Her Billionaire Secret: Part 4: An Alpha Billionaire Romance (2 page)

The hurt and the pain were evident in her father's voice. Why had she never known?

“You both hid it from me?”

“Yes.” He squeezed her shoulder gently. “You have to understand, I always took her back. I waited for her to finish her affairs because I knew she couldn't live without what I gave her—unconditional love.”

Claire’s heart twisted for him, for what he’d gone through.

“That wasn't fair on you, Dad.”

“Life isn't always fair, darling. It was also wrong hiding this from you.” He smiled but there was sadness in his eyes. “Then you became ill and I decided to wait for you to ask—for you to be ready to hear the truth.”

“When Mum left that day—left me waiting for you to pick me up—was that the same? Was she having an affair?” She had to know. That day had felt all wrong. It still did.

“It was different. Very different. Your mother had fallen in love for the first time.”

“She really loved him?” Claire still couldn't say the name of the man who'd died alongside her mother.

“Yes, she truly loved him.” He paused for a moment. “I was coming to pick you up because, this time, Kathryn wasn't coming home. We were getting divorced.”

Tears were streaming down Claire's face and her body shook. Erland didn't say a word, simply rubbing her shoulder in comfort.

“I don't know how you could bear it. How you could let someone you love leave with someone else.” she sobbed.

“I had to let go, darling. I'd never had her love in the first place.”

Chapter Three

TEVIS

He watched Claire walking down the road towards the city centre. At a discrete distance behind, Sam Rendall followed her.

Tevis pressed the ornate brass bell and listened to the sound of its ring echoing through the house.

The door was quickly opened as if the person behind it hadn't been far away. The man facing him looked exactly like the photographs Sam had provided—the ones of the man at home and relaxed. They were a world away from the immaculate publicity shots provided by his management company. Even with his hair messed up and dressed in faded jeans and an old black shirt, Erland Tyler was still recognisable as the world famous film score composer.

He held out his hand, “I'm Tevis Drummond.”

“Didn't take you long to track me down,” Erland took his hand but looked at him without emotion. “Claire isn’t here.”

Tevis smiled. “I saw her walking away, but it isn't her I've come to see. I wanted to talk to you.”

“If it's about Claire, I'm not sure I should.”

“I love your daughter.”

“You think you do.”

“I know I do. You know it too. You must know how damned hard your legal team made it for anyone to make the connection between you and Kathryn.” Tevis knew he was pleading. He needed to have this conversation.

“Do you love her enough to let her go?”

Tevis got the feeling his answer would make the difference.

“It would break me in two. I will never love anyone like I love Claire, but if it was what she wanted—what she needed—then yes, I would let her go.” A tight pain shot through his chest at the thought of never seeing Claire again and he paused for a moment. “Don't ask me to do it,” he said with a depth of emotion he didn’t know he had.

Erland Tyler opened the door wider and waved him in. Tevis didn't need a second invitation.

The composer led him through to a library, comfortably furnished and obviously well used. Framed family photographs were scattered around every spare shelf space.

“Take a seat.”

Tevis wasn't used to taking orders but he did as he was asked. This was Claire's father, a man to be respected as much as his own. He hoped that one day he would be comfortable enough to laugh and joke with this man. It all depended on the outcome of the conversation he was about to have.

“What is it you want to know?”

The older man studied him and Tevis felt at a disadvantage. How much had Claire told him about their relationship and about how he'd kept her by his side?

“I'd like to know what happened to Claire. Why she disappeared.”

“Isn't it damned obvious? She was hounded by the press until she was forced into hiding.”

Erland held his gaze but instinct told Tevis this wasn't the only reason.

“I sense there was more.” He leant forward in his chair. If this was going to be a face-off, Tevis wanted the advantage. “Claire shuts down when I try to talk to her about her mother.”

Erland's eyes narrowed. With a calm voice, he simply said, “Go on.”

