Page 31 of Billionaire’s Promise

“No, not really. I guess hanging out with Chloe was kind of fun. Plus, when you grow up with two older brothers, you can have all kinds of unexpected fun that they swing your way.”

My heart ached. I knew that Lincoln was a good brother. But he had no common interests with June at all. Apart from their love for Chloe. He loved swimming and was captain of the swim team at university. And he was free to pursue whatever career he wanted – other than medicine. It was so sad that June’s mom held a different standard for her.

“But you’re a doctor now and that’s amazing.” I didn’t know what else to say.

“Yeah, but sometimes I hate it.”

* * *

After dinner, a team of cleaning staff came round and tidied up. It took them less than five minutes and it looked as if we didn’t even have dinner at all. I liked my teams invisible and unseen – most of the time. All the time if possible. Though my staff kept telling me that it wasn’t possible.

There was a team that took care of my daily needs: groceries, cleaning, and laundry. They popped in to do the chores when I wasn’t around. For rare occasions like today, when I had guests, they would pop in and out of the apartment within a given time frame. There was a smaller apartment downstairs that accommodated them.

Then there were two security teams: the visible one and the invisible one. Clare and Dave were obviously the visible ones. And the duo organized the other team that kept watch on me twenty-four-seven. I did think that it was unnecessary at times. But this was like insurance, people only realize how important they are after they’ve been in trouble.

My teams were often hiding in plain sight – like in the movies, where the undercover officers dressed up as hotdog sellers, street cleaners, the old man on the bench in the park, etc. Everyone on the team was tracked, and Dave kept watch of their positions on his tablet. The building across the street from my apartment was their base, where they watched for any suspicious activities around the neighborhood.

Dr. Rose came back, and she seemed a little more refreshed. Even her smile had a makeover. Happier, and more genuine. I was glad that she had had a pleasant break.

Jenny agreed to the examination after June had a chat with her after dinner, while the staff were clearing up. I was a little surprised by that. Jenny wasn’t known for her decisiveness. Especially when it came to decisions that could sabotage her life or her future. It was like June had put some kind of spell on her. Or whispered some sense into her.

I didn’t know how long the exam would take. I knew I had no say on this matter anymore. June had sort of taken over. Thank fuck.

Waiting was the only thing I could do.

I paced up and down the hallway. Mainly outside of Jenny’s room.

Every step I took heightened my anxiety even further. Yet, I couldn’t stop.

When I first bought this apartment, I had promised Jenny that I would reserve a room for her. Why not? One room out of the fourteen for my favorite cousin was the least I could do. I thought it would end up being another guest room, and never thought that Jenny would ever show up and actually use it. She had been so busy with her life and kids, I just couldn’t see her traveling here at all.

Now, I was glad that I stuck by my promise to her.

I was glad that she came, that she trusted me enough to come. There was hardly any trust in my family, which made this special bond between us more precious than gold.

I was glad that June was here too, because I wouldn’t know what to do without her. When I saw Jenny right after I landed, it didn’t even occur to me to find out what happened to her. My stupid instincts told me to leave her alone. And I listened to them. It was a good thing we came back and nothing bad happened to her. If Jenny did something stupid, just because I decided to leave her alone, I wouldn’t have ever forgiven myself for that.

Self-harm.

Suicide.

The things Dr. Rose said about Jenny echoed in my mind. The thoughts gave me a shiver.

Forty-five minutes later, or what felt like forever, June appeared in the hall. She seemed a little surprised to see me there. Did she think I would just leave at a time like this?

“How is she?”

“She’s fine. There’s no significant signs to support rape. But she is covered in scars.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m sorry, that was really unprofessional. That’s why I normally make it a point to not be too friendly with my patients.”

I pulled her into me and whispered a thank you into her ear. Her hair smelled nice, a combination of coconut and vanilla. June collapsed in my arms. “And uh, there’s something you should know.”

More bad news?

I tried to pull to look down at her, but June shook her head. “No, I really needed this. Please, one more minute.”

Just like that, I held her tighter, and we stayed glued together for another minute. We said nothing to each other. I knew that I needed a hug as much as she did, and I wished that we could stay like that forever.

June slowly peeled herself from me and opened her mouth like she was in a slow-motion video. I leaned in and kissed her. I had wanted to do that ever since I met her. I’d almost done it when she was 18, but that would make me some kind of creepy guy, because I was older than her and it was her 18th birthday.