The Unknown Billionaire (Captured by Love Book 6) (18 page)

“Hey, girls, good to see you,” Jarryd said as the two appeared at the top of the stairwell.

The hugs the women gave him were warm and it made him feel somewhat better.

“Carter and Gavin are out somewhere, so we had dinner by ourselves,” Natasha said as they went inside his apartment. “We thought we’d drop by because we were passing through here.”

“Right. Want some coffee or tea? Or milk?” He glanced at their tummies and smiled at Cassie’s slightly obvious bump. Natasha was wearing a loose top and he couldn’t tell if she was showing already.

“Just water, please,” Cassie said. “We’ve already had herbal tea with our meal. Have you had dinner?”

“Uh, yeah,” he said unconvincingly, going to the kitchen as he poured water for his visitors. He hadn’t eaten anything since he’d had an early lunch with a client. He had been hungry and had planned to order pizza or something, but seeing Marilyn on
Biz Q&A
had totally robbed him of all appetite.

Come to think of it, hadn’t Cassie and Natasha watched the show?

“Hey, didn’t you see Marilyn on
Biz Q&A
tonight?” he asked casually as he rejoined them in the living room.

“Yes,” Cassie answered.

“Where? I thought you went out to dinner.”

Both women flushed.

“We had dinner at my place,” Cassie said. “Then Tash and I thought we’d go out to have dessert, but decided to drop by here instead.”

“Why, thanks. It’s unexpected, I have to say,” Jarryd said lightly.

There was a moment of silence before Natasha spoke. “Erin told us that she saw you the other day. We thought we’d give you a chance to explain too.”

He inhaled deeply, touched. “Thank you.”

“So... anything else you want to say?”

He rubbed his jaw. “Apart from what I’ve told Erin? Not really. I’m still nowhere near coming up with anything that would counter Patrick’s allegations. Is there something you particularly want to ask me?”

“Did you ever lie to Marilyn?” Cassie asked, her tone a tad challenging.

“Yes. Lies of omission, mainly, as you already know.”

“I mean about your feelings for her.”

“No. Never,” he said quietly, meeting their gazes frankly. “In the beginning, I kept the truth from her because of my loyalty to Margaret’s memory. But it didn’t take long before my reason also became the fear of losing her. Obviously, I stuffed everything up because I lost her anyway, in the worst possible way.”

He saw the look in their eyes turn from uncertainty to compassion.

“She’s still very hurt,” Natasha murmured.

He nodded. “That’s understandable. She’d been betrayed by a guy before, so I don’t blame her for reacting the way she did, considering the circumstances.” But, damn, understanding her reaction didn’t lessen the pain in any way.

“Give her time,” Cassie said sympathetically. “When she’s ready, we’ll be happy to arrange for the two of you to meet.”

He looked down on the floor. “Thank you, but please don’t worry about it. Like I told Erin, I have nothing right now that would rebuild her trust in me, and I’d rather she doesn’t think of me at all than think of me with hate and anger. Besides, it’s become more complicated now that she’s appearing on
Biz Q&A.
I have to respect her decision.”

“What are you saying?” Natasha asked, her brows furrowing.

“I’m asking you to let her be.”

“You don’t want us to talk to her about you?”

Jarryd shook his head in confirmation, trying to stop his eyes from misting. He didn’t know what the future held for him. If he would forever be a subject of suspicion due to Patrick’s public profile, Marilyn would be better off not being connected to him. His story would be picked up by the media once it became known that he was Margaret O’Neill’s son. And when it came to that, Patrick could make his life a complete hell regardless of the legal outcome of a will challenge. He might have his billions, but what good would that do if nobody trusted him? He didn’t want to drag Marilyn or Grant Ace down with him if he couldn’t find a way out of the hole he’d fallen into.

He missed Marilyn so damned much. But he wasn’t going to put her in a position where she could be exposed to more hurt. And if he couldn’t clear his name, he couldn’t see how they could be together again.

M
arilyn glanced surreptitiously at her friends as she lowered herself into Jade’s swimming pool. Lunch had come and gone, and they were now about to enjoy delicious treats prepared by the Biltons’ chef for afternoon tea, but the five still hadn’t brought up the topic she’d been waiting for all week: Jarryd.

