TITLE:💵💵💰MR BILLIONAIRE💰💵💵
🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻 EPISODE 29 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
“You will have to teach me every single one
of your dishes” I said to Maggot as she
served us our lunch.
“Yes, so that I get to eat all of this even in
New York” Aaron said, eating a spoonful of
the curry.
“Sure!” Maggot laughed and patted my
shoulders.
She went back to the kitchen, while Aaron
and I savored our food, talking and laughing
on random t©pics. He really has a great
s-en-se of humor and I love it.
We were just done eating when Tobias c@m£
back. He placed a shopping bag on one of
the chairs “I’ve got all that you asked for.
You can check and tell me if anything is
missing” he said with a genuine smile and I
nodded my head.
“And what about this?” He asked Aaron,
showing him an envelope.
“Oh, it c@m£” Aaron said, wiping his hands
and gulping a glas-s full of water. He took the
envelope from Tobias’ hand and started
re-ading, whatever was written on it.
I picked up our plates and moved towards the
kitchen. Placing them in the sink and washing
my hands, I turned to Maggot who was again
cooking something.
“What are you cooking now?” I asked, wiping
my hands with a napkin.
“Pudding cake” she spoke, not even turning to
look at me. I watched her keenly as she
added all the ingredients and mixed the
batter. Once she was done, she poured it all
in a bowl, placed it inside the oven, and
finally turned to face me.
“Sorry. But when I’m cooking I focus only
and only on it” she said with a toothy smile.
“I un-derstand”.
“You can sit here…” Maggot said pushing me
to sit on a chair and turning back to the
kitchen counter “…while I clean the mess”.
I quic-kly got off from my seat and walked
next to her “I’ll help you”.
She told me stories about her grandchildren,
of how n@ûghty they are and how much she
loves them while, I helped her in cleaning the
counter and the dishes. She even said that
she is extremely happy that Aaron finally got
married as that was the last thing she
expected from him. I couldn’t help but laugh
when she said she considers Aaron as her
own son and she wants some grandchildren
real soon.
Seriously! It’s been just two days that we are
married!
After having a long chat with Maggot, I took
my leave and walked towards my be-droom.
Aaron was alre-ady standing near the window,
looking out at the beach and lost in de-ep
thoughts.
I went and stood next to him. He was startled
by my sudden appearance but his
expressions changed the very next moment.
“I was waiting for you. Here” he said and
took out an envelope from his pocket. It was
the same one that Tobias gave him earlier.
“What’s this?” I asked, taking it from him and
looking inside it.
There were a few papers inside it but the
thing that gained my attention was a card. I
carefully took it out, giving back the envelope
to Aaron. Just a look at it and I was
speechless.
It was a gold credit card with my name
written on it with block gold letters. I looked
up at Aaron, he was staring back at me with
a worried look on his face.
“Why?” I asked him with wi-de eyes.
“I knew it! I so knew it! Caroline, why can’t
you just happily take the things I give you and
say a simple thank you rather than asking for
a reason every time” he said with a bored
expression on his handsome face.
He wants me to accept a gold credit card that
he gives me, all of a sudden, with a smile on
my face without asking anything. Is he
insane?!
“Aaron, have you ever thought about the
things you give me?” I asked but he just
raised a quizzical eyebrow so I continued
“you want me to simply thank you when you
gift me a br@nd new Lamborghini just
because dad wasn’t allowing me to use his
cars and for buying a shoe worth 6000
dollars only because you saw me looking at it
and for all the extra dresses you bought for
me when we went for shopping in Milan and
for giving me a gold credit card with my
name written on it all of a sudden? Are you
out of your mind!” I said it all in one go and
had to wait at the end to get some air in my
lungs.
“You’re exaggerating. It’s just a credit card”
he rolled his eyes.
“Oh really? Exactly how much money is there
in my account?” I asked. His expressions
changed with that question and he gave me a
sheepish grin.
I folded my arms across my che-st, and with
a serious look on my face, I waited for him
to answer.
“It’s your new account and it’s connected to
mine so…” he started to speak nicely but
trailed off in the end.
I sighed, then with a last look at the card I
took Aaron’s hand and gave the card back to
him “I don’t nee-d this”.
“And why is it so?” He asked in a dead
serious voice.
“Because there is really no nee-d for it” I
whispered, looking down at my hands “if I
want something, I can ask you for it. I know
you’ll get it for me. I don’t want any money, it
just creates a rift between people and
destroys relationsh!ps. I didn’t marry you for
your mone…”
“Wait a second. Where did that thought come
from?” Aaron said, his tone a little higher
than normal. I focused on my hands not able
to look up to him.
