The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress

Dawn POV

I wasn't surprised that Dexter was willing to sign away his parental rights in exchange for money. He had always been a selfish bastard. The only one missing out on this deal was Faith and I hoped I never had to let her know what her father had done, what he had exchanged in order to remain out of her life completely. It would kill her to know that she meant that little to him, that all she had been was a cash cow or something with which to barter with. I was infuriated, silently mulling over what I needed to do, lan's face was inscrutable as he gazed out the window, Mr. Grant organizing the money to be handed over to Dexter tonight.

The documents had already been faxed and carefully looked over by the Grant's lawyers. Several of them. There were no loopholes. No way for Dexter to be able to reclaim his parental rights again. It stated the compensation amount, in clear specifics as a one-time deal, and we had signed on the dotted line, while I felt like my heart had slowly died inside my chest. Would Faith ever forgive me for agreeing to do this? Or would she blame me when she was older and she discovered I was just as culpable as Dexter? Would she hate lan for his part in all of it as well? For providing the money and the means for Dexter to vanish from our lives without a second glance? I wouldn't know, at least not for now, but the thought of the future filled me with dread. I hated myself in that moment, but not enough to stop what was happening. Not enough to plead for Dexter not to do this.

"I'm not about to let you take the money to him on your own" lan repeated, fixing his eyes on me.

I threw my hands up in exasperation "We have no choice. We have to play by his own rules. Besides" I said in frustration "what do you think he's going to do to me? He's a lowlife and a son of a b***h" I added bitterly "but he's hardly the type to hurt me." lan flattened his lips, looking stubborn "How do you know he hasn't changed Dawn? Money does terrible things to the best of us. He's far too willing to walk away from his family, what's to say he won't go even further" he pressed, leaning forward in his chair "I don't want to risk it."

"Neither do I" I blurted "Please lan. Let me do this. I can't do much" I said helplessly, fighting back tears "but I can at least do this to ensure he stays out of our lives. It's my fault he's even done this in the first place. Do you have any idea how guilty I feel?" | demanded.

He exhaled "You have nothing to be guilty of" he snapped "That man is as despicable as they come. I chose to pay, and I would choose it again to get him out of your and Faith's life. He's only going in one direction and that's down, and if you aren't careful he'll drag you down with him" he warned, eyeing me closely.

Silence. I was grateful my mother was keeping an eye on Faith in the main house, certain that I would break down the moment I stared into my daughter's eyes and saw the close resemblance to Dexter there. I bit my lip and sighed, just as the door opened. Knox came walking in, a briefcase in hand, his eyes narrowed as he took in the tense expressions on our faces and the thickness of the air, along with the tense atmosphere.

"As requested 20 million dollars cash," he said grimly, bodyguards behind him, his eyes resting on his brother's face, an indecipherable expression on it "all in one hundred dollar bills. It's a good thing you have a substantial bank balance" he murmured "but it still rankles to pay that bastard anything. I could get rid of him for good you know," he said quite seriously.

lan shakes his head, his lower lip twitching "I believe that is something to discuss later" he said as Knox shrugged nonchalantly "But thank you for getting the money with Father. I know it wouldn't have been easy at such short notice."

"We're Grants, the bank was only too willing to accommodate us," Knox said arrogantly as I stared at him "They can't afford to disappoint a paying customer such as us."

He glanced at me, "Are you feeling alright Dawn?" he asked raising a brow "You look quite pale" he added in concern.

My hand twitched nervously. "I feel fine, just a little nervous about the whole thing. Ian refuses to let me take it by myself" I said irritably.

"I have to agree with my brother, it's a little unsettling that he's demanded only you bring him the money," Knox said, while lan's eyes glinted with satisfaction "but I also understand where you are coming from. Work it out between you both" he advised and winked "Goodluck. Not that you'll need it" he muttered, turning around after depositing the briefcase on the ground and leaving, the bodyguards remaining just outside the doors.

I wondered what Knox had meant by that statement and then got distracted by lan again.

"That takes care of one problem" lan murmured, nodding towards the briefcase "but isn't he supposed to send the coordinates to where he wants us to go?"

