ARIEL POV
I watched as the doctor examined me. She took my pulses and also checked my breathing. I could not help but pray silently that I would finally get discharged.
It had been two days since I had been in the hospital, and the thought of leaving soon always crept to my mind. I tried not to think of my response to Mrs. Selina proposal, which I gladly said yes to.
A lot of What's and Why had been on my mind lately especially at my rushed decision. What was I thinking about to the extent of agreeing to a marriage proposal,especially to someone I had never seen in my life. I had always wanted to marry the one I love, not a marriage of inconvenience.
I groaned inwardly at my thought.
But I still couldn't help but nudge a grudge at my family,the thought of revenge slowly creeping into my mind. I doubt if I will let them go scot free, especially my stepmom. Every time I thought about it, I felt overwhelmed with emotion. It was the greatest betrayal I had ever received in my life. It was like a slap to my face.
“Miss Ariel, you will be discharged today,” My face tilted to face the doctor, as a smile crept to my lips.
If I wasn't on the hospital bed,I would probably be doing a happy dance now. She adjusted her stethoscope as she looked at me.
“Your bills have been paid. Please do well to take care. Avoid any stressful job for now, and also take a lot of rest.”
“Thank you ma. I will do everything you ask me to do, as long as I can get out of here today. I need fresh air,” I groaned, as she chuckled.
“Alright. Take care. Bye for now,” She exited the room as I leaped up with joy.
I walked to and fro before settling on the bed. My smile widened, as I felt happy and grateful to Mrs. Selina for taking good care of me and even paying off my hospital bills. It really touched my heart.
I glanced towards the right side, as I saw the file she left while she visited last night. It contained some information about her son, which no doubt confirmed that she really meant business when she said she wanted me to get married to her son.
I peeked at the file, as I scanned through his profile.
“Ryan Ackers, CEO of AK Corporation.” I read out as my eyes suddenly got glued to the picture attached to the file.
There was no doubt that he looked dazzling, especially in those black suits on him.
My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, as the person I assumed to be the driver walked in.I had often seen him with Mrs. Selina.
“Hi Miss Ariel, young master requested I bring you to his office today,” My eyes widened, trying to take in his words.
It felt as if cold air passed through me. Today?' I asked myself, as I had forgotten all about it. I was asked by Mrs. Selina to meet him after getting discharged.
“Um, okay. I will be out in the next five minutes,” I said to the man, as he nodded and left.
I picked up some of my belongings as I arranged them properly in a bag. There were few, as I quickly left for outside. Each step I took reminded me how I was free from the pungent smell of the hospital.
I said a silent prayer, as I passed through the lobby before I was directed to a car by the driver. I got inside the Black Mercedes-Benz as I inhaled the beautiful scent that accompanied it, as if it was brand new. Furthermore, I placed my stuff beside me, battling with different thoughts, as soon as the car started moving.
It felt as if my life had suddenly changed overnight. More like a Cinderella story. But all I could pray for is a happily ever after. I tried to block the possibilities of rejection from the person I would be meeting: Ryan Ackers, one of the top Billionaires in the USA CORPORATION COMPANIES LIST.
Marriage will be lovely,' I thought. It doesn't matter whether he likes me or not. I just wanted to live another life, opposite what I wanted for myself. From a simple and reserved lifestyle, to a rich and classy lifestyle.
The car stopped at the front of an immense building as I stepped out. I was putting on a floral design pink gown that reached my knee and a pink and black sandal, which was quite decent. All this, gotten by Mrs. Selina. My heart suddenly leaped with gratitude for all she had done for me.
I was awed at the exteriors of the skyscraper, but the moment I stepped in only left me speechless. The interior look took my breath away.
I glanced around at the busy lobby, quite amazed at how everywhere was. The way the sun shone through the glass walls gave the whole place some sort of light and elegance.
I was soon led by the driver to what I assumed to be a private elevator, as I noticed that we passed by the crowded ones. We both stepped in, as the elevator closed.
“What's your name, sir?” I asked as he smiled at me.
“Walter,” I nodded and returned his smile, finally glad I knew someone close enough to the Ackers family.
The elevator dings open, as I move out. Mr. Walter waved at me after pointing to the office in front of me to be that of Ryan. My heart leaped, as the elevator closed, as I turned to face the door. I moved gently towards the office, breathing in and out and finally developed the courage to knock on the door.
“Come in,”
I stepped in, closing the door gently behind, as the office looked more beautiful, with gold and black imprints as interiors.
My eyes came in contact, landing on the most beautiful pair of blue eyes I had ever seen.
“Hello, Ariel.” His voice came out slow and calm.
I froze in place as I met his gaze. He even looked better in person than in the pictures I saw earlier.
