“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.
*****
Marilyn 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?”
Marilyn wanted to roll her eyes, but refrained. This woman was obviously taking her job seriously. It was commendable, but very annoying. She pulled her phone from her handbag and called Jarryd.
“Marilyn,” Jarryd answered, clearly surprised.
“Hi,” she said, suddenly breathless. “I’m at your reception and—”
“You’re where?” Jarryd interrupted.
“At your reception.”
“My reception?”
Her lips tugged up at his tone. “Yes.”
“You mean the Westbourne Constructions reception?” he asked in disbelief, sounding as breathless as she felt.
“Yes. But I was told you’re not available, so—”
The words died in her throat when Jarryd appeared at the end of corridor by the side of the reception area.
“Jarryd!” his receptionist said. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to disturb you. You said that under no circumstances should anyone bother you when it’s not work-related.”
“It’s okay,” Jarryd answered, but his eyes were focused on Marilyn.
Marilyn gulped, her heart wanting to escape from her chest to fling itself at Jarryd. For all her hurt and anger, she did miss him so.
But that ultra-cautious side of her that was scared of being hurt again kicked her crazy heart aside to take over once more. Instead of running to him and putting her arms around his neck like she wanted to do, she gave him a small smile instead. “Hi. I only want a few minutes of your time.”
“Sure,” Jarryd said. “Come on through.”
She walked towards his office, hyperaware of him behind her.
“You want something to drink?” Jarryd asked as he closed the door.
“No, thank you.” She sat in one of his visitor’s chair.
Instead of taking the seat behind his desk, Jarryd took the other visitor’s chair next to her, positioning it so he was facing her fully. “What can I do for you?” he asked quietly.
Her brows rose. Of all the things Jarryd could have said, that was the last she’d expected. But then again, she hadn’t exactly let her guard down completely. He was probably following her lead.
She ordered herself to relax. “I spoke with the girls.”
Jarryd’s lips curved on one side. “Did they talk you into coming here? I asked them not to.”
“Well, after speaking with them, I’ve decided it’s just fair to listen to what you have to say.”
Jarryd bowed his head and stared at the floor for a long minute. “I don’t think there’s anything I could add to what I’ve already told the girls.”
She frowned.
“I appreciate you coming here, Marilyn,” Jarryd said, glancing up, his eyes bleak. “But right now, there’s nothing I can do to fix what was broken. We probably should talk later, because there’s no point doi
ng so today.”
What? “I don’t understand. I thought you’d been wanting to explain yourself to me.”
“Yes. But there are things I need to do first so that I can... fix things.”
“Wouldn’t it be a start if you told me now what you’ve been wanting to tell me when you used to text me twice a day?”
“I don’t think so.”
“But... how are you planning to fix things, then?”
Jarryd shrugged. “Time will tell.”
She gaped at him, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“You want me to go now?” she asked, a cold hand clutching her heart.
Jarryd nodded. “It’s best if you do.”
She blinked, unable to believe what was happening.
She wanted to stay and shake him and ask why he didn’t want to talk to her, why he wanted her to go. But that part of her that refused to open herself up to more hurt urged her to stand up and leave.
So she did.
She closed the door behind her, somehow not wanting him to watch her trudge out of his office—numb apart from the intensifying pain in her heart and the utter confusion that accompanied it.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“You’re such a fucking asshole, Jarryd Westbourne,” Jarryd muttered to himself when Marilyn walked out of his door.
He buried his face in his hands. Could he have handled that better? Of course, he could have, but he’d been unprepared for seeing her here in his office.
He stood up and grabbed his phone, calling up Carl Peters’ number with angry frustration. “Can’t we get the results quicker?” he said without preamble when Carl answered.
Carl chuckled dryly. “They only got them yesterday, Jarryd. These things take time, especially since you wanted five tested.”
“I’m happy to pay extra to have the tests expedited.”
Carl sighed. “I’ll see what I can do. But don’t get your hopes up with this first lot. It might take several goes before one turns out to be a dud—if they really are handing out duds.”
Jarryd raked his hair. There was nothing he could do but wait—and stay away from Marilyn. Both were unpalatable, but protecting Marilyn from this potentially explosive scandal was his top priority.
Unfortunately for him, the longer it went without the result he hoped for, the more he had to push Marilyn away. He couldn’t take the risk of her reading him and demanding to be told what was going on.
But she’d looked so crushed when he’d asked her to leave...
“Tell me again what the repercussions are if I told Marilyn about this,” he said to Carl, needing to be reminded or he’d end up running after her and breaking down.
“If you tell her now, before you’re even sure that you and Olivia have made the correct assumption, you’d be disrupting Marilyn’s business. This shot-in-the-dark plan that you have won’t work for Marilyn because, as the head of Well of Brilliance, she would be duty-bound to act swiftly and conduct a full investigation. That will be hard to keep a secret even if she tries because she won’t know who else on the inside is in on it. If you are wrong, you’d have wrecked Marilyn’s relationship with Lorna Tramwell and Patrick O’Neill. And depending on how those two reacted, it could get really ugly. I’m sure Patrick wouldn’t have any qualms using his popular show to defend himself and berate Marilyn and Grant Ace for believing you—the guy who turned up out of the blue and suddenly got Margaret O’Neill to change her will. Do you see where this is going?”
“Yes,” he said with a groan.
“Forcing Marilyn’s hand to conduct an investigation now is a bad move. The culprits would have the chance to hide evidence of their deceit before we get something concrete against them. Remember that all we have is conjecture. The tests will tell us if we have anything to back our suspicions with. So until one of the diamonds turns out to be synthetic, it would be better for Marilyn and Grant Ace if she doesn’t know what you’re doing.”
