The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress
Chapter 110

Johnathon

POV

Charlotte was still miffed the next day. "I can't believe that little hussy is a Grant" she pouted.

Her grandfather gave her a sharp look "Listen here you little good for nothing" he hissed "You will treat Grayson's wife with the proper amount of respect, regardless if she's a Grant or not. Stop sulking like a child and start acting like the Deluca name means something" he snapped "honestly you look so ugly with your face like that" he complained, "if you're not careful it will stay that way."

Charlotte gaped at him, looking indignant but Grandfather was not finished. "I have invited your brother and darling Flair to dinner tonight and I expect you to be on your best behavior" he warned, pointing his finger at my wife as she glared at him "So I don't care who you have to emulate, but try and be someone other than yourself," he said imperiously.

"Mother," Charlotte said with a gasp "how can you let him speak to me like that?"

Karen sighed "Charlotte this is your Grandfather's house. We must respect him. Also, Flair is a Grant. Do you want to keep upsetting her now that you know her true status? We can't afford to offend the Grants. They could easily ruin us if they chose."

"No they can't" Charlotte sniffed "You act as though they are so powerful, but if that was the case, wouldn't they have ruined Johnathon by now?" she pointed out angrily.

"They pretty much have," I said moodily "I'm pretty sure that Flair has to be the foreign investor of my firm and she's pulled out. Even though we've paid back the money, I'm now a laughingstock at my firm for not putting two and two together and realizing her true identity."

"Well, how could you not know?" Charlotte demanded, turning on me "Seriously Johnathon, three years and not even a hint of who she was? I replace that hard to believe" she said incredulously "Either you're really gullible or a complete moron" she insulted me. "I told you, she never let slip once who she was" I snapped back, my temper rising.

"Enough" barked Grandfather, shaking his head at all of us "Sometimes I'm ashamed to call all of you family. What's done is done, get over it," he said icily, glaring at each and every one of us in turn, Charlotte flushing from the menacing expression on his face "it's a privilege to have a Grant marrying into our family. She lifts our family name up instead of bringing it down."

"What about the company" Charlotte demanded, becoming aggressive as her grandfather stared at her "What happened with that? Are you just going to give it to them because of Flair's identity?"

Grandfather looked astounded. "I have not given that much thought Charlotte," he said raising a brow "I merely want to be hospitable to Flair and show her the family home."

"Because it's not fair to just hand over the company to Grayson and his wife without them earning it" Charlotte continued speaking as though her Grandfather had said nothing "I have worked my a*s off trying to meet your stupid conditions," she said, her face turning red "and I won't allow you to change the rules on me, not now."

She was breathing heavily, a sheen of sweat on her forehead. She looked like she was about to implode any minute now. Her mother patted her gingerly on the shoulder.

"I have no intentions of changing the rules," Grandfather said finally as Charlotte continued to glower at him, her chest heaving up and down "but the company is something that will need to be taken into consideration."

"I can handle the company" Charlotte's voice was loud in the kitchen as we glanced at each other uneasily "I am sick and tired of always being looked over as though I am a nobody instead of somebody. I am just as smart as Grayson" she hissed "and just as beautiful as Flair."

Her grandfather remained unimpressed by her bravado and declarations. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you need to take a chill pill?" he asked sarcastically "Perhaps a Prozac or something to relax you?"

Karen gasped and Charlotte looked like she was about to lose any composure she had left. Grandfather chuckled "Honestly, you act as though you have been wronged but the only one who thinks that is you," he said tsking "Ensure that dinner preparations are organized for tonight. I happen to know that Flair is a vegan" he added drawing his shoulders back and eyeing the cook who nodded "so we will all be eating the same food tonight."

"What," Karen said in shock "You want us to eat vegan food?"

"Did I stutter?" Grandfather asked out loud and the maids shook their heads "Of course I want us to have the same meal. Flair shouldn't be made to feel like she's different and it's hardly going to kill us to go meatless for one meal" he chuckled "in fact might even do us some good. My doctor told me to eat less red meat remember" he said nodding and we all looked at him as he began to hum lightly under his breath.

