The Renegade Billionaire: A Small Town Romance (Happiness Ever After Book 1)

Two Months Later

“It’s still sitting there?” I mumble to Greyson. Just like the last time we were in Mr. Coop’s office together, we’re the only ones on time.

But this time, Madison is with me.

“What the heck is that thing?” Her hands are in the air, as though she wants to touch it but doesn’t dare.

“That was Ace’s final F-U to Alistair. Excuse my language, Ace’s words, not mine,” Mr. Coop says, and I can tell how much he loved saying that out loud.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Well, it’s in all your letters, but I can tell you now that he’s⁠—”

“In prison?” Grey says.

“Actually, he’s in jail, awaiting trial.”

Turning my head, I find my half-brother Archie in the doorway, dressed in jeans and a button-down.

It’s odd, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in jeans before. Alistair insisted on suits whenever he left the house.

“Archie,” I say mildly. Leaning into Madison’s space, I take her hand and hold it in my lap.

I’m honestly not sure where any of the Montgomerys’ heads are. Grey has been back in California for about six weeks, but Madison and I arrived this morning.

“Is it true?” Archie asks. His normally antagonistic tone is gone, and his head is bowed. I’m not calling him a changed man, but I’m starting to believe Grey’s private investigator’s report about how Archie has…shifted might be true.

“Is it true that your father took a bribe to take Braxton as a baby from my father? Or that he hired someone to set your barn on fire?” Grey asks, but he manages to keep his tone neutral. “Because both are true.”

“Ah, hi.” Anastasia enters the room with a gentle knock on the doorframe. She’s back in her designer clothes, but there’s at least an inch of dark roots showing in her dyed blond hair, and she’s not even attempting to hide it.

Old Ana would wear a giant headband at the first millimeter of dark hair.

“Everything makes a lot more sense now,” Archie says. When we all stare at him, he continues. “Why he hated you so much.”

“It does.” I agree.

Behind Ana, my mother enters, holding the hand of a small girl with sad eyes.

She lights up when she sees my half-sister and runs into the room to wrap herself around Ana’s legs.

“This is Piper. Ah…” Ana fidgets with the sleeve of her blouse. “Her dad had to work, and she wanted to see where I grew up.”

Someone let her take a child across state lines?

She runs a soothing hand down the little girl’s hair, and when I glance up at Ana, she’s completely focused on Piper.

“It’s nice to meet you, Piper. It’s my first time in California too,” Madison says gently, and the little girl flashes a toothy grin and a shy wave.

My mother looks as she always has—put together, the perfect wife, except now she has dark shadows under her eyes. Did she even attempt to cover them up?

“Well, now that we’re all here, should we get started?” Mr. Coop asks, offering everyone a chair.

Piper climbs into Ana’s lap and cuddles into her. Surprisingly, Ana seems comfortable with it.

“As we all know, Alistair is in jail, awaiting trial, and was denied bail because he’s a flight risk. He didn’t meet any of Ace’s stipulations, and therefore he is considered null and void for the remainder of these proceedings.”

“Ana, I’m hungry,” the little girl whispers.

Without missing a beat, Ana leans down into her oversized Louis Vuitton bag and retrieves a small plastic bowl filled with orange Goldfish crackers. Her attention never left Mr. Coop, as though she’s done this a million times.

“Did you know?” I blurt at my mother. She doesn’t ask for clarification—she knows what I’m asking. Did she know that Alistair essentially received payment for their silence and raising me.

She shakes her head with her gaze pointed at the floor. “Alistair convinced me to keep the pregnancy, even though you were conceived…” Her gaze draws up to the little girl in Ana’s lap. “Even if you were conceived without an ounce of love or care. I thought…” Her chin wobbles, but she doesn’t look at me. “The very best thing I could do for you was allow my father to raise you—he gave you the love I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”

Madison squeezes my hand. Can I really blame my mother for this?

“I’m grateful you allowed Ace to raise me.” It’s the best I can do, but it’s enough for her shoulders to droop in what I assume is relief.

“This thing is really creepy,” Archie says, pointing to the giant hourglass. “What does it mean?”

It’s an obvious deflection to a lighter topic, but it’s needed right now.

“Well, when Alistair created Montgomery Media, he sent Ace an hourglass inscribed with I’m coming for the top. He wanted everything Ace had built, but Ace knew Alistair would never have control of his empire. Ace decided twenty years ago that it would be Braxton and Grey to pick up the pieces when he was gone.”

“His final f—udge you,” I amend, remembering Piper.

“Yes. Now, each of you had a representative checking in on you while you were away,” Mr. Coop says, steering us back to the matter at hand.

“What?” Ana sits up straighter.

