Love, Lies and Billionaires

Alexander’s eyes were now wide and red in fury. Veins appeared on the sides of his neck and forehead with his fists clenched beneath him.

“So what you’re saying is-”

“I knew he was in pain. And I instructed it. How do you think he became like that in the first place?”

Kendrick placed his elbow on the table, interlocked his fingers, and placed them under his jaw. His eyes sparked with interest.

“Wow, I really did underestimate you. Please tell me more.”

“Apart from mom’s part, I knew about everything. I observed it too, Kendrick, and chose to keep quiet to see what I could get from him. I won’t deny I really thought I could gain a lot from him, but you were right. He was a pain in the ass”

“god, that man was a monster. His health was failing quite alright, but I wanted to make sure he never came out of it easy and alive. I spoke with his doctor, our family doctor, and reluctantly helped me”

“I vowed he would suffer Kendrick.” He suddenly shit his eyes and caressed his temple with one hand. “You really can’t imagine what he made me go through.”

Kendrick fell back in his chair but kept his eyes on his brother. “No need to go into details. I knew who that man was,” he said and paused. “You should have left with-”

“I knew I should have left with you,” he snapped. “I realised that the hard way” he collapsed into the chair which he’d stood up from.

“I only regret not being the one to pull the plug.” Then silence engulfed them both as each man was soaked in their thoughts.

“Well,” Kendrick finally said, and pulled out one drawer beneath the table. He pulled out a bottle of wine with the body covered with the skin of a lion.

He placed it on the table and pulled out two wineglasses. “You’re welcome to drink with me if you wish,” he offered and uncocked the bottle, which gave off a loud sound, then poured into the glasses till they were half full.

Alexander looked at his brother, who raised a brow for him to go ahead. He finally grabbed one and took a sip. Kendrick also followed suit.

“One more thing though,” Alexander said and put down the glass, his eyes still burning with fury. “Stay away from Maren”

Kendrick was calm as he stared at him. He raised the glass and took a sip, indicating that he’d been waiting for this moment.

“Don’t let us do this to ourselves,” Alexander warned. Instead, Kendrick just gave off his signature guttural chuckle, which rang through the room.

*****

The sounds of cupboard and wardrobes opening and closing were the only thing to be heard as Maren sort through her clothes, obviously in search of something.

She pulled out heaps of folded clothes and placed them on the bed before violently unfolding them.

When that heap was done, she moved back to the almost empty wardrobe and rummaged through it. She suddenly paused and slowly reached for something.

From it, she slowly dragged out a red-

A knock at the door came, making Maren turn sharply towards the door. “Ma’am, your mom requests your presence downstairs, in the dining room”

“Be right down,” she shouted back and turned back to the cloth in her hands, then stuffed it down into the wardrobe and far from prying eyes.

She walked down the stairs briskly, eyes on her phone as she walked to the dining room.

Believe me when I say it was large as fuck. She followed the scent of the various meals lined up at one part of the table as pulled out a chair.

“I think you should put that phone down, young lady,” her mom said as soon as she took her seat as she placed another covered dish on the table in front of Maren.

Maren looked up from her phone, suddenly more aware of her surroundings. “Oh, my god, mom. Who the fuck is eating all this?”

Her mom chuckled and settled in another seat, which she had pulled from the head of the table. Which was just adjacent to where Maren sat.

“Well, you decided to buy a large house. Why not eat like people in large houses do?” She replied in amusement.

“These don’t come cheap, you know that, right?” Maren queried further with a look of horror on her face. Her mom just shrugged and uncovered a bowl of vegetable salad.

Maren, still in her state, reached for the large covered dish in front of her and uncovered a stuffed whole chicken.

“Who the fuck is going to finish all these, mom?”

Mrs Sharppe just ignored her and began helping herself to the salad. Maren helplessly just smiled and shook her head.

“Where’s Nathan?” Mrs Sharppe asked as she began slicing a portion of the turkey not too far from her.

“He wanted to go out to the park, so I told rose to take him,” she responded, slowly sipping on the broth

“There’s a park around here also?”

“Nella took him and Zack some other time and ever since, those kids have refused to stay at home”

Silence overcame the room, and each woman focused on their food.

“Those boys are going to grow into fine young men,” Mrs Sharppe remarked, breaking the silence. Her eyes on her food.

“They better,” Maren murmured.

Maren’s mom raised her eyes to her daughter, then turned back down at the food.

“That reminds me.” She began. “Are you getting back with Alexander?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Maren rolled her eyes. Clearly, she’d been expecting it earlier. “Really mom? You really want to do this now?”

Her mom nodded. “Otherwise, you’d just run away with work as an excuse”

Maren knew her mom was right. There was no argument there, and she’d been avoiding this topic ever since that dinner, as she really didn’t want to give it a second thought. But now she had no choice.

“He is the father of my son and your grandson. But he did hurt me so badly by refusing to accept Nathan directly or indirectly.”

“Where are you going with this, Maren?”

“What I’m trying to say is-” her voice trailed off as she stared at the food in front of her, which she had lost interest in a minute ago and was now turning the spoon playfully in it.

She shrugged. “I mean-” her brows creased. She raised her head to meet her mom, who had also been staring at her. “I don’t know, mom”