LOVING THE REJECTED BILLIONAIRE

“Call Ambrose to my office now!” Andy tells the receptionist without even sparing her a glance, and after him unlocking the door to his office, we saunter in.

He puts his daughter down on the sparkling floor and turns to me.

“He should be here in a few minutes. You and Angel can sit at the coffee table while I check on things here. I will join you when breakfast arrives.”I nod my head, and after handing him his bag which contains his laptop and some documents, I lead Angel to the coffee table.

He has been away for a couple of days, so I understand he has a thousand of things on his schedule. I am partly to blame for his being away for that long. If only I didn’t run away, he would have resumed the office a bit earlier.

Crouching on the white seats, I can’t help but think back to the last time I was here. How long has it been again? A couple of months ago. That day Andy instructed the chauffeur to bring me here. The naughty stuff I did that day makes me smirk at myself to date. I went on my knees to beg him to allow me to love him. I needed to prove to him that I was not the little girl he thought I was.

It is still indecipherable to me how love can reduce you to – how much we are willing to do for love. I still don’t believe I actually did what I did in this office that day, at this same spot. It’s like I had lost all senses. It was love that was driving me that day. I had no control over anything.

Ooh, dear! And the shock on his face when I went down on my knees and unbuckled his belt! It was the very first time I saw the icy Adrian Ashton tremble, all because of a “small girl” who was willing to give her all for love. I was crazy, and I got him drunk with my craziness, and here we are today.

We are here because I chose not to give up. He is happy today because I chose my love for him over my dignity and pride. We are here today because I put his happiness first. Despite the risks that were involved in loving a complicated man like him, I didn’t give up. Such is true love, right? Doing everything for the sake of love. At times you even forget who you really are, or who you thought you were, and you just go with the tide of love.

“Uncle!” Angle shouts, slipping out of my hands. She runs towards her daddy, and that’s when I notice Ambrose conversing with Andy.

Contrary to the jovial relationship they had before even inside this office, today they seem so serious towards each. They are not teasing each other, not even a small smile on their faces. They are so cold and distant. The effect of Maria! She is like a doom, you know, destroying everything she touches.

I walk to them as Ambrose scoops the little doll in his arms.

“Hi, Tania. I might be fired for that, though.” Ambrose says, making me smile.

“Ooh, come on. It’s not that serious.” I state.

“IT IS, that serious! One more word to her and you are suspended from work until further notice!”Whoa!

Ambrose sighs defencelessly. I can tell he is in a tight spot with this beast of mine. Poor him and his wife! I honestly pity them.

The phone beside Andy rings, and he picks it up.

“Yes. Let him in.” He says, and throws a deadly glare at Ambrose. “Take Angel with you and you better not take your sight off her.””Yes, boss!”

He walks out, and Andy escorts them with his eyes until they disappear out of the door. His anger though! He is going way overboard with this.

I walk to where is standing, and I drape my arms around his neck, my eyes boring into his gorgeous dark brown ones. I love how this cold demeanour in them never changes.

“Don’t even dare talk me into forgiving them this soon. They should teach their asses how to uphold honesty.”He surely knows how to read my mind. From the start, he always, always, reads me like a book.

I cup his warm face, taking in the sweet aura of his scent.

“I wasn’t going to. I just have a question for you.””What is it?” He asks, encircling my waist, and pulling me closer to him. Huh, no, he is actually massaging my butt with his palms.

“If they told you the truth from the start, would you have loved me? Would you have accepted me into your house?”Silence! Screaming silence!

His eyes are the ones talking.

I knew it. He wouldn’t have allowed me to even set foot in his house.

“I don’t know, babe, but either way, what they did was and still is wrong. They betrayed us.” He says at last, and I see it through his eyes the hurt he is feeling.

“You should listen to their reasons, hon. This anger is not good for you.” I say, caressing his cheeks with my thumbs.

“So, have you forgiven them?”

“No. I am just looking at the brighter side of their betrayal. I met you. There is nothing more greater than this, Andy. Our love.”He pulls me in for a kiss that tastes so sweet. I hope he can forgive them and restore their friendship. They are like his family now. I would not want to see their bond get broken.

“The detective is waiting at the door!” He says, pulling away from the kiss and licking his lips.

I nod my head, trying to walk away but he holds me by the waist, pinning me to his side as he presses the remote control to open the door.

A vibrant young man walks in in a black suit that compliments his features. Medium height and a lean figure. He must be in his early thirties if I am not mistaken.

“Mr Ashton!” He greets them, a small smile on his face as they shake hands.

“Hello, detective!” They shake hands and pull away. “Welcome, and meet my wife, Tania. Babe, this is detective Paul.”Wife! Huh!

“Hello, miss…”

“Mrs… Mrs Ashton!” Andy corrects him.

What’s with the title and possessiveness, huh?

“Forgive me. Hello, Mrs Ashton.” The detective corrects, planting a stern gaze on me as he shakes my hand.

That look though!

“Hi. Nice meeting you, detective.” I mumble, his stare making me almost blush.

“The pleasure is all mine.”

I pull my hand away before this gets more awkward. He seems like a flirt!

“I did not call you here to droll over my wife, Paul. Any news about what I asked?” Andy says when this flirt of a detective kept staring at him as if she has never seen a woman.

“Your wife is such a beauty, Mr Ashton. No offence through.””I know that. Back to what brought here.”

“Yes. I don’t mean to worry you but, look at this.” He takes out two envelopes and hands them to Andy who scans them.

I can still feel his eyes peel my skin as I crane my neck to have a look at what’s written on these papers. Gosh, what a pervert he is, but wait, did I see the name “Maria Rodgers”?

“How can she have married four men in a span of two years?” Andy inquires, dropping the papers on his desk.

“That remains a mystery to us. Apart from money and wealth, there is nothing else connecting the four of you, Mr Ashton. That rules out the probability of a possible revenge mission.” The detective explains.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Then what is the name of what she is doing?” I enquire.

“That’s what we are trying to find out. Maybe it’s the desire for money. But one man out of the four is dead, of which she is a possible suspect, and now she is back in your life, Mr Ashton. We need to know her real motive.” The detective explains.

“My heart tells me that my hunch is right.” I mumble.

“What do you mean?” The detective implores.

“There is a connection between this bitch, Andy, and Damian. More than Maria, you need to investigate Damian Almenda. He is her accomplice in all this. I am sure.””We will look into that, Mrs Ashton, but I think we all know the connection between Maria and your husband – it’s their daughter and she has made it clear that she wants sole custody of her. By the way, she was seen talking to a lawyer yesterday, did you know about that?””Yes. I gave her the documents she willingly signed before she left. She probably thinks she has a chance to take my daughter away but she is so damn wrong. That is never happening.””But Angel is still a minor, Mr Ashton. For that reason alone the court might decide to open a case. You two might have to battle this in court. Your daughter will be caught up in this fight. Can you handle that?””The document clearly states that she willingly sold her daughter to me. That’s an offence on its own. She stands no fucking chance.”At this point, even the detective is shocked – like really shocked! That move of his was SAVAGE!