A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 132: RICHARD

Chapter 132: RICHARD

"Where to, Sir?" Lanke asked, as we drove past Leek Park.

Having booked the morrow with my boys, I needed to sleep today and that meant that I would have to go home early. It was already 4pm, meaning working hours were over.

But there were still things to be done at the office. Having spent the day on Sofia and her complications, I had to make up for it. Most importantly, the issue with the venue.

I had to call Mr Wan to know exactly what went amiss, that’s if he will give me a straight answer this time around, rather than beating about the bush.

Of all those in charge of HKCEC (Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre). He was the only one who had been honestly and openly receptive to our solicitation to use the venue for the collection launch. So if anything was amiss, he was the one I trusted to be honest with me, or so I had thought.

I hated being blindsided and if I wanted any shot at securing that venue or getting them to get us another venue, then I had to get my facts straight and right. But Mr Wan wasn’t helping matters.

"Take me back to the office," I told Lanke.

"Yes Sir" he bobbed, accelerating.

The events at the Blake Mansion weaved and wafted through my mind. Alicia and her daughters’ cruelty. The artworks, most especially ’Garden’. Perhaps I would ask Sofia more about it. And then, Sofia’s servitude.

It all felt surreal. Very unexpected. It was still shocking that Sofia took all that. She endured it all, to Alicia and then to her daughters. And yet, the same girl challenges me. It was insulting. Like she didn’t fear me as much as she did her stepmom and her stepsisters.

I will have to do something about that when I get her under my wing.

What was more vexing about it was that I didn’t just want her to speak up for herself or challenge them as much as she did me, but I had wanted to do it for her. I had wanted to snap at Alicia and her daughters and tell them to leave her the fuck alone.

It wasn’t just vexing, it was weird because I could swear I hated the girl, and yet at that moment I had wanted nothing more, but to protect her.

It had taken a whole lot of restraint for me not to voice out my concerns. The way it was, felt a bit out of my control, like I could almost feel myself snapping at them before I refrained from it.

In an effort not to think about any of that, I resolved to call Mr Wan. The original plan had been to zoom him from my office and laptop, but a video call will have to do. Most likely, he wouldn’t even pick up.

His chubby face appeared on the screen after the second ring,

"Good day, Mr Wellington" he greeted in that Asian accent of his.

"What is good about the day when the inconveniences you and your colleagues are costing me mount upon me like a boulder?"

"Border?" He repeated.

Mr Wan might speak English and understand the language, but not when I used words like ’boulder’, which to him might mean another thing based on the pronunciation and I was using a New City accent, no less.

He was outdoors, in what looked like a bench canopied by a peach blossom tree. Its leaves shedding every now and then. His glasses was rigded over his big pink nose.

"I meant that nothing is good about my day, unless you can change that by giving me good news"

It wasn’t necessarily a lie. My day was anything, but good.

"I’m afraid I don’t have any good news, Mr Wellington, apart from that me and my family are ready to welcome you. You are still coming tomorrow, right?"

"There has been a slight change of plans, I will be there on Sunday evening or night, depending on the weather. Though I wonder what good my coming would do when you refuse to tell me anything"

Lanke turned right, the road leading to the office.

"Honestly I think your presence will do a lot of good. And besides, if we are meeting face to face, then what is the need to discuss on the phone?"

He had a point, but a hint wouldn’t hurt. Why was he being shady with his info? Anyway, I will know soon enough.

"I guess you’re right, Mr Wan"

I was only trying to sound polite for diplomatic purposes, I needed the man’s help. If not I would have found a way to threaten the truth out of him.

"I hope so too, Mr Wellington"

I ended the call. Way to give me hope. Asians and not knowing when to be less blunt.

After witnessing the bustle and hustle in preparations for the Halloween party, I decided it was better to work from home.

That was going well, working from the comfort of my house, until I decided to take dinner in my room after I showered. Sleep took me shortly after that light meal Folake prepared for me.

I guess I was to be blamed, eating in bed, what did I expect? Definitely not being that tired. I’ve always been a light sleeper. I might be very sound asleep,but at the slightest sound I was awake. This time around it was my phone ringing, groaning, I reached for it. The time was 10:17pm. It’s been less than two hours since I fell asleep. It wasn’t late considering that most nights by now I was still outside.

It was goddamn Sofia. I had saved her number, not because it was necessary, but because I didn’t want to ask Vera to send it again if I ever wanted to call her. "What could she possibly want? If it was another ’thank you’ I swear I would make her pay" I grumbled, as I accepted the call.

"Why are you calling me at this damn hour?" I said, yawning.

"Sorry I didn’t think you’d be asleep at this time." she said.

"And why is that?"

"Nothing, just that I thought you’d be a nighthawk?"

"Because I’m a billionaire, right? Because you expect me to be at a hotel drinking myself to stupor with the wealth I was privileged to inherit, right?" I asked immediately, knowing it was exactly what she thought of me.

It wasn’t just her. People are always quick to think the worst of people like me and while I most times engage in some of these things, it wasn’t anyone’s business. I work hard and I deserve to have some goddamn good time.

"No, it’s not that." she said just as quickly, "It’s just that the last time you contacted me with this number, the text you sent was around 1am, if my memory serves me right."

Leave it to her to come up with such a believable lie to cover her lying ass. Or maybe she was telling the truth, whatever it was, I was tired and startlingly ready to go back to sleep. I guess I didn’t know just how tired I was. So I didn’t push it.

"So what is it? You better have a valid reason for waking me up"

"You told me to call Anna, but you didn’t add the supposed details, like the story behind how I became your PA, and besides the date of the Halloween party or whatever, I have nothing else to tell her"

"Is this seriously why you called me?" I asked, getting agitated.

I didn’t see the justification for her call. I gave her an errand, her work is simply to deliver, not wake me up to tell me all this.

"I’m beginning to doubt if I was wrong in hiring you" I voiced my concern.

"Technically, you haven’t hired me, I’m yet to sign the documents, remember? I appreciate the lies you told to save me and in turn you have my services, but that can only begin after I sign the contract"

I didn’t have the time for her drama, neither was I in a mood to indulge it. So, I simply told her of my expectations as my PA.

"The first thing you’re to know as my PA is to do exactly as I say without questions, that I didn’t offer you the details should tell you something. Your work is to call Anna and give her the info, how she sources the details or write the issue itself is not your concern, have I made myself clear?"

"I’m afraid not. Like I rightly said before, you have my gratitude for saving me today, even though you claim to do so for yourself alone, but I’m not obligated to do anything for you, especially in relation to work which is exactly what you are asking for, unless I’m bound by the contract, which I’m not, so good night, Mr Wellington."

"Oh you wouldn’t dare"

"Or would I?" and she fucking ended the call.