The Billionaire's Hidden Heir

#10 - An Intervention

Adrian

"What the hell, B?!" Annoyance prickled as the question rang between us, but it was coupled with relief, too. Despite my frustration at being kept in the dark about my son, I couldn't help but feel relieved that Benji's presence here also prevented my enemies from discovering his existence. Something I doubted Lily would have accomplished on her own even if she had somehow miraculously managed to acquire influence in Glanbury. I was grateful for that. Although I wouldn't be admitting any of that to him or grandfather anytime soon.

"I was doing my job." Benji shrugged, his brow raised in a mocking gesture. "Taking care of Miss Summers."

"Miss Summers?" I ground my teeth at his deliberate mention of Lily's single title. He'd never called her anything but Lily when we were together. With that accusing eye, he clearly sided with her on this and unlike my grandfather, who had always loved Lily, Benji's stance suggested he believed I was in the wrong. That I had hurt Lily somehow. I wasn't about to get into all that either, so I side stepped him, but Benji blocked my path in a heartbeat.

I arched a brow at him. "Are you sure you want to be doing that?" He may have been in charge of teaching me to defend myself once upon a time, but I was definitely the perfect example of a student who bested his teacher.

He only rolled his eyes. "Your grandfather wishes to speak to you."

"Well, I don't." I took another step, but Benji was quicker, rounding on me and holding up his phone in my face.

"Talk to him," he pleaded as always. I hated that I couldn't say no when he got like that. I hated that I couldn't hate the guy for this. God, I hated the hard, thoughtful things Benji did, period.

I grabbed the phone and hissed into it. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"About what exactly?" Wallace answered nonchalantly. I hated it when he chose to play innocent.

"That I had a son." I said through gritted teeth.

A pause, then some shuffling. "I take it you are in Radiant Springs?" Grandfather asked. I remained mute, making Wallace sigh. "If it's any consolation, I've never seen him either. In person that is." That put him in a hell of a better position than me.

"But you've known all this time."

Another pause and some more shuffling. "How are they?" Wallace asked instead of answering.

They are beautiful. She is gorgeous. I wanted to say, not caring about my grandfather diverting from the question, but I paused, realization hitting me hard and fast. "What, was this you trying to get me back to my senses?"

His words from the day Lily left me, rang... "If you had picked her yourself and dated as I had asked, you would have known her and fallen in love."

Was this both my punishment and the nudge I needed to head his direction? "I should have trusted my instincts about your silence over the years not meaning that you had given up on me and Lily ending up together."

"Well?"

I scowled at the phone at his question, but I also gave it a thought. Was I mad at Lily? Yes. But did I also want to get a taste of those full lips? A definite yes, if all those images that kept me awake were anything to go by. And did I want more than that taste? My gaze went to the house without thinking and I swear that little thing had already bewitched me.

"You there?"

That question snapped me out of my trance, forcing me to face the reality of the situation that didn't involve the part about my new obvious attraction to my ex-wife. Grandfather and Benji had run an intervention behind my back. For years. They brought Derby to me, practically leading me back to Lily too. I knew they had done it for Lily as much as they had done it for me, but this was where their meddling ended.

"It's none of your business." No way I was admitting that he'd finally gotten what he wanted either even if we both knew it.

"A word of advice then," Wallace sighed. "This is not the girl you used to know, I wouldn't push her if I were you." In short, don't screw up...again.

"Well you are not me and we are not done here either." I cut the line and marched up the short drive way, riding a wave of excitement for some reason. Pausing briefly after remembering the other reason I couldn't wait for a more decent hour to visit my ex-wife's home, I turned on my heel and marched back to my car, grabbing Benji along too. If he thought I was being weird, he said nothing. So like him. His eyes did widen though when he saw why I had dragged him with me.

"What?" I defended, sensing Benji's disapproval as he took in all the toys that filled the space in my car.

"She doesn't really like spoiling Asher. I wouldn't-"

"He's my son too." I scooped up a bunch of toys a little forcefully, hating the fact that knew close to nothing about Asher and that I had a whole five years to catch up on.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Benji said, grabbing the biggest box among the presents I had flown in from Glanbury. I probably went overboard with my spending, but I couldn't stop clicking whenever I saw something I thought Asher might like. After seeing his little self light up at every superhero costume at his party, I had gone all DC and Marvel on the toys, not knowing if he had no preference. God I hated not knowing even such simple things.

