Lahat ng Kabanata ng Hiding The Billionaire's Son : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

Samantha's POV"Dad!"He barely gets through the door before I'm on him. He drops the grocery bags and catches me, pulling me in the way he used to when I was small and the world felt too big. He smells so fresh and I didn't know how badly I needed that smell until now."Hey, hey. I've got you. I'm here.""I'm sorry," I keep crying into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry.""Stop that." He pulls back and holds my face, thumbs brushing my cheeks. "What are you apologizing for?""Everything." I let out a wet, broken laugh. "All of it."He steers me to the small couch, sits me down and doesn't let go of my hands. He looks around the apartment once. The peeling paint, the narrow window and the single pot on the stove. His jaw tightens for just a moment before he smooths it out."Tell me," he says."I made so many wrong choices, and now... I'm all alone... I'm pregnant... no plans for the baby... I'm just... Dad..." I will the tears to stop, but they don't. "I should have listened to you."

Samantha's POV"I want a tail and a real lightsaber and machine that turns everyday to Saturday and my own school bus (Dani's father drives one!). Don't forget pizzaaaa.""Ma'am, we're touching down in five minutes."I look up from the hilarious wishlist Charlie had squeezed it into my palm while kissing him goodbye. Just who does this boy think I am? Priya, my assistant, is across from me, scrolling through something definitely unimportant like the view of Manhattan from a private jet is something she sees every day. "Priya, what unimportant things are you doing now?" She doesn't look up. "Going through tomorrow's guest list. There are three hundred people attending—" "And?" "Okay, fine." She finally glances out the window. "The view is nice." Timothy is beside me. He's been quiet since we left, which isn't unusual, but something about the way he's watching the city come into focus makes me wonder what he's thinking. I've known him for five years and I still can't always read

"Don't you dare stand in a room I earned and tell me how I built it.""How dare you touch my brother, you piece of shit!" Victoria's hand connects with the side of my face before I finish drawing breath and the force of it snaps my head sideways. My cheek stings and my ears ring. I swing my hand and slap her back. The sound is sharper than I expected, and she stumbled back one step. Her hand flies to her face while her expression cycles through shock, fury and disbelief that I actually slapped her."You wench!" Georgia steps forward and I see her hand coming fast toward my cheek, and then it stops. Timothy caught her wrist mid air.For a moment, we are all frozen. The room around us has stopped pretending to do anything else. Even the servers have paused with their trays half-extended.Damian's eyes are locked on mine. His gaze only breaks when Timothy discards Georgia's hand like it's trash. I see the strain in the corner of Damian's eyes as he looks at someone behind me. Timothy."

Damian's POV"Where did you go?"I walk past Lorraine without answering, car keys already in my hand."Damian." Her heels click fast behind me across the lobby marble. "I asked you a question.""Go home.""You left me waiting at the bar for twenty minutes—""Call your driver." I push through the hotel's side entrance into the night air. "Or an Uber. I'm going to HQ."She reaches for the car door handle at the same time I do, and I turn to look at her. "Lorraine.""It's almost eleven o'clock at night.""I know what time it is."She stares at me for a moment, trying to figure out what happened between the gala and now. I don't give her anything. She's used to me giving her some explanation that lets her feel like she's still in control. Tonight, I don't have the energy. "You've been strange all evening," she says. "First with that woman, then you disappear, now this. What is going on with you?" I slide into the driver's seat and close the door. She steps back just before I pull away,

Samantha's POV I stare at Damian for a second and I burst out laughing. A mix of irritation and confusion flickers across his face. He opens his mouth to speak, but I'm still laughing. Timothy settles back beside me like he's watching something entertaining. "Something funny?" Damian asks, and that just makes it worse. I wave my hand at Daniel as I suppress my laugh. "Continue, please." "Gregory Consulting is not moving," Daniel speaks lowly. He doesn't even need to raise his voice for it to carry power. "Miss Gregory has completed three successful projects with the Rahim Group with a delivery record that speaks for itself. She is the consulting firm on this contract and that was decided before this room was arranged." "Sterling Empire is co-funding this development," Damian counters. Daniel picks up his pen and taps it once on the table. "Regarding Sterling Empire's position as co-funder, yes, but the Rahim Group has sufficient funding to carry this project independently. W