The Billionaire‘s Secret Desire(47)

about her for years. The only reason I kept my distance was

because you asked me to.‖

―She‘s only twenty.‖ Luke reminded him.

―She‘s got the maturity of a woman ten years older than

that, and you know it.‖ He thrust his fingers through his hair

again, ―Look. I‘m having a hell of a time concentrating on

anything. I told you how I felt when I found her with Nikos.

Now I know she won‘t give me the time of day because she‘s as

angry as hell over the security team. She feels as though we

betrayed her and she may forgive you because you‘re her brother,

but for me it‘s just another mark against me.‖

Luke took a long deep breath. Max was right, but he

couldn‘t help feel that they were rushing her, taking away her

youth before she had experienced anything. However, he didn‘t

miss the way Lily reacted to Cybil and the jealousy she portrayed.

He knew she loved Max, what woman wouldn‘t? His shoulders

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Lietha Wards

slumped in defeat and he nodded, ―She looks terrible.‖ He finally

said looking back at Max helplessly, ―I‘m still pissed at you but,

maybe I didn‘t help much.‖

―Maybe we both screwed up. We didn‘t give her a choice

in anything.‖ Max said seeing his friend‘s guilt.

―Yeah, maybe she‘s not too far off calling us

overprotective louts.‖

―And because of it, she got hurt.‖ Max winced. ―Hell, I

wish I could change the past but I can‘t. I‘ve tried to talk to her,

but she won‘t hear it and short of betraying you, I couldn‘t‘ tell

her anything.‖

Luke studied his friend‘s pained expression, ―You love her

that much?‖

Max managed a bittersweet smile, ―You have no idea.‖

Luke nodded and released a slow breath, ―I‘m taking her

to the Doctor‘s today at three.‖ He looked at his watch. ―I kept

her home from school because I wanted to go with her.‖

Max straightened himself and shoved his hands in the

pockets of his dark slacks, ―All right, however, I am marrying her

in the future if she‘ll still have me, and I understand your anger

with me, it‘s warranted, but as soon as you hear anything I‘m

entitled to know.‖

Luke thought about this for a moment. A man like Max

really shouldn‘t be held at fault for hurting Lily. He was acting

on Luke‘s wishes, yet he obviously did get carried away with her

and he held him responsible for that. In a way he was hoping she

was pregnant, then it would explain her symptoms, but now a

new worry set in. Would depression explain all of what she was

portraying? He wasn‘t a doctor so he didn‘t know but he had a

sense of dread over it. ―I‘ll call you Max. I promise.‖

―That‘s all I ask. Thank you.‖

After Doctor Chang was done her examination, she

helped Lily don a hospital gown while pressing her lips together,

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―Is your brother here?

―I think he‘s in the waiting room. Why?‖

Doctor Chang had been Lily‘s doctor since she was

fourteen and moved to Chicago with Luke when he started

working for Max. Despite her name she wasn‘t Asian, but looked

more Romanian with her dark hair and eyes. It seemed sort of

funny to Lily when she first met her and actually asked her about

her name. She said her husband was Asian and worked in the

city as an engineer. She also told her with a smile that she got

that a lot. Regardless, she was always very considerate to Lily.

Maybe it was because her and Luke were looking after each other

since the death of their parents and her Doctor knew that.

―He‘s your guardian right?‖

―What‘s wrong?‖ She started to get worried.

―It may be nothing, but I should speak to him first.‖ She

picked up Lily‘s folder, ―I‘ll send the lab tech in to take some

blood so I can run some tests.‖ She said, ―I‘ll be back in a few

minutes.‖

―Okay.‖ Lily said unable to keep the worry out of her

expression.

Luke was sitting in the waiting room rubbing his forehead

with his hand in obvious worry. Time seemed to pass slowly and

it was excruciating waiting for the results. He stood immediately

when the Doctor approached, ―My sister—is she okay?‖

Doctor Chang indicated for him to sit down and she took

the seat next to him, ―It may be nothing, but your sister has a

lump in her breast.‖

―Oh Jesus, Lily!‖ He could physically feel the blood drain

from his face.

―I‘m running some blood tests, but she says it‘s been

there for about two months.‖ The Doctor continued.

―I didn‘t know—I‘ve been away—―he said brokenly. She

was the only family he had and he felt completely negligent over