“Yes. Anastasia, yours was James’ sister-in-law, Maggie.”

Ana looks down at the little girl in her lap. “I thought she just hated me because—because…it doesn’t matter.”

“Archie, yours was Clara’s aunt. Amara, it sounds as though you had a rocky start with the program director, but you ended on good terms.”

“She hated me,” my mother mutters.

Madison picks at the elastic on her wrist. “Were they all related to the fifteen in some way?”

“They were,” Mr. Coop confirms while gathering papers on his desk. “And I guess you know that your grandfather was keeping tabs on Braxton. Grey’s monitor was me, and for what it’s worth, Greyson, you fell into that role exactly as Ace thought you would, with grace and courageous leadership.” He turns back to Madison. “Ace understood why you all donated your settlement against Montgomery Media to anti-bullying campaigns, but he also wanted to ensure you were all taken care of, and I have instructions to check in with all of you again in a year.”

Madison swipes an errant tear from her cheek. “He was a good man.”

“He was,” Grey says solemnly.

“And I’m happily surprised to announce that you all met the requirements that Ace laid out for you, so your trust funds will be reinstated. However, any further transfers into those accounts must be approved by both Braxton and myself. At the time of my passing, that duty will transfer to Grey.”

“Are there any, ah, further stipulations? Do we have to live here or work for Omni-Reyes?” Ana asks, and Archie leans in for the answer.

“If you wish to work for Omni-Reyes, you will be awarded a position that fits your knowledge base, but it is not required, no.”

“So if I wanted to go back to Montana, I could?”

“What?” My mother gasps. “You’re—you’re going back…to live?”

“I am,” Ana says firmly. “We need some updated amenities—I’m not totally giving up my lifestyle—but…I’ve found…love and purpose there with James and Piper.”

“I think I’ve really messed up in Maine, but I would like to go back as well,” Archie says. “I’d like to be able to work for Omni-Reyes in some capacity though, if possible. Maybe remotely? Turns out I’m not a very good farmhand.”

I nod in acknowledgment. I’m not sure if now is a good time to spill our plans for the future of Omni-Reyes or not.

“And you, Amara? What are your plans?” Mr. Coop asks.

“I’m going to stay involved with the women’s shelter, a lot of them actually, but from California. My strengths are not cleaning bathrooms. My strength is fundraising, and I can do a lot of good for those women.”

“That sounds like Ace’s plan worked then.” Mr. Coop stands and hands out more envelopes. “Final ones, I promise, and no more stipulations. These are Ace’s final goodbyes.”

Mr. Coop offers me one, and I hesitate before I take it. His final goodbye. This makes it real. The sadness and pain hit as though they’re brand new, then Madison lays her head on my shoulder, and I slowly open the letter.

Dear Braxton,

If you’re getting this version of my letter, it means that my hunch was correct, and you and Grey are brothers. I’m sorry for not telling you myself. I was selfish. As Coop and I started making my final plans, I remembered that upon my passing, Montgomery Media would revert back to your control—Coop always was a sneaky one—thus opening the financials for the first time since Alistair took over.

I knew Grey would look into it as soon as he could, and I knew he’d find what I had suspected—a money trail leading to his father.

I also knew it would create havoc in the lives of everyone I love, and I didn’t want that for my final days. As I said, I was selfish, and I’m sorry about that.

Grey peers over my shoulder at my letter with tears in his eyes.

When I glance around the room, I find everyone fighting emotions they didn’t show the last time we were here. Perhaps there’s hope for them after all.

“There is also a turn of events I was not anticipating,” Mr. Coop says, interrupting the silence. “It appears that Alistair has been embezzling money from Montgomery Media for the last five or six years. A disgruntled employee brought it to my attention yesterday.”

He looks almost joyful, but I’m not sure I’m following.

“That means a forensic accounting has been initiated for everything Alistair has ever touched. Including the people he paid for information that may not be, shall we say, ethical.”

“Harry,” Madison says without a single ounce of emotion.

Mr. Coop nods. “Don’t get me wrong, I think Grey’s PI should keep looking for that Sam man and the paper trails between him and Harry, but this will certainly shine a light on the dark side of the media.”

“That’s…” I don’t know what to say.

“You reap what you sow,” Madison says.

“Th-thank you for this,” Archie says, standing abruptly. “If you don’t need me for anything else, I have a plane to catch.”

“There are papers that I need you to sign,” Mr. Coop says. “Then you’re free to go. If you’d like to follow me to the conference room, I have them all laid out for each of you.”

My siblings and mother walk out of the room. I’m still an afterthought in their lives, but the pain of their rejection no longer stings because I’ve found my own family, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep them safe, happy, and loved.