Chapter 3- Billionaire Best Friends

     Nora and her friend stepped into the private elevator they both used. It kept them away from their workers and also the public, just the way they liked it. They were so obsessed with their privacy that they hated interactions and took measures to make sure everything remained that way, private. A few minutes later, they arrived at their cars. A silver Mercedes Benz GLA SUV and a black Audi Q8, they both paused and looked at each other, unsure which car to take.

"You drive, I'll follow," Nora's friend said as she walked towards the black Audi.

     Although billionaires, Nora and her best friend loved to do everything by themselves because that's what they were used to, so off they went to the restaurant for dinner. With no escort, convoy, driver or bodyguard. 

    A few minutes later, the two cars were parked in front of a nice-looking restaurant. It seemed simple for a location as grand as the environment. The view through the glass already gave them a feel of what the interior looked like.

    Nora stepped out of her car to meet her friend, as they walked towards the entrance, she asked, "Do you like it?".

Knowing her friend, she had already begun assessing the restaurant the minute they arrived at the parking lot. 

Her friend smiled and said, "I like what I see, but let's find out what the interior has for us and hopefully, we won't be disappointed by the food."

    Reaching the restaurant, the door was opened by a well-dressed guard in a neatly ironed uniform, who greeted them both, to which they replied accordingly. 

"I made reservations for a table with a good view of everything. Follow me," Nora said to her friend, as they climbed up a small flight of stairs. They both took their seats, and a waiter came to take their orders. The view was indeed good; the walls were dark brown with low lightning, which gave the restaurant a homey feel. There were flower vases on every table with beautiful flowers in them. There were only a few people at the restaurant, who were either engrossed in their discussions or the food in front of them. Soft classical music played in the background as they ate.

    All through dinner, Nora and her friend had light discussions about work, their assets, and any random topic they could come up with, laughing as they did. It felt nice to be relaxed and hang out like old times, without the stress of work or their positions weighing them down. 

    After the meal, as they both walked back to their cars, Nora asked, "So what do you think of this place?" I think it's nice. I like it a lot. It is very private. It's a nice combination of elegant and simple, or should I say, it's simply elegant, "her friend replied with a shrug, trying to hide her smile. 

Nora rolled her eyes, half laughing, she said, "You're so lame" playfully shoving her friend. As they approached their cars, they said their goodbyes, and Nora drove away, leaving her friend in the parking lot to begin her long journey home.

*. *. 

Reaching her house a while later, her little fortress away from people and nosy reporters. She absolutely adored this place she called home. She drove through large black gates which opened automatically at the touch of a button in her car. Beautiful flowers lined her driveway and a dog barked from within the house as she drove to her garage.  As she opened the door to her house, her dog, Maverick, a doberman pinscher, came running towards her. She patted the dog affectionately and walked in, locking the door behind her. Reaching the kitchen, she grabbed some food for her dog, Maverick and poured it into the dog bowl, then went to have a shower and prepare for bed. 

  A few hours later, she awoke with a fright, sweating profusely, her heart palpitating rapidly. Turning to her nightstand, she looked at the clock. It read 4:15am. Getting out of bed, she changed into her workout clothes and headed to the gym. 

At the gym, she turned the lights on and began working out, trying to clear her head of the nightmare, but as she worked out, her nightmare constantly flashed through her mind. It's been 12 years, when would these nightmares cease? She thought as she aggressively punched the speed ball. She stopped the punching after a while and looked out the window. It was still dark outside, sighing, she took off her punching gloves and headed back to her bedroom. Checking the clock on her nightstand, it read 6:00am. Sighing again, more out of sadness than fatigue, she walked into the bathroom to have a shower, taking longer than usual in the bathroom, hoping the water would calm her down and relieve the stress. 

  

    After putting on a pair of black shorts and a grey tank top, she made a mental note to call Nora. She headed downstairs and began playing violin pieces by Lindsey Stirling, music had a way of calming her. The sun was slowly rising from behind the clouds by the time she decided to make herself some breakfast. 

    After breakfast, she made a call to Nora but was sent straight to voicemail, so she left her a message instead, "I'll not be coming to work today. I don't have much to do there anyway. I just plan on staying at home and doing random chores... Okay bye, "she clicked the send button and then proceeded to begin her day.  

    She headed down to the basement, which could only be accessed by her. It was one of her favorite rooms in the house, and where she went whenever she had nightmares. She went to work cleaning the room, where she was going to spend her day.