Chapter 59
What the fuck!
I stare at the headline, reading it over and over, as if the words will somehow rearrange themselves if I just blink hard enough. They don’t. The words don’t fade; they remain on the screen, glaring at me.
BILLIONAIRE HEIR, NOAH WOODS, SPOTTED OUTSIDE BIO–RENEW IN ALTERCATION WITH SIERRA MEYERS.
My jaw clenches as I scroll. More headlines scream back at me, each one worse than the last.
BILLIONAIRE HEIR ON THE WAY TO COURT FOR ASSAULT CHARGES?
NOAH WOODS CAUGHT IN ASSAULT SCANDAL.
WOOD CORPORATION’S CLEAN IMAGE SHATTERED?
Attached are the photos of me grabbing Sierra outside her workplace, caught and frozen in the worst possible angle. A single reckless moment turned into evidence and broadcasted for the world to dissect.
BILLIONAIRE HEIR ASSAULTS SIERRA MEYERS DAYS AFTER BILLIONAIRE HEIRESS IS SPOTTED PROTECTING
HER BEST FRIEND.
“Fuck,” I snarl, gripping Lilly’s phone so tightly the glass threatens to crack. She yanks it from my hand before I can destroy it.
Her glare is sharp enough to cut. “What the hell is wrong with you, Noah? I get that you don’t like Sierra. I get that you don’t want the baby. But assaulting her? At her workplace? What the hell p>
“I didn’t assault her,” I mutter, but my voice sounds weak. Even to me. 1
“From where I’m standing, that’s exactly what it looks like. You don’t just grab someone like Sierra–someone half your size–and expect the world to see it any other way p>
Shame burns in my chest. I can’t even think of a single way to defend myself. I’ve never been violent, no matter what shit Sierra stirred up. Harsh words, yes. Contempt, absolutely. But violence? Never. I don’t even recognize the man in those photos.
“What is happening to you, Noah? When did you become this kind of man?” she asks, her voice sharp and disgusted. “This is a new low, even for you.
Funny how the same words I said to Sierra are now being said to me.
“I didn’t mean to,” I hiss. My hand slams against the table, the sound echoing through the empty boardroom. “It just happened p>
The pain in my hand does nothing to elevate the storm inside me. It continues raging on, hellbent on pulling me down and swallowing me whole.
“That’s a weak fucking excuse,” she spits back, her words icy. “You’ve always been in control. Always. So don’t sit there and tell me you lost it, like some teenager who can’t manage his temper. That’s not who you are p>
Her words slice deeper because they’re true. Control was drilled into me my whole life–think before you act, measure before you move, always be in control… And yet yesterday, I shattered that by doing the complete opposite.
“Brook told me-
“Of course,” Lilly snaps, throwing up her hands. “One word from that bitch and you abandon all your senses p>
“Watch your mouth,” I growl.
“Or what? Are you going to grab me like you did with Sierra?” she fires back, standing toe–to–toe with me. “I’ve tried warning you for years but you never listened. You’re too blind to see how poisonous Brook is and how conniving Chloe was. Brook whispers in your ear, and you forget yourself and hurt Sierra. And now the whole world gets to watch you unravel because you can’t tell the difference between truth and manipulations p>
There was a time when we were younger, especially after Chloe and Brook transferred to our school, when Chloe, Lilly and Sierra were tight. They were best friends and spent almost every waking hour together.
Something changed and all of a sudden Sierra and Lilly turned on Chloe and started keeping their distance. Chloe told me it was because Sierra became jealous after we became friends. And because of that, she poisoned Lilly against her.
By the time we got married, they weren’t as close but at least they were sort of friends, but after, they completely cut Chloe off. Even at family gatherings, Lilly used to ignore Chloe. She loved the twins but despised their mom and her sister.
“Brook wouldn’t lie to me p>
“You’re an idiot. The biggest idiot I’ve ever seen… I don’t even need to know what she told you to know that it was probably made up. She wants to keep you on a fucking leash and you can’t even see that p>
I grit my teeth. “She told me Sierra wants to replace Chloe. That she plans to kick her out p>
Lilly barks a sharp, humorless laugh. “First of all, I’d happily throw Brook out myself; she’s nothing but a parasite. And second, Sierra doesn’t want you, Noah. Not your money. Not your family. Not your love. You’ve broken her too many times for her to even dream of that, so you can get the idea that she wants to replace Chloe out of your head p>
Fuck, why is that uncomfortable to hear? Her words shouldn’t sting, but they do. I don’t even understand why.
“Lastly p>
” she says, her voice like steel, “do you really believe Sierra would say that p>
I clench my fist until my nails dig crescents into my palms. “It wouldn’t be the first time she did or said something horrible to Brook. She’s always hated Chloe and Brook p>
Lilly just stares, disappointment heavy in her eyes. Then she shakes her head slowly. “You’re hopeless, really hopeless… Mark my words, Noah, one day, you’re going to regrét every damn thing you’ve ever done to Sierra p>
Her words slam into me, settling in my chest like poison, leaving chills running down my spine.
“Fix this,” she hisses. “Do you realize what you’ve done? Our fathers built Wood Corp’s spotless reputation brick by brick, and you’ve smeared it overnight. Investors don’t forgive weakness; they smell weakness, and they take advantage of that p>
My stomach twists. She’s right. One reckless moment, and I’ve put it all at risk.
Lilly shoots me one last glare and storms out, heels echoing against the polished floor. The door slams shut behind her.
I sink into the chair, dragging both hands over my face. It feels like my life has been nothing but a storm since that night with Sierra. I haven’t had a moment of peace.
Getting people to take down the headlines is the easy part; getting people to forget is the hard part.
I reach for my phone, but it starts ringing just as I pull it out.
My stomach drops when I see the name flashing on the screen.
My father.
I swipe to answer, forcing myself to breathe.
“Get your ass here. Now!” His voice is a growl of barely contained fury.
The line goes dead.
And just like that, I know this is about to get a whole lot worse.