A billionaire’s kiss

The garden of Ian’s parents house was lit with string lights as the auction was to be held there. I could see a small dais set up to the left with tables and chairs placed before it. Guests were gathered, drinking and chattering, their laughs ringing in my ears.

Wind blew across the garden, rustling the leaves of the tress and I nervously fidgeted with the sleeves of my knee length light pink dress.

“I can’t believe you convinced me to come here” Ian grumbled as he hooked his arm with mine.

I smiled. “I told you, coming here together would prove that we aren’t affected by the lies circulating in the media. If we hide, it means the media won. So this auction is a good place to show that we’re not defeated” I lied through my teeth. That wasn’t the reason why I came here.

At first this was just about Nathan but now it was about me too. We were both framed into a cheating scandal and if I could prove that he was framed then my name would be cleared too. Audrey was currently at her director’s house with Brian, trying to sneak in. I brought my friends into this too because they wanted to help me clear my name. And Brian has connections to stuff that could be of help, like how he helped me break into the Prescott’s a long time ago. Any extra help to reduce the risk of getting caught matters.

Ian let out a sigh. “Fine, let’s go”

We walked into the garden and I could see heads turn our way. People threw accusing glares at me, some whispered behind their hands. And I didn’t even need to listen to know what they were saying. Cheater, cheater, cheater. The words echoed in my ear.

Ian straightened his shoulders, his jaw clenching as he levelled everyone with a glare.

I gave a gentle squeeze to his arm. “Relax, we expected this”

Ian’s face hardened. “This is why I hate people” He grumbled.

Before I could reply a shriek broke out from the crowd. A blue eyed woman came running towards us with her arms open. “Oh my sweet boy is here”

Ian’s mother, who I recently learned the name was Elisa came and hugged Ian but he pushed her away. “Get off of me”

She ignored it and cupped his face in her hands. “I didn’t think you’d come. If you had informed me earlier I would’ve prepared your favourite dish. But I’m so happy that you came” She squeezed his cheeks and Ian yanked her hands away.

“Don’t touch me” He hissed.

Behind Elisa, Chairman appeared. His gaze slid to me and a sly smirk twisted in his lips. “You still with her son? Even after she cheated on you?”

Elisa then noticed I was there and turned to me. Fire blazed in her eyes. “What is she doing here?” She hissed. “I’ll tell a maid to throw her out”

“She’s not going anywhere” Ian growled and tugged me closer. “And get out of my way” He pushed past his parents and we went further into the garden.

“I told you this was a bad idea” He said as we came to a halt near the food table.

“We have to face this someday Ian” He opened his mouth but I raised a hand up. “Now don’t say ‘not today’ because you’ve been saying that for a week now”

Ian rolled his eyes. “Fine”

My lips tugged up and I gave a pat to his cheek. I hated keeping secrets from him. I’ve never done that. I wish I could tell him but I knew if I did, he would stop me. I couldn’t risk that, specially now when Audrey and Brian were at the director’s house. But right after I get the evidence I would come to Ian and tell him everything. I won’t keep any secret from him. Never again.

Ian raised a brow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because you’re handsome”

The corners of his mouth rose and he pulled me to his chest. “So you finally admitted” He purred and leaned down, nipping my neck. I giggled “There are people here Ian”

“So what? Didn’t we come here to give them a show?”

“This is too much”

Ian smirked. “Nothing is too much” He pressed a kiss to my lips. “I love you” He murmured.

I smiled. “I love you too”

Ian gave another kiss and pulled back, a smirk playing on his lips. “So should we go to my room sweetheart?”

I gaped. “No”

“Why?”

“Because- because” Over Ian’s shoulder I saw Alice, holding the wedding photo of Nathan and her, the one she received after his death. “Because Alice is here. Look” I motioned my head towards her and Ian followed my gaze.

I pulled away from his grip. “I’m going to her”

“I’ll come with you”

I quirked a brow. “Do you think Alice will like that? She hates you”

Ian sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Fine go to her. But come back to me soon. I’ll be waiting at a table near the stage”

I gave a nod and waved at him before approaching Alice.

“Hi” I greeted and she beamed.

“Hi, how are you…” Her smile fell as if she remembered something “I saw the articles. Hope you’re doing okay”

I smiled faintly. “Yeah I’m fine. I didn’t expect to see you here”

She shrugged. “I didn’t come here for the auction. I came to visit that place by the lake” She showed me the photo and I remembered seeing her there, crying the last time I visited.

“Are you-” I was cut off as someone else approached us. Someone very very annoying.

“Hailey” Lauren flashed a smile. “You didn’t come to work for a whole week”

“I had personal matters to attend to” I said in a monotonous fine.

A devious smirk curled in her lips. “I read the articles. And to say I’m disappointed is an understatement. I didn’t expect that from you Hailey. People like us who come from a not so rich background” She pointed that to Alice. “should stick to the rich. That’s how we survive”

I smiled politely. “I didn’t know being a gold digger is a requirement for survival”

A slight anger flashed in her eyes but she quickly composed herself back. She came over to me and wiped a non existent dirt off my shoulder. “Oh you’ll be surprised” She cocked her head to the side and trailed a finger down my arm. “Ian’s bed must be cold now. Poor him”

Rage flared through me and my hands balled into fists.

Lauren chuckled and stepped back. “Chill Hailey, I’m a woman with morals. I don’t sleep with a lover’s brother” She smirked. “Although I’m tempted to”

Then she looked at Alice and gave a mock bow. “See you later, your highness”

She walked away leaving a fuming Alice beside me.