I have seen my parents relationsh!pend
because of money. All my life dad has been
running after money, ignoring everything
else, not caring of anyone. I know this credit
card has nothing to do with my past and dad
but I just can’t accept it knowing this is what
Lahaina and dad have been dreaming for. I
can’t be like them.
Aaron asked me to look up at him but when I
didn’t, he held my chin by his index f!nger
and thumb, and made me look into his eyes.
“Let me guess. Lahaina or Juliea or maybe
even worse, James?” He said, acting as if he
was really thinking.
I didn’t say anything and remained silent. He
took my hand in his and made me sit on the
be-d while he sat next to me.
“Caroline, I don’t know who or what happened
to make you think like that but that is not
what I think about you. I gave you this card
so that you don’t nee-d to depend on me for
your nee-ds. If you want something, then go
and get it, you don’t nee-d to ask me for every
single thing. And money doesn’t destroy
relations, it’s the people who do. The people
who think money is the most important thing,
even more important than their loved ones.
The people like James” he said cu-pping my
face with his hands.
I stared at his face for some time. He was
looking at me, waiting for me to say
something.
“But do you know, dad wanted Lahaina to
marry you so that they both could get a hand
on your wealth? Wouldn’t it be the same if I
start using your money?” I questioned him
sincerely.
“Yes I know, and that is why you should not
compare yourself with her. I trust you
Caroline and I know you’ll never break it so
you should st©p thinking what others think
about you. When people know they can never
be as good as you, they start talking ill about
you so that you feel bad and they feel better.
But what others think shouldn’t affect you.
And one more thing, I wanted to ask you this
since a long time but never really got an
opportunity. Why do you fear from James?”
Aaron asked, a frown marring his face.
It is a question I never want to answer
because it brings back horrible memories.
Memories of him beating mom like a crazy
beast, his shouting, his yelling, and his
abuses. I want to forget it all and never turn
back.
When I remained silent, Aaron continued
“Okay don’t tell if you’re not comfortable but
remember one thing, a person can scare you
only till the time you don’t stand up to them.
Once you decide to fight for yourself, you’ll
always find people around you who are
always there to protect you”. I nodded my
head and he planted a k!sson my forehead.
He is right, I’ve always made wrong decision
in my life, well except that one of marrying
Aaron of course, and faced so much trouble.
If I had been as br@ve as Nadia then the
situation would have been a lot better.
Aaron moved towards the small table at the
corner and picked up the card, then c@m£
towards me and placed it back in my hand
“now after this long lecture, will you take it?”
He asked looking into my eyes.
I closed my f!ngersaround the card and
smiled at him “Thank you”.
“Finally!” Aaron exclaimed with a smile that
showed his triumph.
“You’ll spoil me” I shook my head and
chuckled.
“That’s the plan love” he win-ked at me.
Later, we walked out of the villa and to the
beach, where Aaron adjusted the canvas on
the sand while I took out all the paints, oil
colours and paint brushes from the shopping
bag and kept them on the folding table near
the canvas.
Aaron stepped back and gestured me to start
my painting. At first, I was very nervous
because it’s been years that I painted and
even Aaron was standing there watching my
every move but after a many failed attempts I
gained some confidence and decided to paint
just the way my mother had taught me.
Mom always used to say it is not just a
picture that an artist draws but it’s their
emotions and their feeling that they express
in form of a still image. She used to ask me
to close my eyes and imagine what I want to
create, because the world I will paint in the
canvas will be my world, my creativity, my
thoughts.
She used to say, an artist should forget
every other thing and focus on just the piece
of paper they are working on. For the time
they are working it should be the only thing
existing for them because then only a picture
will become more than just a picture. A
masterpiece. A thing that will inspire other
people in their own different ways.
I closed my eyes and I instantly knew what I
wanted to paint. I picked up the paintbrush
and started drawing what I always wished to
see, the thing I literally craved for my entire
life.
After, I don’t know how long, I was finally
done. I kept the brush back on the table and
waited for Aaron to say something.
He walked next to me, his eyes stuck at the
canvas and arms folded across his che-st
“That’s amazing Caroline. You just nee-d a bit
more practice and you’ll be even better than a
professional artist” he said turning his head
to look at me while I focused on the picture
“by the way who is she?” He asked, looking
back at the canvas.
“Mom” I whispered as tears formed in my
eyes.
