Page 141 of The Rebel Billionaire

I’ve tried so hard to put it behind me, but whatever I do, it comes back to haunt me, time and time again. They say time heals, but it’s a lie when you’re forced to live with the constant guilt of your actions.

For seven years, I’ve rebelled against the establishment and built barriers because it was easier than confronting the truth.

I killed our father.

Everyone was grieving because of me and my selfish desires. If I hadn’t gone out that night, gone against his wishes…

Elijah’s words echo in my head. “Dad didn’t die in an accident. He was murdered, Harper.”

I race to the bathroom, emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet bowl.

Murdered.

Why did someone want my dad dead? Pen and Eli said that Kat and Jax had uncovered some files containing more evidence. Evidence Dad had gathered.

Did Dad know someone was trying to kill him? Is that why he warned me against going to the party? A warning I ignored?

I shiver, a numbness spreading through my limbs.

I call Kat, but it’s the middle of the night, and she doesn’t answer. So, I try the next best person.

“Pen,” I say, as the line connects, my voice raw.

“Harper? Honey, are you okay?”

“No,” I sob down the phone, my breath catching again, my throat closing.

“Hey, Harper, listen to me. You’re having a panic attack. I need you to take some deep breaths. Breathe in for four, out for four. Again.”

I close my eyes, listening to her voice as she repeats the instructions over and over until I’m breathing normally.

“Sorry,” I say.

“Never be sorry. You’ve been through a lot, and you’re away from us, your family.”

“I…”

I swipe at my cheeks, annoyed by the tears I can’t control.

“Talk to me,” she says, her tone soothing.

“If I hadn’t called him that night…” I don’t say the rest, knowing Pen can fill in the blanks. “He didn’t want me to go to the party, Pen. Do you think he knew what they were going to do?”

“You listen to me right now, Harper Brooke Frazer. Your father loved you. He loved all of you. You were his world. If they hadn’t got to him that night, they would have kept trying until they succeeded, irrespective of who was with him. Your father knew that. He made a choice.”

I draw my knees up to my chest and hug them, dropping my head.

“We need to make sure that all those responsible are caught and brought to justice. Do you understand me? That means you must stay under the radar. I’d bring you home tomorrow, but I’ve been overruled.”

“Overruled?”

“You met The Seamstress, I hear,” Pen says, and I can tell she’s not happy about it.

I remain silent.

“I’ll take your silence as a yes.” Pen sighs. “She used to be my boss. It’s a long story, one for another time, but she was also a close friend of your father’s.”

“She told me. I remember her.”