Too Late For Regrets, Mr. Billionaire (Brianna Meyers and Brandon Levy) novel Chapter 34

Chapter 34

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It was almost 10 p.m. when Brianna got back to her room, and she was just settling in to sleep when her phone rang.

It was Brandon.

“Hello?” Brianna answered, sounding annoyed. She thought, ‘Why is he calling so late?‘

He said, “The housekeeper mentioned Josefina’s at the house waiting for us. Where are you?”

Brianna rolled her eyes. “It’s been ages. Haven’t you told them yet?”

“Told them what?” Brandon replied, his voice all innocence.

“About our divorce!” Brianna rolled her eyes again. She thought, ‘What is this guy’s problem?‘

Silence stretched on his end.

Finally, he said, “Kendra’s still so young.”

Now Brianna was the one left speechless.

“Plus, you’re pregnant,” Brandon added.

That stopped her cold. She couldn’t find the words for a moment.

He said, “Tell me where you are. I’ll pick you up, and we can go back together. That way, they won’t pick up on anything weird.”

“Since when do you give a damn about what they think of our marriage?” Brianna fired back with sarcasm.

For seven years, his indifference toward her had been obvious to everyone. She thought, ‘Do I have of respect left in his family’s eyes?‘

any

shred

Brandon brushed off her dig. “You at the office or home?”

“My grandma’s place,” Brianna snapped impatiently.

“Got it, ten minutes.”

Brianna blinked in surprise. The Levy Group offices were pretty far from here. She thought, ‘Is he already in the area?‘

She changed clothes, headed downstairs to tell Mitch, and stepped out of the building just as Brandon arrived.

Climbing into the car and spotting him only ramped up her irritation.

“It’s this late, and you’re still not home? Don’t you have a kid to look after?” Brianna grilled him.

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Her nitpicking caught him off guard.

He thought, ‘When was the last time she even checked on the child? And now she is coming at me?‘

When he responded, he fell back into his usual suave, aloof mode. “Had some business tonight.”

Brianna sat there with her arms folded across her chest, fuming for no clear reason.

Picking up on her mood, Brandon glanced over and asked gently, “Rough day at work?”

Brianna shot him an eye roll. “Nope!”

“Then what’s with the attitude?”

“It’s ten o’clock, for crying out loud! I was already in bed.”

A light scent of alcohol clung to Brandon, his posture relaxed, radiating that innate sophistication. “Sorry to put you out.”

Brianna turned sharply, staring at him in disbelief. She thought, ‘What has he been smoking? He actually

thoughtful?‘

comes across as…

The two of them sat in awkward silence the whole drive home.

They pulled in around II p.m. Kendra was long asleep, and the housekeeper couple was lounging on the sofa, chatting with Josefina.

The moment they walked in together, the housekeeper popped up eagerly. “Mr. and Mrs. Levy, back already? Care for some soup?”

“No, thanks,” Brianna said.

She flashed a dazzling smile and stepped over, affectionately clasping Josefina’s hand. “Josefina, you should’ve said something. We would’ve headed back earlier.”

Josefina looked thrilled to see them side by side; she adored when they played the picture–perfect couple.

“I knew it was your anniversary, wouldn’t dream of crashing your romantic evening.” Josefina grinned with a knowing wink.

Brandon settled on the other side and asked, “Grandma, what brings you by this late? Everything alright?”

Josefina would drop in on the young couple now and then for a short stay, usually when she sensed friction and wanted to play peacemaker.

Tonight’s visit felt off to Brandon.

Josefina’s smile grew even wider as she gave Brianna’s hand a pat.

“Well, right after dinner, Annette let slip that you’re expecting. I couldn’t just sit there, I had to rush over. Huge news like that, and you kids keep it under wraps?”

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Brianna’s brain short–circuited as she gaped at Brandon in panic.

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She thought ‘How on earth does Grandma’s housekeeper know about the pregnancy? Now what? It isn’t a Levy baby anyway, and I am not planning to keep it. How am I supposed to break that to them?‘

“Oh, that’s it? Phew, had me going.” Brandon laughed it off, looking at ease, then continued, “It’s only three months. We figured we’d wait till it was solid before spilling to the family.”

Josefina fixed him with a scolding stare. “Okay, fine, keep it from the rest, but from your own grandma?”

She launched into a full–on lecture for Brandon. “You mark my words: You’d better pamper Brianna from here on out. Upset her one more time, and you’ll answer to me.”

Brandon grinned and nodded along, promising up and down.

Brianna stared at him, eyes wide. She swore she saw genuine fatherly excitement on his face.

She thought, ‘Seriously? The big–shot CEO has some serious acting chops. What a shame he isn’t in Hollywood. Brianna smirked to herself.

“Grandma, how’d Annette hear about this?” Brianna was baffled. She thought, ‘How would the housekeeper be in the loop?‘

“Annette’s niece–in–law is in the OB–GYN department at the hospital, remember? Brandon pulled strings to get her the gig back then.”

Jogging her memory, Brianna recalled crossing paths with her during Kendra’s birth. But the woman had been junior staff, not the lead doctor, so it hadn’t registered.

Frustration creased Brianna’s face.

This complicated everything even more. She thought, ‘Why is my luck on a nonstop nosedive?‘

Problems piling up one after another, the last one barely dealt with before the next slammed in.

Brianna heaved a deep sigh, swamped by that sinking feeling of being trapped in quicksand, clueless on her

next move.

She said, “Josefina, it’s getting really late. Let’s hit the hay and chat more tomorrow.”

