Identity Risk (The Billionaire Experience #3)

Chapter One

As the black SUV pulled up to the curb in front of the towering skyscraper on Fifty-Seventh Street in Midtown Manhattan, Jessie took a deep breath as she prepared to re-enter a world that she walked away from a year and a half ago.

She slipped on her silver-rimmed aviator sunglasses just as the door opened. Grabbing her purse and backpack, she gracefully slipped out of the backseat and stepped onto the sidewalk.

The older FBI agent, who had been one of her shadows, gave her a reassuring nod.

“You’re safe now, Ms. Marchand,” he reassured her. His tone was kind but also firm.

Jessie managed a small smile, though she wasn’t sure if she would ever feel one hundred percent safe again. “Thank you,” she replied softly. The sound of her voice carried the weight of everything she had been through.

She glanced up at the sleek modern building where her penthouse took up the top floor. It felt surreal to be back after being away for so long.

As the SUV drove away, she walked toward the entrance. The doorman she knew stood wide-eyed as he held the door open for her.

“Welcome home, Ms. Marchand,” he greeted her. “It is nice to see you back.”

She smiled. “Thank you, Andy. It’s good to be back home,” she said, walking through the door and straight to the private elevator. She wasn’t up for any chit-chat. She wasn’t trying to be rude. She just wanted to get settled and reacclimated before being bombarded with questions.

As soon as she inserted her elevator keycard into the slot, the doors opened, and she quickly slipped inside. The elevator ride up felt endless, each floor bringing her closer to the life and memories she had left behind.

When the doors finally opened, she entered the foyer and set her purse and bag down on the entryway table nearby. She inhaled as the familiar scent of lavender hit her nose. The heavenly aroma was her favorite because of the calming effect it had on her, especially during stressful times.

She kicked off her sneakers and wandered quietly through the five thousand seven hundred square foot space. Besides her houseplants that had grown wild near the floor-to-ceiling windows, everything else looked untouched. It was like time had frozen.

As she walked down the hall toward her bedroom, she did notice the faint scent of cleaning products, evidence that someone had been maintaining the place in her absence. She figured that was the FBI’s doing since the Agent in Charge had assured her that her assets, including her penthouse, would be kept in order.

When she reached her bedroom, she went straight to the enormous walk-in closet, changed out of the jeans and blouse she was wearing, and pulled on a pair of black leggings and her oversized New York Islanders sweatshirt. Upon exiting the closet, she stopped in front of the full-length mirror and took in her appearance. The dark circles under her eyes showed just how exhausted she was. She had lost some weight, which wasn’t intentional. Unlike most people who turned to eating when stressed, she was the opposite and had to force herself to eat.

With a deep sigh, she walked back into the bedroom, went directly to her king-sized bed filled with pillows, and threw herself into the middle. She molded into the cloud-like plushness of her mattress, though the softness did nothing to ease the ache in her chest. As she lay there, her emotions began to overwhelm her. She was home and free to live an everyday life again. But at the same time, it was also terrifying because what had this whole fucked up situation cost her?

She didn’t try to stop the flow of tears as they poured out of her eyes. Grabbing one of the pillows, she buried her face in it as she sobbed.

She thought of her boyfriend, whom she loved with all her heart.

Mac Ramsey was a former Navy SEAL who owned one of the country's top five private security firms. Having a strong and intelligent man like him by her side, she should’ve been protected and never should have had to disappear into protective custody. But that hadn’t been the case, thanks to bad timing.

When the shit had hit the fan and her life was in danger, Mac had been out of the country assisting his team on a top-secret mission, which made him unreachable. She had been left to make one of the hardest decisions of her life. What would his reaction be when he found out she was back? Had he been worried? Had he moved on? God, she hated this!

As she cried, her thoughts drifted to her father, whose sudden death was what had thrown her into this nightmare. Inheriting his investment firm had been a challenge she was prepared for. But the threats that followed soon after had been something else entirely and not what she had expected.

However, she hadn’t let the threats scare her until it had almost cost her her life.

