The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress
[Book 2] Chapter 62

Lorelai POV

The nausea is constant now along with the consistent throbbing headache that pulses through my forehead. I rub my temples with my fingers and give a heavy sigh as I sit beside Knox in the living room, leaning against him tiredly. He gives me a quick peck on the lips. I yawn. Even though I slept for a few hours, my body still feels drained and tired. It's like I'm exhausted for no reason at all. Strange.

My phone sits idly in my hands. I play with it. mulling over what to do. I had received a strange message an hour ago and had yet to tell Knox about it. Lorelai, it's your mother.

We need to talk.

Meet me at **** shop in the mall in two hours alone.

I have important information for you that I'm willing to sell.

Important information she was willing to sell. I wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it. She had just sold me out for a large sum of money and now she wanted more. No doubt it was to help her continue to feed her drug addiction. I glanced at Knox and then at

lan who was chatting amiably to him. Part of me knew I should tell Knox about the message, after all, I had no idea how my mother had even managed to track me down, but another part of me was worried that he would do something foolish if he did know. My mother would never sell the information if I didn't come alone. She was many things my mother, but she wasn't a fool. Nobody would ever accuse that woman of being stupid.

I shift uncomfortably on the chair. How did I get to the mall without raising suspicion? I let out a long sigh and Knox's eyes fixate on me.

"Lorelai is something wrong? Are you still feeling sick?" he asks.

I still felt sick. But I wasn't about to inform him of that. If he knew, he would never agree to let me go out and I couldn't have that. I forced a smile on my face.

"I feel a lot better" I lie "but um, the thing is" I pause and look hesitant "I really need to get out of this house," I tell him bluntly.

It wasn't a lie. The house was feeling claustrophobic, despite how large it was.

He blinks. lan looks surprised. "Out of the house?" he echoes, glancing at his brother and raising a brow "Do you think that's a good idea considering the media at the moment?"

It's a stupid idea. Of course, it's not a good idea, but I fix my eyes on Knox and nibble on my lower lip, looking at him beseechingly.

"Knox, I need to get out into the fresh air and get my head on straight. Staying here and thinking about, this" my hand gestures wildly "scandal and my parents are only going to drive me crazy. I want to go and do something that's going to distract me from it all" I complained, lowering my voice and fluttering my eyelashes.

Gods. I was turning into one of those women. The ones who used their feminine wiles to get what they wanted. I felt slightly disgusted at myself as I continued to look at Knox with hope in my eyes.

"Lorelai" he begins sounding hesitant.

"I'm not a prisoner am I?" my voice is slightly cool now "The last I checked I was free to come and go as I pleased." "Well yes but..."

"But what Knox? Surely it's not going to hurt to go somewhere there's a large crowd of people?" I suggest, widening my eyes at him "Wouldn't that be safe? Out in public? Nothing can happen if there are people around me."

"I suppose but I thought you would like to stay in the house" Knox interjects frowning.

"Well, you're busy with your computers and talking to lan and your father," I say abysmally "and I don't want to get in your way. I feel pretty useless right now, so I think it's best I get out of your way."

"You're not in my way," Knox says lowly "and I like having you where I can keep an eye on you."

"Knox you're sweet but you have work you need to do and this way you won't be constantly interrupted," I said sweetly as he continued to hesitate "And I can keep you updated as to what I'm doing." "You can't keep her locked up forever," lan tells Knox while I try not to act too pleased with his help.

"I could but it's illegal" Knox grumbled.

lan smirked "Well she has a point. Besides maybe some fresh air and sunlight might do Lorelai some good. No offense Lorelai but" he paused and raked his gaze over me with an apologetic glance "you are starting to look a bit peaky. It might even make her feel better" he suggests to Knox.

The phone is clenched tightly in my hand. I attempt to appear casual. I don't want to draw attention to it. This needs to seem like a casual suggestion or endeavor. My heart is already racing in my chest. I can feel a bead of sweat on my forehead. Knox looks slightly frustrated.

"You'll take your cell phone with you?" he growls, glancing at me as I nod solemnly.

