The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress
Chapter 127

Johnathon's POV

It was a long night. Charlotte didn't come back until very late and I didn't have the energy or the inclination to confront her over what I had seen. Was it because I no longer cared or because the feelings I once had for my wife were no longer there anymore? I couldn't decide as I went into the adjoining bathroom and began to shower, taking my time underneath the water, letting it soothe my sore muscles and give me time to breathe.

If Mr Ferryweather showed his face in the office again, how on earth was I going to respond? My anger flared briefly but was gone just as quickly. Yes, he had some nerve coming to me to initiate divorce proceedings when he was f*****g my wife, but there were two sides to every story and from what I had seen, Charlotte was welcoming his advances with open arms. More than open arms, I thought to myself bitterly. I closed my eyes and swore, slamming my fist into the tiles and cursing at the pain that shot up through my hand and up my arm. It reminded me that all of this was real and it wasn't my imagination. It brought home just how f****d my life was at the moment. How everything was turning to s**t and I didn't know which way to turn, let alone how I was going to get through each day or each hour. My life was going to pieces and it was my own damn fault. How was that for f*****g irony?

Finally, I forced myself to turn the water off, my skin resembling that of a prune. I got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist, padding into the guest room, only to halt in my tracks as Charlotte hastily hung up my cell phone, a look of startlement on her face. I had interrupted her in the middle of something.

"What are you doing in here?" my voice was raspy from the steam in the shower.

My question had caught her off guard. As it was I hadn't been expecting her to be in my room and there was a look of anger on my face.

"Your...your phone wouldn't stop ringing" she stammered, putting her hands together and giving me an innocent look "I thought it might be an important client or something so I thought I'd better answer it. Especially since you couldn't seem to hear it" she frowned "it was ringing for ages," she said with a degree of exasperation.

It had? My head had been under the water so it was plausible that I hadn't heard the cell phone ringing. But it still didn't explain why Charlotte had felt the need to answer it. I glanced at her suspiciously.

"So who was on the phone?" I asked tartly.

"Oh um," she bit her lip and looked heavenward as though struggling to remember, even though she had literally just answered the phone only minutes ago "It was a clinic. Dr Fadden's clinic I think," she said frowning "They needed to reschedule your appointment and was wondering if you would come in late this morning instead of in the early afternoon?"

She made it sound like a question. I scowled at her "What time?" I asked glancing at my wristwatch.

"What" she said blankly.

"What time did they want me to come in Charlotte?" I repeated, "A time would be good if they rescheduled it."

"Oh right," Charlotte said her face brightening "They want you to go in at 10:30 this morning instead. I trust that's alright?" she said doubtfully "I already told them it was fine."

I glanced at her sharply "Yes it's fine but next time I would appreciate it if you left my cell phone alone and allowed me to answer my own calls and reschedule my own appointments" I growled.

She looked taken aback "I was just trying to be helpful" she protested annoyed "You don't need to bite my head off" she added with a glower.

"Right," I murmured skeptically, barging past her and heading towards our bedroom so that I could grab some clothes, wanting a different suit as she followed behind me in exasperation.

I tore the towel off and began to get dressed as she leaned against the doorway and watched, a questioning look on her face.

"Are you feeling sick? Is that why you're going to the clinic?" she queried, sounding concerned "If you're not well I could attend with you?" she suggested as I glanced at her.

"No thank you, I can go in by myself," I said blandly, not answering her question.

"Well is there something you're worried about?" she continued to prod "I mean it's hardly usual for you to want to attend a doctor's clinic for no reason."

She was really pushing for answers. Too bad. I wasn't about to divulge the nature of my visit to her. It was none of her business.

"It's nothing important," I said sharply, my voice dripping with frustration as she frowned at me "I'm going for a check-up, nothing more Charlotte. Does that answer your bloody questions?" I snapped. "You don't have to be so rude" she hissed looking indignantly at me.

"You don't have to be so nosy" I argued, doing up the zipper on my trousers and putting my shirt on "What business is it of yours if I go to the doctor?" I looked at her pointedly.

