Single Mom for the Billionaire (Alpha Billionaire Romance Book)

by Davis, Alexa

  This time as I looked at my phone, it was with hope. I could get an audio recording on my phone or a video with at least some visual of him. Maybe, just maybe, this could work... I thought.

  “I have to go, Mom,” I told her with a smile. “I’ll see you in a bit, okay?”

  She leaned up and kissed me on the cheek, moving in a much stronger way on her leg. “You just be careful, son, okay?”

  I hugged her tight, trying to communicate my gratitude to her once more. It was funny. I had always been very close to my mother, but staying in her home to look after her had opened my eyes to so many things.

  “Thanks, Mom. I’ll be alright. You’re right. I need to fix this for Elle. She’s the best thing that ever has and ever will happen to me. I don’t want her to hate me over this.”

  “Trust me, she doesn’t hate you; she’s just scared. You two will find you way back to one another.” She patted me on the arm encouragingly. “When it’s meant to be, it will be.”

  While I wasn’t totally convinced about that, it was a nice thought to go away with. All I wanted was for everything to be okay with Elle and Delaney. Anything else would just be a bonus.

  ***

  I straightened myself up and prepared myself for battle. This would be a much calmer and more controlled battle, of course. I wasn’t going in head first like a madman this time. I needed to keep my cool, even if he acted like a smug little prick, and I needed to remain in control.

  Just do this, I warned myself. Make it right for Elle, nothing else matters.

  My steps into Mark’s building were purposeful but less rapid and angry than last time. I smoothed myself down and stalked towards the woman standing in front of the kitchen with her eyes wide open. No wonder she looked so freaked out by the sight of me, it was the same woman I ran into last time.

  “Hello,” I said in a friendly tone of voice as I leaned forwards to read her name badge. “Terran.”

  Terran? Holy shit, that was Elle’s friend . I had almost forgotten that her friend worked for Mark. Recognition crossed my face, and it did hers, too, but as a last minute decision, I decided to pretend I didn’t know her name. Once she saw me doing this, she followed suit.

  “You might remember me. I was in here the other day. I acted in an unfortunate way, and I wish to apologize to your boss.”

  “You... You do?” She looked confused, which was fair enough. I wasn’t supposed to be sucking up to Mark. I raised an eyebrow, hoping that she would get the hint that this was all part of a much bigger picture. Thankfully, she seemed to understand. “You do, okay. I’ll just go and get him.

  “Is he in his office?” I demanded. “I think I would much prefer to speak in his office.”

  While she had no idea what I was doing, Terran seemed to trust me enough to let me get on with it. “Yes, of course, right this way.”

  We wove down a hallway which had strange art pieces on the wall. Oddly painted naked body parts that did absolutely nothing for me. He had a wonderful taste in women, so I wondered why his behavior and taste in art was so bad.

  Still, maybe that was why he couldn’t let Elle go – the one good thing to ever happen to him.

  Terran shot me one last worried glance before she knocked on Mark’s door. “Erm, Sir? There’s a gentleman here to see you.”

  ‘Go,’ I mouthed at her before he could come to the door. I didn’t want her to lose her job for bringing me to him. If he didn’t see her, she could always deny that it was her who brought me back. There had to be more than one woman working for Mark. Hopefully he wouldn’t know them well enough to distinguish their voices.

  “Who is it?” came the silky smooth reply. Urgh , he made me want to cringe. What sort of man played so many different characters? It just wasn’t right.

  “It’s me.” I didn’t wait for him to speak again. I pushed open the door and popped my head inside. “Do you think I could have a word?”

  He sat up straighter, his hackles raised before he forced that sickly smirk on his lips again. “Back so soon?” he practically purred at me. “Got some more ammo you wish to give me for when I fight Elle in court? Some more threats you wish to throw my way?”

  I didn’t like the way that was going to sound on my recording, but I didn’t let that show. “I just want to speak, like adults.” When he didn’t answer me, I slid into his office and took a seat at his desk without permission. “We both want the same thing.”

