Chapter 2

BYRON BLADELL

I hung up on Irene, my secretary, after telling her to pay off the victim’s family. The elevator came to an halt and I stepped out. 

I held Abel’s hot chocolate far away from my favorite suit. It was a gift from my younger sister, Rose when we – Abel and I- launched the company. 

I looked up in time to see a young lady making a beeline for the elevator. She looked so familiar. Like someone I’ve spent my entire life searching for.

I stared at her in shock. Her red hair framed her face perfectly. “Could it be her?” I wondered aloud. The green eyes were the same as I remembered.

The girl ran blindly towards me and almost fell. I caught her in my arms but she had already spilled the hot chocolate on my white suit. 

She was very different from her though. She never ran anywhere even when I begged her to run with me. She always walked like she owned the world even at such a young age. 

“Hey!!” I yelled, annoyed. Rose would surely have my head now. “Could you be anymore careless?”

She stared at me, not saying anything. Was she dumb?

“Are you deaf? Or you have problems speaking. An apology would have been really nice.” I normally didn’t lose my cool like this but I couldn’t really deal with Rose right now, not with Abel’s matter.

“This was my best suit.” I shouted again, wanting her to talk. She finally looked at me. She gasped soundlessly, her eyes roaming all over me. 

“Since you are so rich, you could always get another one.” She shouted back, covering her mouth almost immediately.

I stared dumbfounded at her.

“What the”… I was beyond lost for words. I was about to reply her when a doctor and some nurses came to drag her away. Her face fell and tears rolled down her face in a steady stream.

I dumped the now empty cup in the bin and made my way to Abel’s hospital room.

“Hey, where’s my hot chocolate?” he asked, groaning in pain as he tried to sit up. “And what happened to your suit? It’s your best one!”

“Take a wild guess.” I picked up a napkin to clean myself. “The person you hit almost died. What were you thinking driving drunk?”

“I’m sorry.” 

Abel was my childhood friend and business partner. We’ve been causing trouble together for as long as I can remember.

“Whatever. I have to get back to the office. I also have to pay the victim’s family so they don’t sue you.” I said pointedly.

“Thank you Byron.”

I patted his shoulder and left for work.

** 

“Good morning, sir.” Irene, my secretary greeted, extending my usual cup of espresso towards me. I nodded in reply and took the drink.

“What have we?”

“You have a meeting with the Board of Directors this morning. But also, there’s this Mr. Brian Stones. He’s the Managing Director of Nicktails Events, sir. He wants to discuss privately with you.”

“What about?”

Irene glanced at her pad and turned back to me. “Well, he needs a venue for a one-week long event — it’s a meeting of foreign business expatriates. He should be here in the next five to ten minutes, sir.”

“Oh well,” I breathed. “Alright, I’ll see him. You just see to it that the Directors don’t wait for me. Tell them we’ll have the meeting towards the end of the day.”

“Yes sir.” Irene curtsied a little, as she was fond of doing, before taking her leave.

I leaned back in my chair and my thought slowly but surely went back to the lady who’d ruined my suit at the hospital yesterday. Something about her was terribly off, not only that but she also seemed so familiar.

Not that I cared, but she’d seemed disoriented and then the doctors coming to get her and taking her away like that… she had the look of someone who’s life was crashing all around them.

I honestly had no idea why it bothered me so much, probably —

My chain of thoughts were broken off by a quick knock and Irene coming in. She looked disturbed and upset. “Mr. Bladell, there’s something you need to see.”

I raised an eyebrow in question and she advanced towards my table holding her phone. She dropped the phone on the table and I picked it up. 

On the screen, a picture was displayed. Not just any picture — I could vividly remember the lady in the picture. She was the same one I had been thinking of about two seconds ago; the lady from the hospital. Then I saw the cause of Irene’s disturbance. There were two people in the photo; the lady and myself and the caption above read; 

‘Little Mister Toronto finally finds romance’. 

My jaw tightened. “What’s this?”

“I really don’t know, sir. It got published anonymously on the internet just this morning.”

This is a mess” My eyes scanned the screen as I was trying my best to keep my cool.

After that anonymous post, different more articles popped up each one garnering attention and producing conspiracy theories. The top 5 hot searches were about me, each headline more ridiculous than the last.

HEIR TO THE SAUCE AND STEAK FINDS HIS HEIRESS

LOVE CAN’T BE HIDDEN: Candid photos of Bladell and his Missus.

NATIONWIDE HEARTBREAK AS BYRON BLADELL GOES OF THE MARKET

THE TRUE SIDE TO THE COLD PRINCE

A BABY ALONG THE WAY – Byron Bladell 

“Outrageous. Cooking up stories based on a groundless picture.” I didn’t bother reading the last one as I clenched my jaw. My eyes went back to the photos and the woman that stirred up all the fuss. Part of her face was hidden in my embrace, the person who took this picture is talented as they captured it in such a misleading manner.

