The Billionaire's Replacement

CHAPTER SIX - A Dangerous Curiosity

Emma's POV

"So what you are trying to say is Jeremy's fiancee didn't run away?”

Damon folded his arms and shook his head in disagreement. "No." He paused to step closer, lowering his voice. "She was looking for someone."

Looking for someone?

"Who?" I furrowed my brows in confusion at him.

"You."

I felt my heart stop. Me?

“Wh-at are yo-u talking ab-out?” I stuttered.

Damon nodded, clearly unfazed by the bomb he just dropped. "The last week before Isabella disappeared, she became obsessed with finding a woman named Emma Carter."

My heart raced faster than normal. I felt my chest tighten. "That's impossible." The words managed to slip out of my mouth.

"Is it?" Damon smirked. He pulled his phone from his pocket and showed me a picture of a lady sitting in a café, looking at something on a table. I didn't recognize the lady but what caught my attention was the photo in her hand. It was a photo…..of me.

I raised my head up to gaze at Damon. "Where did you get this?"

"It doesn't matter Emma, what matters is that Isabella disappeared two days after she found you." Damon said, taking his phone back.

I gulped a lump down my throat, finding it difficult to process what was going on.

"Do you know why was she looking for me?"

Damon's smile widened. It looked like he was having fun playing with my curiosity. "Why don't you ask your husband that? He should have an idea.”

Damon suddenly turned around and walked away, even though I wanted to stop him, I couldn't because I was too dumbfounded. I just stood there frozen.

Why had Jeremy's ex wife been looking for me? Did all of that happen before Jeremy and I had even met?

I was this close to drowning myself in confusion when I suddenly remembered that I still had a problem on ground.

My father, Alexander Bennett.

I couldn't allow another mystery to distract me from the reason I'd entered this family in the first place.

I needed answers and they were hidden in Gabriel's office.

I turned toward the hallway and waited until it was empty before rushing toward Gabriel's office.

My hand had just reached the doorknob when a voice suddenly echoed from behind me.

"What do you think you are doing?”

I nearly screamed, jerking off my feet in fear. I turned around to gaze at a man standing a few feet away, watching me with an amused smile.

He was tall, dressed casually in a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows.

Unlike Jeremy, there seemed to be nothing intimidating about him.

His smile was warm, maybe almost too warm for someone who just caught a culprit.

"I-I…” I stuttered.

"Snooping?" He raised a brow at me.

I shut my eyes close briefly, muttering a cuss under my breath. How did I manage to get caught?

Surprisingly, he chuckled.

"Relax. I'm not going to tell anyone."

I eyed him suspiciously.

"Adrian Beaumont." He suddenly stretched out his hand for a handshake.

Wait, a second, Beaumont? That was Gabriel's surname. Was he. Gabriel’s son or was it some kind of coincidence?

“Right! I will just take this back.” He muttered, slowly pulling his hand back.

I snapped out of my thoughts and cleared my throat. “I'm Emma.”

"I know, everyone knows Jeremy's new wife." He smiled. "You must have figure I'm Gabriel's son."

So it wasn't a coincidence. He was actually Gabriel's son and that made me feel uneasy.

Adrian glanced at the office door. "So... what were you looking for?"

"Nothing." I quickly mumbled.

He raised an eyebrow and I knew I had already been caught.

"I was just curious." I shrugged.

"About?"

I hesitated. "The other day, I saw something in there that caught my attention."

Fortunately for me, Adrian didn't press further. Instead, he leaned against the wall. "Snooping around won't do you any good in a family like this."

His tone had changed. His words sounded like a warning.

I forced a smile and nodded. “Sure.” then I slowly began to walk away, not bothering to spare him a single glance.

Something about him made me feel uneasy. At the same time, I couldn't stop thinking about my father and Jeremy's ex fiancee's disappearance.

The thoughts were overwhelming to the point that I promised myself I would sleep early. That evening, the maids helped prepare the bed and just as I was about to change into my nightwear the door opened and Jeremy walked in.

“You can at least knock before stepping in!” I yelled, I was only putting on a sports bra and shorts yet Jeremy didn't seem fazed by it at all.

He stared at me blankly.

“Aren't you going to leave?” I raised a brow at me.

I caught Jeremy lick his lips seductively and I felt instant chills run down my spine.

He hastily shifted his gaze elsewhere. "I heard you've been talking to Damon?” He loosened his tie and spoke in questioning tone.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. “How do you know that?”

“So you're not denying it.” He walked toward me.

“Why would I?” I still hadn't worn the night dress and I wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because I secretly liked the way Jeremy stared at me.

His jaw tightened and he took another step closer.

"Emma." The way he called out my name made my heart race. His voice was hoarse and deep.

I gulped a lump down my throat and took a step backward, why was I feeling this way? Intimated by him.

Jeremy suddenly reached for my wrist, His fingers wrapped around it. The touch was gentle, but the intensity in his eyes wasn't.

"You're becoming too comfortable around people in this family." He was too close, I could his hot breath tingling on my bare skin.

I didn't answer. I watched his gaze drop to my lips. The room suddenly felt smaller as his thumb brushed slowly over my wrist.

My breathing became hitched. "Jeremy..."

He looked back into my eyes and gently pulled me closer by the waist.

For one breathless second, neither of us moved. His forehead rested against mine.

I wasn't sure what was happening but I secretly enjoyed it, I didn't protest neither rather I enabled it by leaning closer.

His lips were inches from mine and just when I thought he was going to kiss me, a sudden knock on the interrupted us.

Jeremy immediately cleared his throat and stepped away.

His expression suddenly changed, his usual expressionless face resurfaced.

I hastily put on my night dress and yelled “come in.”

One of the maids stepped in, she looked surprised to see Jeremy.

"Mr. Bennett, there's someone asking to see Mrs. Bennett."

Jeremy frowned and so did I.

"Who?" We chorused at the same time.

“A woman.” The maid paused to clear her throat. “She said her name is Mrs Janet Carter.”

Mum?