THE BILLIONAIRE’S PERFECT MATE

“So, what do you need me for? Is it about Ellie?” Kevin asked.

“This meeting wouldn’t take long since you already know why I asked to meet with you. I saw you with her the other day at the company. You two seem to go a long way. I want to know your relationship with her and what you know about her, not for free though. Name anything you want, I’m in for it,” Sophia said.

“What if I do not want to divulge any information to you and what if I tell you I do not need anything from you?” Kevin asked.

“Are you sure you do not want anything from me? I can pay you with my body if you want, as long as you are willing to give the information I need,” Sophia said.

“Nothing interests me about your body. If you do not have anything else to say, then I think it is high time I left,” Kevin said, standing up, ready to leave.

“What about giving it a thought and getting back to me? Here is my card. You can call me if you have a change of heart.” “I do not want your card. I know how to find you if I am ready,” Kevin said, walking away and humming.

“What the fuck? Is he trying to play hard to get? I need to find a way to make him yield to my request,” Sophia said aloud, after Kevin had walked out on her.

Entering her car, Jack, who was waiting for her, asked about how her meeting went.

“How was the meeting with him?” Jack asked.

“He is playing hard to get. Is there anything you have got on him that I can use to make him dance to my tune?” Sophia asked, facing Jack.

“No, I have got none,” Jack said, which got Sophia angry.

“You are so useless. You have never done anything right. Just to run a check on Ellie, you haven’t gotten any lead. What a useless being,” Sophia said, venting her anger at Jack.

“I am sorry, miss,” Jack said, apologizing to Sophia.

“This is the time Richard would have been useful. Where the hell is he? Do you have an idea as to where he is?” Sophia asked Jack.

“No, I don’t. His apartment has been locked for weeks and nobody, including Molly, seems to be aware of where he is. I actually have something important to tell you,” Jack said.

“And what is that?” Sophia asked, not showing interest.

“It is something that can make the collaboration go wrong,” Jack said, and as soon as Sophia heard this, her attention was directed to Jack. “Really? What’s that?” Sophia said with eagerness in her voice.

“I just found out that all the sketches and designs submitted to the Oswell Fashion team were not sketched by Ellie, nor were they sketched by any of our designers. I found out after making investigations that these sketches and designs were made by a designer contacted by Edward. You can make this known at the event, and if your claim is proven to be right, the collaboration could be stopped,” Jack said.

“You finally did something right. Do you know the designer’s place?” Sophia asked.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Yes, I do,” Jack responded.

“Drive me to her place. I need to make a deal with her,” Sophia said, smiling, already scheming something in her mind.

On getting to the Designer’s store, Sophia entered, and the designer, who thought Sophia was there for business purposes, welcomed and entertained her.

“So, Miss, how may I help you? Do you have any design in mind, or do you mind checking my works?” the lady said, trying to get to business.

“I am here concerning the sketches and designs you made for Edward. I am sure you know who Edward is,” Sophia said, sipping the coffee she was served.

“Edward? I don’t think I know anyone that goes by that name, and I don’t think you know what you are talking about. If you are not here for business, kindly leave,” the lady said, trying to pretend she didn’t know what Sophia was saying.

“I will give you tenfold of what you were paid by him if you can carry out a little task for me,” Sophia said, trying to entice the woman.

“Tenfold? Are you serious?” the lady asked, surprised by what Sophia had proposed.

“Yes, I am serious and willing to pay you more if you are ready to dance to my tune,” Sophia said.

“What do you want me to do?” the lady asked.

“I heard you will be replicating the sketches and designs into dresses which you will be delivering tomorrow. All I just need you to do is not deliver the dresses at the fixed time. That’s all. You do that, and you get your money. So, are you in for this?” Sophia asked.

“Yes, I am. So, how will I be paid?” she asked.

“Half of the money will be transferred to your account now, while the remaining half will be paid after you have successfully gotten the job done,” Sophia responded.

After finalizing with the lady and settling her, Sophia headed to her car, smiling. On entering her car, she smiled and said, “Let’s see how the collaboration holds without the dresses.”

“Drive me home. It has been a long and tiring day.”

A day to the event, when the dresses were supposed to be delivered, Edward and Ellie couldn’t get in touch with the designer as her line was switched off. They went to her store, but she was nowhere to be found, and it was at that moment they both knew something was off. They went back to the office, thinking of what to do. Ellie was pacing up and down, trying to figure out what was going on.

“What do we do now? We have less than 24 hours before the collaboration. How are we going to get the dresses to present?” Edward said, getting uneasy.

“Sincerely, I do not know what to do. But what could have happened to her? We spoke to her yesterday, and she promised to get the dresses ready and have them delivered today. But why her disappearance all of a sudden?” Ellie asked, confused.

“I sincerely do not know. I can’t think of anything right now,” Edward responded. Just as they were in the middle of rubbing their minds of the way out, Sophia walked in.

“Seems like the lovebirds are in trouble. Who will save them now?” Sophia said mockingly.

“Sophia, we are not in for a joke right now. Please leave,” Edward said.

“Is it about the dresses? Oh, my bad. I forgot to tell you. I met with her yesterday and made her betray you for money,” Sophia said, laughing. “You did what? Are you fucking mad?” Ellie said, moving towards Sophia, ready to attack her but was stopped by Edward.

“Chill, babe. Don’t let her get you worked up,” Edward said, standing between Sophia and Ellie.

“So, how do you intend to go about the collaboration tomorrow? Are you sure it will take place considering the mess you are in? I told you not to drag what is mine. Being born into a rich family is also a strength. Let me leave you to think about how to get yourself out of this, although I know there is nothing you can do. Take care,” Sophia said.

“What a nice day,” Sophia said, laughing hysterically as she walked out.

“I am fucking going to kill her, I swear,” Ellie said, clenching her fist.

“I know you want to, and I also want to, but we need to find a way out first,” Edward said, trying to calm Ellie down.

“I know a way out,” Ellie said, after thinking for a while, with Edward wondering what she was up to.

The day of the collaboration came, and as Sophia walked into the event hall, she had one notion for coming: to see how Ellie gets to embarrass herself and fail to make the collaboration fall through.

But do you think that will happen?