Page 58 of Billionaire’s Heartbreak

“Yes.”

“Why?”

The anger in that single word hurt more than shouting would have.

“Because you weren’t safe.”

“What?”

“The men at the store were real.” I pointed toward the television, where the CCTV footage was still frozen. “The two men following you weren’t part of this. Dave’s team intercepted them before they could get close again. Your driver shook them.”

Her expression changed. “What happened?”

“No.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “There was a chase. They followed you for a while, but your driver lost them.”

Her expression shifted slightly. “So the crazy driving wasn’t an act?”

“No.”

She stared at me for a moment before looking down at her bound wrists. “If they were really after me, why did you have me tied up?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came. “Because I gave the order,” I swallowed. “Because it was the only way I could keep you safe.”

She stared at me as if I’d spoken another language.

“What?”

My voice rose despite myself. “I don’t know what else to do with you. You keep fighting me. Every time I try to protect you, you find a way to put yourself in danger. You won’t listen to me. You won’t work with me.”

“Because you won’t let me make my own decisions.”

“I know.” The words came out before I could stop them, silencing both of us. I took a breath. “I know I’ve done things that gave you every reason not to trust me. I betrayed your trust. More than once. But I need you to trust me now.”

She didn’t answer. Her eyes stayed on mine.

“This isn’t a business problem I can throw money at. I can’t solve it with a phone call. I need you to understand that I’m trying to keep you alive.”

Her anger didn’t disappear, and neither did the hurt, but her breathing slowed.

“Okay.”

“What?”

“I said okay.” Her voice remained calm.

I stared at her. “Just like that?”

“Yes. Just like that.”

She lifted her bound hands slightly, reminding me that she was still tied. Somehow, that made her answer feel even more unsettling.

“But I need to be able to trust you.”

Something inside my chest loosened. Not completely. Not even close. But enough. I walked over and started working on the knots. It looked much easier when other people did it. After several unsuccessful attempts, I finally stepped back.

“Dave.”

“You don’t know how to do that?” June asked, watching him work on the knot.