The Billionaire from Her Past by Leah Ashton Read Free Book Online Page A

other’s slightly off-kilter jokes, or share a look or a smile the way that only very old friends could. But those moments were rare. Mostly there was a subtle tension between them. As if they had more of those close moments either one of them might read more into it. As if maybe their friendly looks would morph into something like what had happened when she’d fallen playing tennis. When she’d seen something in Seb’s gaze that had made her insides melt and her skin heat.
    And as by unspoken consensus that hadn’t been a good thing, a slightly tense and superficial friendship was what they had.
    Which was good, of course. It meant that once Seb had processed his tumult of grief and guilt and loss their rehashed friendship would drift again. There would be no more tension and no more confusing, conflicting—definitely unwanted—emotions.
    And her life would go back to normal.
    Her phone rang, vibrating in her hand as it was still on silent. It wasn’t a number she recognised.
    â€˜Hello?’
    â€˜Mila Molyneux?’ asked a female voice with a heavy American accent.
    Mila’s stomach instantly went south. She knew exactly who this was.
    â€˜Speaking,’ she told her father’s personal assistant.
    For a moment—a long moment—she considered hanging up. It was exactly what her sisters would do. But then Blaine Spencer wouldn’t bother calling them , would he? He knew which daughter put up with his lies and broken promises.
    â€˜Just put my dad on,’ said Mila.
    This one . This gutless, hopeful, stupid daughter.
    â€˜La-la!’
    â€˜ Mila ,’ she corrected, as she did every time. ‘I’m not three, Dad.’
    The age she’d been when he’d left.
    â€˜You still are to me , darling girl!’
    Every muscle in her body tightened just that little bit more.
    â€˜Any chance you could call me yourself, one time?’ she asked, not bothering to hide her frustration. ‘You know—find my name in your contacts, push the call button. It’s not difficult.’
    â€˜Now, don’t be like that, Mila , you know how hard I work.’
    There it was: The Justification. Mila always capitalised it in her mind.
    Why didn’t you call for ?
    But you said you’d come to .
    And then The Justification.
    You know how hard I work.
    Or its many variations.
    You can’t just pass up opportunities in this industry.
    Work has been crazy!
    This director is a hard-ass. I’m working fourteen-hour days...
    But always: You know I love you, right?
    Right.
    â€˜So you’ve been working hard for the past three months, then?’
    She’d done the calculations. In fact, this was pretty good for him. Normally his calls were biannual. Maybe that was why she hadn’t hung up on him.
    â€˜I have, indeed,’ he said, either missing or ignoring Mila’s sarcasm.
    To be honest, Mila didn’t know him well enough to say which. Maybe that was the problem—she clung to the possibility that he was just thoughtless, not a selfish waste of a father who knew exactly how much pain he caused.
    â€˜I’ve just landed in Sydney for the premiere of my latest.’
    He always expected Mila to know everything about him.
    â€˜Latest what, Dad?’
    â€˜Movie,’ he said, all incredulous.
    Mila rolled her eyes.
    â€˜ Tsunami . The director’s from Perth, so the Australian premiere is over there tomorrow night. I’m doing a few cast interviews in Sydney today, then hopping on a plane tonight. You won’t believe it, but I’m booked on a late flight because Serena has no concept of how far away bloody Perth is...’
    Blaine Spencer just kept on talking, but Mila wasn’t paying attention any more. ‘Wait—Dad. You’re coming here ?’
    â€˜Seriously, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d booked us a hotel in