Her red hair flashed In my mind as the image blurred with someone else from my memory. 

Adrenaline was pumping in me at a furious speed and I felt the anger burn my chest. “Get someone from PR to run this down quick. And I want to know the source of this. As soon as possible.”

“Yes sir!” 

Irene turned to rush out of my office but I called her back. “Irene?”

“Yes sir?”

“Get me a bottle of mineral water. Chilled.”

“Yes sir!”

I rubbed my temples in frustration. Who did that? How did anyone even recognize me at the hospital?! Right, I had pulled off my shades. Great!

A scandal was the last thing I needed at the moment. Worse still, this wasn’t just a scandal, this was something my parents could use to pressure me into marriage. I told dad times without number that I’m better off on my own, but the old guy just never quits! Now this?!

“Mr. Bladell…” Irene came in, dropping the tray — with the bottle of water and glass on it — on my table. She straightened up and folded her hands together, slightly showing her discomfort. “Mr. Stones is here, sir. Should I let him in?”

I groaned in frustration.

“I could tell him we are rescheduling, sir —”

“Let him in.” 

“Are you sure, sir?”

“Yes Irene, show him in and get us tea.”

“Okay sir.” 

I sent the picture to my men with the caption.. Find out everything you can about her. I decided to forget about it for now and face my business. Business was far more important. And now to business…

** 

All I wanted was to go in my house and sleep away the news but not very surprisingly, my house was surrounded by reporters.

I made a U-turn to my parents’ house back in Rosedale, sighing. 

It wasn’t going to be better there. I could imagine Rose running around the house, telling mum and dad about the news excitedly. Then, they will make a fuss about having to meet her and getting married as soon as possible.

I decided to just spend the night with Regina, my girlfriend. She would understand, afterall, she was an actress.

Not that she had the right to say anything. I would have gotten married to her if my parents hadn’t rejected her. She was the only semblance to the angel from my past.

They had the same aura of self-confidence and looked almost alike. She had been a redhead when I met her and I was almost convinced she was the one but she said she grew up and spent all her life here in Rosedale. 

** 

Regina Thompson

“And done.” I patted my face after removing my organic facemask. I brought the mirror close, inspecting my face. Free of pores, without any blemish, thin perfectly arched eyebrows, smokey grey eyes, pouty light pink lips with a birth mark on my chin. I didn’t need anyone telling me I know how gorgeous I looked.

Of course maintenance was important, I mean my looks got me this far. I enjoyed the light classical music that was playing. It added a certain kind of charm to the beautiful penthouse on a hill that gave me an amazing view of the town. 

It was especially beautiful at night as the world below got busy and bright. I loved looking out the glass walls, everyone looked so tiny and insignificant in comparison. It made me feel like I was on top of the world looking down on my subjects – the lesser people who weren’t worth a precious nail on my finger.

It was only matter of time, soon the world’s attention would be on me. I removed the towel wrapped around my head letting my dark hair fall in curls. I got the script of my latest movie, it is set to be a hit to be released next fall. I don’t doubt it’s success as I don’t dabble in uncertain things, the script was written by an award winning screenwriter and going to have an A-list director not to mention with my presence as the female lead.

The peaceful atmosphere around me was

Disrupted by a voice, “Working hard I see.”

I turned around quickly. “You are here.” I let out a charming smile. He is the only one that can get a smile out of me that fast, he was the reason behind my success, my support system, sponsor and boyfriend, Byron Bladell.

I came closer to greet him with a kiss which he avoided it making my lips land on his cheek, I raised my eyebrow at that.

“You shouldn’t allow those insignificant rumors bother you.” I said, guessing the reason for his bad mood. 

“I know, it’s just so annoying.” He let out a frustrated sigh running a hand through his hair.

“It’s stupid, give it a while it would blow over soon.” I wrapped my arms around him. This time he didn’t avoid my touch. “Let me help you forget about your troubles.” I said, coquettishly running a finger along his chest. His gaze on me was more tender as his thumb caressed my cheek. 

‘He is doing it again, looking at someone else through me.’ I never had the deluded idea that he loved me and neither did I harbor such emotions towards him. He gave me power, status and the extravagance of life. Why will I want anything else?

He brought my face close for a kiss, when his phone interrupted us. He reached for it and I saw his whole countenance change. I glanced at the screen and I saw the name ‘Lilian’ before he moved the screen away from me.

He faced me again, “I have to go.” He said, the previous tenderness in his eyes gone.

“I thought you were staying over?” I asked

, sweetly clutching his arm.

He shook me off ,”Something came up.” 

I heard the door open and he was gone.

A vein popped on my forehead out of anger “What the hell!”