Married On Paper To The Billionaire
Chapter 29: Déjà vu

Kane returned home with his tail between his legs. The trip to Florida had been a complete waste of time.

The street urchin who was using Joyce's card couldn't remember where he stole it from her. He was so high that he was barely coherent.

"Please, come back home quickly," His mother had told him on the phone. "Emilia is ill again. We've sent for the doctor to come and check her but I think you need to be here too."

He'd gotten on his private jet as soon as he could, leaving Detective Riley behind to continue with the investigation. As soon as he arrived at the Beaumont mansion, a maid was waiting at the doorway with a sealed note in her hand. "What's this?" He asked distastefully when she presented the note to him.

He wasn't in the mood to look through the utility bills. That was Lillian's job.

"It's a note for you, sir," said the maid. "Miss Filipe instructed me to give it to you. She said it is a very important message which you must receive as soon as you arrive."

He snatched the note from the maid and dismissed her. His annoyance grew when he opened the note and read the message inside.

"I have a special gift for you. It's in your study."

"What nonsense!" He cursed.

Why would that stupid girl get him a gift at a time like this? What if someone saw it? How would he explain why Lillian's PA was buying him a gift?

"Harry!" He called out and the butler materialised as if he'd been waiting to be called by his boss.

"Welcome home, Mr Beaumont. How may I be of assistance to you?"

"Thank you, Harry. Please, get me two security guards from outside and tell them to meet me here immediately."

"Yes, sir."

A minute later, two guards showed up and he asked them to follow him to his study. As he'd suspected, Serena was there, spread across his desk in the skimpiest lingerie he'd ever laid eyes on. She was practically naked. "Oh, my gosh!" She exclaimed and scrambled off the desk when she saw that he wasn't alone.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked furiously. "What do you think this place is?"

"I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting you to come with anyone,” she replied.

She was so flustered and embarrassed. She quickly picked up her silk robe from the floor and covered herself with it.

"I warned you before, Serena. I told you I would fire you if you continue to misbehave. Now, I have witnesses to your indecent behavior and I have credible grounds to kick you out of my home permanently." "Please, don't-"

"You're fired. Today will be your last day in the house. If you ever come back here, I'll have you arrested. Lillian will be notified and she will send you your severance package immediately."

Serena shook her head slowly in denial as tears gathered in her eyes. "Please, don't do this," she whispered.

"Get her out of here," he ordered the security men and they obeyed immediately.

She was dragged out of the study while she kicked and struggled and begged Kane for mercy. He was so disgusted, he shifted out of the way as they carried her out.

"What's was that noise about?" Elsie asked as he climbed up the stairs. She was standing at the top of the stairs, looking mournful in a plain black dress.

"The security men were just getting rid of an intruder," he replied and kissed her on the cheek when he reached where she was.

"An intruder? From where?"

"Don't worry about it, Mother. How's Emilia?"

"Frail. She looks like a withered flower. You must replace that child as soon as possible or else, Emilia will die of a broken heart."

"I'm trying, Mother. The police are doing their best too."

"You all need to try harder. Even I can't bear this any longer. That's my granddaughter, for heaven's sake."

She began to cry and Kane held her small body in his arms. His heart broke as he listened to his mother crying.

Perhaps it was time for him to do what Detective Riley advised him against. He would instruct his PR team to announce a hefty reward for anyone who provides valid information on where to replace his daughter. "Do what you must," Emilia told him when he informed her about his idea. "I just want my daughter back in one piece."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Elsie asked.

"I don't care," he replied. "At this point, we have to do everything in our power to replace Tiara. She's been missing for way too long."

The announcement went out the next day and they began to receive responses almost immediately. They had to hire a media team to sort through the emails and phone calls that came in from every corner of the country. "This is a terrible idea," Detective Riley complained. "I warned you against this."

"I don't take orders from you, Riley. This is about my daughter. I'm not going to let her become just another statistic on your database."

"This is going to mess up our investigation. Do you know how many false tips you'll be receiving daily? We don't need this distraction."

"I'm tired of listening to you whining about this issue. If you're not capable to replace my daughter, just say so and stop complaining endlessly."

That shut the detective up and he left. Meanwhile, Emilia was slowly recovering from her recent illness. She did her best to spend more time with Travis who was now beginning to ask about his twin.

"She went on an adventure," Emilia told him one Saturday afternoon while she and Kane were spending some quality time with their son.

"She'll be back home soon," Kane assured him. His phone dinged and he checked it. It was an email from an unfamiliar address.

He clicked on it and the message expanded. It turned out to be a blank page with photos attached. He clicked on the photos and he nearly passed out when he saw them.

"Are you ok?" Emilia asked him. She'd noticed his subtle gasp while he stared at his phone with wide eyes.

"Yes," he said quickly, rearranging his expression. "Please, excuse me. I need to use the bathroom."

He fled immediately and went to his study. He downloaded the photos on his phone and scrolled through them with mounting dread.

Slide after slide showed him in compromising positions with Serena in his study. She'd taken the photos ins such a way that it looked as if he was actively participating in various sexual activities with her even though he knew that he was unconscious the whole time.

