The Secret Obsession of the CEO
Chapter 110: Won The Bet

Chapter 110: Won The Bet

"I know!" Julia held Rory’s hand. "I ask him to call you more often but he’d look perplexed. He’d say that he has nothing to say to you. But that’s how guys are, right? They don’t have to meet and talk all the time to prove their affection... It is different for us though... At least for me. If someone does not call me or leaves me on read, I’d imagine as if it is the end of the world, you know..." Julia chuckled.

Rory smiled as she understood. And she could see that

"Yeah...I am the same too... And Derick is right. Even if he calls, he will say what he needs to say and end the call. But I know if I call him for help, he will be there no matter what. I’ll do the same for him..."

Rory spoke from her heart. But she was a little fearful if she’s being too extra and Julia might take it the wrong way. She decided to clarify further.

"I’ll bet it will never come to that because now that he’s getting married, his top priority would be you and I’m married and I won’t have to~"

"Oh, calm down, heiress!" Julia playfully slapped Rory’s hand. "Don’t be so wary around me. I am not a child to not understand the relationship between my fiancé and his..." Julia paused and looked at Rory for a moment.

"I think he treats you more like his child that as a cousin or a sister... He always mixes up your name with Ryan’s..." Julia said.

Rory laughed. "That... might be true. He does nag like my mum..." Her face turned serious as she remembered her parents.

Julia gripped her hands. "Derick told me about your parents. I am so sorry," she said.

"Thanks," Rory smiled. Julia seemed to be a genuine person and she liked her. Derick chose wisely this time.

"I really like you, Julia. Derick needs someone like you in his life. Not some adult child."

"I am the lucky one to have met a man like him," Julia said and her eyes ended up on her engagement ring. Without knowing she smiled. "I still have to learn a lot about life, you know."

"We all do," Rory said. "Maybe no one ever learns the secrets of life entirely..."

"Yeah... Life always throws surprises at you to make you lose hope. But you know what, when you think you’re going to get washed out in a hurricane because your stupid umbrella got broken, you might get saved by an amazing man wearing a yellow cartoon printed raincoat one too many sizes small for him," Julia said.

"Is that how you met Derick?" Rory chuckled.

"Oh, yeah!" Julia mouthed and placed her hands on her chest. Her face was blushed and she looked so in love. "My superhero!"

"Superhero?" Rory laughed. "Was he seriously wearing Ryan’s raincoat?"

"Why, Miss Heiress! That’s not very nice, is it? To drag a man for wearing his child’s raincoat? Shame on you! Superman wore his underpants over his tights. We all admit he’s a superhero, right?"

Rory could not even answer her. She held her abdomen and laughed. "Oh, you’re stupidly in love..."

"I am stupidly in love!" Julia laughed along. "Is there a better kind?"

"Of course, there isn’t! Trust me, I know!" Rory said. "Let’s call that unconditional love. That sounds more decent, right?"

She truly believed that. Because unconditionally loving someone is stupidity. It goes against any rational thoughts. No one should put all their eggs at one basket. But unconditional love is just that.

It’s all or nothing.

"Speaking of adult-children..." Julia’s face turned serious. "She’s really mad at you; like vengeful ghost mad! I would ask you to be careful around Meghan. She might hurt you."

"Eh!" Rory shrugged. "She cannot get to me. She’s too much of a coward to fight those who fights back. I’m not worried..."

She hoped that woman would do something. That would help them rescue Ryan from her. It made Rory wonder what Julia’s stance might be on taking care of her husband’s child from previous marriage. She might think that she did not sign up for that if the arrangements are changed.

But Derick must have talked to her about it, right?

"She might not. But her friends might..." Julia wetted her lips. "It doesn’t hurt to be careful right?"

"Yeah..." Rory nodded. "Thanks. I will be careful."

Rory wondered if she should bring up the bridesmaids. Julia still didn’t bring up that topic and she thought that maybe Derick did not talk to Julia about it. She was relieved. She cannot mess up the wedding preparations of Julia.