Alice muttered something under her breath and said her goodbyes before marching off to the woods, hugging her photo tightly.

Shortly after, the auction started and I saw Ian looking for me. I quickly hid behind a pillar. I felt bad. Really bad. Sorry Ian. I also spotted the director seated with his family at a table far away.

Remembering Audrey and Brian I took a call to them.

“Audrey did you get in?”

“Yeah. We got to his computer too and now Brian is trying to crack the password. Your friend is super awesome. He even hacked into the CCTV and disabled them from outside. I think he’s in some kind of gang. You know tech gang, if those even exists” She rambled. “Did you get the phone?”

“Not yet. I’m going now. Do you think what we’re searching for will be there? What if everything was deleted?”

“Well you told me the phone was not hidden the day you saw it. That means someone took it out. Which also means that the phone still has some use. So whatever important might still be there. Let’s hope for the best”

I heaved a sigh. “Okay I’ll go and get it”

My eyes went back to the guests and I saw the chairman and his wife seated at a front table. Knowing this was the perfect time, I sprinted inside the house.

I went up the stairs and sneaked into the master bedroom. The last time I saw the phone, it was behind a crying photo of Ian. I found the photo and tugged at it and like I expected it wasn’t there. I searched the rest of the photos then the drawers. But no hope.

Glancing over my shoulder from time to time I quickly moved around the room searching for it. Sweat trickled down my forehead.

Once I got into their walk in wardrobe I found a safe fixed into the wall behind chairman’s suit jackets. Brian gave me a contact number of his friend and tucked something into my purse that I was to use if I find a safe. But now that I looked more closely at the safe it wasn’t necessary. The password was very clear because chairman had recently pressed the numbers with oil/food in his hands. I cringed in disgust. With the help of Brian’s friend to get the order right, I pressed the password.

It unlocked and I found documents, money and in the corner, the phone.

I took it and turned it on. The battery was low but it was enough. My phone vibrated as Audrey called me again.

“You found it?”

“Yeah” I answered.

“Good. Brian cracked the password too. Check the messages in the phone. See if it has something useful before taking it because if the chairman finds it missing you’d be in trouble”

I let out a shaky breath. “Thanks for the obvious warning”

I opened the messages and checked the recent one. My eye widened seeing who the recipient was. It was the director. “Audrey, Nathan had contacted your director”

She gasped. “What does it say?”

“It says I have something to tell you”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah”

“What’s the date?”

“It’s… it’s” I sucked in my breath. “It was sent hours before Nathan’s death”

“WHAT THE HELL?” She yelled and I heard Brian shushing her. “Scroll up and see what they talked”

“Nothing. That’s the only message”

Audrey waited. “Check other messages. See if you can find what it is”

I scrolled through the messages. There were many but one indeed peaked my interest. Messages from Lauren.

I opened it and was shocked to see several threatening messages from Lauren to Nathan.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

“It looks like Lauren has threatened Nathan”

“What does she say?”

“She says that she’s going to kill herself if Nathan doesn’t divorce Alice”

Audrey snorted. “Pathetic. Anything else?”

“Yeah…” I trailed off. “There are two videos”

I clicked on the first one.

Lauren placed her phone on a table and sat down on the bed wearing a lacy nightgown, her thighs showing. She smiled maliciously and spread her legs wider to the camera.

“Nathan, you’ve been ignoring my messages. It seems like you don’t even care if I die” She spat. “But don’t worry I found a new way to get you”

She smirked and stood up, undressing till she stood bare. “Shame you can’t touch these” She giggled, squeezing one of her breasts. “But someone else will. Or more like-” She smiled. “someone else’s father will”

She stepped back and glanced at the door behind her. “Leonard aren’t you coming out of the bathroom?”

“I’m coming darling” Chairman’s voice trailed from the door.

I gasped and dropped the phone. The next video automatically played and my eyes widened in horror realising it was their sex video. Did he really not delete these videos to keep watching them? Feeling disgusted I quickly picked it up and stopped the video.

Now that I saw this, realisation dawned me. I gasped. Oh my god.

“Hello, Hailey you there?” Audrey asked pulling me out of my daze.

I placed my phone to my ear. “Audrey that day, the footage was taken I don’t think Nathan and Lauren were coming out of a hotel. I think…I think Nathan was dragging her out”

“From who?”

“Chairman” I breathed. “She slept with him to get Nathan back. I think…I think the footage that was erased was the two of them, chairman and Lauren coming into the hotel together. That was what needed to be hidden. Maybe…maybe the director found it and used it to blackmail chairman” I inhaled sharply as everything fell into place. “Maybe that’s what’s in the your director’s computer. The missing footage”

I smiled triumphantly. This video could prove Nathan didn’t cheat. But-but if he didn’t cheat then why did he suicide?

“Hailey” I heard Brian’s voice, shaky and alarmed. “Get out of there”

“W-why?”

“Because what’s in the computer is not the missing footage”

“Then?”

Brian sent it to me and my throat dried as I checked it.

Dread twisted in my stomach.

It was a video, a video taken on the day of Nathan’s death. Chairman coming out of Nathan’s studio, clutching his son’s phone, his hands bloodied.

“Someone’s been snooping around” A hoarse chuckle rang behind me.

My eyes widened in shock and I turned around but something hard hit my head.

Last thing I remember was black spots appearing in my vision before darkness invaded me.