Page 12 of Billionaire’s Cruelty

Chloe hesitated, concern clouding her face. “Are you sure? Whatever you need, we can handle it tomorrow.”

“I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t talk to him,” I said, my voice rising. “Lincoln! Link!”

“Shhh! The kids are asleep.” Chloe reached across the island, brushing her manicured fingers against my cheek to quiet me.

“Get Link,” I whispered.

“Fine. Just wait here.”

I could have stormed upstairs and found him myself, but the house was enormous. And knowing their… intimate hobbies, the last thing I wanted was to stumble upon my brother in a compromising situation. Naked. Tied up. Ew.

Two minutes later, Lincoln appeared, dressed in grey-and-white striped pajamas. Seeing him like that brought back memories of childhood sleepovers when Chloe used to stay with us. Back then, he was the bossy older brother who always knew best—some things never changed.

“Juney,” he said, pulling me into a hug. His arms wrapped around me tightly, the warmth of his embrace easing some of the tension coiled inside me. “You okay? I was worried sick.”

“I’m fine. See? Still in one piece.” I wiggled my fingers for emphasis, trying to lighten the mood. But my voice cracked lightly, betraying how far from fine I really felt.

Lincoln leaned back, scanning my face with that sharp, assessing gaze he reserved for boardrooms and family emergencies. “Why were you at the airport?”

“I was planning to go to Shanghai,” I admitted. My heart pounded as I rushed into the next part. “And that’s why I need to ask—can I borrow your plane?”

His expression didn’t change. Damn, he had a good poker face. Not even a flicker of surprise.

“You want to borrow my plane?”

“I can’t fly it myself, obviously. I mean, I need a private plane to China. Your pilot. The whole package.”

A faint noise drifted down from upstairs—a thump, followed by the sound of quick, light footsteps. Lincoln’s head tilted slightly, his brow furrowing.

“Hang on,” he murmured stepping past me.

“They should be asleep,” Lincoln muttered under his breath, but there was no real annoyance in his voice—just the kind of exasperation only a parent could feel. He started up the stairs but paused midway, turning back down. “Hold that thought. I need to make sure no one’s trying to break my house rules.”

I couldn’t help but smile as he disappeared.

When he returned, he shook his head with a mixture of fondness and frustration. “They’re conspiring against me. Apparently, bedtime is just a suggestion.”

I laughed softly, feeling strange seeing this side of my brother for the first time. “Well, you always did have a problem with authority.”

He snorted.

“Yeah, and now I’m the authority no one listens to.” His smile faded. “About the private jet—yes.”

“Thank you” I jumped up and wrapped my arms around him, kissing his cheek.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he warned, pushing me away. “You need to answer all my questions first. No answers, no deal.”

I groaned. “Why can’t you just do me a favor without making it complicated?”

“Because I care about you,” he said, brushing his hand along my upper arm.

“Fine. What do you need to know?”

I told him everything about wrecking my Tesla, luring Dave out of hiding, the fake airport security, and Mack. I held nothing back.

“You were lucky Raj was there,” Lincoln said after a pause.

“You could say that. I owe all of you—Raj, Chloe and you. Happy now?”