Page 61 of Betrayal of a Billionaire

He tugged his phone from his pocket, wrestling with the urge to call Julia, his pride clashing with his fear of losing Julia. Each throb of his heart was a reminder of what was at stake, yet his ego, scarred by past betrayals, held him back.

“I think I will eat in my room. Let me knowifJulia comes home.”

The way he made his last statement made Grant uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat as his son strode from the room.

As he sat alone, he pondered if Julia was laughing right at this moment. Were her eyes lighting up in a way they hadn’t around him? Did she find something in Luke’s presence that he couldn’t offer?

His thoughts were interrupted as Worthington entered. “Would you prefer your meal in here, sir?”

Grant stared down into the amber liquid again. “I’ve lost my appetite.”

“Is it Mrs. Harrington’s absence bothering you, sir?”

“I’m trying to give her some space with her family,” he answered.

“But, sir?”

Grant snapped his eyes to his always perceptive butler. “But I’m worried it will cost us Julia.”

“Is her connection to the other man that strong?”

Grant’s jaw tightened as he recalled the look she’d given him when they danced. “It just might be.”

“Perhaps…you would feel better taking a more proactive approach, sir?”

Grant frowned. “I’m trying not to smother her. I’m afraid that’ll push her straight into his arms.”

“What will doing nothing do, sir?”

Grant groaned as he set the glass down on the coffee table. “Why do you always make sense, Worthington?”

“That’s what I’m paid for, sir. Would you like me to call the driver?”

“Yes,” Grant said. “And tell him to hurry, please?”

“I will, sir,” Worthington said as he strode from the room.

Grant dug the ring box out of his pocket and popped it open. The ring he’d hoped to give her seemed to have lost its luster in the face of her strong emotions for Luke. Would she even accept it?

He snapped the box shut as the driver entered the foyer, grabbing the key from the table. “Mr. Harrington? You wanted to go out.”

“Yes, The Hungry Pelican.”

“Absolutely, sir,” the man said as he pulled the front door open and motioned for Grant to precede him. He hurried around him, opening the door for Grant to slide inside.

He drummed his fingers on the soft leather as the car’s engine roared to life, and they pulled away from the house. What would he find when he got there?

Likely an angry Alicia who would paint this as yet another one of his sins. He shifted in his seat as the dark trees sped past his window. The warm lights of the restaurant finally appeared. He had the door open before the driver shifted into park.

He strode to the restaurant as the driver popped out from behind the wheel. The din of the restaurant enveloped him as he stepped inside, scanning the place for Julia. He didn’t find her anywhere. Were they not coming here?

A waitress buzzed by him with a tray filled to the brim. “Oh, hi, are you looking for Julia?”

“Yes,” he said, surprised the woman remembered him. Then again, he was the most hated man in Harbor Cove. Everyone probably knew him.

“She’s out back with Luke.” The girl nodded toward a door in the back. “Just go out through there.”

“Thanks,” he said before he skirted the tables, intent on finding her. He pushed through the door at the back, the cool evening air smacking his face, but not as hard as the image in front of him.