"This is nuts!" He growled. He should have known that sneaky pest would pull a stunt like this. He should have foreseen this.

Without a doubt, he knew what this meant. He was getting blackmailed again just as Kendra did. If Emilia ever got wind of this, his marriage would be over!

Another email dropped into his inbox. It was from the same unknown address. The message was brief and straight to the point.

"Come to my place and let's talk about this tonight. If you don't show up, the photos will hit the press first thing tomorrow morning."

"Shit!" He cursed and slammed his fists on his desk. He read the email again.

There was an address written below the main message. It wasn't a place he could go with his security entourage without being recognised.

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.com is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away!

He wondered if he should inform Detective Riley about but he immediately dismissed the thought. It was bad enough that he was already getting on the policeman's nerves, he couldn't give the man another reason to question his choices. Now, he had a secret just like the rest of his family. Now, he was just as messed up as everyone else. How was he going to redeem himself from this mess?

"I'm going to put an end to this madness once and for all," he said angrily and marched out of the study.

He went to the bedroom to change into a more suitable outfit for the mission he was about to embark on. He chose an all-black combination with a black hat and he hurried out before anyone could see him.

"Please, tell my wife that I've gone out to run a quick errand," he told Harry. "I won't be away for long."

"Very well, sir. Have a safe trip."

He summoned one of his bodyguards and instructed him to get the black jeep with tainted windows. This was going to be a discreet outing and he didn't want to be noticed by anyone.

They arrived at the address that Serena had provided. It was on the humble side of town and the apartment buildings looked huddled together on the tiny piece of land where they were built on.

"Should I come with you, boss?" His bodyguard asked when they pulled up in front of a dingy building with some riff-raffs hanging around it.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he said and got out of the vehicle before he could change his mind.

It was late in the evening and the sky was darkening. He bowed his head when he passed the people in front of the building, hiding his face under his hat.

When he reached the apartment labeled 4b on the fourth floor, he knocked and waited. The door opened and Serena emerged, still wearing the garbage she'd worn earlier when he had her thrown out of his study. "I knew you'd come," she drawled and smiled widely.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked curtly.

"Come on in, Kane. Let's not talk out here in the hallway. I have some pretty nosey neighbors and they'll tell your business to the streets even before you step out of the building."

Kane didn't doubt that at all. He could already see some moving shadows under the door of her next-door neighbor who was probably trying to listen to their conversation.

"Fine," he said reluctantly and entered her apartment.

It was a tiny but neat space. The kitchen and living room were in the same space. The bedroom door was open and he could see that she had lit some candles in there and set up a string of accent lights around her narrow bed. It was all so ridiculous that Kane began to laugh. "What the hell is this?"

Serena grinned happily. "I thought we'd make love first and then talk."

She sashayed up to him and tried to embrace him but he pushed her away and she landed on her couch like a drunk woman.

"What is wrong with you?" She shouted at him.

"I should be asking you that question. What the hell do you take me for? Do I look like a puppet to you?"

"You have got some nerve! Treating me like trash when you should be begging me for mercy."

"If that's what you're expecting, you'll wait forever. I didn't come here for this nonsense."

"Do you realize that I have the power to destroy your marriage?"

"No, you don't have that power. Now, name your price and let's get this over and done with."

"I don't want your filthy money!"

"Then what do you want?"

"You!"

"Out of the question!"

"I love you, Kane! I just want to be with you, that's all."

"Are you crazy? You do know that I'm married, right?"

"That's not a problem. I'm happy to be your mistress."

"For the last time, name your price and let's get this over and done with."

"I have named my price, Kane. It's you I want and nothing else."

"Then we have nothing else to talk about. I will not be blackmailed into betraying my wife again. Since you have nothing else to say, I'll take my leave."

"If you walk out that door right now, I'll send those photos to your wife."

"Oh, you mean those amateur photos you took while I was unconscious? Go ahead."

"I'm not bluffing, Kane. I'll do it. I swear, I'll do it!"

He ignored her and walked away. He wasn't going to let history repeat itself. At this point, he had no other choice than to go home and confess his sins to Emilia.

When he got home, he was informed that Emilia had retired for the night and was in their suite. He hurried upstairs with his heart beating wildly in his chest. He kept rehearsing his speech as he went.

"There you are," she said as soon as he walked in. "Where have you been?"

Something in her tone aroused his suspicion. "I went downtown," he replied carefully.

"Why? Because of this?"

She threw some papers at him and when they floated to the floor, he was horrified to see that they were large prints of the explicit photos that Serena was threatening to leak.

"Oh, shit..." he whispered. "Emilia, I can explain - "

"Don't bother, Kane. I don't want to hear it. Our daughter is out there probably dead, and I'm here falling sick because I'm so worried for her. Meanwhile, you've been busy having sex with Lillian's employee. My goodness, Kane!" "It's not like that. Please, let me explain - "

"I said don't bother! You know what, get out."

"What?"

"Leave, Kane, or I will."

"Ok, ok. I'll leave," he said calmly. "I'm so sorry."

"Not another word, Kane. You've done enough damage already. Goodbye."