So that was how it was going to be. It seemed Erland Tyler had no idea how much Claire had said, but he was going to make Tevis work at getting the information from him.

“I watched Kathryn's final film—the one in which Fay made her debut.” He had to do this gently, this was Claire's father. “Her outstanding performance wasn't only down to her fine acting.”

“You seem to have got to know Claire exceedingly well.”

“I like to think so. She means the world to me.”

Erland stood and looked at him for several seconds. “Son, come walk with me in the garden.”

Something had broken Erland Tyler's reticence to speak about Claire. As Tevis walked with him out into the sunshine, the composer talked about his relationship with his first wife and how different his second marriage was.

Slowly they made their way down to the small building at the end of the long lawn. Erland ushered him in.

“This is my sanctuary, the place where I create my music. It is also the place I learned to finally let go of Kathryn.”

“Did Claire try to do that here too?” Tevis spotted the wall full of photographs and childishly drawn pictures.

“No, Claire had a breakdown. She disappeared into her own little world. We went away together so she could recover but she never really did. She didn't let go until yesterday—I'm not sure she truly has yet.” The sadness in Erland's voice showed the depth of his sorrow over Claire. “I couldn't help her, Tevis. I was the wrong one to try and do it. I hurt as much as she did.”

He sat down in a battered old chair and looked up at Tevis. Not wanting to put Claire's father at a disadvantage, he took a seat on the sofa opposite before responding.

“In the film, she played the daughter of a dying actress. She didn't have to act, her emotions were real.” His voice turned husky and Tevis struggled to get the words he had to say out in the open. “I know Claire, the real Claire and that film brought my emotions crashing down. Her performance made me cry.”

“She adored her mother.” Erland looked at him sadly. “I didn't want her to do it. I tried to talk her out of taking on the role but she was so damned excited to be working with her mother.”

“She didn't get a happy ending in the film.” The last scenes of the film had broken his heart. Josie had been right to make him watch it when Claire had left.

“She didn't get it in real life either—she lost her mother twice. That and the reaction of the press pushed her into depression. It was too much for anyone, let alone a fifteen-year-old child.” Erland pushed his hand through his greying hair, his eyes looked haunted. “I took her away, covered up our tracks, and tried to make sure everyone would leave her alone.”

“You did well. The Claire I love is feisty, independent and—” He almost said damned sexy, but he didn't think Erland would appreciate that comment about his daughter. “She reacts passionately, cares deeply and tries to protect those around her—especially those she loves. I'm the reason she ran back to you.”

“I know. She told me.”

“I never meant to hurt her.”

“You didn't. Claire has her own demons to deal with. You’ve given her the strength to tackle them.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. Tevis, give her space. She has to sort this out for herself. This is one thing, one part of her life, that neither of us should interfere with.”

They sat comfortably for a few minutes, each focusing on their own thoughts about Claire. Erland broke the silence.

“How did you find out about me? I spent a lot of money ensuring there would be nothing that could lead an investigator to me and then on to Claire.”

Tevis smiled. “In a strange way, it was Claire herself.”

Erland raised one eyebrow.

“She picked up a guitar at my brother's wedding and played the most beautiful set of songs. She has your musical talent.”

Erland laughed. “You try telling Claire, she doesn't believe me. That wouldn't be enough to make the connection. How did you do it?”

“Her favourite song is 'Claire's Lullaby'.”

Erland smiled. “Her song.”

“The one you wrote when she was a baby. I listened to it. It could have only been written by a father for his daughter.”

“So I didn't cover my tracks well enough,” Erland sighed.

“You covered them very well, but I wasn't the one who worked it out. My housekeeper Josie recognised the song. Kathryn sang a version of it to a baby in one of her early films.” Tevis left Erland to consider what he was telling him for a few seconds. “It was a surprise to find the name Tyler credited. Though it didn’t list your first name and it took a while to find out it was you.”

“Everyone assumed Kathryn had written it. It was simpler to leave it that way, particularly as she didn’t want people to know she was married.” He studied Tevis intently. “You were damned determined to find my daughter.”

