Page 11 of Betrayal of a Billionaire

Sierra arched an eyebrow, a frown forming on her lips. “Wow, Julia, your sister is kind of a bitch.”

“Sierra!” Grant hissed, though his first impressions of the woman had not been fantastic.

Sierra’s eyes flashed with a mix of indignation and protective fury. “Well, she is. I mean, she was kind of dramatic. Big deal, you didn’t tell her you were married. That didn’t give her the right to berate you like that. It’s not a crime. If Kyle got married and didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t even care, except I’d feel bad for his wife.”

Kyle heaved a sigh at her. “Seriously, Sierra?”

“Yeah, seriously.”

Julia pressed her lips together as she flicked her gaze at the passing scenery.

Despite his initial reaction to Alicia, he tried to smooth the situation over for Julia. “I think she’s just surprised, Sierra.”

“Everyone else in town will be, too.” Julia slid her eyes closed as she shook her head.

Sierra crinkled her brow. “What’s she going to do, take an ad out in the paper?”

“It’s a small town. Everyone will know by the end of the day.”

Sierra wrinkled her nose. “Seriously?”

“Yes, definitely.”

Grant's heart sank as he heard her words, delivered with a defeated tone. Swallowing hard, he couldn't help but wonderabout the unreadable emotion clouding her eyes. Was it doubt? Regret? Was it only over her sister finding out or was it over marrying him in the first place?

Whichever it was, her mood had gone from relatively relaxed to uptight, nervous, and the one he hated the most: distant.

They’d navigated a number of difficult issues, including Lydia living under their roof while actively trying to destroy him and his company, but only by being open with each other.

It was when she shut down like this that moving forward became impossible. Maybe after the shock wore off, he told himself as the limo swung into the driveway of a seaside mansion.

A slight groan escaped Julia as they slid past an old Bronco with police lights across the top. A man in a flannel shirt leaned casually against it. Grant recognized her brother-in-law, Ethan.

Julia shook her head. “I see she’s called for backup. That’s wonderful.”

“It’ll be okay, Juls,” he said as he let his gaze fall on the waves crashing against the rocky shoreline, suddenly reminded of the moment when his feelings for Julia went beyond her contractual obligation.

The limo slid to a stop outside of the seaside mansion, lit starkly by the setting sun, and the driver hurried to pop the door open. Grant climbed out first, offering Ethan a smile and a nod before he reached for Julia’s hand.

She climbed from the car, giving her brother-in-law a nervous wave as her sister strode toward them.

“Hey, Juju,” Ethan said as they approached, pulling her into a hug. “This is a surprise.”

“Yeah,” she said, “for me, too.”

Grant offered him a tight-lipped smile as he stuck his hand out. “I’m Grant Harrington. Julia’s husband.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes at him as he slowly pumped his hand up and down but offered no further greeting.

Grant eyed him for a moment before he motioned toward the house. “Why don’t you both come inside? I’m sure you have a lot to talk about.”

“That’s the understatement of the year,” Alicia said as Sierra and Kyle stepped out of the car.

Grant’s protective instincts surged, and he slid an arm around Julia as he guided her to the open doors leading to the foyer.

Worthington awaited them inside. “Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Harrington. Is there anything I can get for you or would you like to settle in first?”

“Actually, Julia’s family is here, so we’ll just head into the living room so they can talk.”