The Billionaire's Secret

"I'll have water too," Liam nodded. "You ladies sit down and chat, I'll bring them out. The food is warming."

I went to the expansive table that was still dwarfed by the size of Liam's apartment. Darkness was starting to close in the windows and Lily and I both glanced nervously towards the elevator.

Dahlia's impending arrival had us both on edge.

I sat down and spread my napkin on my lap. Looking at Lily felt too awkward, especially after all of the energy I had wasted hating and pitying her, so I stared back into the kitchen, watching Liam's deft movements as he opened the chafing dishes and poured the drinks.

Then he surreptitiously turned his back to us. When he turned back, he set a shotglass directly into the sink.

The elevator dinged and I instantly wished I had joined him in downing that whiskey.

Dahlia had arrived.

Chapter Thirty - Two

Her tight black suit was impeccably tailored, but gave her a funereal appearance, highlighting her white hair and pale skin. All she needed was a black veil over her face and she would look just like she was in mourning.

Her black heels clacked against the tile as she strode in like she owned the place, not pausing for a second. She stood in the middle of the great room and let her wrap fall from her shoulders. When it landed on the floor, she looked down at it in surprise, like she had expected someone to be there to catch it.

"Billy, I don't know why you insist on living here," she sniffed by way of greeting. "It's utterly impossible."

"Didn't your driver leave you off in front?" Liam asked. I could hear the tight control in his voice. Like he was already trying to keep from lashing out.

"I don't even want to talk about it anymore," she complained. She turned towards the table and froze.

"Hello mother," Lily rose from her chair.

Whatever emotion I thought I would see on Dahlia's face when she saw her daughter, it wasn't this. It wasn't a mixture of horror and, yes, fear.

Lily quailed away from Dahlia's terrible expression, for a moment looking like a little lost girl. Then she squared her shoulders and mirrored her mother's straight-backed defiance. "You didn't know I was coming tonight, did you." It wasn't a question.

Dahlia seemed to recover. "No. Billy invited me to dinner. I was pleased to get an invitation from my son."

Lily winced visibly and suddenly Liam was there at her side. "We have a lot to talk about, Dahlia. But first, we should eat. The food is warm, help yourself."

I stood up then, and Dahlia seemed to notice me for the first time. "What is she doing here?" she hissed, like I wasn't even there.

"Shay is with me," Liam said tightly.

"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Graves," I said, as sweetly as I could. I was getting better at this whole lying thing.

She glared at Liam. "You invite me over to ambush me like this?"

"Like what?"

"With her...," she waved dismissively at me, "and her?" she hissed in Lily's direction. "Whatever you're up to, I'm not going to be part of it." She turned on her spike heels and made as if to leave.

"Dahlia," Liam bellowed. He seemed to think for a moment, gathering himself, and then he let loose the torrent of words that could no longer be held back. "Lily is not going back to the hospital. You're wrong about her. I'm not committing her and you need to be okay with that."

He folded his arms, breathing heavily. I gave him a slight nod and he nodded back gratefully.

Slowly, Dahlia turned. But instead of looking at Liam, she looked straight at me.

"What, exactly are you up to?" she hissed.

"Me?" My hand went to my chest.

"Setting my son against me this way. What are you after?"

My jaw fell open and I stammered. Liam made a low noise, but it was Lily who spoke up, "Mother, leave her alone. No one is falling for your tricks here. Not anymore. You can't avoid the issue by lashing out at someone who doesn't deserve it."

I looked gratefully at Lily as I sagged back into my chair. My legs didn't want to hold me any longer.

Liam was immediately at my side. "Dahlia, leave Shay out of this."

"That's what I'm trying to do," she cried. "Young lady, you need to leave now. This is not any of your concern."

I rose from my chair, but Liam flung out his arm to prevent me from leaving. "I will not have you speaking to Shay this way." Liam gently pushed me back into my seat. I laid my hand over his arm.

"I'm not speaking to her," Dahlia said loftily. "I'm not interested in airing our family troubles in front of a complete stranger...."

"She's not a stranger...," Liam barked at the same time Lily yelped, "She's better than you!"

Dahlia finally looked her daughter full in the face. And that's when I knew that Lily was stronger than I could ever be. Because she faced her mother down as Dahlia looked her up and down, her expression dripping in contempt. "Be quiet. The both of you," Dahlia's voice was barely above a dangerous whisper and her lip was curled. "You both make me regret ever bringing you into this world." My pulse was beating so hard in my ears that her hateful words were nearly drowned out. I wished they were, so I didn't have to hear what she said next. "So hellbent on tearing down everything I ever worked for! Everything I ever gave you!"

Liam slammed his fist down on the table. "Mother, shut up!" he bellowed.

Her eyes flashed. I will swear until my dying day that she actually looked eager to fight him. Their voices crashed into each other, sucking me down into a whirlpool. I clapped my hands over my ears, but I still could hear Dahlia and Liam shouting over the table at one another.

"...no right to dictate my life...."

"...what I've given you, as my son...."

"No!"

Lily's voice shattered over all of us, stunning us into silence.

Her face was deathly pale but for the two spot of blazing color that flared high on her cheeks. Her voice was low and calm and terrible. "I'm not doing this for a minute longer."

Liam and I both looked at her questioningly, but Dahlia shook her head. "Lily...," she growled in a low, warning tone just as Liam leaned forward, "Doing what?"

"Lying." Her eyes blazed at Dahlia. For one brief moment, the inimitable Dahlia Graves seemed terrified of her frail daughter.

But only for a moment. 'You will not...!" she thundered.

"I'm telling him," Lily cut her off.

"Telling me what?" Liam demanded.

"The truth. The whole truth," Lily panted.

She pushed the chair away from her, scraping it across the floor so loudly she drowned out Dahlia's cry of protest. "So help me God, Lily, I will...."

"You will what?" Lily scoffed as she stood face to face with Dahlia. "You can't do anything worse to me...mother. What, you'll kill me?" She glanced down at the knife by her plate. "That would be a goddamned relief. But you're not allowed to lie to Liam any longer."

"What the fuck is going on?" Liam leapt to his feet, slamming his fists into the table.

Lily looked at him, a mixture of withering pity and exhausted love on her face, "Liam, I'm not your sister," she licked her dry lips. "I'm your mother."

Chapter Thirty - Three

All the breath went out of my body.

Liam was frozen. Only his head moved, shaking back and forth imperceptibly. Trying to deny what he had just heard. "No."

"I am." Lily stepped around the table. "You're my son. Not hers." She blinked and reached out her hand. Liam stared at it.

Then, slowly, he lifted his hand to hers.

Dahlia screamed a wordless, strangled cry, like an animal felled by a bird of prey. The sound of a house of cards falling down around her. She careered off the corner of the table as she rushed around and launched herself at her daughter.

As the two crashed together, Lily somehow wrenched herself free, shoving her mother to the floor.

Then Lily whirled and grabbed her knife.

Liam's anguished shout nearly drowned out my scream of

terror as Lily flew at Dahlia, the steak knife in her fist lifted high over her head.

"Stop!" I screamed. Liam whirled to stop me, but I ducked underneath his arm. I had no idea what I intended to do, but I had to stop her. I had to protect Lily, from Dahlia...and from herself.