“Argh!” Jarryd muttered under his breath.
“I know how hard these last few weeks—heck, this last year—has been for you, Jarryd. But keep the faith for a bit longer. If there’s any justice in this world, you’ll soon feel free to enjoy your inheritance without worrying that Patrick will continue to insinuate it was ill-gotten.”
Jarryd shook his head. All he wanted was to win back Marilyn’s love and trust. He hoped he could do so without being the news bearer of a mammoth problem that might sink Grant Ace if handled incorrectly.
*****
Jarryd stared at the envelope in his hand that contained the results he’d been waiting for.
He hadn’t expected that the first five diamonds he’d acquired from Well of Brilliance would already include a synthetic one passed off as a natural. The fact that the first lot already included one synthetic had him worried. How many had already been sold to unsuspecting customers who saw Well of Brilliance as a trusted brand? And how many laboratory-produced stones were still in stock?
The elevator opened and he stepped into the reception of Grant Ace Holdings. Olivia had offered to accompany him to this meeting with Marilyn, but he’d declined. He wanted to be the one to explain to her. What was more, it was Valentine’s Day. Professionally, that shouldn’t have made a difference. But personally, it made him want to be alone with Marilyn, even if what he had to tell her today wasn’t the kind of news she’d welcome at any time.
But who knew how his luck would hold today? Gavin had promised that he’d speak to their mutual friends before he went to work—with Marilyn being the first he’d call.
Marilyn might agree to go out for a meal with him now that she should already have gotten Gavin’s confirmation that he wasn’t the crook Patrick had painted him out to be.
Anticipating that he’d get contacted by a few of their buddies after their conversation with Gavin, he’d turned off his phone so he could focus on preparing himself for this critical meeting. After this important task was done, he’d spend the rest of the day reconnecting with his friends—Marilyn, first and foremost.
He presented himself to reception and the lady immediately escorted him to an office at the end of the corridor. His mouth dropped open at the sight of the person sitting behind a large desk.
“Hello, Jarryd,” Barry Grant said, standing up but placing his hands behind his back.
Clearly, the man didn’t want to shake his hand.
“Mr. Grant, good afternoon. I wasn’t expecting you.”
Barry smirked. “I know you made an appointment to see Marilyn, but she’s out with Simon. It’s Valentine’s Day, you know.”
He stared at Barry, his chest compressing. If Marilyn’s father had meant to strike a blow to his heart, he’d succeeded.
Hadn’t Gavin spoken with Marilyn already? Or Simon? Why were they out together? On Valentine’s Day?
“So why are you here, Jarryd?” Barry asked, motioning for him to take a seat as he sat down himself. “You said it’s about Well of Brilliance. I normally wouldn’t entertain such a vague topic, but because it’s you, I thought I better turn up even if it’s just to tell you to stop bothering my daughter or you’ll have me to deal with.”
Jarryd put on an impassive face as he settled himself beside Barry. “I asked Olivia Greeves if she remembered Margaret O’Neill saying anything that could help me counter Patrick O’Neill’s allegations against me,” he said dispassionately. “At first she didn’t volunteer any information, but on the day we learned that the Tramwells had accepted Grant Ace’s offer instead of ours, she asked to meet with me. Margaret didn’t tell her anything about wanting to connect with the son she’d relinquished for adoption, but Margaret did share with her important facts regarding Patrick O’Neill.”
Barry put his hand up to halt him. “I’m assuming you’re trying to salvage your reputation. If this is about Patrick, I suggest you take this up with him. It has nothing to do with me and, frankly, I’m too busy for it.”
“If you listen for two more minutes,” he
said calmly, “you’ll see how your company is affected by this.”
Barry half-rolled his eyes and motioned for him to go on.
Jarryd wanted to yell at the man who still hated his guts, but he swallowed his emotions and continued his matter-of-fact delivery. “While Margaret did not specifically mention writing a new will, she did tell Olivia that she would make sure that Patrick would not get any more than ten million dollars of her wealth. That amount was in return for whatever help Patrick’s Biz Q&A show had done for Margaret’s and Greeves Minerals’ profile, and for Patrick’s efforts to show a happily married facade in public.”
Barry sat back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. But the curious look in his eyes betrayed him.
Good. It was time for Jarryd to drop the first bombshell. “Margaret didn’t want what she herself had inherited from her first husband to go to her second husband because Patrick O’Neill has been having an affair with Lorna Tramwell.”
Barry’s eyes widened.
“Margaret had proof of this, and she’d shared it with Olivia. Olivia had kept this from me in the past because she wasn’t sure about me. The first time she’d heard of me was when she learned I was Margaret’s heir who’d inherited half the shares of the company she was leading. She didn’t know then if she could trust me.” He paused, shooting Barry a meaningful look at the word trust.
Barry frowned. “I still don’t see what this has to do with Grant Ace.”
Jarryd took a deep breath, his thoughts turning to Marilyn. He wished she was here so she could listen to his explanation and the assistance he was willing to give Grant Ace.
But she was with Simon. On Valentine’s Day. Had they started going out? Had he pushed Marilyn into Simon’s arms when she’d come to his office and he’d turned her away?
“Jarryd?” Barry prodded.
He shook his head mentally and pushed the envelope he had with him towards Barry. “Please open it, sir,” he said quietly.
The Unknown Billionaire (Captured by Love Book 6) Page 15
