Blind Billionaire Bride

CHICAGO, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA

Ian looked wonderful in a casual and comfortable outfit. He was dressed in a fitting pair of pencil black jeans and body hugging round neck top that hugged his broad shoulders and well sculpted chest. He slide out of the car and came up to Ria Robert front door.

“Miss Ria! Miss Ria! That should be sir Ian!” Ma’am Elise said excitedly when she heard a horn. She peeped through the window to confirm and she rushed back to Ria. “Oh my God! He is here! He came with an expensive car-A Bentley!” She whispered.

“A Bentley? I don’t know how to looks like but it must be really expensive right?” Ria mumbled.

“Of course! It is worth thousands of dollars!” The doorbell jangled. “I’ll get the door.” Ma’am Elise rushed to the door.

Ria opted in for a black large pants and white turtle neck top to hide her body. She doesn’t like the idea of any man stopping to stare at her and she really has a beautiful glowing skin. Ma’am Elsie has once teased Ria about her appearance saying that any man would stop to stare at her if her body was too exposed and that her beauty and full breasts was enough to stop every car on the highway. So Ria would always wear long clothes to avoid such things anytime she was heading out.

“But why does he have to come with such an expensive car?” Ria mumbled to herself.

When ma’am Elise said Ian Bryant came with a Bentley, Ria hoped none of her neighbors were around to see the car that pulled up in the front of her house at exactly 8:00 a. m in the morning because it would cause no end talks and she didn’t relish being the subject of neighborhood gossip any more than she already had been as the resident blind lady.

“Good morning, ma’am Elise.” Ian greeted the moment the woman opened the door.

“Oh! Mr Ian, good Morning. It is so good to see you again, please come in.” Ma’am Elise had the brightest smile plastered on her face.

Ria rose to her feet with her hands locked. She tried to relax just like the day Mr Griffin was here to get a dress. “Miss Ria, Mr Ian is here.” Ma’am Elise announced.

“Good morning.” Ria greeted trying all her best to put on a forced smile on her face.

Ian looked at her and took in her good features. No matter how she had tried to hide her body and look so old fashioned she still looked beautiful. But to say Ria was beautiful was an understatement, she was extremely gorgeous. Ian Bryant knew that there was an inexplicable something about Ria that he couldn’t explain.

“Good Morning.” Ian said and looked straight at ma’am Elise who was now beside Ria.

“Introduce yourself.” Ma’am Elise mouthed and she gestured to him.

Ian cleared his throat and moved closed a bit. “I am Ian Bryant. And it is nice to meet you again.” He eyed ma’am Elise to see if it was fine for him to shake Ria but she stretched out her hand even before ma’am Elise could reply.

“Ria Robert. It is nice to meet you too.” Ian shook hands with her but she withdrew too quickly from the contact. Ria had to do it because ma’am Elise requested that she should welcome Ian Bryant, be polite and nice to him.

“Miss Ria, is ready to go with you.” Ma’am Elise locked her hands with Ria’s.

“Aren’t you coming with us?” Ria asked.

“I can’t come with you to the hospital anymore. Remember we have dresses to sew so I will just stay back and attend to everything.” Ma’am Elise replied.

Ria furrowed her brows, this wasn’t the plan. They had agreed that Maam Elise would go with to the hospital because Ria doesn’t want to be alone with Ian.

“This wasn’t our agreement.” Ria grumbled to herself after moving away from ma’am Elise. She turned around like she wanted to get something but she was only trying to let air refill her lungs. It has been long since she had such a close a contact with a man and she had succeeded in calming herself and controlling her body with the fact that Ian wasn’t a man like Lucas. After the inhaling and exhaling process she went in search for her walk stick.

“Do you need anything, Miss Ria?” Ma’am Elise demanded.

“Yes.. yes.. yes.. my walk stick.” Ria stuttered.

“Come on miss Ria, you don’t need the walk stick because Mr Ian will lead and guide you.” Ma’am Elise shared a look with Ian Bryant who just simply smiled.

Ria’s back was now against Ian so he can’t see the deep frown that grazed her face. “Ma’am Elise just tell me where it is. I need the walk stick.” She gritted.

“Okay.” Ma’am Elise picked the stick from the couch.

She was hoping that Ria wouldn’t need the stick since Ian would be there to hold her. Ma’am Elise was supposed to go with Ria to the hospital but she decided that it would be best for them to be alone together.

“Here.” Ma’am Elise gave the stick to Ria.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Thank you.” Ria breathed out and turned to face Ian again.

Ian cleared his throat. “Doctor Hawn called me a while ago and said that an optician is ready at the hospital to attend to you.” He said.

“Okay.” Ria shook her head in acknowledgement.

“Can we go ahead, ma’am Elise?” Ian asked.

“Yes! Please let me go with you to the car.” Ma’am Elise answered.

“My purse.” Ria mumbled.

Ma’am Elise picked the purse from the couch again. “Here you go.” She gave Ria the black purse.

