The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress
[Book 2] Chapter 35

Knox POV

I'm pressed against something soft and plush. My body reacts instinctively, my hand reaching out and stroking it, my eyes fluttering open, my body stiffening as I realize who is in my bed with me. Lorelai. What is she doing here? My mind vaguely remembers her making me eat and then trying to order me to go to sleep. She'd shoved me, I remembered slightly indignantly, and then climbed on the bed and put my arm over her to force me to go to bed. I try not to chuckle at the ridiculousness of it because it had worked. I had fallen asleep and with my leg over hers as well as my arm. She'd fallen asleep too, I noted, as I discreetly got up and moved off of her and she was snoring softly on the bed, her chest rising up and down as I stood up and quickly grabbed some clothes. Should I wake her? I knew how I'd like to wake her, I thought with a smug grin, my eyes raking over her curvaceous form and lingering on her pert little breasts. I could feel my mouth salivating and fought to look away. Gods, I was like a horny teenager. She'd done me a service, making me sleep and get some rest and all I could think about was trying to have s*x with her! Bad Knox, I scolded myself, putting on sweatpants and a loose shirt.

I decided to let her have her rest. I walked swiftly out of the room and shut the door gently behind me, careful not to wake her. Then I made my way downstairs, heading to my father's study. He motioned me in, a grim expression on his face. Charlie was sitting on a chair weeping and lan was standing behind her, his arms folded across his chest.

"I don't understand what could have persuaded you to sell our secrets like this" my father was shaking his head in disappointment "We've always been good to you, we've treated you well, we pay you a good wage..." he trails off mystified.

I know the answer. My background check had looked into everything. Including all of her relatives. I sigh. "Your mother is very sick isn't she Charlie?" I ask quietly.

She looks at me surprised, her eyes welling with tears. "Yes," she whispers "Cancer. The treatment is costing a lot of money and I didn't have it."

My father looks sympathetic "why didn't you come to us? We would have helped you. We could have done something."

"I didn't want to burden you," she said bowing her head "and when they approached me they said it wasn't going to harm you. At most you would lose a little bit of money, nothing too serious," she said biting her lip and looking at all of us anxiously "I swear, I didn't do this to hurt you" she cried out in distress "I just wanted to be able to pay for my mother's treatments. I was desperate" she sobbed.

lan flattens his lips. Out of all of us, he's the least likely to show empathy, but that doesn't fool me. This is hurting him as much as it's hurting us. He never likes to terminate an employee that's been with us for a long time. Charlie is weeping into her hands. I study her. The poor girl was distraught. Desperation can make you do different things. Charlie's financial situation was bleak. Even with the money we paid her, she was still in the red with the various treatments her mother was going through.

"It doesn't excuse the fact that what you did was against your contract and the non-disclosure agreement we had you sign," Father says heavily "We could take you to court for this. Do you understand the gravity of the situation? You didn't just cost us a lot of money Charlie, you cost us labor, time, shares, and a lot more. It wasn't just money" he reiterated, as Charlie looked at all of us hopelessly.

"I'm sorry" she hiccuped "but I didn't have a choice...." she trailed off.

"You had a choice" lan's voice was furious "You made a deliberate one to betray the very people who have always been kind to you. We've always tried to accommodate your requests, give you extra leave, even give you advances on your salary. This is beyond anything I thought you were capable of. I hope it was worth it to you" he sneers as Charlie goes bright red in embarrassment.

"I have to agree with my son there Charlie. No matter the circumstances, you made a deliberate choice to sell us out. That hurts me more than anything" my father says agreeably.

She looks down at the ground, unable to bring herself to say anything else. My father exhales loudly. "The question is, now what are we going to do to you? Unfortunately, we can't let this matter slide. It would simply make us appear weak to the competitors" he said regretfully.

"I concur" snarled lan.

I reluctantly agree. I had always liked Charlie. She was friendly and if I remembered correctly she was also a friend of Lorelai's. Lorelai was going to be devastated when she discovered what Charlie had done and found her gone.

"The authorities are on their way. lan go down and meet them" Father's voice is like steel as he glares at Charlie who shifts uncomfortably on her seat "I and Knox will remain here." "Please" Charlie begins to plead but a quick glance at lan's cold face makes her stop.

