Page 69 of Billionaire’s Heartbreak

Something hot moved through my chest, but I kept my smile in place. “Unfortunately for you,” I said quietly, “she came with me.”

“Come with me, June.” There was no threat in Tony's voice, no raised volume. Just certainty, as though the decision had already been made.

My jaw tightened. “She isn't going anywhere.”

There it was. Deliberate. Dismissive. Calculated. I stepped half a pace closer—not enough to provoke him, just enough to make it clear I wasn't going to be ignored. “She isn't leaving with you.”

This time, Tony smiled. It wasn't friendly or amused. It was knowing.

Behind him, the curtain covering the back door shifted slightly. A shadow passed behind it. Someone was there.

I didn't turn or react, but I'd seen enough.

We had a way out.

I let out a slow breath and relaxed my shoulders, just enough to make Tony think I was backing down. “Egg tarts?”

He blinked, confusion crossing his face.

Good.

I reached for the box on the table and opened it. The pastries were still warm, the custard soft. Completely ridiculous in the middle of a confrontation like this, but I picked one up anyway. “Best in the city.”

Then I threw the entire box. Not at his face. I wasn't trying to hurt him. I just needed to break his rhythm. The box hit him awkwardly, sending warm custard and flaky pastry flying as Tony swore and lifted an arm to shield himself.

I caught June by the wrist and pulled her toward me. “Move.”

She didn't argue. We squeezed through the narrow space behind the counter and pushed through the curtain. The passage beyond was cramped and dim, cardboard boxes stacked almost to the ceiling. Behind us, I heard a chair scrape.

Then Dave moved.

I didn't look back. I didn't need to. He knew what he was doing. He would hold them and buy us whatever time he could. I tightened my grip around June's hand and kept moving. There was no time to argue, explain, or ask whether she trusted me.

We simply ran.

“Squirrel!”

June's voice cut through everything—sharp, bright, almost disbelieving.

For a moment, the noise and danger faded. She had found him. Not by accident or luck. She had led us here. And for the first time since we'd entered the shop, something changed in her expression.

Relief.

It was small, almost hidden beneath everything else she was feeling, but I saw it. She'd been looking for this man. She'd needed to find him, and she'd done it.

“Is the back clear?” I asked, already moving toward her.

“Yes,” the old woman replied, remarkably calm considering what was happening on the other side of the curtain. “This way.”

I hesitated for half a second. My instincts hated unknown exits. They liked maps, plans, and knowing exactly where every door led and who stood beyond it.

June didn't hesitate. She was already moving.

“You can trust her,” Squirrel said quietly as he passed me.

That was all I got. No explanation. No reassurance beyond those four words. Somehow, it had to be enough.

I followed.