They walked out of the house to the car with ma’am Elise guiding Ria’s steps. Ian was ahead of them. “Ma’am Elise, if the children comes back before me please make sure that they do their home works before helping out with the dresses.” Ria said.

“Okay, Miss Ria.” Ma’am Elise responded.

Ian was now waiting with the car door opened. “Take care, miss Ria.” Ma’am Elise kissed her cheeks after she helped Ria into the car.

“Bye, ma’am Elise.” Ria said to her and Ian moved to the other side after shutting the door.

“Bye. Miss Ria.” Ma’am Elise waved.

Ria turned sideways and waved blindly at ma’am Elise before Ian wined up the glass and drove away. “Which hospital are we heading? Ma’am Elise didn’t give me a specific name.”

“Ainsley Hospital where we met the second -”

“Yes I know.” Ria cuts him off.

“You were at the hospital that day for a check up right?” Ian asked.

“No.” Ria replied sharply. The last thing Ria wanted to do was having a conversation with this man.

“So for what? If I may ask.” Ian’s voice was so calm.

“Phoebe ate shrimps at school during lunch and she didn’t know that she was allergic to shrimps. So her teacher called to inform us about it.” Ria explained briefly.

“Okay. Ma’am Elise said that you adopted them.” Ian stole a look at her before focusing on the road ahead.

“Yes.” Ria replied.

“And what about their parents?” Ian asked.

Ria didn’t respond which made Ian realized that he was pushing her too much to have this conversation so it was best ro just let her be.

“It is fine if you don’t want to have any conversation with me.” Ian said even though he was dying to know many things about her.

Ria was glad he said those but a little voice at the back of her mind whispered. “That’s so unfair.” She finds it so awkward to have a conversation with this man because she hasn’t done it before in the last few years.

Ria shook her head. “Their mom left their dad three years ago and he also did the same months back.”

A small smile crept on his face for the fact that she decided to talk to him. “Why…. is that?” He stuttered.

“Mr Lawson didn’t have a good job to take care of his children. So he dropped a note and saying that his children were a burden to him.” Ria tried to be concise.

“So he left because his own children are a burden to him.” Ian said.

“Yes.” Ria nodded.

“And so you took them in?” Ian asked expecting her to say more so the conversation won’t end.

“Yes, Phoebe and Phoenix would rather die of starvation than go the the children centre. I didn’t want them to get hurt or separated so I had no choice but to take them in.” Ria gave a clear explanation.

Ian looked at her for a second before focusing his attention on the road ahead. Ria held her phone and purse to her chest with her walk stick in between her thighs. They lapsed into silence for about a minute before he spoke up again.

“I would like to know about your health problems.”

“I don’t have any health problems, my eyes is the only condition.” Ria corrected him. He sounded like she has a terminal illness.

“I am sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.” Ian apologized.

“No, it’s alright.” Ria mumbled.

“So doctor Hawn asked for the cause of your blindness but I couldn’t tell him anything.”

“I was born blind.” Ria said.

“Yes.. I told him that.” Ian bit on his lower lip.

“And I am like this because of the cataracts on my lenses.” Ria pointed to her eyes with her free hand.

“Cataracts?” Ian repeated. He recalled that Doctor Hawn had mentioned something like that to him.

“Yes, that’s why you see the silver patch over my lens instead of the usual eye color.” Ria heaved a sigh.

Ian wondered what would have been her initial eyes color without the cataracts in them. “When last did you check into an eye clinic?” He questioned.

“I haven’t checked in since the last four months.” Ria answered.

Ian was surprised. “Why?” He looked at Ria whose purse was now laying on her laps but her phone still in her hands.

“Nothing.” Ria response was sharp and immediate.

Ian knew there was more to the nothing. “Is it because of money?” He asked again.

Ria didn’t reply then Ian knew it was because of money. Ria spoke up before Ian could say anything. “Don’t think that.. I don’t have the money.. to check into an eye clinic.” She stammered.

“Then why haven’t you checked into one since the last four months?” Ian asked.

“I used whatever money I make on the children not all though but I still have to pay some home bills, their fees and also buy things for them.” Ria replied with sincerity in her tone.

Ian’s heart went out to her. She neglected her condition and focused on the kids. “What about ma’am Elise? She doesn’t help in paying any bills?”

Ria’s fingers rubbed the back of her phone. “She does but raising the kids was my decision and we all rely on the sewing business. Ma’am Elise has been a great help to me, she works as a nanny whenever her clients requests to see her mostly during weekend but it doesn’t pay well.”

Ian stopped the car when the traffic sign displayed red. “Do you pay her?” He used that chance to take a look at Ria properly.

“I offered to pay her but she refused it. After sometime I managed to convince her to accept the little I am offering because I know she has to pay bills too.” Ria answered.

Horns boomed in the air and the cars began to move. “Okay.” Ian looked away from her and focused on the road ahead.

Ria heaved a sigh of relief when he didn’t ask her more question and the rest of the drive to the hospital was silent.