A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 118: RICHARD

Chapter 118: RICHARD

A part of me itched to know exactly how long it has been since Sofia left with Vera to go and sign the document. But the greater part of me was more concerned with the list of trouble in front of me.

There was so much I didn’t know about these ladies. The list may have mentioned the good traits and their careers, but all that was superficial. They were layers, not the actual character.

Most of them were actually popular, like Ruby Singh, the two time Grammy winner. Her songs were loved. Which wasn’t a surprise since the majority of the world’s populace were hopeless romantics. Clinging to the idea of love and romance as if it was life itself.

Her first album ’Reds & Blues’ which was all about the aftermath of heartbreak, scored her three Grammy nominations, of which she won two.

Not many could pull off two Grammys with their first album and most musicians hadn’t won their first Grammy until they were into late twenties or thirties even, and even at that they didn’t get it with their first album. But Ruby, she had done it at 21.

Her song ’Wreck’ from her album still remains number one on Trendify - the most popular and number one streaming platform where an artist’s popularity and how well loved was based on how many streams. Her’s was at over 45 million streams and has been on the number one spot for a month now.

I guess we have one thing in common, we are both ambitious and very gifted. We are game changers, leaving a mark already at a very young age.

Another was Juliana Knight, the granddaughter of Evelyn Knight. The legendary actress with her extraordinary acting and superb perfection of any role had won 5 Oscars before she retired.

Her first movie ’Avalanche’ had won her her first Oscar though she was nominated twice for her performance in that film. I have seen the movie in question, the Hanttan Cinema had played it in tribute to the icon’s 70th birthday. I had gone with Claire of course, that was before I got wind of her unfaithfulness. Those days that she still had my respect, and I can say Evelyn was exceptional in her role as Nilsa Daffel, the girl who was trapped in an underground cave after an avalanche. The film was about her survival from the cave back to her village. It had taken her five days to find her way back and I recall many crying when the movie ended. Including Claire, only sheer wit stopped my own tears, that was how good Evelyn was.

If Juliana was anything like her then I’m certain she will do better. Perhaps win a double Oscar on her first performance.

I was about to check if there was another one as popular when Sofia barged in, uninvited. Hopefully she had signed the damned thing because her first job would be to conduct an extensive research on these ladies.

"So have you signed it?" I asked her, closing my laptop.

"Not yet," she replied.

I gave her a questioning brow because that was not the answer I expected.

"This is an amazing offer." She continued taking the hint, "A once in a lifetime opportunity, and like you said, a choice, an alternative from what is waiting for me at home. Honestly it’s like a dream come..."

"Can you stop rambling and get to the point, I don’t have all day." I interrupted, wishing she would just straight to the point.

And indeed, this was unlike her. Sofia Blake didn’t ramble.

"I’m still waiting" I hugged in frustration when she kept mute.

"Oh sorry, I just don’t know how to say this"

"This should be interesting, the outspoken Sofia Blake suddenly lost for words" I said smiling though I burned with the curiosity to know what she had to say.

Like a model, she cat walked over and sat down, resting her arms on the desk, then she leaned forward and said,

"I was only trying to go about this the easy way, but it’s clear someone like you should never have it easy. Now, what you are offering is great, perhaps to some. But not me. This is nothing compared to what I will have to deal with. In fact, it’s basically not enough for what I would have to go through"

I smiled, twirling in my chair before saying,

"Why am I not surprised? Of course, it’s not enough for you. Only you will be offered such an opportunity and it still won’t be enough. But does this mean you are actually considering the offer?"

She leaned back, crossed her legs before answering,

"Accept my demands and we shall see about that"

"By all means, let’s hear it," I said, leaning forward.

I watched her swallow a lump, she was nervous. Which was indeed a cause for alarm, because she wasn’t one to express nervousness.

"Like I said before, this is a huge opportunity" she began, before I flashed her a look that I made sure to remind her that I wasn’t up for another beating about the bush.

"And what you are offering as incentives, the salary, the allowances and all, it should be enough, but it’s not. Hear me out, I will be dealing with your proud ass everyday, no offense but you are a lot. And not just that, I’ll also be dealing with fifteen ladies who, no matter how well behaved, must be a lot on their own. I know they’ll see me as an obstacle and most might even try to kill me and get me out of the picture especially if they find out how much sway my opinions hold and I like to believe that it does because if it doesn’t then this will never work out."

She paused, her last statement lingering, demanding an answer.

"Of course it does," I assured, pissed that yet again she was questioning my words, "you insult me by assuming that I would lie or not take my own pronouncement seriously. If you can’t trust me and my words then maybe you are right, this might not work out after all"

It was as if she got something from always questioning me and contradicting my words.

"Exactly, my point!" She yelled, clearly frustrated. Then surprisingly, she sighed and continued, "if this must work, then we must trust each other. And that means, no secrets. No holding out and taking each other’s words less seriously. If I tell you something that I read, you have to take my word for it and in no way would you undermine my authority in front of any of the prospects. Can you do that?"

"Can you?" I iterated.

"Of course," she scoffed, "it’s no secret that I can’t stand you, but I can do this. I can learn to take your word for it, at least I’m willing to try"

"But is that even possible? I mean to trust someone that you hate?" I asked.

The second those words came out. It became more than just a witty response. I found myself really questioning the possibility of being able to trust someone that one hates. Was it even possible?

"I don’t know honestly," she began, "but I believe it can be done. In fact, I think we are doing it already. You kinda trust me that was why you offered me this choice and you may claim that you have a plan in case I decide to leave and spill, but the truth is that you know I won’t. Not leaving though, the spilling part of course. And so, with that being said and hopefully established, I’d like to get to my second demand..."

"Hold up," I cut in, "I don’t know about that wackass theory of yours, but yeah maybe we can learn to trust each other. And to be clear, your first demand was the establishment of trust, am I right?"

She had smiled. As much as I had tried to rush over the truth in her words, she knew. The bitch fucking knew that she was right.

"Yes," she grinned, "maximum trust is one of them, the second is maximum protection so these girls and your shit ton of enemies don’t kill me and then there’s the matter of what happens after. Like after I help you get what you want, after our contract ends..."

"You are rambling again," I interrupted, cutting her off, "just go ahead and tell me what you want to say. But you should know that you will be adequately compensated after our contract ends and you are in no circumstance allowed to tell people about me, what you learnt while working with me, everything must not leave these walls. Simply put, the contract may end but the NDA won’t. It would have been easy if we just erase your memories, but the technology for that is still not really user friendly, so that means there’s a probability that you will have to stay lip sealed about all of it until the day you die"

"Wow" she muttered. More to herself than for my hearing.

I knew she hadn’t thought of it like that. She hadn’t known the extent of what I was offering her. I just hope I hadn’t scared her off.

"To be honest," she began, "I haven’t really given much thought to the ’after’ and now you’ve mentioned it. It kinda sounds way too ambiguous and stressful. And I know I’m right when I say that no reward would ever be enough to keep someone tight lipped till death, but I’m hoping the start up of my own brand ’U-nique’ won’t be too much to ask."

I had been relieved at where her speech was going, at least it wasn’t edging towards denial, until...

"Um... your own brand?" I found myself stuttering, genuinely shocked.

Of all the things I expected her to name, her own brand was too much..