"Can't a wife be worried about her husband?" she said, lowering her voice so that it was softer as I began to do the buttons up on my shirt.

I frowned. "If it were anybody but you, then I would say yes," I said hatefully.

"That's a horrible thing to say, Johnathon," she said accusingly, her eyes flashing "You act as though I don't care about you at all. Need I remind you that I'm having our baby? That I am trying to provide the best future I can for both of us by ensuring we get our hands on the Deluca company. I love you" she said her lower lip trembling "I love you and you're treating me like garbage right now."

Oh, she was good I thought marveling at her. She could have been an actress with how good her acting was. She was breathing shallowly and there was no color in her face. She looked genuinely upset. I could have confronted her about the affair I knew she was having but I wanted to keep that close to my chest for now. I might need it as leverage later.

"Did you know I got a new client yesterday?" I changed the subject, confusing her. "Wait, what?" she said bewildered "So?"

"Guess what his name is?" I chuckled, pretending to find it amusing while she eyed me as though I had lost my marbles "Mr Ferryweather" I laughed, slapping my knee "Don't you find that hilarious? He almost sounds like a Disney character" I chortled as she avoided my eyes and went even paler "Ferry Weather" I broke up the syllables "Can you imagine having that last name?" I taunted.

Now I was having fun with her.

"It sounds very interesting," she said faintly "but about the doctor's office" she swiftly changed the subject back "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help? I'm happy to go there with you or is there something you're trying to hide from me?" I sighed "Charlotte, sometimes you overstep. leave me alone" I said, grabbing my jacket and putting it on, before grabbing my tie "What I do at the doctor's doesn't concern you in any way."

"Are you going to work afterward?" she asked curiously.

I wondered why she even cared. To be honest the law firm wasn't that busy these days and I half expected to have very little work today. But the alternative was to spend the day in Charlotte's company and I preferred work to the the former. "I need to work to keep the money coming in," I said blithely, beginning to loop the tie around my neck.

"Oh, I thought we could spend some quality time together," Charlotte said a little sadly "We've hardly seen each other the last few days" she added forlornly.

Man, she was good. If I didn't have concrete proof she was having an affair or seen it with my own eyes, I never would have suspected her of such a thing. I looked at her, fighting back my scorn. "We can spend some quality time together tonight," I said, debating whether I would be coming back here "but today I need to work."

"Fine," she said grumpily as I finished doing up my tie and bent down to put socks and shoes on "I'll just go shopping with Mother or something," she said with a sigh.

Did she ever do anything else besides f**k other men and shop? My lip twitched as I began to brush my hair away from my face. "Charlotte," I asked suddenly "what are the other conditions for getting the company besides providing a living heir?"

She looked surprised by the question "Um, being married" she said listing it on her fingers "Providing a living heir conceived by both parents and some other nonsense about charity work that I didn't really pay attention to" she said with a shrug "but I doubt it makes that much of a difference."

"What happens if the heir isn't conceived by both parents?" I asked deliberately.

Now she looked uneasy and I could have bitten my tongue. I had just told her I was suspicious of her pregnancy. "Well I mean, I don't know. I doubt they request a paternity test or anything" she said "and besides I would never cheat on you. I don't know about Flair" she said a little hatefully and then batted her eyes at me "but you know there's nothing to worry about in regards to our love and our baby, don't you?"

Her voice was sickly sweet. I regarded her silently. I had probably just given my cards away but I played along regardless. "Of course, I'm not worried," I told her "I know how much you love me. I know you wouldn't even look at another man while we're married" I added, getting a dig in.

She flushed slightly. "So there's nothing to worry about. The company is as good as ours" she said lightly.

I grunted and then put the hairbrush down, grabbing my briefcase and keys, before heading back to get my wallet and cell phone from the other room.

"I'll see you tonight," I said hoarsely, forcing myself to kiss her on the cheek.

"See you," she said obediently, but there was a strange glint in her eyes that made me feel very uneasy as I began to make my way out of the house. Had I just given myself away?