BETROTHED TO THE BILLIONAIRE

Ryan’s POV

For the first time in years, my conscience is judging me for how I acted to Valerie’s accusation last night and how she expected something else from me.

I am not supposed to feel bad for her because she is not a good person but I can’t help not feeling bad for not being there just like she expected of me.

She was right.

I am selfish. She helped me but it never crossed my mind to help make her ex-boyfriend jealous and for him to realize what he has lost.

This might be because I really feel that losing her is a great thing. After all, she is full of trouble and no man might want to be with her.

I feel this is why he broke up with her. But on second thoughts, it is obvious they both loved each other despite her shortcomings but they broke things up because he cheated.

Why do men cheat?

This takes me back on memory lane and makes me sigh as I sit at the back of the car with a box in my hand.

I am going home.

I bought a gift for Valerie to apologize for what I said last night. If I think about all she has done, I won’t apologize but I need to apologize because she is helping me despite everything.

She has every right to ruin it all. She can ruin everything for me but she isn’t doing anything.

She ignored me this morning and even after I told her that the contract has been revised and she needs to sign it.

She ignored me like a piece of trash. I kept the contract beside her on the bed before leaving for work.

Now that I am going back home, my mind is filled with her thoughts. I wonder what she is doing right now and if she is thinking about that guy or not.

Valerie remains a mystery to me and I wonder if I will ever be able to solve the puzzle of her existence.

I expected her to cry it out after we left the club. But she didn’t and I wonder if she is truly heartbroken.

Do people not cry when they are heartbroken? Her dried eyes and the smiles on her face made my confusion increase and my analysis of her more jumbled.

I guess she is pretending. She is so good at it anyway.

I rub my hands over the box, hoping she will accept my apology.

The car drives into the courtyard and I quickly dump the box into my briefcase before picking the briefcase up to go out.

John opens the car door for me and I step out, taking long strides toward the front door.

We don’t need to fight all the time. This is when we both need each other. I will be there for her now and she will be there for me. If only I can summon up the courage to tell her everything I have in mind but I doubt that she would understand my perspective.

She seems to have a different view of everything.

I have come to terms with my Mother’s health. I visited the doctor and spoke to him about her treatment. He told me the same thing Valerie said. We shouldn’t force her. We should just try to make her happy and see how things turn out to be.

It hurts. The thought of it alone pierces my heart with a dagger but there is absolutely nothing I can do.

I enter inside the mansion, nodding to the greetings of the maids as I focus on taking the staircase up to our room, my briefcase dangling right beside me.

Within minutes, I am in front of the door and I turn the doorknob to see that it is locked.

I furrow my brows. Isn’t she here?

I quickly dip my hand into the briefcase to fish out the room key. Valerie must have gotten the spare key from the head maid because I know I didn’t give her any key.

I always lock my room before heading out but that has changed now. She is always in the room whenever I leave for work so I don’t lock the door anymore.

Realizing that I am currently unlocking the door, I wonder where Valerie has gone. She is always indoors. She is always in the room whenever I come back from work too.

The door unlocks and I push it open to enter. My gaze falls immediately on the empty space where her bed was this morning before I left for work.

She must be in her room then. Maybe she has gone back to her original room. It isn’t raining today after all.

With a nod at my own thoughts, I turn back to go out and check her room. I just need to give her the gift as a form of apology for what I did last night and then everything will go back to normal. We can start making plans to go on dates according to the contracts as soon as I confirm with her if she has already signed the contract.

I find myself in front of her room within seconds and I turn the doorknob. It is also locked.

My brows are furrowed further in confusion.

She isn’t in my room neither is she in hers. Where the hell is she then?

Remembering that I have her number which I saved last night after she pointed it out that I haven’t saved her number, I dial it and put the phone to my ears, standing in front of her door to know if she is actually out or inside sleeping.

If she is out, where the hell did she go without informing me? It is getting late already and she shouldn’t be out by this time without a guard or a driver.

I can’t believe I am worried and angry as the phone goes to voicemail.

She isn’t picking.

Why isn’t she picking up? Where the hell did she go? Is she with my Mother? Or her Mother?

I drop the phone off my ears and try her number once more.

Still the same.

I keep redialing her number till it becomes unreachable. I feel a pang of disappointment with a mixture of panic.

Where has she gone? Does this have anything to do with what I said to her last night? Is she ok? Is she brooding over last night?

Wait.

Brooding? Is this about her ex-boyfriend? Is she with him?

What the hell! Why will she be with him? They aren’t together anymore and she is married to me.

The more questions I ask myself, the angrier I become at myself for not being man enough to handle someone I call my wife.

She disrespects me and that is why she feels she can leave the house at any time of the day without my consent.

With a deep frown on my face, I stroll back toward my room. I am suddenly wondering why I had to waste my time and effort by going to get her a gift when it isn’t even sure if she is going to accept it.

I get to my door and turn the doorknob just in time for me to hear the sound of heels clacking on the staircase leading to my room.

Instinctively, I look back to see Valerie walking slowly up the staircase with her head bowed.

She looks downcast.

She gets to the last stairs and finally gazes up to see me standing with my right hand on the doorknob and my left hand gripping my briefcase firmly so it won’t fall down out of shock.

She is looking like a goddess. Stunningly dressed in a white floral print midi dress that stops below her knees, her pack down, and her lips in red lipstick.

Where the hell did she go in this dress? Where the hell is she coming from by this time of the night?

Before I can find my voice, to either ask her calmly or shout at her, she walks past me heading towards her own room. I watch her open the door and enter without sparing me a glance.

Then, she slams the door shut.