They’d agreed to this mini pool party the last time they’d met for dinner at her place, with Jade offering to host. The men had also been invited, but they’d arranged a boys’ get-together elsewhere to ensure that the women got to discuss freely amongst themselves.

Marilyn was grateful for the men’s thoughtfulness, but she was disappointed that there had been no discussion happening among the girls yet—at least, not the important one she’d been expecting.

“I wonder what the guys are doing right now,” Lexie said, sitting next to her on an underwater bench.

“They’re probably still enjoying their fishing without some of us girls complaining of nausea or boredom,” Jade said from a deckchair beside them.

Cassie snickered. “Carter just sent me a photo of him and Brad posing with their catches.”

“Oh, really? I better check my phone,” Erin said, getting out of the pool.

“You know that Gavin’s never had any luck with fishing?” Natasha said. “It frustrates the hell out of him, and he’ll probably be the last to want to leave because he’d still be trying to catch one when everyone else is ready to go home.”

“I wonder if Simon brought a date with him,” Lexie mused. “When Rick told him about today, Simon said he’d already promised to spend the day with a model who’d asked him out. But he also said he wouldn’t mind going fishing with the boys. Rick said to take whoever she was with him, if she didn’t mind spending the day with men.”

Erin laughed. “If she knew how hunky all those men are, I’m sure she wouldn’t have said no. But if she’s there, I hope she knows she can only flirt with Simon.”

“Or Tristan or Derek,” Jade quipped. “You know Simon. If he’s decided to forgo a day alone with one woman, he’s not that interested in her.”

Marilyn wanted to roll her eyes, having had enough of waiting for the “main event”. “Hey, girls, are we ever going to talk about Jarryd? Didn’t we say that some of you would try to contact him last week? Has anyone managed to do that?”

Her friends looked at each other.

“So you do want us to talk about him?” Natasha asked.

“Of course.”

“Well, we were just waiting for you,” Cassie said.

“Why? I thought talking about him was one of the main reasons we’re having this pool party.”

Erin let out a heavy sigh. “He asked us not to force you into discussing him, so we thought we’d wait until you brought him up.”

“What do you mean?”

Erin swam to sit next to her. “I saw Jarryd on Wednesday and Tash and Cassie saw him last night. The three of us believe he’s telling the truth.”

Her heart banged rapidly in her chest, as if saying “I told you so” in an emphatic fashion.

“And it wasn’t so much what he said, but how he said it,” Cassie murmured.

Natasha nodded. “It was his demeanour, his expression. I know dishonest men could be excellent actors, but I’d say even those kinds of people wouldn’t be able to fake emotions as quickly and as clearly as Jarryd did when we mentioned your name.”

“What did he say?” Marilyn whispered.

“Apart from swearing that he didn’t manipulate Margaret into writing a new will, he said that he never lied about his feelings for you.”

Her eyes smarted as her heart continued its frenzied dancing.

“He also said...” Erin paused.

“What?”

“Well, he said that he didn’t want my help in asking you to talk to him because he’d prefer that you believe what
he
has say rather than what
I
have to say. He didn’t think there was any point trying to get the two of you to meet because he doesn’t have any proof that would rebuild your trust in him.”

“He’s mad at me?”

“No! He said he totally understands why you reacted like you did.”

“But he doesn’t want to see me or talk to me?”

“Not exactly,” Natasha said. “He thinks you’ve taken Patrick’s side, since you agreed to appear on
Biz Q&A
. He said he wants to respect your decision.”

“He also said he was scared of losing you, that was why he’d kept the truth hidden for as long as he did,” Cassie supplied. “But he knows he stuffed up and he doesn’t blame you for hating him.”

A tear fell down Marilyn’s cheek. “I don’t think I hate him. But I’m still angry at him. And although I’m interested in what he has to say, I’m scared to allow myself to trust him again. What if he’s just a great actor? Can any of you
guarantee
that he’s not an opportunistic scammer?”

“No,” the three mumbled.

“But I have to say I do believe him and am prepared to help him out,” Natasha said gently.