He looked breathtaking dressed in a black suit. His blonde hair combed smoothly in place, as his long dark lashes framed his eyes. He looked like a wonderful Adonis drawn out from the pages of one of the Historical Romance books I read.
“Ahem,” he faked a cough, jolting me out of my reverie.
“You should really stop staring and take your seat,” he offered, as my face flushed.
I need to work on my subtle ogling. I was not good at it. I gently found my seat in one of the chairs in front of him, as I looked sideways.
“Ariel. Why do you want to marry me?” His question came out of the blues, shocking me.
I looked up at him, as his eyes bore into mine, and for some seconds, I confessed inwardly that I was beginning to get attracted to this man.
Noticing my lack of response, he further urged:”Are you after my money?”
My face turned grim. Just great! Just when I thought he wasn't like those typical cold Billionaires I always read about, he proved me wrong. His question was like a dagger.
“Definitely not. I am not a lover of money. I only want to get married.” He chuckled at my statement, creeping me out the most.
“You can't fool me, Ariel, even if you had managed to make my mum fall for you. Listen.” He folded his hands, resting on the table, as he moved closer to me.
“I will pay you any amount. Just mention it, and it will be yours. Tell my mum you are no longer interested. You can possibly leave this country or start a new life somewhere,” He proposed, as I felt my hand itching to hit him in his face.
It was his sheer audacity for me. Does he think every girl can be bought with money?
“I think you got the wrong idea, Mr. Ryan Ackers. I accepted the marriage proposal, not because of any material benefits. I only wanted to get married. But if you do not accept this, I will gladly inform Mrs. Selina about it.”
I brought out my phone, pretending to put a call through, but his next action caught me off, as he took away the phone.
“You are not calling anyone. I just need to ask you more questions.”
He looked intently at me, making me feel a little flustered. I really wanted to leave here soon. At least for now. His gaze were not helping, I thought.
The knock on the door made him look up, as he requested for the person outside to enter.
A short petite lady with short blonde hair entered, as she looked shocked slightly as she glared briefly at me, before turning to I'm not sure we had met.
"Sir, your meeting with Mrs Samantha Delerosa is in five minutes, as she is available now. She is the owner of Sam and Lucille Corporation,"The lady states, as I felt my body tensed.
"I will be there,"Ryan stood up, as he looked at me one more time, handing back my phone to me.
"I will be right back, Ariel Peterson,"He mumbled, as they left, leaving me with my thoughts.
I bit down on the inside of my cheek, trying to calm the nerves twisting inside of me.
'They can't possibly be the one,'I thought.
My heart had started to warble inside my chest. My breaths suddenly quickened. My nerves kicked up into high gear again.
"It can't be possible. She can't be here," I mused
I shook my head, closing my eyes, as I kept quiet for a short moment, during which a deluge of apprehension fought for dominance in my forebrain.
The shadows of that night clouded my mind again.
Thank you for reading. This is my first time trying a Billionaire Romance and I look forward to your review and comments. Don't forget to give gems too. Happy reading 🤗
RYAN POV I shook hands with Mrs. Samantha as we finalized our partnership. Her company will be providing us with construction materials, and so far so good, they have been the best for the past 30 years of existence. She happened to be the new CEO of the company, and seeing our partnership worked out would make things easy for our company. “It was so nice doing business with you. We promise not to disappoint you,” She smiled warmly at me. “Thank you for the partnership. I would like you to meet the other stakeholders, as they are yearning to meet you. And since you are one of us now, we will have our quarterly meeting today,” She nodded, as we walked side by side. We proceeded to leave the meeting room to another meant for the company's quarterly meeting. I walked into the meeting room as Mrs. Samantha entered after me. We greeted each other warmly, as I sat at the end of the table. The meeting started with the progress of the company so far, and I was glad things were turning
ARIEL POV To mention that my astonished look wasn't obvious to Ryan would be an understatement. We kept looking at each other, as my gaze was filled with anger, anxiety, and confusion at the words he spewed earlier. A year of marriage, and that was all? Divorced if I do not make him fall in love with him. It was the most bizarre thing I have ever heard, especially from someone like him. He had this confused notion, which only piqued my interest about who he really was. “Yes, I agree to your terms and conditions, Ryan Ackers.” He smiled as I gently let out those words. His next course of action stunned me the most. He stood up, before getting down on one kneel. He brought out a small box, as he opened it. Unable to sit still, I immediately stood up, wondering what this was turning to. He was going to propose, and for a split second, my heart skipped a bit. “Ariel Peterson, will you marry me?” “Yes, I will,” my voice came out small, as he chuckled. Without further ado, I stret
