The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress
Chapter 138

Johnathon POV

It's strange to wheel into your own wake as though you've risen from the grave, but in a sense, that was what I had done. Nobody had expected to see me, let alone hear me as I sat in my wheelchair in the back of the crowd, Knox standing beside me with a triumphant look on his face. I owed the Grants everything. Without them, I would not be standing here alive today. My mind flashed back to that awful day, when I thought it was finally over, when I thought I had lost everything and came so close, only to be saved by somebody I never thought would intervene let alone care enough to bring me back from the dead.

"I'm sorry Johnathon but I can't have you surviving" Charlotte's voice had been a low murmur as she pretended to fluff my pillows. I could feel her movements and sense where she was but I was still unable to cry out or open my eyes, my frustration growing, along with a rising sense of panic that she was about to do something that I could not prevent.

"You were meant to die, not hold on lingering" she hissed, her voice venomous, "instead you've made everything harder than it needs to be. I need you to die" she murmured low into my ear "I need you to pass so that I can be free. I can't have anybody knowing about this child. If anybody even suspects for a minute that it's not yours...."

She trailed off but I could fill in the blanks. She was afraid of being caught out. Of everybody knowing she was nothing but a filthy adulterer.

Her hand rested lightly on my chest. "This will make a much better story" she whispered, her head low to my chest, as though trying to listen to my heartbeat "a grieving widow, bringing up her late husband's unborn child while single-handedly taking on the infamous Deluca company. The media will lap it right up" she chuckles lightly "and nobody would ever think to look beyond that. After some time, I can marry the true father of my child. He'll be divorced by then and he knows exactly how to embezzle money from the company without being caught."

She was nonchalant about the whole thing as though she was discussing something as mundane as the weather. Her fingers lightly drummed on my chest. "It didn't have to be this way you know" she whispered "but you had to start asking questions. If you had just let bygones be bygones, we could have stolen from the company together, duped that stupid Mr Ferryweather into believing everything I told him. Now I have to go with the next best thing and plan for your death. I think I'll make a very attractive widow, don't you?" she asked in a mocking tone of voice.

I was paralyzed. Every nerve in my body was screaming at me to move and I couldn't. I could feel her moving and could feel the pillow behind my head slowly taken. Dread rose inside of me. Instinctively I knew what she was about to do but my mouth refused to open, refused to give rise to the scream inside of me. She put the pillow over my nose and mouth and pushed, just enough to cover my airways as I fought for breath. I felt something slip off my hand and realized she had done something to the machines so they wouldn't beep and alert the staff. I could feel darkness setting in. My lungs were burning.

Silence and then the most godawful scream as the machines began to beep. Shouting, Charlotte's heels clacked out of the door as the nurses began to move. A voice from the doorway "Get him moved now, and inform Mrs Deluca that he's dead. Nobody is to say otherwise, is that clear?"

My body was wheeled out to another room while CPR was being performed, the air being pulled into my lungs. My eyes shoot wide open and I let out a strangled shout, only to catch Knox's eyes as he leans against a doorway, watching closely, with two bodyguards beside him. How had he known I might need help? He examines me as I cough, the doctors sitting me upright, my leg raised in a hoist.

"That was a close call," Knox said raising a brow as I stared at him dumbly "another minute or two and you really would have been dead. Good thing she miscalculated" he added smoothly.

"Now" he added, coming closer, "I think it's time we cleared up a few things between the two of us, don't you?"

I had never been more grateful to a Grant in my entire life until that very moment or more willing to open my life and spill all my secrets to one. That was the beginning of a long plan hatched between me and The Grants minus Flair.

Now I stared at Charlotte with condemnation and pure revulsion on my face as the crowd turned and began to mutter amongst themselves. I saw Flair faint and fall into Grayson's arms and felt a moment's regret that I couldn't tell her beforehand that I had been alive, but we'd needed her reactions to convince Charlotte I was gone. Flair had never been a good liar. As it was Charlotte had never even thought to check whether the coffin was empty. Not surprising. She was confident that her plan had worked and as she eyed me in shock, I could see her confidence beginning to crumple in front of my very eyes, giving me a sick sense of satisfaction.