It was a picture of her smiling, a smile, that
was not f0rç£d but was genuine, that reached
her eyes. The kind of smile I never got the
opportunity to witness. It was always the hurt,
the pain or a fake smile but what I drew
today was anything but fake.
“She’ll be very proud of you today” he said
wra-pping his arm around my shoulders.
I leaned to him and placed my head on his
che-st, still staring at my mother’s happy
face.
EPISODE 30
I sat here, in my studio, looking around
myself at all the paintings that I’ve painted. It
was just yesterday morning that we c@m£
back to New York and shifted to our new
home.
I had no idea that Aaron has bought this
bungalow, which is even bigger than what we
can call a bungalow, while we were in
Bahamas. When I had asked him, what was
the nee-d to buy such a big mansion for just
the two of us, he replied “we’ll have kids”
with a straight face.
I was overjoyed when he showed the studio
that he got made for me inside the house. It
has numerous windows that gives a beautiful
view of the garden and the setting sun in the
evening. We had collected all the paintings
that I made in Bahamas and had brou-ght
them with us and decorated the studio with
them, hanging the one, with mom smiling, on
the center of the wall.
Thought we had to get back here a little
earlier than what was planned because of
Aaron’s company issues but still, all the time
spent with him there, was memorable.
We went to the main island a couple of time
for shopping or touring around the place.
Aaron even taught me how to surf. It was
scary when I used to fall off the board and
into the ocean water, I even lost hope and
thought I’ll never be able to surf but Aaron
was determinant and he taught me. Now I can
proudly say that I can surf very well.
I was brou-ght out of my thoughts by the
ringing of my phone. Picking up the phone, I
smiled seeing the caller id and quic-kly
answered it.
“Alre-ady forgot me?” Nadia said cheerfully
from the other end.
“Seriously Nadia? I called you yesterday and
you didn’t answer” I complained.
“What about the time when I used to call you
and all I got in return was a machine saying
the person is out of reach!” She shouted and
I had to move my phone away from my ear
so that she doesn’t destroy my eardrum. God!
Nadia and her mood swings!
“That is because there wasn’t any network on
the island. I called you a couple of times
when we used to go to the main island and
you didn’t answer” I replied. I used to try to
call her because I didn’t want her to feel
lonely in California. She doesn’t have anyone
to take care of her, and though I know she is
capable of taking care of herself, I still can’t
help the friend in me that wishes for her
well-being.
“I can’t answer my phone in the office hours.
You know Mr. Johnson, the company owner,
after he had to sell the building in New York,
he has gone crazy. He has turned into a
dictator, a type of dictator who is a complete
idiot. I feel like cracking his bald head and
check if he has a br@in inside his skull or
not” she spoke. I could feel the anger in her
voice but then that is usual for me now, this
is how she behaves when she doesn’t like
someone.
Oh wait, she either like people too much or
just hates them, there’s no in between.
“What did he do?” I sighed.
“He gave me a task to do, I spent the whole
night working on it and the next morning
when I pres£nted it to him, he said he did a
mistake the day before and gave me the
wrong work. Believe me Caro, if this job
wasn’t important for me I would have
resigned a long time back” the anger in her
voice was now replaced by fatigue. I wish I
was with her to cheer her up like all the time
she used to do when I was sad.
“Okay leave that, tell me how is everything
going on in California?” I asked trying to
divert her mind from the bald head Mr.
Johnson’s t©pic.
“Good. I used to miss my old ap@rtment but
now everything is settled here. And yes, I do
miss you and the j£rk family here. I agree
they are complete as-ses but it was fun
talking to them”. We both laughed at that.
Well, ‘talking’ is definitely not right word to
use here.
We laughed and talked for some more time
after which Nadia suddenly remembered
some work and had to end the call.
“Love you Caro, I’m feeling much better now
and I hope you’ll come to see me sometime”
she said.
“Definitely. Love you too” I said and ended
the call.
Keeping the phone back on the table with a
smile on myl-ips, I got up to go back to the
be-droom. As I turned around to walk out, I
saw Aaron standing near the door with his
eyes bugging out.
I raised my brows and waited for him to say
something. He walked closer to me and
asked with a face devoid of any expressions
“who were you talking to? And why the hell
were you saying ‘love you’?”.
I stared at his face for some time, when I
realized that he misun-derstood the situation I
couldn’t help but bur-st into laughter. He was
pinned to his place, his face clearly showing
anger and that just added fuel to my
laughter. My stomach started to ache and I
fell on the couch, with a thud, not being able
to st©p laughing.