Spotting Brianna’s weary look, Brandon chalked it up to fatigue. He softly helped Josefina to her feet and guided her to the guest room.

The whole way, she kept prattling on about the best ways to build up Brianna’s strength. She was far too skinny.

Brianna got to her feet and joined them in walking Josefina back to her room. She mustered a smile, wished her goodnight, and headed upstairs.

It had been days since she’d last seen Kendra, so she eased open Kendra’s door and groped her way through the darkness to the bedside.

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In the dim glow spilling in from outside, she tenderly brushed Kendra’s cheek, guilt surging through her. As a mom, she fell far short of the responsibility Trina had shown.

She pressed a gentle kiss to Kendra’s forehead, then slipped out as quietly as she’d come.

The second she shut the door and turned, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Brandon was standing right

there.

“What are you doing creeping around like that?” Brianna huffed in annoyance, not even glancing his way as she strode straight to their bedroom.

Brandon stayed silent, hands in his pockets, trailing behind her.

An odd sensation bubbled up inside him.

All those times she’d thrown divorce in his face, he’d brushed it off as her just blowing off steam.

He couldn’t fathom her actually leaving him. She loved him with everything she had, adored Kendra even more. He wondered, ‘How could she possibly give that up?‘

But over the past few weeks, her vibe toward him had gone from fake coolness to straight–up prickly, and it was starting to rattle him in a way he couldn’t pin down.

Once they were in the master bedroom, Brianna whirled around, planting herself with arms crossed tight over her chest, on full defense.

Brianna said, “Let’s hash this out.”

Brandon sidestepped her piercing look, heading deeper into the room while peeling off his jacket. “Hash what out?”

“The baby.” Brianna held her stance, swiveling to keep facing him.

“Okay.” He dropped onto the sofa at the bed’s foot, yanking off his socks without a care.

“I’m not keeping it. You deal with Josefina.” Brianna’s voice came out steely, but guilt gnawed at her insides. After all, it wasn’t his, and yet she was dumping the cleanup on him.

When it came to thick skin, she hadn’t gotten any of Whitney’s shameless gene.

“Why not?” Brandon looked up, his face a mask of bewilderment.

Brianna’s gaze darted away. “You know damn well why.”

She muttered it while drifting over to the vanity, fiddling with her jewelry and setting it down, her guilt making her fidgety.

Brandon lounged back with one leg crossed over the other, arms slung across the sofa’s top, a simmering anger sharpening his stare as he fixed it on her.

Guilt amplified it all. She swore his eyes were scorching her alive.

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AF

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He said, “I don’t. Spell it out for me!”

Brianna spun with a frustrated glare, but the weight of her guilt won, and she averted her face again. “Why bother? It’s crystal clear to both of us.”

Brandon surged to his feet and closed the distance, fury rolling off him in waves.

He backed her up, fingers clamping her chin and tilting it up, the pressure biting into her skin.

She shoved at his hand, but he just dug in deeper.

“Let go. That hurts.” Pain brought tears prickling to Brianna’s eyes.

In all their married years, he’d never snapped like this before. It scared her senseless.

Brandon loomed over her, locking their gazes, his tone dripping with threat.

He said, “What the hell is making you so dead set on aborting my kid? Spill it, is it that precious career of yours, or the guys always swarming you? Tristan? Clair?”

His grip was crushing; Brianna could barely breathe through the pain, but she bit back the tears with sheer willpower.

His eyes blazed with cold fury.

She was at a loss for words. Flashing back to that night filled her with crushing shame.

The tears won out, cascading down and landing hot on his hand, like they might sear right through.

He let go, shutting his eyes for a beat before snapping back to his polished, distant self.

“Sorry.” He snagged a tissue from the vanity and delicately wiped her cheeks.

But Brianna’s tears poured like a dam breaking, unstoppable. She felt utterly wronged, helpless against the grind of life.

It hit her like she was the last person on earth, a bone–deep isolation clutching at her soul, drowning her in misery.

A sob escaped her. If Trina were still around, she wouldn’t be this lost.

Brandon drew her close, his hand soothing her back. “Sorry, did I really hurt you?”

Those words just amplified her pain, and she broke down harder.

On top of the loneliness, self–loathing surged, hating her weakness, hating how she couldn’t claw her way out but kept tumbling deeper.

Brandon lifted her effortlessly into his arms and sank back onto the sofa, settling her in his lap. One hand rubbed her back while the other mopped up her tears.

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“I’m so sorry. It’s all on me. Go ahead, smack me if it’ll help.” His apologies came soft and steady.

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After what felt like forever, Brianna’s storm of emotions finally ebbed. Drained, she sagged against his shoulder.

Brandon caught her hand and pressed it to his cheek. “All my fault. Hit me, get it out.” He cooed like he was calming a toddler.

Brianna yanked her hand free, refusing. She knew this gentleness was just for show, because of the pregnancy.

Same as when she’d been expecting Kendra. He’d act the devoted husband, but that underlying chill and distance never thawed.

“Let’s call it a night.” Brianna shifted to pull away, but he tugged her right back, cinching his arms around her waist. Cradling her head with one hand, he dove in for a hungry kiss.

She pushed him off, but he just tightened his hold.

His kiss turned fierce, hands roaming boldly over her, leaving her breathless and gasping.

The buildup of tension from these past days exploded here. She went a little wild, matching his fire with her

own.

She thought, ‘Screw it. For this moment, she just wanted to drown in it with him…

AD