"I want something elaborate, not just plain salad" he continued to speak to the cook "and something worthy of a Grant." He then proceeded to walk out, leaving the rest of us flabbergasted. Charlotte looked on the verge of throwing another tantrum. I wished I had stayed in bed. As it was, I was avoiding going to work today. A mistake now that I thought about it. Charlotte burst into noisy tears. "Mother" she hiccuped "I can't deal with this today, I simply can't" she wailed "How could grandfather have organized this without asking our permission? My nerves are shot" she blabbered as I sighed and leaned in my chair, eyeing the coffee mug that was empty in front of me "and now we have to entertain that b***h ex-wife of Johnathon's."

"It's okay" Karen soothed, patting Charlotte on the back as she sobbed and sniveled "Honestly it's just like any other dinner party we've had. You dress yourself up," she said, cupping her daughter's face and staring at her "so that you look like a million dollars and you make lighthearted conversation. You can't let Flair see that you're bothered by her or she'll win" she advised Charlotte who was beginning to nod in agreement.

"Is it really such a big deal?" I asked tiredly.

"Yes, Johnathon it is. Because if you had bothered to get off your a*s and replace out who Flair really was, we wouldn't be in this situation now. Her whole family hates you or haven't you noticed" Charlotte burst out.

I winced remembering the awkward scene last night and the open snubs from the Grant family and the sons. They had been openly hostile. At least I knew the reason they disliked me but that didn't make me feel any better. My business was suffering as a result and even my marriage.

"This isn't my fault" I protested wearily growing tired of defending myself against my own wife.

"Yes, it is" Charlotte shrieked, "we're now a laughingstock not to mention the humiliation we suffered through last night."

I winced as her voice permeated my eardrums.

"I'm going upstairs" I mumbled.

I stood up and angrily pushed my chair in. Charlotte said nothing. I glanced at her and then shook my head, resolutely making my way to the stairs and up them. I headed into the bedroom and sat down on the bed with my head in my hands. I groaned. This marriage thing with Charlotte was a mistake. The thought I could still be with Flair, with a Grant no less rankled. If only I had had the presence of mind not to divorce her. I wanted to laugh at the irony. Now I was stuck in a marriage that was fast proving to be my downfall. I wasn't even sure if Charlotte loved me or if she was merely using me to get her hands on the company.

If we get our hands on the company it will all be worth it the voice in my mind told me but I no longer believed it. It didn't seem worth all of this hassle, all this grief. I dreaded coming home from work now, and I never knew what mood Charlotte was going to be in when I got home. Please visit J o b nib. c o m and search the book title to read the entire book for free. I felt used. I felt tired. If we were intimate it was by her schedule only. Whatever love we had had fizzled out. I knew that happened when you got married and you got past the honeymoon stage but it had fizzled out a lot quicker than I had anticipated.

You need to wait before you make any irrational decisions. The company is what you've been working so hard for. Don't give up when you're so close to your goals. You can't walk away with nothing. You've suffered through too much to have to start your life all over again.

The voice in my mind was persistent. It was right. I couldn't afford to start my life all over again. I had worked too hard and suffered through too much. I stood up and stared blankly around the room, feeling trapped. It was overwhelming. I felt panicked. I felt like the walls were closing in around me. I couldn't breathe. The very notion of spending the next few months, let alone years with Charlotte was incomprehensible and revolting to me. I could feel my chest tightening to the point it was painful. I rubbed my chin and then staggered towards the adjoining bathroom, intending to fling water onto my face.

I blindly reached the sink and then turned the taps on, throwing cold water on my face, and my breathing returned to normal. My chest relaxed and I was able to take deep breaths and determine where I was. I turned the taps off and was about to walk out of the bathroom when something caught the corner of my eye. I leaned down and grabbed the offending item out of the wastepaper basket. Why hadn't Charlotte said anything to me about it and was this meant to be kept a secret? I frowned, holding it in my hand. If I had felt trapped before, now I felt like I was imprisoned and there was no hope in hell of ever escaping. If this was real, then I was in for the long haul. f**k.