"There's still time. Dexter isn't exactly a punctual or reliable man" I said scornfully.

lan shot me a sharp glance and then sighed. "I know how worried you are Dawn," he said grabbing my hand as I forced a fake smile onto my face "But this is for the best. I'm sorry how this man is affecting you and I'm sorry for my involvement in this." "It's not your fault," I said numbly "None of it is lan. I'm the one who should be apologizing to you" I told him honestly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," lan said shaking his head, his eyes fixing on mine.

I coughed and then excused myself, heading into the bathroom we shared. As I stood glancing in the mirror, my hand crept into the pocket of my trousers, touching the small syringe that rested there. It contained a heavy sedative, that would know lan out and allow me to take the money to Dexter unaccompanied. But could I go through with it and betray lan like this? I was hesitant. Ian seemed so sure of himself, of what he was doing. But I knew Dexter. I knew his temper. If he didn't get what he wanted, he was liable to do something foolish and for all I knew he would have a weapon, such as a gun with him. If lan was there, instead of me, would Dexter shoot him? I shivered, picturing it in my mind. My hand shook. lan had already been shot once and that had resulted in him being in the wheelchair. What kind of emotional damage would he go through if he was shot again, and by somebody connected to me? I couldn't take the risk. I wouldn't. I loved lan too much to let him go through something so traumatic or dangerous again. My hand brushed the syringe for reassurance. I would have very little time to put him out and get to the location. I would have to be clever and I would have to work quickly before Knox or Mr Grant realized what I had done.

My phone dinged. I took a deep breath. I had been expecting this. Dexter would have sent the coordinates to my phone. The location. I pulled it out and had a quick look. Visit Job n i b.com to read the complete chapters for free. The town was about thirty minutes away but he wanted to meet in an abandoned warehouse. I felt a sense of trepidation. Then again, he was hardly going to want to take a briefcase full of money out in the open, I rationalized. My hands were sweaty as I came back out of the bathroom, showing the location to lan whose eyes narrowed, a look of displeasure coming over his face.

"That warehouse is in the middle of a rural area," he said "That town is hardly habitable."

I shrugged, playing it cool, even as my hands began to feel clammy.

"We should get going, shouldn't we?" I asked quietly.

God forgive me, I thought wretchedly. Ian looked at me closely, perhaps sensing something amiss, even as I blinked innocently at him. He gestured to the briefcase, which I handed to him, before stepping behind him and pushing him out of the flat and towards the waiting car in the driveway.

"If we get there early we can scope him out and see what he's really up to" lan was saying as I nodded agreeably, his eyes focused on the car "Even set up microphones beforehand."

I stayed silent, wheeling him next to the doors and opening it. lan was still looking thoughtful and distracted. The bodyguards were taking a separate car to avoid suspicion but had yet to be told the location. It was now or never.

"Let me just get inside," I told lan "and then you can hand the briefcase to me."

My heart was pounding wildly inside my chest. I felt nauseous. My stomach churned. I could feel my body trembling as I opened the door to the car and climbed slowly inside. I reached out for the briefcase, a small smile on my face, even as my other hand slowly slipped inside my pocket, my heart feeling like it was being torn in two. He never even saw it coming. He never suspected a thing. My hand enclosed around the handle of the briefcase while my other hand plunged the syringe into his hand, pushing down the plunger as his eyes widened in shock. I pulled the briefcase away, as he stared at me in shock.

"What are you doing?" he rasped, yanking the syringe out and flinging it away, even as he began to clutch at his chest.

"I'm sorry" I whispered, "but I can't risk you getting hurt, lan."

"You fool" he groaned, struggling to keep his head up "What have you done?"

"You'll just go to sleep," I told him quietly as his head began to lol down to his chest "and it will all be over by the time you wake up. I love you" I breathed, as his hands twitched on the armrests, "Forgive me" I sobbed, shutting the door and then turning to the driver who was climbing out of the car to check on lan.

Bingo. I slid into the front and started the car, taking off in a squeal of tires. I heard the sound of shouting and glanced over my shoulder to see that the bodyguards were moving lan out of the way and the driver was exclaiming loudly with his hands motioning towards Mr Grant who was yelling at them.

"Sorry" I whispered past the lump in my throat "but I love you too much to risk losing you, lan."

If he never forgave me for this, then I would accept it, so long as he remained alive. That was all that mattered to me. Nothing else.