Naturally, I would take my cell phone with me. I wasn't an i***t. Although I suspected that Knox wanted me to take it so he could track my location, which in hindsight was actually quite reassuring.

"Of course. I wouldn't be without it" I assured him.

He sighs and rubs his forehead. "You'll need to take a bodyguard or several" he frowns.

"One," I say firmly holding up a single finger and shaking it at him as he eyes me warily "I will take one bodyguard with me. Any more and it will attract attention" I said lying.

Knox is not pleased with that. I stare him down. He coughs and then narrows his eyes at me "You will message me every thirty minutes with your location."

"Don't you think that's going a bit far?" I asked indignantly.

He glares at me "Do you want me to hack your phone and track its GPS?" he asks smoothly.

I shake my head "Fine, I'll message you" I say a little irritably.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

"I thought I would go to the mall" my voice is casual.

I attempt to look nonchalant. Knox nods, taken by surprise. "I thought you hated shopping?" he asked.

Damn. The man had a memory like an elephant. "I'm bored so I thought maybe just going and looking at the different displays might be interesting" I quickly tell him.

lan snorts "Since when do women not like to shop?" he mutters.

I beam at lan "You could come too" I offer and he shakes his head adamantly.

"No thanks, I'm busy enough here. Father's still on the phone with his lawyers and the media is going to make a formal apology in regards to that interview. But the damage is already done" he said tightly "At least we've managed to prevent the other news channels from following suit. A victory in essence in a way."

"You are very strange," I say amused, as I stand up.

I quickly head upstairs and change into casual clothing, with a baseball hat on my head, courtesy of Knox. I tuck my phone into my jeans pocket and my card in the other. I don't want to have a handbag on me if I can help it. I want to be as unrecognizable as possible if only to keep the paparazzi away. My hair is in a disheveled ponytail and I look nothing like the Lorelai Mathews depicted on the television or in the magazines on Knox Grant's arms. I prefer it. This is more my style. I give a smile as I walk back downstairs, ready to rumble.

"The media are still out the front. Dean is going to take you out the back way, using the servant's entrance, and straight out to the garage" Knox tells me calmly as I adust my cap "You'll take a plain SUV with no discernible license plates. Dean will not leave your side, at all for any reason" he fixes his eyes on me while I try not to gulp "and I expect you to message me every thirty minutes."

"Every hour" I reason with him, fixing my eyes on him without flinching.

He looks frustrated and pinches the bridge of his nose, muttering quietly to himself. lan looks amused, his eyes dancing. He's enjoying seeing his brother struggle to maintain his composure. Knox lets out a long dramatic exhale. "Fine, every hour, starting with your arrival" he negotiates as I nod "and you will inform me when you leave."

That sounded reasonable. Dean is also dressed in casual clothing, jeans, and a shirt. His muscles ripple beneath his shirt though and I have no doubts that he's highly skilled in both armed and non-armed combat.

"Keep her safe" Knox's voice is hard as he stares at my bodyguard who nods looking deadly serious "Treat her exactly as if she is my wife because as far as I am concerned, she pretty much is."

That brought a tear to my eye. How could he be this loving, this charming, and this protective towards a woman whose family was ruining him? I kissed him on the lips and wrapped my arms around him. "I love you Knox" I whisper.

If everything went to plan my mother would give me the name of the person who paid her for the interview. But if it didn't, then I would be walking away, from the man I loved, and I fought back the urge to cry, instead smiling at him as I stepped away. My heart was silently breaking inside of my chest. I could feel my chest tightening and fought to keep a smile on my face.

"I love you," he said, before turning back to lan and waving haphazardly at me "Have fun at the mall and be careful." Be careful. These two words but said with genuine sincerity and love. I nod and then follow the bodyguard out to the car feeling determined. Knox had done so much for me, it was time I started doing something for him. I wasn't going to let his life continue to be ruined. My mother would talk or she would agree to disappear or I would leave. But Knxo would no longer be collateral damage. Not for my sake. I loved him too much for that. He deserved better than to be dragged down because of me.