"J... Johnathon" she whispered, her eyes widening in shock "but, how is that possible? I saw you die" she began to sob.

"Save it" I interrupted callously, my eyes going back to Flair, grateful to see that Grayson had managed to revive her and was holding her firmly upright, Flair's head turning slowly to watch the scene while Knox relaxed next to me and examined his nails as though this was nothing out of the ordinary to him.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding" Charlotte began, attempting to salvage what was turning into a disaster as the crowd began to grow angry and further confused.

"There is no misunderstanding Charlotte," I said icily, drawing my shoulders back and staring at her with narrowed eyes "unless you want to call running me over and then trying to kill me in the hospital a misunderstanding," I said loudly causing gasps to come from the crowd.

She began to look panicked as her mother turned to regard her in shock. She began to bluster, her face turning a bright red "Johnathon, I don't know what you're talking about" she began to say. "I saw you" my voice had deliberate emphasis to it, as the crowd fell silent "I saw you run me over. I saw you and even if you keep trying to claim it wasn't I know it was you behind my hit and run."

She shook her head in denial "I also know that you tried to kill me in the hospital" I said sardonically, giving her a twisted grin "You put a pillow over my face and tried to suffocate me while I lay there helpless. It's just luck that you gave up when you did and the doctors managed to bring me back. Luck that Knox here" I nodded towards Knox who gave a cheerful wave "happened to be on his way with evidence that you were behind some other schemes as well. He wanted to see if I was willing to divulge any information before going to the authorities. He saved my life that day" I said fixing my gaze on Knox who appeared embarrassed "while you would have seen me dead and buried like the coldhearted b***h you really are" I spat out with as much venom as I could muster. Charlotte was speechless. This was not going at all as to how she had planned it. Her own mother was looking at her as though she was a monster. The crowd was looking mutinous. Mr Grant was glaring at her and so was my grandfather. Flair was looking sick and lan was studying his watch intently. There was another surprise instore for Charlotte, the Grants were not finished with her yet.

"Johnathon, you're ill" Charlotte attempted to twist things around "you're not thinking clearly" she stammered.

"I'm thinking clearer than I've ever been," I said wheeling forward some more, with the assistance of Knox "I don't know what I ever saw in you Charlotte Deluca but you have been nothing but my downfall. I despise you" I told her shaking my head "and once this is all over and done with, I'm going to be filing divorce papers" I finished, holding my head up.

"Is it true" a soft voice broke through the crowd.

I would know that voice anywhere. I turned and met her eyes, which were glistening but also glacial as she turned her head to regard Charlotte. "Did you try to kill him?" her voice was filled with contempt.

"He's lying" Charlotte shrieked "this is all some plan to get his hands on the company. He's setting me up, can't you see that" she tried to appeal to the crowd who were all looking at her skeptically.

"The company" Grayson's voice now as he looked at his sister with revulsion "everything always leads back to the company and how desperate you've been to get your hands on it. Enjoy this chapter for free and stay updated with the latest version on Jo b n ib.com. Don't miss out, visit it now. I guess you were willing to kill for it weren't you Charlotte?" he said with his lip curled back while his Grandfather continued to watch, his own face mirroring his disgust at his granddaughter "you were willing to do whatever it took and you didn't care who it hurt or how it affected the people around you."

"Grayson" she whimpered "it's not like that" she began to plead.

lan interrupted, tapping his watch "Really, because I think we have another witness who's about to disprove that Charlotte" he said smugly.

A shout and then the sound of a scuffle before a man came staggering out of the house, being held by two bodyguards with angry expressions on their faces.

"Ah" said lan with a grin "right on time Mr Ferryweather, do come in" he said with sarcasm as Charlotte openly blanched and the severely beaten Mr Ferryweather fell to his knees in resignation.