"What you did was illegal," my father said, rubbing his temple and looking grim "and we will be making an example of you in order to ensure something like this never happens in our household again. Do you understand what I'm telling you?" Charlie's face is white "You're going to prosecute me to the full extent of the law" she whispers in a shaky voice. "Precisely," my father says quietly "it will stand as an example to those in the future who might be considering doing the same thing. Did anybody else help you to sell these secrets?"

He pins her with a glare. I wait interested. I was certain she would try and blame Lorelai, simply if it meant saving her own a*s or trying to get a lesser sentence. I had informed lan of this and he had agreed. I was certain she had done this alone. "Will I get a lesser sentence if I tell you?"

Bingo. She was a sneaky little b***h. My father blinks "The prosecutor will take your cooperation into account" he says tightly.

He knows she's bullshitting. My father is a walking lie detector when it comes to these types of situations. He would have made one hell of a lawyer, I think absent-mindedly.

"Well in that case" she hesitated and looked demurely at her hands "Lorelai helped me" she blurted out.

I raise a brow. My tone is chilly. "Lorelai helped you?"

She looks at me uncertainly "yes."

"What was her motive for doing that?"

I'm interested to hear what she comes up with. My father frowns. "She...she needs the money."

It was a pitiful excuse. "That's the best you could come up with?" I shake my head and give her a twisted grin "I happen to know that Lorelai would never have done something like that and that you were the only one who snuck into the study to steal the secrets. Nice try Charlie" I say as she blushes "but it's nice to know that you're a real piece of s**t who will try to sell out her only friend to save her own a*s."

"Fine" she snaps, "I was it. I was the only one they paid. Are you happy now?"

I hear a gasp from the doorway. Lorelai is standing there, looking pale, swaying on her feet. "I would never do such a thing," she says weakly.

I move, grabbing her before she can collapse, and look at father.

"Get Lorelai out of here" he orders as I hear lan coming back "She doesn't need to see this son. I didn't realize she was here."

I didn't either. I quickly half carry Lorelai to the living room while she offers no protest. I place her on the couch. "I..I didn't" she begins in tears.

"I know you didn't help sell the secrets. I already told lan she was going to try that tactic" I told her gently, cupping her cheek and sitting beside her.

"You did?" she sounded shocked "but how could you know for certain?"

She looked to me for reassurance and I gave it to her.

"Because I know you Lorelai," I said smoothing back a loose tendril of hair and gazing deeply into her eyes "You're not capable of hurting another person like that for selfish gains. You're not that kind of person. Plus I had surveillance footage of her sneaking into the study and other concrete evidence" I muttered making her give a half laugh.

"I can't believe it was Charlie," she said miserably "She's been the only friend I've made in this household."

"I'm sorry," I said regretfully "but when it comes to matters like these, we can't allow them to..."

"I understand" she interrupts and I fall silent.

"What's going to happen to her?"

"It's better you don't know," I tell her honestly and she sighs, glancing off to the side moodily.

"Why did you leave me sleeping?" she asked finally, puzzled "You should have woken me up when you woke up."

"You looked like you needed the sleep," I said shrugging "And you looked adorable drooling and snoring like that" I teased making her swat at me playfully while I laughed at her.

"Knox" she shrieked and I heard a giggle.

I turned to see Flair holding out Hunter with an amused expression on her face "Remember how you were going to watch my son overnight" she said gleefully "well I kind of need him watched tonight instead. Do you think you could?"

I stared at her. Before I said anything, Lorelai had already jumped to her feet and eagerly taken my nephew in her arms. "Oh he's so cute" she gushed as he smiled up at her "Aren't you lucky. Oh I could just eat you up" she babbled while Flair hid her smile. "What happened to next week? I haven't had a chance to ask Lorelai about staying overnight and helping?" I said annoyed. Lorelai blinked. "Ask me what?"

Flair gave her a winning smile. "I was going to have Knox watch him next week overnight but he wasn't comfortable with it unless you stayed overnight and helped him. You know in case he lost track of time" she whispered meaningfully as Lorelai stared at her "do you think you could possibly do that tonight? We managed to get tickets to this concert and a hotel room and..." her voice was hopeful.

I glared at her but was taken aback when Lorelai began to nod "I could do that. I love babies" she gushed "oh we're going to have so much fun" she began to bounce Hunter up and down.

"You can say thank you now" Flair muttered in an aside to me while I stood there flabbergasted.