relief and a desperate hope that the nightmare would soon end.
CHAPTER 11
GRANT
Grant kicked a leaf as he stormed down the path toward his car, frustration from his conversation with Lydia boiling over. As usual, she had pushed his buttons, taunting him with every vague threat she could. Had she not already succeeded in nearly ripping everything from him, he wouldn’t have given her insinuations a second thought.
But the past two years had taught him to take her threats seriously. And now she was coming after him on every front.
He’d have to step up his game to protect his family. He wouldn’t let anything happen to them. He curled his fingers into fists as he vowed to do whatever it took to protect Julia, his company and his entire family from his ex-wife.
After climbing into his car, the cold fury from Lydia’s words still echoing in his mind, Grant slammed the door shut. He took a moment, his breathing heavy, trying to transition from the rage Lydia sparked to the calm he needed to maintain before seeing Julia.
He threw himself back against the supple leather seat, his heart pounding in his chest, hands trembling slightly as he tried to rub away the tension knotted in his jaw. He slid his phone from his pocket as he tried to temper his mood.
He scrolled through his notifications, heat washing over him as he spotted several missed calls from Kyle. With a deep sigh, he tossed the phone into his cupholder and fired the engine.
Glancing at Kyle’s missed calls, a nagging unease settled in his stomach. What did his son want? Did he have some information on Lydia?
Whatever Kyle wanted could wait until he got home. He didn’t need his son’s brand of crazy adding to Lydia’s.
With the city in his rear-view mirror, he white-knuckled the wheel, trying to pull himself together. Torn between the urge to confide in Julia and the instinct to protect her from further stress, Grant wrestled with his conscience. Lydia’s shadow loomed over them, and he felt the weight of his decision pressing down.
Knowing Lydia was out of prison was enough of a blow. Confessing her most recent threats would be adding insult to injury.
He wanted to keep the drama as far away from his wife as possible.
