BETROTHED TO THE BILLIONAIRE

Valerie’s POV

About my contract with Ryan, I am hundred percent sure my mother is responsible for telling Father. She can barely hide things from him even when he hides almost everything about himself away from her.

If Mother knows the secret between him and Mr. Lorenzo then I won’t bother myself so much just for him to tell me what it is.

I won’t be here again, determined to do whatever it takes for him to tell him the truth. This is the only way Ryan can believe me and this is the only way we can save his Mother.

When I told him Anita was involved, he went ballistic with anger. I thought he was going to ask me why I said that or what I saw so I could explain but he became furious, he wouldn’t even speak to me as we rode home in silence.

Slowly, I am beginning to get tired of everything. I can’t take any action so I won’t jeopardize my life, my parent’s life, and even Ryan’s. He isn’t seeing the efforts I am making in all of this.

But last night, he was calm and back to his normal self. He asked me a question. A part of him wanted to believe me but the other part was still in denial of what his so-called Father is capable of. Maybe it was because I told him his Mother told me about the fake miscarriage. Maybe his Mother also said something about it.

If that is the case, then I also need to visit her. I need to question her about a lot of things. I need to ask her about that day.

Something is definitely fishy. Maybe she wants to protect her husband and daughter but what I can’t comprehend is why a daughter would want to harm her Mother.

I can never do that to my Mom, even though she is so annoying sometimes that I can’t help it.

The door creaks open and I adjust to my seat. I’m sure it’s dad.

I have been coming here for days to see him but he is always absent. I asked mom where he went but she said she didn’t know either.

Father is hiding a lot from us and it’s unfair. We need to know what he’s up to.

I have been sitting here deep in thought and thinking of what to do to convince him to tell me what it is for almost 2 hours.

Ryan might be home soon but my phone is on silent because I don’t want any interruption during my conversation with Father. I also told Mom to give us privacy with the promise that I will tell her everything if he tells me.

I don’t plan to tell her everything, though. Just a part of it. I just told her that because I wanted her to cooperate and let me be till he comes back.

“Valerie?” I hear his surprised voice call me. I pretend to jerk upright and look back to see him.

“Dad?” I say in a small voice.

Worry creases his face and I examine him carefully. He is wearing one of his office dresses and wonders what he is up to.

He takes long strides toward me and squats to my height. “What’s the matter?”

I shake my head. Before I can think of something to say, tears spring to my eyes and I begin to cry.

My tears are coming right on time and I feel so grateful. This is the only way I can get him to talk. This is the only way I can get him to support me and listen to me.

“What’s the matter? Did someone hurt you?” his concerned voice speaks up as he holds up my face again with his two hands firmly on them.

I still have the bandages on even though the doctor asked me to come to take them off today but I wanted Dad to see me with them one more time as a way to convince him to help me.

I can’t find my voice. I don’t even know what to say. I don’t want to lie that something happened just to win his sympathy.

“Is it Ryan?” he demands, his tone changing into that of anger.

That gets my attention. I look up and shake my head intermittently. “No, Dad.”

He glances around before resting his gaze back on my face. “Are your things here? Are you back home?”

Is he still on this issue of coming back home?

I shake my head again. “I love him, Dad. I love my husband and he needs me now more than ever.”

With a furious look on his face, he rises and begins to walk away.

“I thought you loved him as well, Dad? I thought you permitted him to call you Dad? Why do you hate him all of a sudden? Why did you let me marry him if you didn’t want me to fall in love with him? Why did you persuade me into this marriage if this wasn’t in your plans?”

That makes him stop in his tracks without turning back.

“I love him already. I can’t just leave him now that he needs me the most. His mother is dying slowly because of that man. You know so well that he isn’t his Father so why are you mad at him?”

“I am not mad at Ryan, I just want you to come home so you can be safe…”

“And leave my marriage?” I cut him short and rise slowly. “Did Mother leave you when you were having issues with the company? She might not be the best wife in the world because of her love for wealth and material things but she stood by you despite that. Now you want me to leave the husband you got me married to? You shouldn’t have coerced me into this then if this was going to be the end anyway.”

He does not say anything and I continue to sob while standing, cleaning my tears with my two hands. I really do not know if these tears are fake or real. I just want them to keep coming.

I know he can’t stand it for too long.

I hear him sigh deeply before turning back to face me squarely.

“What do you want?” he asks. I don’t need to think twice about the question. I don’t need anything but the truth. “You want to continue staying with him? Fine, go.”

“No!” I say sharply. “I want the truth. About the relationship between you and his Father.”

“Why? What has that got to do with any of this?”

“It has a lot to do with it. I almost died, Father. That man almost killed your only child and all you can do is sit back and watch? Is it until he kills someone before you tell the world about who he truly is?!”

I didn’t plan for my voice to be raised at him but I can’t help the anger creeping slowly into my system, even though I know he hates it.

“This has nothing to do with him, Val…”

“It does. Because you know his true identity…”

“How do you know that I do?” he interrupts me from going further.

“Don’t you?”

He remains silent, watching me with a worried face. “How do you know he is responsible for all of these?”

I gulp silently.

This is the same question that Ryan keeps asking me. I can’t tell my Dad the same answer I gave Ryan.

“Because he isn’t Ryan’s biological father”, I answer with all honesty.

All I told Ryan is that I can feel it. I told him it’s my instinct and my instinct is never wrong.

But now for the first time, since all of this started, I ask myself what will happen if I am wrong? Even after seeing Anita, I feel he is solidly behind it all.

If I didn’t know he wasn’t his biological Father, maybe I wouldn’t feel this way. Maybe I won’t be accusing him of all these but the sad truth is that he isn’t Ryan’s Father and to be honest, I am glad Ryan didn’t come out from such a cruel man.

“You are judging him based on that?”

“No!” I deny it but the real answer is yes. I am being judgemental. I have no evidence to show for it.

I need evidence.

When he shakes his head, I know he is disappointed in me and he will dismiss me, so I rush towards him and bend down to hold his legs as I start to cry again.

I continue to cry for minutes before he eventually holds me up with a tender expression.

“I beg of you. Help me.”

“I can’t, Val.”

“Please.”

“What exactly do you want to know about him?” he demands with a tone of firm authority. I ignore the tone and answer.

“Everything. Why isn’t he helping you? Who is Ryan’s biological Father? What is your relationship with him?”

“You really want to know?” he demands for the umpteenth time.

“Yee”, I reply with full confidence. “I do.”

I wipe my tears dry and wait for him to start but he is still silent. He doesn’t look as if he is ready to spill the beans but I am more than determined to get my answers today.

“Wall has ears. Let’s meet at Stanford Avenue tomorrow morning. I will tell you everything that you need to know.” he asserts firmly and I nod while he pats my shoulder and walks off to the bathroom.

I thought I would get to know everything tonight but I guess I have to leave it till tomorrow. I should go home now before Ryan begins to get worried.

I walk slowly to the door, utterly exhausted. I touch the doorknob and twist it open to reveal Mother by the door with wide open eyes filled with curiosity.

She was eavesdropping.