Chapter Nine

POPPY COULD ONLY WHEEZEin shock as she suddenly found herself catching an unconscious Valerian in her arms.

Did he just pass out after kissing her?

"I"m so, so sorry about this." Heather hurried towards the other girl and threw one of Valerian"s arms over her shoulder. "Can you help me get him to his room?"

Shock and jealousy rippled through Poppy"s system. His room? Was this actually the billionaire"s apartment and not Heather"s?

The billionaire"s secretary obviously knew her way around the place, and Poppy was on the verge of tears by the time they made it to his bedroom. She knew she shouldn"t be jumping to conclusions, but—-

"It"s not what you think." Heather also ended up wheezing each word out at this point, and she could only breathe a huge sigh of relief as Valerian"s back hit the bed, and they were finally freed of his weight.

She turned to the younger woman, and a smile tugged helplessly at her lips when she saw Poppy visibly fighting back tears.

"I"m his half-sister, okay?"

Poppy could only stare at Heather. Had she heard the other woman right?

"It"s not public knowledge, though. My grandpa and Valerian had a fight when he chose to drop out of college. They haven"t spoken since."

Half-sister, Poppy thought dazedly. Heather was his half-sister, and the other girl knew all about her forbidden feelings for the billionaire!

"It"s alright," Heather was quick to assure the other girl when she saw panic over Poppy"s features. "I didn"t breathe a word to Valerian. Your secret"s safe with me, but..." Heather"s expression turned sober. "My brother"s always been a bit of a lightweight when it comes to drinking. I need to know if what I saw earlier was something he forced on you?"

Poppy could feel her cheeks heating up as she shook her head. She had been crushing on the billionaire for eight months. If anything, she was the one who had to struggle against throwing herself at Valerian every time she came to cut his hair.

Heather insisted on driving her home afterward, and Poppy thanked her for the ride when they reached her place.

"It"s the least I can do, after all the trouble my brother"s given you. Also..." Heather looked at her in apology. "I"m really sorry about earlier, Poppy. I have no idea why Valerian did he did—-"

"I think they broke up," she blurted out.

Heather"s eyes widened, and Poppy haltingly told the other woman what the billionaire had asked her to call him before kissing her.

"I think you"re right, but..." Heather struggled to find the right words to convey her worry without causing pain. "He wasn"t in his right mind when he kissed you. Just keep that in mind, will you? I don"t want him to hurt you again."