  “Elle, you mean?” he sneered. “I don’t know if I even want the bitch, anymore. She’s too much fucking trouble.”

  “I was actually talking about Delaney.” He gave me a blank stare as if he didn’t get what I was talking about at all. “Your daughter... We both want her to have the best life.”

  “You do?” He laughed as if the idea was ridiculous. “She isn’t even your kid. I don’t give a shit about her, so why do you?”

  That idly comment hurt my heart, but it was also a great thing to have recorded. He would never get custody now.

  “Surely, you do give a shit. She’s your daughter?” I prodded, aiming for more, hoping I wasn’t going too far. If he developed a heart now, it would screw everything up.

  “I don’t even know her. I don’t want her; I just don’t want Elle to have her. Why should she be happy when I’m not?”

  I curled my fist in annoyance, but just about held it together. If I lost it, he would win. I couldn’t let this asshole win.

  “The sex tape...the one on your work laptop.” I was bluffing, but it paid off. His cheeks stained red with humiliation, which meant I’d caught him. “I want it deleted right now in front of my eyes.”

  “Pfft, why would I do that?”

  “Oh, you will. And, you’ll also drop the court case, too.” I placed a check for half a billion dollars in front of him, and his eyes bulged right out of his head. “You will also leave. You will pay off all your staff handsomely and give them amazing references to allow them to get other jobs. You will go, and Elle and Delaney will never hear from you again.”

  He looked up at me with confusion in his eyes. I needed to deliver the final blow. “And just so you know, I’ve been recording this entire conversation. If you don’t agree with my plan, you will never see them again, anyway. It’s safe to say that you’ve lost. So what do you say? You want to do this on my terms?”

  Come on, Mark, you idiot. Please say yes...

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Elle

  Friday

  Defeatism coursed through me as I arrived at Ryan’s office, alone this time. I didn’t want anyone else involved in this mess ever again. It didn’t matter how I looked at it anymore: I was absolutely screwed. Mark would wheedle whatever he could out of me, and he’d destroy my reputation doing it. I didn’t have the energy to keep fighting this battle. I was just prepared to do whatever it took to keep Delaney in my life. Even if I hated it, I would do whatever I could to be with her.

  “Good morning.” The perfect-looking receptionist ran her eyes over me. I could tell from her critical gaze that I looked like hell, but I didn’t have the energy to care anymore. I had tried, but it was a stressful morning. If I didn’t come up to standard, that was just damn tough. “Please, take a seat.”

  I did as I was told and grabbed a magazine to flick through. Usually, I was far too anxious to read anything, but today, I needed the distraction. I was a little calmer now that I had accepted my fate. I didn’t read anything really; I just let the bright colors brush past my vision as I tapped my toe.

  “Elle?” Finally, Ryan’s voice caught my attention. “Can I see you inside my office, please?”

  “Of course.” I stood up, noticing that my legs were just a little bit wobbly. Maybe I was more anxious than I wanted to admit. “Let’s go.”

  Ryan’s office was too familiar to me now. Maybe not quite as familiar as the divorce lawyer’s office, but bad enough. His large, mahogany desk had a familiar smell, I could almost name all the books on the bookshelf behind him
, even if they were mostly boring litigation books, and the desk light was so familiar it could have almost been one of my own.

  “How are you feeling?” Ryan asked me in a gentle tone. I could tell it was one that he used in situations that he felt required it, but it was actually kind of nice.

  Tears balled up in my eyes, but I didn’t let them out. I was determined not to cry over that asshole anymore. Especially when I didn’t quite know exactly what was going to happen just yet.

  “I don’t know. I mean, the more I think about it, the more I realize that there isn’t any way out. I definitely don’t want to go back to Mark, but I don’t want Delaney to have to live with him alone, either. I keep thinking the tape doesn’t matter too much really, not in the grand scheme of things.” It still did, so, so much but not more than Delaney. “So if he decides to release it, then so be it. I can’t argue with him forever.”

