A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 134: RICHARD

Chapter 134: RICHARD

I was this close to calling her back.

My finger laid just a touch away from dialing her number, until I decided not to.

The bitch was really pushing my limits. After explicitly telling her not to end the call, she fucking did.

And of all nights, this particular night after I saved her stupid ass from being entangled with a man she did not love for the rest of her life. Without my intervention, in two weeks time she would have walked the aisle and said ’I do’ whether she wanted to or not.

I still don’t know why she couldn’t tell her stepmom no, or even speak up against the ill treatment leveled on her by those she called stepsisters. But there had to be something other than the kindness they bestowed on her by taking her in, there had to be more to it.

Whatever it was, it was efficient. It subdued her to the very least. Perhaps I would ask the ever ready to please dowager and have that power over the blasted girl.

Because it was really getting out of hand. She was growing more guts and I had to keep her in check. I expected nothing short of appreciation and compliance after saving her, but instead I got defiance and a fake ass play at appreciation. How can you be grateful and at the same time, refuse to please the one who just saved you?

Most girls who have been calling me nonstop to share my bed, or do whatever I wanted. Most would have surrendered themselves to me to do as I pleased, but not the fool headed, Sofia Blake.

Woe to me for pitying her. The girl deserved every maltreatment she was getting at their house. She even deserved more. And I was going to make sure she gets it.

One would even think that after seeing her all servitude and helpless, she might actually be embarrassed by it. Considering all those times, she challenged and wagged her tongue at me, only for me to see her in such a state of muteness and submissiveness, a normal person wouldn’t even dare question my orders again, but Sofia wasn’t normal.

She was mad and the girl had no shame. Perhaps she even took it as nothing.

I felt like punching myself. How could I have ever saved that bottle of Petrus, I should have allowed it to ruin that rug and then her stepmom would kill her. An ending very deserving of her.

But it wasn’t over yet.

With a whole lot of restraint, I dropped off my phone on the glossy top surface of the side gold rimmed drawer. I was going to get her, I would let her think it meant nothing to me, at least until she signs the damn contract and then she would be bound to do all I say.

The Italians had a saying,

"La vendetta è meglio servirla fredda"

Revenge is best served cold.

And they are right. So right. The best revenge is that which was unexpected. That which came as a surprise.

It’s hard being patient about these kinds of things. But in the end, it’s usually worth it all.

Getting Sofia to sign the contract would legally bound her to me and at the same time, lay the groundwork for my future revenge. Denying her, her brand.

What could possibly be better?

With that reassurance, I went back to sleep. It was hard trying to fall asleep with the notion of revenge reeling through my thoughts. I knew I should exercise patience, but I could only do that when I got her to sign the contract.

Revenge is best served cold, yes. But patience comes when a plan is set into place. When there’s a set of events leading up to it.

And my first step is getting her trapped with the contract. Which I couldn’t wait to do.

The thing with finding it hard to sleep is that it comes at that time when you don’t want it. I was so expectant of dawn, only to fall asleep at the break of it.

It took the blare of my alarm to jerk me awake by 6am. I dragged myself out of bed to get ready.

I had told her to be at the office by 8am and I was planning on being there before her.

After my morning workouts and exercises, I showered. I was wearing my clothes when Chad called.

"Hello" I said, picking up.

"Hey player, what’s up?"

I put the call on speaker, leaving it on the bed as I dressed.

"I’m aight, how about you? How are you holding up?"

"Better, I guess. Somehow the news you shared with us about your situation had me considering my priorities. My heartbreak seems inconsequential compared to your dilemma"

"So, we’ve got jokes this morning?"

"Nothing like that. You know I’m not Aaron. I will never joke about something like that."

"Hey, it’s not that grave. It’s not like I’ll be trapped or anything, I will just have to sire an heir and my life can return to normal"

"If you say so, anyway I got your gift."

I froze, the tie I was knotting temporarily suspended. I don’t remember sending him any gift.

"My gift?" I repeated.

"Yeah. Though I’m not a fan of things like that, but I liked it"

"Hol’ up, what are you talking about? I don’t remember sending you any gift"

"You mean it wasn’t you who ordered the book, ’Echoes of Heartbreak’ by Terres Michael? Then how come the delivery guy mentioned you?" the last part had been more to himself rather than me.

But I did remember. I didn’t know I had gone ahead to order the book.

"Yeah now I remember, that was me. Perhaps I was drunk when I made such a decision"

"Oh come off it. I’ve known you for a long time, I know that underneath that coldness and arrogance, you have a good heart"

"More like a deteriorating heart" I chipped in, "but do go on"

He hesitated after that. Chad was the most sentimental of all of us. I can be emotional and mask it, but not Chad.

"Shit, I didn’t mean to remind you of that"

"Oh come on, it’s not like my very beat is not a reminder, come on. So, you were saying?"

"Well I hate poems and all that cliched bullshit people do when they are heartbroken, or I used to. I guess I shouldn’t have been so quick to assume the patheticness of it all until I’ve experienced it. I’m yet to read the book, but I just want to appreciate the fact that even with your own drama, you still managed to be a good friend, sending this my way. It means that you thought of me"

"Oh stop it. This heartbreak of yours has gotten you all soft. You better not mention this later tonight during our hangout or else I would have to tell Aaron that I did it out of pity"

"Get out of here with all that bullshit, you did it out of love"

"Goodluck convincing Aaron with that, everyone knows I’m incapable of love"

"Asshole"

"Now you are speaking my language"

"Fuck off"

"Wait, I will be introducing you guys to someone this evening, so try not to be as gloomy"

"Fuck off, I’m not gloomy, anyway as much as I don’t like poems, I will try to read this one, it’s not like I have anything to do. And besides, isn’t that the essence of you ordering it in the first place, perhaps after reading it I will save it for you, who knows one day that unbreakable heart of yours might actually be broken by someone"

Yes, I hadn’t told them the truth about Melissa Borders. I hid the pain and hurt so well that they never suspected anything.

"Keep messing with me. Gotta go though, I have an 8am appointment"

"Yeah, get outta here"

And the call beeped an end.

I had dumped the tie, going for a simpler outfit since Saturday wasn’t really a working day. I had on a black Wellington tee, black jeans and a pair of white sneakers.

I had to skip breakfast since it was already twenty minutes past 7am. Lanke was waiting outside, he took my case and we left.

Fifteen minutes later, I was making my way to the elevator, greetings in my wake. I noticed that Emily wasn’t at her desk, as the CEO these were things I ought to notice.

"Good morning, Sir. She went for a bathroom break" Ashley answered, without me even asking. I only approached with my eyes lingering on the empty space. I guess I was that obvious.

Without another word, I made for the elevator, ignoring the greetings that trailed after me.

I wasn’t really a bad boss. But I couldn’t do this every morning, wave and answer every goddamn greeting. It was exhausting. And they understood, my employees I mean, the security guards, the clerks, marketers and practically everyone at the lobby.

My silence wasn’t rudity, it was just my own way. It had surprised them all the day I called each and every one of them by their full name. That had proved to them that I might not necessarily answer their greetings, but I heard them and I knew each and every one of them.

That’s what a good CEO does.