MY EX's BILLIONAIRE BROTHER

2: A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST

SEVEN YEARS AGO…

It was on Christmas Eve and McCain's family was having a blast until a lawyer from the Lawrence family paid them a visit. His bizarre visit was to demand a ransom in exchange for Lawrence's daughter's honor. Apparently, Lewis McCain, the youngest of the McCain brothers and the seventeen-year-old Josephine's boyfriend, had r*ped her.

“Explain,” Luther McCain had shouted, staring at his youngest son. To say be was angry would be an understatement. He was livid. All his life, he had devoted his time to teaching his sons good morals and how to be men of honor. So to hear Lewis had molested an innocent girl didn't sit well with him.

“I swear I didn't r*pe her, dad, it was consensual.” Lewis had cried over and over trying to go get his family to believe him. And they did. But Josephine and her family had fabricated enough evidence, including pictures of the two teenagers naked in bed just in the angles which made Lewis look like an aggressor. Not to mention the teenagers' infant daughter that even Lewis had no idea existed. His high school sweetheart, Josephine, broke up with him months back, saying she was leaving the country in their senior year. He never saw her again. What was most shocking about the whole shambles, was the fact that the Lawrence family waited until the child was born, to make their absurd claims.

To keep his son safe from the obvious lie, Luther McCain agreed to pay the Lawrence's their demands. Two hundred million dollars. The same day, an infant girl was dropped at their residence. The Lawrence family wanted nothing to do with her. After a DNA test was conducted on the baby, she was indeed Lewis' and the teenage boy readily accepted the responsibility, not really knowing how the lie Josephine had fabricated would affect his life and eventually lead to his death. His elder brothers, Sebastian and Anthony, wanted to go after Josephine and make her pay for laying false claims, but Lewis stopped them saying something good had come out of it. His daughter Kristine as he named her. Luther had a condition stipulated that the transactions that the Lawrence family can never come anywhere near his family again for whatever reason. It wasn't surprising when a month later, the Lawrence's failed business began thriving. Lewis couldn't help but feel like he had been played all along. No wonder, Josephine had insisted on taking their relationship to the next level despite his hesitation.

******

“I demand an explanation" Josephine blurted, drawing Sebastian from his thoughts. He stared at her distastefully, marveling at how innocent she looked at first glance.

“I don't owe you any!” Sebastian snapped, briefly glancing at Grant. There was a silent communication between the two men before Grant headed back to the conference room.

“Did I break your heart?” Josephine goaded, aiming to understand what motivated the man's wrath against her. “Is that it?” She jerked her head to the side, zeroing her gaze on his face. “Or maybe I didn't call you back,” Josephine taunted, remembering some not-so-good memories of her defiant phrase after her heart was broken. She had encountered more men than she could care to remember, but she doesn't recollect doing anything serious to offend them apart from the ghosting tendency. Sebastian laughed bitterly.

“Don't you think so highly of yourself, madam?” He scoffed. “I am sure even in a drunken haze, I wouldn't touch you.” He feigned a sweet smile just before his phone began ringing. It was William, his chauffeur.

“Yes?”

“Really?” He smiled shaking his head, Josephine gasped. The man had the most gorgeous smile she had seen. It made his hazel eyes shine, softening his features which gave him a boyish look. “Bring her,” he instructed with a sigh after listening to his chauffeur for a minute or so. Once he hung up, he put a scowl back in place and turned to Josephine, “an email will be sent to the Jamestown's informing them of their dismissal from the project.” And he turned to leave without further explanation. But Josephine wasn't known for letting anyone walk all over her.

“I should let you know I am not leaving without an explanation.” she rasped in a bored manner. “So do both of us a favor and…”

“I will let the security handle you.” Sebastian cut her off firmly. “It is after all my building.” That rendered Josephine speechless for a minute.

“What is it that I did to you to make you hate me this much?”

That question halted Sebastian in his strides. He furiously turned to her, “you killed my brother.”

*****

'Come home now.' Sebastian recalled getting that text from his father six years ago. Almost a year after the heinous accusation had been laid against Lewis. He had thought Kristine had helped his brother get over it, but they had all been wrong. That's why neither he nor his family noticed when Lewis began using. Or when he became an addict. Until that grisly accident that took his life at only eighteen years old, leaving Kristine under his care.