  “Huh.” Ryan eyed me curiously as if he didn’t quite understand what I just said. I understood that he probably didn’t want me to give in so easily, but I had been thinking about it nonstop. Whatever it took to keep Delaney with me, I would do it. “Hold on a moment,”

  He grabbed his cell phone and left his office in a hurry, leaving me alone and very confused. I rubbed my sweaty palms down the side of my jeans and tried to sit patiently while I waited for Ryan to come back. I wasn’t sure what made him leave in such a hurry, but I tried not to think about it too much.

  Probably just a bathroom break... Nothing to do with the case. I really don’t think this is something I need to worry about.

  But I couldn’t contain myself for long. My feet felt itchy and impatient, so I leaped upwards and walked over to his bookcase. I ran my fingers along the spines of the hardcovers, wondering if this was reading that Ryan did for fun, or whether it was just a work thing. He had to love his job to get so good at it really. Just because it seemed boring to me, didn’t mean everyone else felt the same. Maybe he really liked litigation.

  Oh God, Ryan, where are you? I’m going crazy here!

  I couldn’t distract myself from my racing pulse or my short, sharp breaths. I was utterly terrified, and there was nothing I could do about it. This was no bathroom break – he ran out the room to call someone, and I had to know who. Maybe Mark had told him about Alex’s threats; maybe there were more videos about to emerge to ruin me, maybe now I wouldn’t have any choice but to run...

  “Sorry about that.” He burst through the door once more at exactly the right moment. I was just about to go insane. “I just needed to confirm something before I went on. The last thing I want to do is give you false information.”

  What’s happened now?” I asked wearily while returning to my seat. “More bad news?”

  “Actually, no.” He smiled, too brightly for the graveness of the situation. “I thought you already knew, but it seems not.”

  “What?” I demanded, in no mood to mess about. “What is it?”

  “Your ex-husband has dropped the case completely.”

  My heart stopped dead in my chest – this had to be a dream. I even pinched my arm, just to be sure but the radiating sting that raced over my skin confirmed that actually I was wide awake. “He...what?” Still, I couldn’t process the words. The impossible, the best thing in the world had just happened to me. There had to be a catch; there was no way I was about to get so lucky.

  Maybe the video is already out there, I thought in a panicked state. Maybe everyone has already seen me... But it doesn’t matter if I get to keep Delaney.

  “He’s dropped the case. I have it on authority that he has also deleted the offensive tape and that you will never hear from him again.”

  “What?” No, this couldn’t be happening. This was all my dreams coming true all at once. “Are you kidding me? If this is a joke, it isn’t a very nice one.”

  “I wouldn’t joke about this.” He shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows. “I know how much this means to you.”

  “So, it’s just done then?”

  “Yes, it’s done. You can get on with your life without ever having to worry about Mark again.”

  “Yes. Right.” I tried to seem normal, but I wasn’t sure I was pulling it off. There was a shake in my voice, a tremor in my words. It was utterly unbelievable. “I see. So now...just normal. Everything is normal.”

  I stared at Ryan, trying to filter into his brain. Unfortunately, his years as a lawyer had made him utterly impenetrable. “How did this happen? I mean, this isn’t normal, is it? Things like this don’t just happen.”

  Ryan offered me a one-shouldered shrug, but he looked uncomfortable as he did so. That told me more than any words ever could. This had to be something to do with Alex. I had a feeling that it wasn’t the threats, though. As I stumbled across Alex and Mark, it didn’t look like anything had been resolved, at all.

  He must have gone to see him again. I’ve been ignoring him, and he did this for me. My heart twisted itself up in knots. I can’t believe it... Maybe Terran was right all along.

  I knew that Alex didn’t go after Mark to upset me. I was just annoyed by the after-effects of his rash actions. Now everything turned upside down again, and I didn’t know what to think. I had to speak to Terran. She was the only one who would give it to me straight.

  “Right, I understand that you can’t say anything. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” I pushed my chair back and stood up. All of a sudden, this office felt stifling and claustrophobic. “Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.”

  “Of course, I’ll see you soon, Elle. Good luck.”

