The Billionaire’s Secret Heirs (Celine and Hunter) novel Chapter 65

Chapter 65

CELINE-

The doctor finally released Caesar the next morning. His fever had broken, and the tests showed it was just a viral infection that would pass on its own

Relief flooded through me as I gathered our things, ready to take my

my baby home.

“Ready to go, little man?” I asked, helping Caesar put on his shoes. He nodded, still sleepy from the medication but looking much better than he had last night.

“Is Mr. Hunter coming with us?” Caesar asked, looking around the room,

My heart squeezed.

Hunter had disappeared early this morning, saying he needed to take care of something. He’d been so attentive throughout the night, barely leaving Caesar’s side.

I didn’t know what to make of L

“No, sweetheart. Mr. Hunter had some work to do. But he made sure we have a car waiting for us”

We walked down the hospital corridor hand in hand. As we approached the exit, I noticed a small crowd gathered outside. My stomach dropped when realized they were reporters.

“Miss Brown is it true you’re living with Hunter Reid?”

“How long have you known Mr. Reid?”

Is your s

rson the reason Hunter Reid hasn’t settled down?”

The questions came at me like bullets. I pulled Caesar close, shielding him with my body as camera flashes went off in our faces.

“Please, I’m just trying to leave with my son,” I said, my voice shaking, Caesar buried his face against my leg, frightened by the noise and fuss.

Just when I thought we had to retreat inside, a black SUV screeched to a halt at the curb. Hunter stepped out, his face a mask of cold fury.

“Move. Now” His voice cut through the noise like steel.

The reporters parted slightly, but cameras continued flashing as Hunter strode toward us. Without a word, he lifted Caesar into his arms and wrapped his other arm around my waist, pulling me tight against him.

“Get in the car. Now,” he commanded, his breath warm against my ear.

I didn’t argue, Hunter helped Caesar into the backseat, then practically pushed me in after him before climbing in himself. The driver pulled away immediately, leaving the shouting reporters behind.

“Are you both alright?” Hunter asked, his eyes scanning Caesar first, then staying on my face.

I nodded, still trembling slightly, “How did they know we were there?”

Hunter’s jaw tightened. “Someone at the hospital must have tipped them off. I’ll deal with it.”

The rest of the ride passed in silence. Caesar fell asleep against my shoulder, exhausted from his ordeal, I caught Hunter watching us in the reflection of the window, his face unreadable.

Back at the mansion, Hunter carried Caesar inside while I followed with our bag. He took us directly to my quarters in the stall wing gently laying on the bed.

Chapter 65

“Thank you,” I whispered, not wanting to wake my son,

Hunter nodded curtly. “Best Both of you. I have food sent over later”

Before I could say anything elsh, he was gone, striding down the hall

hallway with purpose in every step

spent the afternoon tending to Caesar, who mostly slept, his little body fighting off the last of the infection.

Around dinnertime, Sally brought us soup and sandwiches, along with a small ice cream cup for Caesar that made him smile for the first time that day.

“Mr. Reid thought the little one might like a treat,” Sally said with a knowing smile

After getting Caesar settled for the night, I decided to find Hunter and thank him properly for all he had done. I made my way to his study, where Sally said he’d been holed up all afternoon.

As I approached, I could hear Hunter’s raised voice through the door. “I don’t care what it costs! This should never have happened. They were at is hospital, for God’s sake!”.

I paused, my hand lifted to knock

“Double the security detail. Triple it if necessary,” Hunter continued. “And I want whoever leaked their location found and dealt with. This ends now”

Thad never heard him sound so angry. His voice was cold, and controlled, but vibrating with fury. Not for himself, realized, but for us–for Caesar and

Ime.

After a moment of silence, he spoke again, his voice quieter but still intense. “I want full protection in place–for both of them. Whatever it takes”

My breath caught in my throat. Why did he care so much? Why was he going to such lengths to protect us?

I knocked softly, not wanting to eavesdrop any longer.

“Enter,” Hunter called.

I pushed the door open to find him standing behind his desk, phone in hand, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked exhausted, shadows under his eyes, his hair mussed as if he had been running his hands through it repeatedly.

“Celine,” he said, his voice instantly softer. “Is Caesar alright?”

“He’s sleeping.” I said. “I wanted to thank you. For everything you did at the hospital, and for helping us with those reporters.”

Hunter set his phone down. “You don’t need to thank me. It was my security team’s failure that let those vultures get so close to you.”

“It wasn’t their fault,” I said. “I wanted to take Caesar out for ice cream or something he’d like after being in the hospital. I just didn’t think….”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” Hunter cut in, his tone hardening. “You don’t think. You make decisions without considering the consequences”

My gratitude evaporated, replaced by indignation. “Excuse me?”

“Running off yesterday, shaking Bacon. And today, planning to just walk out of the hospital with no protection, with reporters circling. Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”

“I was trying to take care of my son,” I shot back, hy voice rising to match his. “Not everything is about your precious image, Hunter!”

“This isn’t about my image!” he thundered, coming around the desk. “This is about your safety! Your recklessness puts you both at risk!”

“Stop trying to control my life!” I shouted, “you have no right! We’re not your responsibility. We’re nothing to you–just the charity case living in your house, a mistake, remember r

Hunter slammed his hand against the desk, making me jump. “Because I can’t stop thinking about you!”

15:01 Fri, 1 Aug Go

Chapter 65

The words hung in the air between us. I stared at him, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears..

“Every time I try to push you away,” he continued, his voice dropping to a rough whisper, “t just… I can’t

The anger drained from me, replaced by something more dangerous–hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, he felt this pull between us too.

“Hunter,” I said softly, taking a step toward him.

He closed the distance between us in two long strides, standing so

g so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body. His eyes searched mine, dark with

something I couldn’t name.

Desire? Fear? Both?

“I can’t sleep,” he admitted, his voice low and strained. “I can’t focus. All I see is you. When you ran off yesterday when I saw you with Caesar at the hospital… I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

My breath hitched. I’d never seen him like this…raw, vulnerable, the carefully constructed walls crumbling around him.

“Why?” I whispered, “Why do you care so much?”

Hunter lifted his hand, his fingers hovering just above my cheek like he was afraid to touch me “I don’t know,” he said honestly.

“But I do. God help me, I do.”

The air between us thickened, charged with electricity. He was so close now, inches away.

I could smell his cologne, and see the flecks of

of gold in his dark eyes. He leaned forward slightly, and for a moment, I thought he might kiss me.

Instead, he closed his eyes, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. “Get out,” he said, so quietly I almost didn’t hear him.

“What?”

His eyes opened, tortured and dark. “Get out, Celine. Before I make another mistake.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. Another mistake. That’s all I was to him…a mistake he kept making, I stepped back, dignity the only thing keeping me from falling apart right there.

“Don’t worry,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the crack forming in my heart. “I won’t let you make that mistake again.”

I turned and walked out, closing the door softly behind me. Only when I was back in my room, with Caesar sleeping peacefully beside me, did allow the tears to fall.

I didn’t know how much longer I could stay here, caught in this push and pull with Hunter Reid.

Something had to give–and I was terrified it would be me.