The Billionaire's Sudden Bride novel Chapter 214

Chapter 214

Brandon’s POV

The exclusive golf course was unusually quiet for a weekend. I spotted Edward immediately, lounging at a corner table on the terrace, sipping tea with casual elegance. Not exactly dressed for gold in his immaculate designer suit.

“You’re looking sharp for someone who’s supposed to be hitting balls I remarked as 1 approached,

Edward glanced up, his calculating eyes scanning me. “And you’re dressed for golf when we both know you hate the sport.” He gestured to the chair across from him. “Tea?”

“Why not?‘ I settled into the saat. “Place is empty today.”

“Isn’t that how you arranged it?” Edward poured tea into a delicate cup. “You’re the one who called this meeting.”

Edward reached into his jacket pocket and produced two premium cigars. I took one but set it aside on the table.

“No smoking area,” I explained.

A flicker of amusement crossed Edward’s face. “Since when do you care about rules like that?”

“It’s the weekend,” Edward remarked, studying me. “I’m surprised you could spare the time.”

“I couldn’t,” I admitted. “I didn’t particularly want to come.”

“Yet here you are.” Edward’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What’s so important?”

“Manhattan West Side,” I finally said. “Are you sure Lee Group wants n?”

I rubbed my thumb against my knuckles. “I thought Lee Group would be an ideal partner in New York. Was I wrong?”

“Not wrong,” Edward replied with deliberate casualness. “But you should know the current situation. The man’s been working to undermine my position, giving my brother pieces of my territory. Lee Group isn’t entirely mine to command anymore.”

“That sounds like an internal issue,” I countered. “One I’m sure you can handle.”

Edward fell silent, his gaze drifting toward the empty golf course. The wind rustled through the nearby trees.

“I have news of her,” he said finally, his voice quiet.

My fingers tightened involuntarily around the teacup. “Katniss?”

He nodded once.

“And you want to bring her back?” I asked, feeling tension spread across my shoulders.

Edward met my gaze directly. “I do.”

I set down my cup with more force than necessary. “You need to understand something. The person who hurt her most deeply was you, Edward. Her coming back might not be what’s best for her.”

My voice hardened. “If her return puts her at risk of getting hurt again, I won’t allow it. She’s my sister in every way that matters.”

1/3

Chapter 214

“You’ve always been protective of her,” Edward observed.

“With good reason.” The memories surfaced unbidden–Jane walking out, the fights between her and my father. How Gavin and Meave had stepped in, becoming the parents I’d needed.

For years, I’d believed Zoey was Gavin’s daughter, and I’d treated her accordingly. By the time I learned Katniss Kennedy was his biological child, she and Edward were already entangled in a mess too complicated to unravel cleanly.

“I understand your concern,” Edward said quietly. “But you don’t understand what it’s like, Brandon.”

He looked up suddenly, his eyes burning with intensity. “I’ve waited too long. You have no idea what it’s like to wait for someone. I just want her back. Even if it destroys me in the end, I’d welcome it.

I frowned, rubbing my temple. This raw display of emotion was unexpected from Edward.

“You’re my brother in all but blood,” I told him. “But Katniss is my sister, and I won’t let her be hurt again. If her return means facing the Lee family, how do you plan to protect her?”

Edward’s jaw tightened. “I’ll handle it. Once things are settled, she can come home.”

I sat back, absorbing his words. Waiting for someone. The concept wasn’t foreign to me. Waiting a year, waiting a decade–Edward had endured it all.

“Then expedite the Manhattan West Side project, I said, clapping him on the shoulder. “After that’s handled, whatever you want to do with Lee Group is your business.”

Edward smiled thinly. “Manhattan West Side won’t be completed for at least a year or two. Are you trying to delay Katniss’s return?”

My eyes narrowed. “Do you have a better solution? Do you even know where she is right now?”

“Brandon,” Edward said, his voice tight, “someday when you’re at my mercy, I’ll make you feel exactly what I’m feeling right now.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” I replied with a slight smirk.

I tapped my finger against the table, shifting gears. “What about the other matter I asked you to look into?”

Edward raised an eyebrow. “You’re that determined to uncover Summer’s origins?”

“I don’t just want to know,” I corrected him. “I want to sever her connection to the Taylor family completely.”

It was the truth. Without resolving this, my relationship‘ with June would never be truly secure. The Taylor family was like a ticking time bomb. Their behavior toward June had always been strange, unnatural.

This was why I’d temporarily agreed to June’s request to keep our marriage private. Once we went public, both the Starks and the Sinclairs would turn their attention to her, applying pressure from all sides. I wasn’t entirely sure how June would handle that, and I never moved forward without certainty.

“What have you found?” I prompted.

Edward leaned forward. “It’s highly likely that Summer isn’t Elizabeth’s daughter. Whether she’s Richard’s biological child is still unclear.”