When the FBI suggested she disappear until they could catch the person, she had resisted at first, but the car accident—the realization that someone had tampered with her brakes had been the final straw. When the threats started to be directed toward others, she couldn’t risk anyone else’s life, not her friends, employees, or Mac’s. So, she had gone into hiding, sailing around the world under an alias, cut off from her life. She had no phone and hardly any internet, which she could only use in the presence of the agents assigned to her. Her uncle was the only person who knew she was safe, though that was all he knew. They agreed that he would run the day-to-day business in her absence, but if any major decision needed to be made, the FBI would assist in connecting them somehow.

At first, she thought the agents were joking with her when they told her it was over, that they had caught the guy responsible for the threats and attempted murder. But after showing her proof, she had utterly broken down with mixed emotions of relief, joy, anger, and hurt.

However, she was back now. Jessie Marchand, billionaire, ready to reclaim her life.

But the wounds were still fresh, and the fear of how her return would be received gnawed at her.

As she lay in the bed clutching her pillow, she wiped her tears and took a deep breath. She had made it through the worst, but now came the most challenging part—facing the people closest to her, the ones she had left behind.

And for the first time in a long while, she allowed herself to hope that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t too late to make things right. With those optimistic thoughts, she closed her eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.

◆◆◆

Jessie jolted up as her phone's obnoxious ringtone pierced the silence surrounding her. Her heart pounded in her chest from being woken in such a manner. She cringed, hearing the shrill, high-pitched jingle that sounded like a bad carnival tune mixed with a car alarm. She rubbed her eyes, still feeling as if she was half-asleep.

She wasn’t ready to get up and deal with the world just yet. Laying her head back down, she ignored the god-awful sound. However, the longer it played, the more unbearable it became, making it impossible to ignore.

Grumbling, she rolled toward the edge of the bed and reached for the phone on the nightstand. She mentally cursed whoever dared to change her ringtone while she was gone to that horrible sound.

Without checking the caller ID, she swiped the screen and answered.

“Hello?” she mumbled, her voice sounding groggy.

“I’m on my way up!” the female voice snapped before ending the call.

Jessie’s eyes widened, hearing Lacie, her best friend's voice. She should’ve known that as soon as her uncle announced to the office that she was back, Lacie would be the first to come running.

Jessie jumped out of the bed and started running down the hall toward the elevator.

Lacie was more than her best friend. She was like a sister and was also Jessie’s personal assistant. But sometimes, Lacie’s over-the-top personality could be downright terrifying. It wasn’t just the way she could sweep into a room and instantly take over the conversation. It was the fact that she did it with the energy of an entire cheerleading squad and the determination of a beauty contestant wanting world peace. Jessie often joked that Lacie could talk someone into buying a pet llama and joining a roller derby team in one breath. However, the one thing Lacie never wavered from was her loyalty and friendship to Jessie.

As soon as Jessie literally skidded into the foyer, the elevator dinged, announcing its arrival. When the doors opened, all Jessie caught was a blur of black hair before being tackled to the ground.

“Jessie!” Lacie cried as she hugged Jessie tight. “Oh my God, you’re really here. I thought…God, I thought you were dead or something. I’ve been so worried and scared! I almost didn’t believe your uncle when he called the entire staff in for a meeting and told us you were back.”

Jessie hugged her back tightly, feeling the tension melt a little from her shoulders. “I’m okay, Lacie. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you or anyone else.”

Lacie pulled back, tears streaming down her face as she wiped them furiously. “Sorry? Jessie, I’ve been terrified. You just disappeared! No phone call, no note, no explanation at all. What was I supposed to think? I missed you, girl. I thought something horrible had happened.”

“I know,” Jessie whispered as she peeled Lacie off her and helped her up off the floor. “I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t risk it. It was bad, Lace. Really bad. Come on, let’s go sit.”

They walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. Lacie’s eyes were glued to her as if afraid she might disappear again at any moment.

Jessie glanced out the window toward the terrace and saw the sky had darkened.

“Have you had dinner yet?” she asked Lacie.

“No.”

“How about I order some food for us? Then we can talk, and I’ll explain everything.”

Lacie nodded, but Jessie could see the determination in Lacie’s violet eyes. She knew that Lacie wasn’t leaving until she knew everything.

