The Billionaire Who Saved Me

“I hear that you met Elice and Garrett a few nights ago? Is it true?”

On a bright Sunday morning, Ariel had just finished his weekly practice when his parents arrived at his apartment. At first, he thought that Farrah and Kurt would be returning to Crestdale soon after their conversation, but it turned out that wasn’t the case. Kurt wanted to observe Ariel’s performance at Lostic for a while, so they decided to stay longer.

Ariel took a deep breath. With the help of a small towel hanging around his neck, he wiped off the sweat. The moisture on his face disappeared instantly.

“Yes.”

Joining his parents, Ariel sat down and opened a bottle cap. He enjoyed its contents in a few gulps.

Farrah glanced at Kurt briefly before returning her gaze to her son.

“What were you talking about?”

Farrah was obviously curious. When she first heard the news, she had waited. She thought Ariel would tell her the details of the meeting. But as it turned out, he didn’t. Finally, unable to contain her impatience, she decided to visit Ariel’s residence that morning.

“Uh… it’s not important,” Ariel replied, exhaling deeply. He leaned back on the sofa and played with the water bottle in his hand. “Just meaningless small talk.”

Ariel didn’t want to give away the details. It was embarrassing. And he felt nauseous every time he remembered the events of that night.

After exchanging glances with her husband for a few moments, Farrah finally asked the question she had been holding back for days. Just as Ariel expressed his desire to help Farrah get rid of Garrett.

“Ariel.”

Ariel’s eyes, which had momentarily dropped, rose again. He looked at his mother.

“If I may know,” Farrah said with narrowed eyes. “What exactly are you planning?”

Ariel’s hand that had been playing with the water bottle stopped moving. Without immediately answering, he instead stared intently at his mother. There was something different in the way Ariel looked at Farrah, and the middle-aged woman noticed it.

“What if you knew…”

Ariel’s voice was deep and heavy. Giving off a mysterious air that made Farrah furrow her brow in speculation.

“… would you help me?”

*

“Don’t stay up late and don’t overthink things. See? Your face looks dull and your dark circles are getting bigger.”

Elice could only grimace as Rita immediately commented on her appearance when she returned home that weekend. She couldn’t deny that what her aunt had said was true. Her face did look tired.

“You must have been staying up late a lot lately.”

Wilda greeted her daughter’s return with a warm hug and seemed to agree with what Rita said.

“Not too much, actually,” Elice said as she sat down. “But I’ve been feeling tired a lot lately.”

Rita chuckled. She got the attention of the mother and daughter.

“Stress,” Rita continued her judgment. “You must be stressed with the wedding coming up.”

In fact, Elice didn’t want to remember anything about her marriage to Garrett. What Rita had said was somewhat true. Though Elice wasn’t sure if it was just the wedding that was causing her so many thoughts lately. There were other things that accompanied the headaches in her mind.

On the other hand, hearing Rita’s words made Wilda smile. She stroked Elice’s head, her eyes calm as she looked at her daughter. “There’s no need to worry too much. I am sure that everything will be fine.”

Elice hoped so, too. But of course, as the day of her wedding approached, her feelings became more and more uncertain. People said it was normal. They called it the last temptation the bride and groom would face. If they were strong, they would surely overcome it. But in reality, many couples did not overcome it. In the end, the wedding didn’t happen.

“Thank you, Mom.”

Wilda’s words always managed to bring peace to Elice. She felt better now. She was more relaxed, and her eyes shifted their focus. They looked at a spot that had always been her favorite part of the room.

It was the photo hanging on the wall that brought a smile to Elice’s face. It was a portrait of Elice’s family when her father was still alive. Elice loved looking at the photo and was grateful that Wilda had hung it when they moved. Its presence undoubtedly made the new house feel warmer.

Following where Elice’s eyes went, Wilda smiled as well. Obviously, they both felt the same warmth. The portrait held many memories and also happiness. Something that made Elice hope that her marriage would bring something similar.

