Page 56 of Billionaire’s Ruin

“If Dad’s not on board,” I added, voice low and steady, “then tell him it’s for Dannie Wu. He’s spoken to him before. He’ll remember.”

“June…” His tone softened, but there was a warning buried in it. “Do you realize that your sabbatical would be over if Dad got involved?”

He studied me quietly, searching for cracks in my resolve. There were none. Not when it came to this.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he finally answered, his voice subdued.

Relief flooded me, heavy and warm. “Thank you, Liam.”

“On one condition…”

A groan escaped me. “Please, not you too. You sound just like Link.”

“Well,” he said, adjusting his tone, serious now, “Link asked me to tell you to call him if you ever reached out to me.”

“I’d rather not,” I muttered, though a sliver of doubt snaked its way in. “Any idea what it’s about?”

His sigh stretched through the line, long and loaded.

My stomach flipped with it.

“So you do know,” I said sharply. “Can you please just tell me? I’m not in the mood for another life lesson from Link.”

“I hate to do this,” he murmured, his gaze drifting. Both of us knew that whatever he was holding back, I’d find out eventually. I waited, pulse tight in my throat.

“Okay,” he said finally. “You ready?”

“Yes. Since yesterday,” I deadpanned.

He rolled his eyes. “Listen, I don’t really get what you see in him. I hated him the first time I met him—sleazy, cocky, full of himself⁠—”

“Liam, get to the point!” I snapped, patience fraying. The Malaysian sun beat down on me, making my skin sting. I hadn’t even put on sunscreen this morning.

“Lincoln’s best friend—Kai—he’s in some kind of trouble. Missing, or maybe held captive. You know, the kind of mess rich billionaire guys find themselves in.”

My breath caught. “What?”

He looked almost sheepish. “Yeah. That.”

“Wait—why didn’t you start with that when I called?”

“Your thing sounded more urgent.”

“Yes,” I said, nodding too fast. “Maybe. But no.” A conflicted motion pulled through me—first a refusal, then a reluctant nod.

Dannie’s life was important—he’d saved mine. But Kai’s? That hit differently. Deeply.

Did Liam know? About Kai and me? Did he disapprove?

“Besides,” Liam continued, “you don’t handle emotions well. I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”

So he did know.

His words echoed, heavy in the silence between us.

“I know I cry over silly movies,” I said, voice cracking, “but don’t you think I deserve to know something like this? About him?”

“I’m sorry,” Liam said quietly, but it didn’t sound like he meant it. “I wasn’t sure what he was to you—but I have a feeling Lincoln does. And honestly? I just don’t like the guy.”