The Billionaire’s Secret Heirs (Celine and Hunter) novel Chapter 179

Chapter 179

HUNTER POV-

The media storm was relentless.

I sat in my office at seven in the morning, scrolling through damage control reports from my PR team. Three different tabloids had run follow up stories about the fight.

Two gossip blogs had dug up photos of Celine from her waitressing days.

One particularly nasty article had analyzed her “social climbing tactics” with quotes from anonymous sources who “knew her before.”

Every single piece painted her as the problem. The manipulative girlfriend who drove the stable billionaire to violence.

It made me sick.

“Mr. Reid?” My assistant’s voice came through the intercom. “Your mother is on line two.”

I closed my eyes. Of course she was.

“Tell her I’m in meetings all day.”

“She said you would say that. She also said to tell you that avoiding her won’t make the headlines disappear.”

I picked up the phone with a heavy sigh.

“Mother.”

“Hunter.” Her voice was crisp, businesslike. “Have you seen the Journal’s business section this morning?”

“I’ve seen everything.”

“The board is concerned. Three major clients have called asking about your… stability. The Patterson deal is on hold until this blows over.”

I rubbed my temples. “It’ll blow over.”

“Will it? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you’re spiraling. Again.” The comparison to my breakdown after Sophia hit like a slap.

“This is different.”

“Is it? You’re making the same mistakes, Hunter. Letting emotion cloud your judgment. Putting that woman and her problems ahead of everything we’ve built.”

“That woman is carrying my child.”

“All the more reason to handle this properly.” Her voice softened slightly, which somehow made it worse.

“End the whatever is going on between you two. Set up a trust for the children. Find someone suitable. Someone who won’t destroy your reputation.”

I hung up on her.

The phone rang again immediately. I let it go to voicemail.

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Chapter 179

By noon, I had fired my PR team and hired a new one. By two, I had had my lawyers issue cease and desist letters to the three worst gossip

sites.

By four, I had scheduled interviews with two business publications to discuss “moving forward” and “focusing on what matters

None of it would fix the real damage….the fear I had seen in Celine’s eyes this morning. The way she had pulled away from my touch.

I was staring out my office window, trying to figure out how to repair what I had broken, when my assistant buzzed in again.

“Mr. Reid? Mia Blackwood is here to see you. She says it’s about the charity gala next month?”

I frowned. We weren’t co–chairing any events.

“Send her in.”

Mia swept into my office like she owned it, wearing a perfectly tailored cream dress and carrying a leather portfolio. She looked polished, professional, completely put–together.

Everything Celine probably felt like she wasn’t right now.

“Hunter,” she said warmly, settling into the chair across from my desk. “You look terrible.”

“Thanks. That’s exactly what I needed to hear today.”

She opened her portfolio and pulled out several papers. “I’ve been working on the Children’s Hospital benefit. We need to finalize the venue contracts, and thought you might want to review the donor list.”

I glanced at the papers. We had discussed this event months ago, before everything with Celine became complicated.

I had forgotten all about it.

“Can’t this wait? I’m dealing with some issues right now.”

“The media circus, you mean?” Mia’s voice was sympathetic. “I’m so sorry, Hunter. It must be awful having your private life dissected like

this.”

Something in her tone made me look up sharply.

She was watching me with what appeared to be genuine concern, but there was something else underneath it.

Something that looked almost satisfied.

“It’ll pass,” I said curtly.

“Of course it will. These things always do.” She leaned forward slightly. “Although… well, I hate to say this, but some of the coverage is pretty harsh. Especially about Celine.”

My jaw tightened. “I don’t want to discuss that”

“I’m just worried about you. And about her, of course. It can’t be easy being thrust into this kind of spotlight when you’re not used to it. When you don’t have the experience to handle it gracefully.”

The unstated criticism of Celine was subtle but unmistakable.

“Mia.”

Chapter 179

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to overstep. It’s just….” She reached across the desk and placed her hand over mine.

“I’ve been in this world my whole life. I know how cruel it can be. If there’s anything I can do to help…”

I pulled my hand away and stood up.

“I appreciate the concern, but we’re fine.”

“Are you?” She stood as well, moving closer. “Because from the outside, it looks like you’re under tremendous pressure. Like you’re trying to protect someone who might not be able to handle being protected.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Just… if you ever need to talk to someone who understands this world, someone who won’t judge you for the choices you have to make…” She let the offer hang in the air.

Before I could respond, my assistant buzzed in.

“Mr. Reid? Vincent Clarke is here for your four–thir

“Send him in,” I said quickly, grateful for the interruption.

Vincent walked in just as Mia was gathering her papers.

“Mia,” he said with polite surprise. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Just discussing charity work,” she said smoothly. “Hunter’s been so generous with his time, as always.”

She touched my arm briefly as she passed. “Think about what I said.” After she left, Vincent dropped into the chair she had vacated and whistled low.

“Well, that was interesting.”

“It was nothing. Charity business.”

“Charity business that requires touching your arm and looking at you like you’re a wounded puppy?”

I poured myself a drink from the bar cart without offering him one. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Hunter.” Vincent’s voice was serious now. “That woman is circling like a shark. Have you noticed how often she’s been ‘dropping by‘ lately?”

“Lately?”

“Last week she showed up with lunch. Said she was in the neighborhood. Before that, it was some papers that needed your signature that somehow couldn’t be handled by her assistant. This is the third time in two weeks.”

I thought about it. He was right. I had been so distracted by everything else that I hadn’t noticed the pattern.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying a desperate woman is a dangerous woman. Especially one who’s been planning her wedding to you since she met you at the charity fundraiser.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?” Vincent leaned forward.

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1542 Thu 12 Aug

Chapter 179

“She’s been to every event you’ve attended for the past one years. She’s never dated anyone seriously. Her mother and yours are best friends. And now, when you’re finally with someone else, when you’re happy for the first time in years, suddenly she’s everywhere.

I took a long drink, processing this.

“Even if that’s true, it doesn’t matter. I’m not interested.”

“But she doesn’t know that. Or she’s choosing not to see it.” Vincent stood up and straightened his tie.

“Just… be careful, okay? Women like Mia don’t give up easily. And with everything that’s happening with the media, with your mother pressuring you…”

He didn’t need to finish the thought. I could see where this was heading.

“She’s not a threat, Vincent.”

“Maybe not directly. But she’s got access to your world, your family. She knows exactly what buttons to push.” He paused at the door.

“And she’s got nothing to lose.”

After he left, I sat alone in my office as the sun set over the city.

My phone had seventeen missed calls from reporters, four from my mother, and one from Caroline that I was too ashamed to return.

But nothing from Celine.

I thought about Mia’s visit, about the subtle way she’d criticized Celine while offering herself as an alternative.

About the satisfaction I had glimpsed in her eyes when she mentioned the harsh media coverage.

Vincent was right. She was circling.

And with Celine pulling away, with my own family working against us, with the entire city watching our every move…

Maybe Mia thought she finally had her chance.

I picked up my phone and scrolled to Celine’s number. My thumb hovered over the call button.

But what could I say? That I was sorry? That I would fix this? I’d already said those things this morning, and they hadn’t been enough.

Instead, I put the phone away and poured another drink.

Outside, the city glittered with a thousand lights, beautiful and cold and unforgiving.

Just like the world I had dragged Celine into.