A lot was going on my mind the moment he stepped out. I simply sat on the chair, my whole mind going to and fro. Everything seemed so sudden. The engagement, the kiss…. I felt my face flushed at the thought of the kiss. It felt good. I shook my head, discarding the thought. I still found Ryan unreadable, and he was constantly changing like a chameleon. From being sweet to cold. If not that we had only met for today, I would have considered him to be having alter personalities, but I reserved my thought until further notice. My eyes wandered to the shopping bags in front of me, as I decided to open it. My mouth slightly open at the sight of what I saw. I kept checking without picking anything in particular. A small makeup kit, comb, pair of shoe, clothes, just to mention a few. It was no doubt everything I would be needing for that evening.The first thing I craved for was food, as I gently opened the last bag containing a plastic container which has in it Bacon and eggs. I scoffed
RYAN POV There was something about Ariel's presence that I can't really put my head around. She looked beautiful, no doubt, simple, just the way I liked it. I looked at the picture of my ex-wife and Ariel, not sure why I was contrasting the two together. It felt so good and bad to be attracted to the opposite sex after so long. I felt as if I was betraying my first love. Filling my cheeks with air, I exhaled it in a puffing sound. She was the perfect one meant to me, but death took her away. My throat suddenly went dry, as I cleaned the tears which were beginning to brim down my eyes. I decided to focus on the picture of Ariel. There had to be something captivating about her that kept me drowning in the pool of attraction I was beginning to have for her. Even when I wouldn't say it to her face or anyone's face, I felt she was my gateway to moving on from the late love of my life. I couldn't forget the glitter of happiness that I felt when our brims brushed against each other. I
ARIEL POV The next day was Saturday, my best day out of the weekdays. I gazed outside my window, enjoying the view of the sun. It felt warm, and I liked it. After Mum's words to me yesterday, I felt so weak. It must have been saddening for her. If I were to be in her shoes, I doubt if I won't divorce. I could accept any mistake from my marriage partner, but him lying down with other women is a NO for me. Come to think of it, Mum never complained about it. The camera's in the house must have made her realize I heard the confession Ryan's dad had. My phone beeped, jolting me out of my thoughts. I picked it up, staring at the content on the screen, as my heart skipped for a while. Ryan sent me a message. Just great! After over a week, he had last seen me. “We will be going for a photoshoot this afternoon. Eva will help you get ready.” I read out, as I left out a frustrated groan. How was I supposed to prepare for an impromptu Photoshoot? And was it really necessary? After all, w
LUCILLE POVI braced myself, breathing in and out gently to reduce the anxiety clouding my mind. I could not count the number of times I've gazed around the sophisticated living room of my future in-laws. The thought of seeing my arranged groom, only gave me flutters within. I've spent most of my days staring at his pictures. He looks so dazzling. The constant thought of getting married soon, crossing my mind like the streams of water. Finally, I could get what was meant for her. I hope there will be a day when she will come crawling to my feet. She ruined my life. I raised my head, my eyes meeting with my future mother-in-law. I stood up, as she hugged me immediately. “Good afternoon dear. Your daughter looked more decent in real life than in pictures.” My mum smiled warmly at her words, as they exchanged pleasantries. I felt my body tingle with discomfort, faking a smile. I was definitely not pleased with her choice of words. She used decent instead of beautiful for me. “Let'
RYAN POV I let out a frustrated groan as my mum ended the call. I pinched the tip of my nose, releasing the breath I felt I had been holding for a while now. I can't believe a viral video is on with the kiss from last week at the photoshoot. There could only be one person who might have taken and posted that video. None other than Eva. I took my phone to call her, and she picked up the second ring. "Hello brother. How are you doing?" She asked. "Are you playing a game, Eva? What is with that video you released online? You know how much I detest the world seeing me." She snorted, and I could imagine her doing an eye roll. "You should calm down bro. I was looking out for you." I gritted my teeth. Those were the exact words Nick used. Was I getting too old now? I hissed. "Now, everyone knows you are not gay. Ariel's face isn't that obvious. After all, you initiated the kiss. You should have been more careful, not to kiss in the open that way." She
RYAN POV I looked on as the doctor checked Ariel's breathing through the stethoscope. I looked at her peaceful look as she slept soundly on the couch in my office. I am glad it was nothing serious, but couldn't help but send out Mrs. Samantha after she fainted. I knew instantly there had to be a mystery somewhere. After all, she claimed Ariel was her child. But Ariel's bubbling face, while she got here, suddenly turned pale at the sight of her. Putting my hand in my pocket, I stood behind the doctor. I really needed to know why she went unconscious by the sight of her mum. The doctor stood up, turning to face me. “Mr. Ryan, she is out of the danger zone.” He stated, as I nodded. “Just make sure she eats and rest. Avoid allowing her to go through stress, or situations that might warrant her getting shocked.” “Thank you, Doctor Delaney. I will make sure she follows everything you have stated.” We shook hands, proceeding to see him off. My face turned angry at the sight of Mr