  I walked from his office and through the reception area in a daze. I thought I heard the receptionist saying goodbye to me, but I didn’t acknowledge it. Too many crazy thoughts were spinning through my brain to act normally.

  Is it really over? Can I really be done with Mark forever? It was something that I’d dreamed about, fantasized over, but it wasn’t something I believed could ever come true. There was no way I could accept it on Ryan’s words alone.

  “Come on,” I muttered to myself as the phone rang. “Pick up! Come on, Terran.”

  “Hello?”

  Oh, thank God . “Hi, Terran, do you have a minute?”

  “Erm, yeah I do.” She sounded a little sketchy. “What’s going on?”

  “I’ve just been told that Mark is dropping the case. Ryan said he doesn’t want to fight me for custody for Delaney anymore. He also said that he’s deleted the tape and won’t bother me anymore. That doesn’t seem right, does it? What do you think?”

  I bit down nervously on my fingernail and glanced side to side before crossing the street. I didn’t want to get hit by a car now while my luck looked like it might be improving.

  “Actually, I think it might...”

  “What do you mean?” I leaped on that statement; I needed to know more.

  “The restaurant is done. Mark told us all this morning. It’s closing its doors, and he’s moving away.”

  “But it’s really successful,” I protested. “That doesn’t make any sense. And, all of you have lost your jobs? That isn’t right!”

  “The thirty thousand dollars we got each to tide us over helps.”

  “What?” Mark couldn’t afford that. I just knew it. He wasn’t poor, but he wasn’t stinking rich, either. “What the hell are you talking about? Have I stepped into some alternative universe or something?”

  “Elle, don’t you get it?” I didn’t answer. I paused and waited for her to continue. “Alex did this, all of it. He paid Mark off; he’s made sure that he will leave you alone forever.”

  I clutched onto my stomach as Terran confirmed what I already knew. Assuming it and having it confirmed were two very different things. “How do you know?” I whispered. “Are you certain?”

  “Alex came into the restaurant yesterday and went to see Mark. He came out of the office a little while later, looking very pleased with himself. I would say that there’s plenty of evidence that he
did this.”

  “Mark is moving... He will leave me alone forever. I get to keep Delaney. And, Alex did this for me.”

  “I told you Alex cares about you, Elle. I could see it in his eyes. That man will do anything for you-you are very lucky to have such a wonderful man.”

  “You don’t think I’ve blown it by ignoring him?” After avoiding him all week long, now all I wanted to do was see him. “You don’t think he hates me?”

  She laughed at my paranoia. “Girl, the last thing he does is hate you. You need to get your ass to his now to see him. You need to make things right again. You have a second chance at happiness here, and if you play your cards right, it will be amazing. Do you really want to throw that away because of Mark? A man who is no longer going to be a problem at all?”

  “No,” I smiled. “I don’t. I’m going to see Alex now. I’m going to make this right.”

  “I’ll pick Delaney up from school. I don’t have a job now, so it’ll be nice to have something to do! You go, sort this out, and I’ll see you later.”

  “You’re a great friend. Thank you, Terran.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Alexander

  Friday

  “I know, Ryan, but I insist,” I told my friend firmly. “I promised you a trip to Mexico, and that’s what I’ll do.”

  “But I didn’t really do anything in the end. You are the one who halted the court case.”

  I sighed loudly, I didn’t want to have to argue this point, I was too mentally drained to do so, but Ryan wasn’t letting me get away with it so easily. “Look, Ryan, you gave up so much of your time to the case – time you could have been being paid for. You did a lot of research and helped out a lot. I’m taking you to Mexico at the end of next week, okay?”

  He didn’t answer for a moment, before agreeing with a grin. “Fine. Maybe it’s something that we’ll both need.”

  “Exactly.” I did need a break from real life. I might have been successful in my mission to get Mark the fuck away from Elle, but that was it. She was still going to hate me forever more. “It’s for both of us, so you can’t argue with me. I’ll sort it out with the staff later, okay?” I pulled out the key and slid it in the door. “I’m at Mom’s now, so I’ll call you later.”