THE BILLIONAIRE'S BARGAIN

Carmilla leaned back in her pushed office chair, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder. She stared out the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the hustle and bustle of the city below. The sounds of car horns , chatter and construction created a familiar symphony that usually energized her, but today it felt like background noise.

“ I'm telling you, Mia, I'm so done with these meetings and investors,” carmilla said, rolling her eyes. “ I feel like I'm just going through the motions.” She let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of her responsibilities as the CEO of her company.

Mia's laughter echoed through the phone. “ It's not only you, cam.even my job as a model can be tiring sometimes, especially when I'm trying to outshine someone over here.” 

“ You're just stressed, you need a vacation, carmilla .” Mia has been carmilla's best friend since college and she knows carmilla's tells better than anyone.

Carmilla chuckles. “ I wish. Maybe someday soon, together with you as usual “. She glanced at her watch, realizing she had a meeting with a potential investor in an hour. She made a mental note to review the presentation one more time.

Just as carmilla was about to respond to Mia's next comment, her personal assistant, Sandra, knocks on the door, carmilla raised her left eyebrow, wondering what Sandra wanted. She knows better than to interrupt her calls.

“ Sorry, Mia, I have to go,”. Carmilla said, already sensing something is off.

“ Okay, girl, talk to ya later, ”. Mia replied before carmilla ends the call.

Sandra enters the room, after the response of carmilla, her expression somber. 

“ Ma’am, I'm sorry to interrupt, but….. there's an urgent call for you”. Mia's voice trembles and carmilla's instincts kicks in.

Something is wrong.

She nods, signaling for her to put the call through.

“ Hello?” Carmilla's voice was professional, her tone changing from a normal one to serious in an instant.

“ Carmilla, it's your father”. Comes the somber voice on the other end of the line. 

Carmilla's heart skips a beat. She doesn't communicate with her family frequently due to their Past and unresolved problems, on the other hand, her father rarely calls her at work, and and his tone was enough to send a shiver down her spine.

“ What's wrong?”. She asked, her voice betraying her worry .

“ It's your brother, Julian . He's…he's dead”. Her father's voice suddenly broke and carmilla could hear the tears in his words. 

Carmilla's world came crushing down around her. Julian was her twin brother and even though she did not have a healthy relationship with her family anymore, Julian was exceptional. She loved him dearly.

“ What exactly killed him?”. She asked with her cracked voice.

“ And when did he die?”.

“ He was found dead yesterday, and the police said he was killed by a gunshot”. He replied firmly.

“ Given this situation, I expect you to come back home. Even if we did not have a healthy relationship, we can use this situation to change that”. He added with his voice full of fear of rejection.

“ How could I not come home. I'll make the necessary arrangements and fly back home”. She replied, with her voice steady.

“ That good. I'll also make arrangement to ease your way back home”. With that, the call ended.

Trying to gather herself and process everything, carmilla knows that she has to return home at this moment. Feeling a wave of grief wash over her, threatening to engulf her, carmilla pushes her chair back as she stands and walk over to the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined one wall of her office. She stares out at the breathtaking view, feeling like she's drowning in a sea of emotions.

Julian was more than just her brother, he was her best friend, crime partner and so much more. If not for their resemblance, people will think they were dating. 

“ Who will stand by me now in front of the family”. She thought to herself.

As she stood there frozen and shocked, Sandra walked up to where she is standing lost in thought.

“ Ma'am, I'm so sorry”. She said with her voice like that of someone that is crying.

“ Is there anything you want me to help you with”. She asked.

On hearing this, carmilla turns to face her assistant, with eyes brimming with tears, threatening to spill, but she blinks them back. There was no time to grief, business can wait, even in the face of tragedy. Yet, the thought of returning home after years sent shivers down her spine.

“ Cancel all meetings for today, I'll handle them when I'm back. As for the investors, come up with something that will make them wait ….just like you handle others well, do the same now”. 

“ Also mia must be busy by this time, I won't be able to reach her. Help me contact her manager and deliver the news to her directly”. She replied firmly.

“ I'm going to return home as soon as possible, make the necessary arrangements for me”. She added, with her eyes staring at her office that she will leave soon.

Sandra nodded taking note of every instructions mentally.

“ Anything else Ma'am?”. Sandra asked, with her face staring at carmilla.

“ No, that will be all. I just need you to handle this company while I'm gone. Try not to handle major and difficult task , because I won't be working from home. I've to show my family that I came to mourn with them”. She replied .

“ Okay ma'am”. Sandra answered.

“ I trust that you can do this”. Carmilla responded with a smile of encouragement as she walks back to sit on her leather chair.

“ I can't believe that the vacation I'm going to have is traveling back home. Why did this have to happen now? , Julian, why did you have to go now?. 

All this thought ran through her mind as she sat on her leather chair.

“ I'm going home? . But why now, I'm not ready to face mom again after all this year's.