"Can you tell me what happened in his div...about Megan?"

Rory gasped unconsciously. She didn’t think that Julia would bring up the divorce all of a sudden. She wondered if that was Julia’s intention all along.

After the initial shock, Rory wondered why Derick never talked about his divorce to Julia. But should he have?

She didn’t know.

And there was her vindictive side that wanted to reveal Derick’s secret that the keeps to his fiancée. He did not keep her secret from Liam, right? Shouldn’t she hold him to his standards?

But then, it really is not her tale to tell.

"Julia, I am sorry to say this. I don’t think I have the right to say talk to you about it, when it was his experience. I am just a partial witness. You should talk to Derick about his past relationships. But I truly think that Derick loves you dearly. He didn’t even let me meet with you. That’s how much he loves you!"

Rory said. Julia was bowing her head and she started typing something in her phone. She typed really fast. Rory’s heart started to pound.

Now what’s going on?

"YES!" Julia sprang up from the chair suddenly, startling Rory. "Wedding shoot in a castle!" she started dancing. "Thank you, Rory!" She ran to Rory and hugged her.

"Okay...You’re happy..." Rory hugged Julia back. "But can you tell me what’s going on?"

"I am happy! I won the bet, Rory!" Julia kissed her cheek.

Bet?

Rory got an idea what this might be about but she waited for the happily dancing Julia to elaborate further.

"Derick said that you will tell me Derick’s story with a lot of embellishments. He even said that you would try and stop the wedding to get back..." Julia leaned to Rory’s ears. "For revealing your secret to your husband, you see..." she whispered.

"Oh?" Rory nodded. "But I would never want to stop the wedding."

"I know! That’s what I said! I knew you wouldn’t reveal his secret. And we made a bet! And I won! We won, Rory! I’ve only heard about you but I guessed what kind of person you are. And you are exactly that!"

Julia pinched Rory’s cheeks. "Oh, you are so sweet and cute and...Ah! I love you so much!"

"Okay..." Rory laughed.

She is so very cute!

Rory was so happy that Derick found himself a good woman.

"Alright..." Julia took in a deep breath to compose herself. "He still hasn’t read the message. He and Darcy went out for a run... more like a race. They’ll be back soon."

"Oh?"

Darcy? She is calling Liam "Darcy"? Adorable! And has Liam and Derick started with their silliness already?

And Julia...

Rory started to feel fuzzy in her heart looking at her. There are a very few people who would trust her this much. And it makes her happy.

And she did not think that Derick would have thought that she would stop his wedding. He might have wanted to give Julia what she wanted. but he probably did not want to seem "easy" and used this useless bet as a means.

Ah...I hope he heals from his trauma entirely.

"I meant it when I said I like you, Rory. I see how the family treats you... And I can see why you have people who don’t like you...girls who don’t like you. I have similar experiences. You know, a girl as pretty as you, married to a handsome hunk... It’s jealousy!" She said.

"Well... I don’t make it easy to like me..." Rory said with a slight blush. "You come from a big family too?" she asked.

"Yes. And I am my grandpa’s pet. And my cousins... don’t like me... That’s why I can understand you. And guess what, my grandma promised me her skillet. I am her kitchen heiress!"

"Kitchen Heiress! I love that name!" Rory chuckled.

As they were speaking, they heard some ruffling noises from the outside.

"Are they hogs?" Julia said looking through the kitchen window.

Rory took a glance. And her lips curved up. "You’re from the south, right, Julia? How good is your aim?" she asked opening the cabinet near the basement door. It was lined up with various guns.

"I’m..." Julia shrugged and picked up a rifle. "Oooh! This is good stuff!"

"Get a hog for grandma, Julia!" Rory winked picking up her favorite gun. "You can become grandma’s jewel-box Heiress!"

"That’s tempting!" Julia ran out of the door. Rory followed.

The dark shadow that was reflecting on the photo frames on the stairs melted away.