“That was Nadia” I finally managed to say
between my laughter. I looked at his face, as
his expressions changed from anger to
amusing as realization dawned upon him.
He sat next to me on the couch while I tried
ha-rd not to laugh again “I’m glad she’s alive”
he said, looking at me.
“Why? What’s wrong?” I asked sincerely.
“Nothing. It’s just she literally insulted your
cousin at our wedding and it was clear he
doesn’t like her either. Dylan Vanas-sche don’t
appear to be the sort of person that let’s
people go away so easily. I mean not
everyone is as good as me” he said with a
proud face.
I blinked my eyes, looking at him for a few
seconds and waited for him to continue or to
explain what he was trying to say but when
he didn’t and just kept on looking at me, I
asked him “What do you mean by ‘as good as
you’?”.
“Come on you know it, a girl crashes into my
car because she has no idea how to drive
then throws money at my handsome face
because I made her realize that apology can’t
repair my car and what do I do after that? I
forgive her. Who does things like that.
Sometimes I feel I’m not as cruel and bad as
I used to think myself to be” he said
dramatically. I was smiling the entire time he
was speaking but when he said the last
s£ntence, I frowned and shifted close to him.
“You’re bad and cruel? Even I heard the same
about you, though I never felt you’re cruel
after I met you excluding our first meet” I
said.
He smiled and pu-ll-ed me towards him, so
that I was sitting on his l@p “then what did
you feel after you met me?” He questioned
and k!$$£d my ear-lobe.
I giggled and leaned towards him “I felt
you’re a good man unlike all the rich people
out there”.
He sat straight and looked into my eyes “Why
do you have so much problem with rich
people and money?” He frowned, his green
eyes searching my brown ones for answer.
“You don’t like dad because he runs after
money and I don’t used to like money
because dad love it more than me. But now I
know, it wasn’t the lifeless coins that were to
blame, it was the man” I said in a heavy
voice.
No matter how much I want to forget the
things that dad did with me and mom, I can’t.
I just fail to accept the fact that he could
have given me a happy, normal life but he
chose to go the other way. I can never
forgive him for everything he did to mom but
I even fail to hate him.
Aaron cu-mpped my face by one of his hand
while the other wra-pped around my w@!st and
drew me closer to him. He made me look at
him and k!$$£d me. His k!sswas soothing
and loving as if he wanted me to forget all
the bad things and just be happy. I wra-pped
my hands around his n£¢k and k!$$£d him
back.
It was the next moment that my phone
started to ring again. I moved out of Aaron’s
arms and without seeing the number
answered the call.
“How have you been, Caro?” Dad said in a
voice I’ve never heard him use on anyone
before. It was like he was very happy talking
to me after all this while.
“I’m good, dad. How are you?” I said in my
normal tone. Aaron turned to look at me and
I just gave him a small smile and gestured
with my hand to stay calm.
“I’m fine. It’s been a month Caro that I heard
from you, I was thinking that you could come
someday and see me. I hope you know you
have an old father who now misses his
daughter” he said in a concerned laced voice.
Closing my eyes I took a de-ep breath. I don’t
know why is he acting like this, he never
talked to me about anything if it wasn’t
important or related to him and now he says
he misses me and wants to see me!
“I know. I’ll visit you someday” I said simply,
not wanting to show any emotions to him
anymore. Not ever fear.
“Why not tomorrow? I’m planning to skip
work and stay at home. Come home and meet
me” he said sweetly.
“Okay. I’ll come” I said and ended the call.
As soon as I swiped the red light on my
screen that ended the call, Aaron snatched
the phone from my hand and kept it back on
the table. He then turned to me in anger and
said “you’re not going anywhere”.
“plea-se Aaron, I want to. I want to know why
all of a sudden he’s showering me with love”
Aaron opened his mouth to say something
but before he could speak I continued “I
promise, I’ll be fine”.
He didn’t say anything, just got up from his
place and started walking out. I was about to
st©p him, when he turned back “I forgot, I
was here to ask you about the file I gave you
to keep, yesterday. Where is it?” He asked.
“I kept it inside your office” I answered.
He has alre-ady shifted most of the work here
and operates mostly from here only, he said
he has to go out of city and country too
much and he wants to give me all the time he
can. Though he goes to his office every day
but he gets back soon and then works in his
office at home.
Aaron nodded his head and was about to go
when I asked him “Are you angry that I’m
going to meet him?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” He said without turning
and walked out.
I looked at the phone kept on the table and
sighed. Am I doing it right?
Tbc