Page 241 of The Rebel Billionaire

I shake my head.

“Are you going to contact him?” she says.

“I will. In time.” I don’t want to tell them about how badly things ended between us. “I just want to get the press conference over and done with. Recentre myself.”

“You have three hours before they arrive to collect us,” Pen says, entering the room and sliding an arm around my shoulder. “You’ve got this, Harps. This is a new start.”

* * *

My heart thunders in my chest as I’m escorted to a chair behind a table on a makeshift stage. My eyes dart to every corner.

The room is packed, standing room only. Members of the press fill every available seat, while camera operators line the walls.

I force a smile, picking up the bottle of water in front of me, my hands visibly shaking. I’m grateful when Dan takes it and twists the cap loose before passing it back to me.

“Thank you,” I say, gripping it tightly and raising it to my parched lips.

“You’ve got this,” he says under his breath.

I nod, closing my eyes briefly. Pleased that The Seamstress allowed him to be here. His presence is a comfort I didn’t realise I needed. Mum sits on the other side of me, her hand grasping mine, squeezing it for support. The rest of my siblings are watching the proceedings on a TV screen somewhere inside the police station.

My hair has been dyed back to its natural colour, and my makeup has been done perfectly. There is nothing left of Brooke, only Harper. Why, then, do I feel naked, exposed and vulnerable?

I inhale deeply as the circus begins, letting my Harper mask fall into place, the one I cultivated for years after Dad died. Only it feels different now, as though being away has altered it…

The questions come thick and fast, making my head spin, Mum’s firm grip grounding me.

Harper, where have you been?

Harper, were you in a safe house?

Did you have contact with your family and friends while you were away?

What do you intend to do next?

The chief officer takes the lead, and it doesn’t take me long to realise this is the same way I felt when I first became Brooke.

“That’s enough, ladies and gentlemen. I’m sure Ms Frazer will be happy to answer questions going forward, but this is an update on her whereabouts,” the officer says, finally closing down what has felt like an endless barrage.

Dan gets up and comes to stand behind me, pulling out my chair before guiding Mum and me towards the exit.

Once through the door, I sink back against the wall, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply.

Someone squeezes my arm.

Opening my eyes, I find Pen standing in front of me.

“You did great. In a couple of days, things will have calmed down and something new will have caught their attention,” she says, nodding towards the room I’ve just left. “Let’s get you home where you can put your feet up and rest.”

I offer her a weak smile.

Being back with my family is amazing, but there’s one person I want here with me. Yet there have been no calls, no messages.

CHAPTER 73

ALEX

My gaze is fixed on Harper Frazer as I watch the interview rerun on the ten o’clock news. The composed young woman is surrounded by her family, while the press fires questions at her and the police officers protecting her.