Billionaire Daredevil In Love

CLAYTON.

Another person I was going to have to deal with was Natasha. For so long, she stuck with me, clung to my skin, like a leech, only, of all the women that I dallied with, she was the one who seemed like the most sincere, the one who felt compassion for me the most, who saw beyond the smokescreen of my wealth and opulence and took me for who I was. I wasn’t in love with Natasha, had never been, but I liked her and that was a deep enough emotion to know that she would be hurt by my marriage to Nadine. Plus, my mother liked her, they were even a bit close.

I called Nadine again.

“Where are you?” I asked, going straight to the point immediately she picked up.

“Erm, I’m almost at the mansion,” she said. “Just a few minutes.”

“Good. Because my mother is going to be here very soon,” I said.

“What?!?! Your mother?” She said, her voice faltering.

“Yes,” I answered. “And you should know, she’s very particular about time, very fastidious, so maybe you shouldn’t waste time.”

“I-I won’t,” she said.

“I’ll be waiting,” I said and hung up.

I knew what I was doing. I had struck Nadine with fear. I knew that my mother would definitely despise someone of Nadine’s social status and would treat her in a way that would make her ego deflate. It was all going according to plan.

I called my mother, too.

“Hello, mom,” I said.

“Clayton, I’m almost at the mansion,” she said. And I could hear the whooshing of the car as it sped on the road.

“What? So soon?” I said, only a bit surprised.

“Yeah. I said I was coming to visit, didn’t I?” She said,

“Uh-huh,” I said. “Okay then. I’ll be expecting you.”

I hung up.

I heard the car park into the driveway and I knew that Nadine had arrived. Now, all I had to do was wait.

NADINE.

Clayton threw me a curveball by telling me that he wanted me to meet his mother. My mind had never wandered that territory – that of family – and immediately he told me, I began to worry. I knew nothing about his family, knew nothing about him, in fact. For all I knew, they would resent me, would treat me like I was a mound of shit. But I had to face it; I had signed the document to be his wife – all in a bid to save Anna – and I was going to see it through.

When I got out of the car, I saw Clayton sitting on the sofas, his legs crossed, his head buried in his phone, a bottle of wine by his side.

“Ahh, welcome,” he said as he raised his head to look at me.

“What is going on?” I asked.

“What do you mean ‘what is going on’?” He said, a mock affectation in his voice. “It’s a lovely day, our first day as husband and wife. It’s pleasant, if you ask me. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What is this thing about your mother coming over?” I asked. “And to see me? I don’t know her, Clayton. I barely even fucking know you.”

He stood up and walked towards me, so close that I could smell the wine in his breath. He cupped my face in his large hands.

“Nadine, don’t get feisty,” he said. “It’s just my mom. She won’t bite. I’m sure she’s only going to try to know you better. Surely you can handle that.”

His voice was saccharine, drenched in mock sympathy, as he spoke. I knew it was all an act, something else was going on.

“Go in and get changed, Nadine,” he said. “My mother will be here soon.”

“Shit,” I said under my breath, hissing before I left Clayton.

A servant took me to a new room upstairs. Apart from being bigger than the basement, it was more beautiful. The walls were painted a stark white and the bed was huge. I put down the clothes I had bought and went into the equally large bathroom to take my bath. I must have stayed there for a long time because after some time, I heard a knock on the door.

“Who’s there?” I asked as I got out.

“Mr. Clayton wants to see you,” the voice of the servant said from outside. “He says his mother is here.”

I immediately got jittery, and did my best to dress as beautifully as possible. I didn’t want to make a bad impression, but I couldn’t help but think that Clayton’s mother was just as arrogant as he was.

Clayton:

Nadine looked beautiful in the gown she wore. As she came down the stairs, clad in that warm brown that seemed to blend in with the richness of her skin, I couldn’t help but notice the way the dress accentuated her curves. My mother sat in the living room, waiting patiently.

“Mother, please, meet Nadine, my wife,” I said, introducing them. “And Nadine, meet my mother.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Nadine said, but my mother only nodded in return.

Nadine sat down on another sofa, crossing and crossing her legs, twiddling her fingers, fixating her eyes on anything but either my mother or even myself. She was so nervous it made me want to tear up laughing.

“I’ve been here quite a while, Nadine,” my mother began. “About five minutes. You kept me waiting.”

“Good,” I thought to myself. “Mother is playing this game right.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” she said. “I was just having my bath.”

“Ohh, don’t worry about that,” she said. “I’m sure you really needed to get cleaned up. I mean considering that you’re trash.”

Nadine turned scarlet. Her mouth was open like she was about to say something.

“Ma’am?” She finally said.

“Clayton tells me you’re without name or fortune in your family, is that so?” Mother said.

“Um, my family is humble,” Nadine simply said.

“I see,” mother said, nodding.