Jessie ordered from her favorite Chinese place just down the street. While they waited, she poured them both a glass of wine.

When the food arrived, they ate in silence for a few minutes before Lacie put her chopsticks down and eyed Jessie with a determined look. “Okay, talk. What in the hell happened?”

Jessie wanted to laugh at her best friend’s bossy tone, but she didn’t. Instead, she took a deep breath and began detailing her life for the last year and a half.

“First and foremost, you need to know I didn’t want to leave, but I had no choice.” She paused for a moment as she settled back onto the couch. “The threats started a couple of months after my dad died. At first, it was just letters—creepy but manageable. But then they started getting serious. Threats directed at the firm, certain employees, and people I care about. Do you remember when I shut down the office for a few days?”

Lacie nodded. “I do remember that. It was because of an electrical issue.”

“That’s what we told everyone. Lace, I had to close the office because some sick bastard had sent a letter to me that was laced with white powder.”

“What!?” Lacie screeched, sitting forward. “Someone sent you anthrax?”

“Well, we weren’t sure. So, as a precaution, we closed the office until the FBI could test it.”

“Holy shit, Jess.”

“Yeah. But that wasn’t the worst.”

“What is worse than getting anthrax in the mail?”

“Someone tampering with the brake lines on my car.”

Lacie’s hand flew to her mouth. “No!”

“We, meaning my uncle, the police, and the FBI, kept it quiet. With the threats escalating, the FBI said they couldn’t guarantee my safety or others who were close to me. So, they gave me a choice. I could stay and hope for the best or disappear while the authorities searched for the bastard. But deep down, I knew I didn’t have a choice. Lacie, if something happened to you, my family, the employees at the firm, or Mac, I couldn’t live with that.”

Lacie was quiet for a moment, processing it all. She took a sip of her wine before she finally spoke. “I get it. I do. But Jessie, you were gone for almost two years? Where were you?”

Jessie smirked. “That is the only positive in this whole fiasco. I got a new yacht out of it.”

Lacie’s eyes widened. “You lived on a yacht?”

“Yep. It was my only request, and the FBI agreed. So, a few FBI agents and I played house. I was still somewhat running the company in the shadows. Uncle Cliff knew I was safe but didn’t know where I was. He was sworn to secrecy.”

“Holy shit!” Lacie muttered. “I still don’t know how you handled it all.”

“I know.” Jessie took a sip of her wine. Her heart was heavy. “It was torture. They took my phone and my computers. I missed everyone. Every day, I wanted to reach out. But I had to be smart about it. I couldn’t risk it.”

Lacie leaned forward. Her voice was soft. “What about Mac? You never spoke with him? Have you tried calling him now that you’re back?”

Jessie’s stomach twisted at the mention of his name. She stared down at her food, suddenly not hungry anymore. “I haven’t…not yet. I don’t know where we stand. It’s been almost two years, Lace. That’s a long time. He could’ve moved on by now.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lacie scoffed. “Mac practically tore the city apart trying to find you when he returned from his trip and found out you had disappeared. I even heard a rumor that he threatened some high-ranking FBI officials trying to get answers.”

Jessie’s heart clenched at the thought of Mac still searching for her after all this time. She had never stopped thinking about him, but what if he had moved on? What if the time apart had changed things between them? Not that she could blame him for wanting to move on. She’s the one who upped and left without a trace. Granted, she had no way of contacting him before she left.

“I just need a little time,” Jessie said quietly. “Time to get settled, handle some office stuff, and figure out where my head is at. I’ll reach out to him eventually.”

Lacie studied her for a moment, then nodded. “I get it. But don’t wait too long, Jess. The man’s been through hell for you. Though I haven’t seen or talked to him in about eight or nine months.”

Jessie smiled faintly. “Yeah…I know. But I need to make sure that I’m ready. Because if he has moved on, it’ll be tough because my heart still belongs to him.”

Lacie reached out, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Something tells me he’s still waiting.”

Jessie leaned back into the plush sofa, her mind full of memories of her and Mac. She hoped it wasn’t too late.