But apart from the marriage, Elice found her mind restless now. Thanks to her conversation with Ariel the other day, she had been feeling anxious for days. It couldn’t be put into words, but Elice felt that something was different. She felt uneasy. And that uneasiness was exactly the same as what Garrett was feeling.

After enjoying dinner, Garrett, who had decided to continue his postponed work, was lost in thought. It was obvious that he felt that something was wrong with Ariel’s sudden change in behavior.

Impossible. I’ve known Ariel and his family for years. He’s not the type of person who gives up easily.

Just as his mother often faced challenges from Farrah, Garrett had encountered similar difficulties with Ariel throughout his life. And if there was one thing he had learned from every conflict involving their families, it was this. Farrah and her family were not the type of people to give up easily.

So, it was certainly suspicious to Garrett when Ariel apologized to him. Especially when he wished him and Elice all the best.

What was he planning?

A knock on the door interrupted Garrett’s thoughts. The door of his office opened. It was Regina holding it open and welcoming Daphne in.

“You may go.”

Regina nodded. “Alright, Madam.”

Garrett rose from his seat, greeted Daphne’s arrival, and helped her sit on the sofa.

“I thought you were asleep, Nana,” Garrett said.

Daphne sighed deeply and tried to find a comfortable position before shaking her head. “Sometimes insomnia becomes a disease for the elderly,” she said. “And you? Are you working on anything?”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Garrett glanced reflexively at his desk, at the glowing laptop. Ironically, he hadn’t touched it since he’d arrived, his mind focused on other things.

“Nothing much. Just reviewing the company’s performance for the past month,” Garrett replied.

Daphne nodded once. “What did Ariel say to you and Elice?”

That was Daphne, always blunt. Garrett noticed. But what she asked this time was really unexpected. Suddenly, Daphne asked something out of the ordinary.

“Excuse me, Nana?” Garrett guessed, but he didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Although, in reality, Garrett’s guess was the truth.

“Ariel met you and Elice, didn’t he?” Daphne asked without waiting for her grandson to answer. “A few days ago, at Em’s the Arka restaurant.”

“Nana, you know?”

Daphne chuckled softly. A fleeting smile played on her lips. “That night, I happened to be having dinner with Emily. And whether it was a coincidence or not, Carolus saw the three of you.”

Garrett nodded briefly. It seemed he had to answer Daphne’s question truthfully.

“Elice was interviewing Ariel as the new CEO of Lostic. And I was there just to be careful.”

Reminding himself, Garrett tried to choose his words as carefully as possible. He didn’t want to misspeak and give Daphne a different understanding.

“I didn’t really want to meet Ariel. But that’s how it happened,” Garrett continued. “It was an unexpected meeting.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Nothing important, I think. Ariel just apologized for what he and his family have been doing all this time. And… he wished me and Elice happiness.”

As Garrett finished, Daphne burst out laughing. Confused, Garrett realized that Daphne was really laughing. Until the old eyes behind her glasses became misty.

“So,” Daphne said after her laughter subsided a bit. “Do you believe what he said?”

Garrett did not answer immediately, but stared intently at his grandmother. Daphne seemed to wipe her eyes briefly. Her expression was one of amusement, and that made Garrett wonder.

“Uh… I don’t know,” Garrett replied with a sure answer that made Daphne take a deep breath. Her laughter stopped. But it left a lingering smile that she couldn’t wipe away. Daphne looked at Garrett. She shook her head rhythmically.

“I hope…” Daphne whispered then. “… don’t, Garrett.”

Garrett waited. In certain situations, waiting was indeed the best choice. Especially for this one.

Daphne’s face seemed to change. Now there was absolutely no trace of amusement. It was replaced by the long exhalation of her tired breath.

As if losing energy, Daphne’s shoulders slumped. Her eyes, which had been looking at Garrett with their usual vibrant gaze, disappeared. They were replaced by a weak look that seemed unfocused. For at that moment, Daphne did not seem to be looking at her grandson. Instead, she was looking at glimpses she didn’t want to remember.

“Don’t be fooled like me.”

*