The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress

Johnathon POV

I was glad to spend the day at work today while Charlotte and her mother went to do her hair and god knows what else. John was his usual ornery self and had threatened to change his will on more than one occasion but it hadn't fazed Charlotte or her mother in the slightest. I had the feeling he did it often enough that the threat no longer held much meaning to them both. My mind would occasionally go back to the empty pill container but just as quickly I would discard it from my mind. I didn't want to go there. I didn't want to think that Charlotte could be capable of such a thing. I knew I wasn't the most trustworthy of lawyers or even that honest, but I drew the line and that was more than crossing it.

When I received the next email, I was in a state of disbelief. My anonymous foreign investor had decided to pull out of their investment in the firm. I had relied heavily on their money to get my firm up and running and I had never anticipated they would want to take their investment or money elsewhere. I could offer them more shares in the firm but the email made it clear they wanted to be paid out. It was a lot of money.

A lot of money. I gritted my teeth. If I paid them back, it would wipe out a gigantic share of the profits I'd earned this year and take out most of my savings. I would own the building, but it would leave very little money for anything else. Why was the investor deciding to jump ship now?

I had a pounding headache when I walked through the doors of the Deluca mansion. Charlotte and her mother were in the lounge room, watching a soap opera together.

"Honey" Charlotte drawled "how was your day."

I looked at her. Really looked at her, debating whether to tell her the truth. I didn't know how she would react to finding out that I needed to pay out an investor but on the other hand, Charlotte was a wealthy heiress, and besides wasn't half her money now mine anyway? We were meant to be a married couple. Shouldn't she be glad to help me out of this financial difficulty?

John was nowhere to be seen. He was probably wise enough to bunk down in his room. The man seemed to have made a miraculous recovery from the hospital but if Charlotte had drugged him, then it stood to reason he would be well enough now to get by on his

own.

"Today has not been the greatest" I admitted to Charlotte who slightly frowned at the tone of voice I was using "In fact, I need to talk to you."

She looked at her mother "Well whatever you have to say, you can just say in front of Mother. We're family now" she said dismissively "And you haven't even said anything about my haircut" she complained.

Her hair looked the same to me. I blinked. "Your hair looks beautiful," I said automatically as she touched it and smiled.

"It better" she muttered "Jean Luc charged me a fortune for it and didn't charge Flair anything. Can you imagine the audacity" she whinged.

Who cared, I thought grumpily. Right now I have my own problems to deal with. I sat down opposite Charlotte and took a deep breath. Karen looked concerned but Charlotte looked her usual unfazed self.

"I received a legal email today," I said "and no doubt a letter will accompany it. The foreign investor who helped me to initially start up my law firm is going to pull their money out of the business."

Silence. Charlotte looked at me confused "So? It's not like you don't have plenty of money" she said bluntly.

I sighed. Trust Charlotte to have that sort of attitude. She really didn't seem to understand. "You don't get it. I have to pay back the initial investment as well as extra interest. Not to mention buy their shares out" I pointed out as she scowled and shrugged her shoulders at me.

"Well it still can't be that much," she said crinkling her brows "I mean it's not like your law firm is a huge building or anything."

I couldn't tell if she was being deliberately obtuse or if she was really this intelligent. Karen at least looked concerned. "It's a lot of money Charlotte," I said "While I've been lucky to make a substantial profit, If I want to own the building and the firm in full, it's going to cost me almost everything I own."

Silence. Charlotte looked at me incredulously. "You have to be joking," she said "How could you not have taken care of this before?" she asked.

"I guess I just didn't anticipate the investor wanting to pull out. I thought they would be happy to maintain shares and a percentage of the firm" I said swallowing hard.

"Well, can you reason with them?" Charlotte demanded "Maybe give them a higher percentage of the firm or even offer them a partnership? There must be something they'll accept instead of money?"