“I had some help and a lot of luck.” Tevis knew he'd never have found Claire if it hadn't been for Sam and Josie. He'd been so close to losing her for good. Even now he didn't know if she would let him into her life again.

“The baby was Claire. She doesn't know about that film appearance.” Erland frowned. ”I never released the rights to the song, except for that one time. Kathryn begged me to let her sing it to her in the film.”

“I'm glad you allowed it because it led me here.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“I plan to follow Claire to see what she does, but first I have one more thing to ask of you.”

Erland looked at him. “And what would that be?”

“Would you make me a strawberry milkshake?”

Chapter Four

CLAIRE

Isabella Price was waiting for her at the rear of the Stanford and Henderson building when she arrived at seven o'clock. Even though it was now evening, neither of them wanted to risk being seen together. Not yet anyway.

Claire's phone call earlier in the day had been hurried but it turned out Isabella was keen to talk to her. She welcomed Claire with a wide smile.

“Come on up, we'll talk in my office. I have a pot of tea and biscuits ready for us both.”

“I was worried about contacting you. I'm sorry I let you down. I should have returned to work last Wednesday.”

“Claire, I'm the one who should be apologising to you. I'm fairly certain it was someone here who exposed you in the first place.” She ushered Claire into her office, which unusually for Isabella Price was scattered with paperwork. The normally pristine surfaces were stacked with files. She pointed to the mess, “I've started working my way through the terms of the original injunction.”

Claire stared at the files. “All this relates to the case ten years ago?”

Isabella smiled as she poured them both a cup of tea. “Some of it does. I'm looking at similar cases to see if I can find precedence for extending it.”

“Isabella, I have some money of my own, but I'm not sure I can afford your fees.” She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Isabella was only supposed to be looking at producing a legal agreement for her.

“Don't worry. It's all taken care of.”

There was only one person who would do this. She hadn't told her father what she intended to do. Tevis knew enough to come straight to Isabella. “I can't take Tevis Drummond's money. I've caused him enough hurt.”

“Tevis isn't covering this. I am.”

It was an unexpected answer and she shot Isabella a startled look. “Why?”

“Two reasons, besides the obvious one that someone in this firm intended to hurt you—which on its own is sufficient.”

Isabella seated herself behind her desk and indicated to Claire she should sit down too. Once Claire was sitting opposite her she continued.

“Firstly,” she smiled, “I loved your mother's work. I was a bit of a fan.” Isabella looked at her sheepishly. “I knew who you were within a week of you starting here. It gave me pleasure knowing I was doing something for her family.” She took a sip of her tea. “Secondly, the man who secured the injunction on your behalf was Edward James.” She glanced over Claire's head. “That's him in the photograph.”

Claire turned and looked at the picture of a young woman standing next to a much older man. They were both in the standard legal dress of white wig and black gown.

“He died several years ago,” Isabella continued, her face now containing sadness. “He gave me my first chance. I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for him. He was the finest lawyer I've ever had the pleasure to work with.” Isabella nodded to the paperwork piled on her desk. “The one thing I know for definite is that Edward will have thought to protect your future. Somewhere among this is the means to keep the press at bay.”

“I still want next Monday to go ahead.” If Isabella was looking for a way out for her, it wasn't what she wanted. She had to go through with what she'd decided to do.

“Yes, I understand. Everything is being put into place as you asked. All this extra work is an insurance policy. Something I can do—something I want to do.” Isabella stared at her, making her feel slightly uneasy. “Can I ask you something?”

Isabella's tone had slipped smoothly from chatty to working mode. Claire felt like wriggling in her chair. She was looking at her in a way that made Claire feel instantly defensive. Claire supposed it was a trait of Isabella's profession.

“If it's not too personal.”

Isabella never blinked. “Why don't you have any money? Your mother left you a large inheritance.”

And you don't think that isn't personal. Damn it, Isabella how far are you prepared to go?