Marilyn swallowed. “My heart wants me to throw all caution to the wind and give Jarryd another chance. But my brain—or some other part of me that’s scared—is pulling me back. It’s telling me to wait until I know for sure that I really can trust Jarryd.”

“Take your time in making your decision,” Lexie said comfortingly. “We’ll support whatever you decide.”

She sniffed. “I don’t want to be afraid, but I can’t help it. If only I could have some sort of guarantee...”

Cassie reached out for her hand. “I can’t guarantee that Carter and I will be together until we’re both past eighty, which is my ideal scenario. What if one of us dies early? Or what if something happens and we need to question our relationship? There is no choice or action that we can take that will guarantee that the road will always be smooth and straight. Life is life. It will constantly throw things at us that we don’t want or are not ready to deal with. But we have to keep adapting and maintain our focus on what’s truly important. For me, the most important things in my life are Carter and this little bub growing inside me, followed very closely by my family and you guys. I’ll fight tooth and nail if something comes to threaten us and our togetherness. Now, I’m not saying that Jarryd has to be your priority even if you still have feelings for him. Prioritising your career, your parents, even your peace of mind is just as valid. It’s up to you to figure out what’s most important to you, then follow your heart on that. Heartache is a possible consequence of any decision, but at least you won’t be living in regret that you haven’t given your all for what you truly want out of life. Just don’t get paralysed by fear. That’ll be sure to keep you in a place where bliss and joy would be extremely hard to find.”

More tears trickled down Marilyn’s face as she threw her arms around Cassie. “Thank you,” she murmured, then hugged her other friends one by one. “I think I know what I want to do. I’ll talk to Jarryd, see how that goes, and decide on my next step then.”

“Good. One step at a time,” Jade said with an encouraging smile.

Marilyn nodded, feeling lighter than she had for weeks. Yes, after a difficult period of going round and round in circles in her head, she’d be taking a step
forward
.

*****

M
arilyn took several deep breaths, fanning herself with her hand. Gosh, she hadn’t even gotten out of her air-conditioned car and she was already breaking into a sweat. What would she be like by the time she walked the few metres to Jarryd’s office on this sunny, humid day?

At least she knew Jarryd was in. His car was parked in one of the private spots.

She hadn’t made an appointment. She hadn’t even texted to tell him she was coming. She had just driven here, banking on Jarryd keeping to his usual routine of doing paperwork every Tuesday morning in his office. Luckily, he’d stuck to it today.

What would he say when he saw her? How would he react? She hadn’t planned what to say to him, except to let him know she was now willing to hear the explanation that he’d pleaded with her to listen to multiple times in the past.

With one more lung-expanding breath, she got out of her vehicle and made her way to the entrance of Jarryd’s office, her heart pounding so hard it rivalled the clacking of her high heels on the pavement.

She pushed open the glass door and was surprised to see a new face behind the reception desk. Good. It would be less awkward talking to someone she didn’t know than explaining herself to the previous receptionist, who she’d been quite friendly with.

“Hi,” she said pleasantly. “My name is Marilyn Grant. I was wondering if I could have a few minutes with Jarryd Westbourne, please?”

The receptionist flashed her a smile. “You don’t have an appointment, is that right, ma’am?”

“That’s right. I only need about five minutes with him.”

“I’m afraid he’s not available at the moment. Are you looking to discuss an existing project or a new business? I can get someone else to help you.”

“No, it’s personal.”

The woman behind the desk frowned. “I’m sorry, but he’s not free. How about—” She pursed her lips as she consulted her computer screen. “Friday next week? Unfortunately, he’s fully booked until then.”

“I really need to see him today,” she answered patiently. “He’s in his office, right? His car is parked outside. So could you let him know I’m here, please? I won’t take much of his time.”

The receptionist sat back in her chair, her friendly demeanour disappearing as she folded her arms across her chest. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to come back when you have an appointment. And like I’ve said, the earliest I can book you in is Friday next week.”

She repressed a sigh. “I hear what you’re saying. I’ll be sure to make an appointment next time. But for now, could you please just let him know that I’m here?”

“He doesn’t want anyone bothering him at this time. And if you really know him personally, why don’t you call him privately and arrange a time to see him?”