"They were pretty firm in the email," I told her exhaling "I should consider myself lucky that they've stayed in the firm for the last three, almost four years. Charlotte, I hate to say this, but we're going to have to front the money." "How much is it?" she whispered.

I leaned over and whispered it in her ear. "That much" she shouted "Are you f*****g kidding me" she snarled.

"There's no choice, not unless you want to be dragged through the courts. Charlotte, please, just help me" I said practically begging "We're married now."

She looked mutinous. "I get an allowance from the various businesses that the Deluca's own. I want the company so I can control my own money and have the power to change the businesses as I see fit. Damnit Johnathon, how could you have been so stupid?" she demanded icily.

I wanted to retort but I kept my mouth shut. She sighed. "I'll help you pay it, but only because I can't have another scandal attached to my name and you're my husband now" she growled, "but you should find out who this investor is."

"I've already tried. There's no way of determining their identity. They wanted to be kept anonymous and they've succeeded."

Charlotte pouted "I should have signed a prenup" she complained to Karen who looked unsympathetic.

"You both chose not to. Now be nice, Johnathon is your husband and you should bail him out" she said kindly "Perhaps you should both reconsider your resources and how to distribute the money once this has been taken care of."

"It won't matter," Charlotte said nonchalantly, leaning back in the chair "Once we get our hands on the company, we'll have so much money we'll never have to worry about it again. This is just an inconvenience" she added, shooting a dark glance at me "a drop in the ocean compared to what we're getting our hands on."

"You seem oddly certain that we're going to get our hands on the company Charlotte," I said peering at her closely "Is there something you know that I don't?"

"I'm just confident that's all Johnathon" Charlotte smirked "not to mention I don't believe in leaving things to chance. You have to do what you can to improve your outcomes and I've done exactly that," she said shrugging. "What do you mean?" I demanded.

"None of your business" she sighed.

Karen was equally as perplexed or if she knew what Charlotte was eluding to she wasn't telling me.

"Whatever. The Grant party is coming up and we need to worry about our appearance in that before anything else" I scowled.

"Oh yes, the elusive Miss Grant that nobody has seen," Charlotte said with satisfaction "I'm certain that I'll be able to make friends with her, which will only increase our status in the wealthy social circles. It's exactly why I insisted on getting my hair and nails done today, no thanks to Flair" she scowled.

I rolled my eyes. "Did it ever occur to you that whoever this Miss Grant is she might not be as impressed by wealth as you appear to be?"

She snorted "The Grants are all about power and wealth," she said raising a brow "so you can hardly think she won't be the same."

I sighed feeling defeated. I'd had a long day at work and coming home to Charlotte and Karen wasn't making me feel any better. My stomach growled.

"I'm hungry" I muttered getting to my feet "I'm going to get something to eat. Anybody want to join me?"

Charlotte waved a dismissive hand "I'm skipping dinner because I'm fasting to fit into my dress" she trilled. "Same," Karen said.

Of course. It felt lonely as I went into the kitchen and saw the maids and the cook in there. There was a delicious curry simmering on the stove and I took the bowl offered to me silently, sitting at the kitchen table. It was ironic. I had married Charlotte because she had made me feel happy and like I was some sort of superstar and now I sat here, at this table, alone, even though my wife was in the next room with her mother. It wouldn't have killed her to come and chat with me, talk about her day, even massage my shoulders, or fetch me a drink.

But I was comparing her to Flair and what Flair used to do for me. I tried to tell myself that wasn't fair and that I shouldn't expect her to be the same, but I felt hollow all the same. I never anticipated that marriage could feel so empty or that I would feel alone in a house full of people. Flair had a way of making you feel special after a long day and basking affection on you. I had a sinking feeling in my gut as part of me started to wish that I could have that again. Not for the first time, did I start to suspect I had made a terrible decision and that I hadn't given Flair the appreciation she had deserved for being my wife. I began to tuck in, without tasting anything. It was bland, just like my marriage was turning out to be.