"Do you think he'll like them, though?" I asked, surprised at my own nerves, but before Benji could answer, the door to the house opened, revealing a tiny figure that melted away my nerves and made that wave of happiness I felt earlier morph into a whole tide. I could definitely live with getting back home to that smile. My heart simply settled at the sight of my son... my son. The pics on my phone didn't really do him justice. I wanted to hug him, lift him, tackle him or something, but I only stood there like a statue, until Benji poked me from behind.

"The kid is saying something," he whispered, making me mumble a lame greeting.

"Uh...hi...Ash...er" Did anyone call him that?

"Mr. Frost!" The kid exclaimed and I'd never hated my own name. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Why, am I too early? I didn't realize." I lied. Great, some father I was. In my defence though, now that I knew about Asher, I wanted to make every second count by being with him.

"Not really." The kid shrugged. "It's just that only Aunty Derby and Warrick visit us in the mornings. Oh, and our neighbours too."

Warrick? Anger flared as my gaze automatically went to the direction of the bedrooms. Was he here? Romancing her while my son was out here answering the door. What if I had turned out to be some weirdo and snatched him? I didn't care that the bit I'd seen of Radiant Springs was peaceful. There was always that one bad seed in every community.

"Wait, are those mine?!" Asher's eyes widened with excitement, and he practically bounced on the balls of his feet, his small hands reaching out eagerly towards the toys I held. It was all I needed to shove aside my anger over the possibility of Warrick being here.

"If you want them." I flashed him a grin. "That's if your mom says yes too." I added when Benji shoved me in the side.

"Asher, honey, whose there-"

Talk about mom! My eyes darted to the figure that now stood frozen, surprise written all over her face. Lily was a sight in a loose, oversized t-shirt, paired with ridiculous comfy mom shorts that grazed her thighs, her hair tousled in gentle waves, an effortless beauty that made me realize with regret that I hadn't ever seen Lily's morning look because I always escaped our bedroom when it was still dark. And despite the betrayal, the anger I felt towards her, I was so glad I came. Glad it was her. I wanted to say as much after I dropped everything I held and stupidly took a step toward her, but her gaze turned sharp, breaking me out of my daze.

"What are you doing here?" She rushed to Asher and took his tiny hand in hers as if she was scared I would snatch him from her, but the kid gave her a surprising slip and lunged at the pile of toys.

"Woah, cool!" Asher flaunted his insanely big batmobile, his eyes twinkling with joy. How was I supposed to remain upset with his mother like this? Lily on the other hand seemed not to have a problem in that department. I could feel her fuming gaze burning holes in me. Maybe I should have listened to Benji. "Can I keep them, please? He said I could if you say yes." My son pleaded and I was so surprised when Lily said yes. "Oh, thanks mom!" The kid hugged his mother before heading for me.

"Thank you, Mr Frost," he threw himself at me and held on, leaving my legs shaking. I never thought that tiny hands could take me apart this way. "You are the bestest new friend."

Friend? I flinched at the word and I was not the only one.

"Asher, honey, let me talk to Mr. Frost, okay?" she led him out of the room after the kid reluctantly let go.

I used the moment to try and get a hold of myself. It was useless. Another deep breath, but it did nothing to ease the chaos in my chest. It was as if my son's touch kept pulling every strand of my emotions and pulling me under. "I don't want to be his friend and certainly don't want him calling me Frost." I growled at Lily the moment she returned.

"You are not supposed to be here, remember?" Lily scowled. "You signed-"

"The no-contact agreement, I got that." I spat. "But that was for you and not my son." I added, realizing that fact in the moment. "If you insist on it I'm perfectly fine spending time with him without you."

Her jaw dropped. She knew I was right and I should have been celebrating besting her at her own game, but I was too bitter about my son not knowing me.

"Have you eaten?" she muttered after watching me with those beautiful eyes for a long moment.

"What?" Not the answer I was looking for.

"I'm not having this argument with you on an empty stomach." Lily pivoted, walked away, leaving me blinking at her. She wanted to argue with me? In our marriage, she'd never head that way even if her life depended on it. Something that always pricked me with anger because it always reminded me that she only was in it for the money and only wanted to present her perfect side. And I was always the one walking away. I didn't know what to do about that, except to follow her.