*****

“You and your family's greed are the reason we lost him.” His voice cracked at the end. Closely, one could argue that his eyes had moistened. It was hard to talk about Lewis because no day goes by he doesn't blame himself as an older brother. Maybe if he had seen his brother's struggle, he would have helped him before it was too late.

“I honestly don't know what you are talking about,” Josephine countered, seemingly confused as ever.

“Then I shudder to think how many more unsuspecting men you've led to their graves.” His nasty spat made Josephine wince. She didn't even know the man's second name. All she knew was that she had attended a possible merger meeting at Well's corporation. Nothing about that name sounded familiar. Unknown to her and everyone else, Sebastian used Lewis' pet name when he franchised his family's business. He used to call Lewis, Well, just to annoy him due to his middle name Maxwell. If she could figure that out, it would be easier to fill the blanks. When Sebastian resumed his strides, she followed closely, still begging. She couldn't believe she had blown such an important meeting for Andrew. And though she believed he would be as understanding as ever, she feared his father's reaction. Mr. Jamestown wasn't the kind to let stupid mistakes or personal problems hinder the growth of his business.

Sebastian had barely made it to his office when a little girl came running his way. “Daddy,” the pretty girl called excitedly, slamming into him. He went to his knees and gathered her in his arms. She wrapped her tiny hands around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder comfortably.

“How are you, baby?” His affection for her was evident in the instant change of his tone. He caressed her back lightly before pulling back and held her in front of him.

“My tummy hurts,” she feigned discomfort, but Sebastian saw through it. Of late, she had been faking sickness just to boycott school. “What did we say about lying, pumpkin?” He scolded softly.

“I missed you,” she pouted, and just like that she melted Sebastian's heart. He was such a softie when Kristine was involved. The little girl had him wrapped around her tiny fingers and everybody knew it, including Sebastian. And he loved it. Just then, Anna, Sebastian's P. A came rushing looking all worried. She let out an apparent relieved sigh when her gaze fell on Kristine.

“I am sorry, sir, she ran off when I was on an important call.”

Sebastian shook his head, smiling briefly at his naughty girl. “It's okay, Anna, she can be impossible at times.”

“Daddy,” Kristine whined, stomping her feet on the tiles. Sebastian kissed her forehead with a chuckle. He was already used to her antics.

“Take her for some ice cream,” he ordered, steering her towards Anna, who nodded with an, okay sir.

Anna took Kristine's hand and dragged her away from the adults. Sebastian turned to Josephine, “I will see you out, my lady.” His sarcasm at the lady part could have wounded a lesser woman. But Josephine didn't even appear to mind.

“Follow me,” he grunted almost immediately, but Josephine didn't move, she couldn't. She was visibly trembling. Sebastian realized the woman wasn't following when he had taken at least three steps. “What are you waiting for?” He asked curtly.

Josephine blinked and raised her accusing glare at him. “That is my child…” She cried out. There was no doubt about it in her heart. The little girl was a spitting image of her. From her diamond-shaped face to the close-set marble gray eyes. Though Josephine hadn't seen her daughter since she was an infant, there was no mistaking it.

“Who are you?” She demanded fiercely, making Sebastian shrug carelessly and resume his walk.

“That's my baby,” she said again in disbelief as if she couldn't believe it herself, making Sebastian laugh, but he didn't bother stopping. If anything, he increased his strides. Does she finally regret selling her child for two hundred million dollars? He marveled. The woman surely didn't have any idea who he was, and he wasn't planning on explaining himself.

“That little girl is mine,” Josephine kept ranting, struggling to keep up with his long strides.

“You sold her!” He shot back. “You took millions from my family for her, claiming she was a product of the heinous act Lewis did to you!”

Josephine froze. She didn't know what to say or do. That's why the man's face looked familiar, she thought. He was Lewis' McCain brother. She had never met him personally, but she had seen plenty of pictures on Lewis' phone. What were the odds of bumping into him when she decided to attend the meeting? Josephine seethed wanting to curse, scream or just punch anything.

“Got nothing to say?” Sebastian ridiculed with a devious smirk at her shocked demeanor. Josephine attempted to swing her wrist and deliver a blow on Sebastian's face, but he caught her slim hand and twisted it, making her cry painfully.

“Let's get something straight, you are the reason my brother is dead.” he rasped. “You are a despicable human being, and I will treat you as such.” He pushed her to the floor and strode away, leaving the security he had just called to handle her.