Billionaire's wife by Ashleh Queen (best ereader for epub TXT) 📕

Flashback

“I want to go to Italy,” I told my grandfather when he asked me for my present. I was going to be ten and I knew what I wanted for this party.

“Fine….but the venue is here. Why don’t you go to Italy after this party? I will call Christian and…”

“No, I want to have the party there.” I tried to give him my pissed look. I wonder why he can’t agree to this. I am the one who should be listened to.

“Matteo, I talked to you about that. Didn’t I? Now you are causing a nuisance.”

“Either you will arrange this party in Italy or we won’t have any conversation ever.” I looked at him and he huffed before motioning his assistant to walk closer.

“Talk to the event manager. We are going to Italy. Things have to be moved.” I smiled and walked to my room. I knew I will be able to manage it. There was a time when I used to be impressed by my grandfather. He had the solution for everything but now I liked to make things impossible for him. I guess I now understood how everything in this family should be about me. If I won’t maintain it this way things will mess up for sure.

I called for assistance to prepare my suitcase and stood to notice that all my favourite clothes get to be packed. I now knew why Italy always attracted me. It was always meant to be Italy.

“Mr Lucca, I have got all the things packed. You have your socks in there and…”

“I was standing here all this time. I know.” I replied and moved to show the maid the way out.  As if I needed to know about this all. I had servants there too.

My grandfather had a meeting and couldn’t join me on our private plane. And, I couldn’t believe things were going just as I planned.

I called for all the servants the moment I reached my grandfather’s mansion in Italy and asked, “Who is the newest recruit among you?” My question made one of the drivers take a step ahead and I looked at the others. “The rest can leave.” I looked at the man who was about in his late twenties.

“I want you to drive me to an address.” The man seemed puzzled but I was quick to add. “I want to drop this birthday card in person…to one of my teachers.” I don’t think he doubted because he seemed far less tense in the rest of the drive. The address was quite far. But I couldn’t complain.

I was going to see Heather Parker today. I wonder if she would care about me the same as my friends’ mother do. I know she had taken money to give birth to me. It was a job for her. My grandfather had told me that woman want nothing more than a secured future. Instead, Mrs Lucca is supposed to be my mother. But I had never liked her.

But this woman I was going to see was my real mother. I was her flesh. She was bound to care about me. And, even if she needed money I could give a lot to her. “How much is your salary?” I asked the driver and he was reluctant before answering. “It’s around thirty thousand dollars per year and I have other benefits of…”

“Enough.” I wonder how much would be enough for my mother. Well, it was a matter of later concern. Right now I wanted to observe how much she cares about me.

Our car was pulled in front of a small house. It wasn’t dirty and had a beautiful fence. I can say they were not doing very badly. But I could make this place in my backyard just for the fun of having to build something. I pushed the gate and got in to give a knock on the door. I could hear some people talking and waited for a little. A red hair boy came to open the door for me.

“I am here to see Mrs Heather Parker,” I said without losing a minute. Well, now I noticed his body and I could tell he must be in his early twenties.

“She is my mother. Who are you?” The guy asked but I couldn’t help but look at him. There was nothing that we had in common at the first glance. But maybe his mouth was a lot…

“Who is there?” A feminine voice broke the chain of my thoughts and the moment that boy turned to say, “I am talking, mom.” My throat got dry. I was going to look at her.

“I will see. Guests are waiting for you.” The guy left and no one came. I was about to get into the home when I saw a woman appearing at the door. She smiled looking at me before asking, “Hello, young boy, what’s the matter?” I inhaled her scent. She was baking for sure.

“You don’t know me?” I looked at her apron. Though my grandfather hates it when I try to get to the kitchen to know how the food is made, he punishes the staff every time I sneak into the kitchen. But I wasn’t dumb to not realize it was baking. I have spent good hours giving gifts to the students who are in cooking class. They always let me sit around to see the process.

I looked at her face and with each passing second her smile got smaller and this time her voice came out in a whisper. “Who are you?” I don’t know the last time when I was this clueless. I always say whatever comes into my mind.

“Are you Heather Parker?” I asked and she quickly got the door behind her close.

“What are you doing here? Who brought you here?” She tried to look at the gate but I passed the birthday card to her.

“I want to show you to my friends. I would like to invite you to…” She snatched the card from my hand and got my arm in her hand before pulling me to the gate. “Leave me!” I shouted as the pain rose from my arm but she only stopped when she reached my car.

“You are no one to me. Do you get me? You have no one here!”

I looked at her eyes that were going large before she hissed. “You are no one but the reminder of the worst time in my life. I never ever want to see you, Matteo. You will never come here. You get me?”

I looked at my arm and she left it before looking at the driver. “You better answer this to Mr Lucca.” She said and looked at me.