Billionaires Don't Fall in Love

THIRTY-THREE

"Thank you for taking me out." Bia smiled. "You really didn't have to take me on a shopping spree."

"It's my pleasure. I need to spend more time with you, it's just everything in my life has been so busy." I shook my head.

"No, I understand." Bia said. "You have a company to manage."

"Yeah, but I should still make time for my sis. I'm sorry."

Bia grew quiet. She played with the rips in her jeans. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Everything alright?"

"Yes and no."

"What's up?"

"I know I said that I had no interest in meeting my parents, but I've always been curios. What if I reached out to Mr. Solana. You know?"

I sighed while looking out the car window.

"I understand your curiosity, but the situation between my dad and everything is complicated."

"Does he even know I exist."

"No."

"So basically I'm just a secret."

"It's not that Bia." I sighed. "It's just very complicated."

"Which I get. I understand. I just hate being left in the dark about everything. I hate being disregarded."

"You're not disregarded. I promise. Everything will sort itself out, but for now, it's not a good idea to get in contact with him."

She remained quiet while nodding.

"Please promise that you won't."

"I promise."

***

"It's complete! It's complete." Beverly cheered. "The wedding dress is complete."

"Really?" I questioned while eating my salad.

Beverly nodded. "That was the designers on the phone. They want you to come in for a final fitting. Can you believe you're getting married in some months?"

"I can't actually." I shook my head while staring at my engagement ring.

"You're going to look so beautiful, Thena." Beverly smiled. "Is your dad walking you down the isle?"

I shook my head. "Probably not."

"I know you and Kelsey are no longer friends, who are you going to put in her place?"

"I was thinking Bia. I don't know, is that too risky?" I questioned.

"I think that would be beautiful." Beverly smiled. "I'll have to contact your designer friend Jahil and schedule an appointment for Bia."

I nodded.

"It's nice getting lunch with you, Thena. My kids don't give me the time of day, but you do." She smiled.

"I enjoy chatting with you, Beverly."

"Stop. I'll tear up."

"Can I be honest with you about something?"

"Yeah."

"I saw my mom when I went to Turks." I started.

Beverly eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yeah and she said that you knew she was alive. More specifically, you knew the reasoning of why she left."

"I did but I didn't want to drag you into their stupid drama. Vince and Kaelyn have a war between the two, you didn't need to be apart of it." Beverly took a sip of her water. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I'm aware the strain that Vince had put you through, I didn't want you to investigate more into your parents activities."

"My mom also told me about a box of records."

Beverly sighed before flipping her hair.

"What are they? I have them and my mom wants them, but I just don't know." I shook my head.

"Fraudulent statements. Tax write-offs." Beverly shook her head. "They have mine and your mother's signature of statements committing fraud."

"What?"

"But your father tricked us. He always had to have some type of leverage on your mom. He had a business idea and he needed someone to invest so Brooks and I did. Your mom had no clue, she signed the statements as well."

Beverly cleared her throat.

"That's how the arrangement started, between you and Tobias. We invested in his engineering company and in return, we married off our cold son."

"Oh." I nodded to myself. "That's why my mom said it could ruin them. She plans on returning back to the public."

"Thena. Listen to me close."

I nodded.

"Take those records and burn them. Destroy them. They aren't safe in your mothers nor fathers hand. They both could destroy each other and either way, I get burned."

"Are you saying I can't trust my mom?"

"No. Kaelyn has a heart of gold. You can trust her. But." She shifted in her seat. "I've invested in multiple of your fathers business. By taking him down, it's affecting me as well."

I nodded.

"I'll burn them."

~

"I know." I rolled my eyes while pacing back and forth. "So what, he's giving me the company? No sale?"

"No sale." Jimmy, my lawyer, said. "His lawyers contacted us."

"Huh." I stopped in my tracks. "There has to be some catch. This is my dad we're talking about. He never gives me things unless I return the favor."

"I've reviewed the contract, no strings attached. Can you meet tomorrow to sign?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Perfect. Let me know when you're free." Jimmy said before hanging up the phone.

"Where's Tobias?" I asked while opening the fridge. "Moscato?"

"He's still at work. He said to only prepare dinner for you." Kaleb said while pointing towards the bottle of moscato on the counter.

"Really? He's not coming home?" I said while grabbing a glass and the bottle.

"I guess not. He didn't mention it to you?"

"No." I slowly said while pouring my glass. "I just feel weird about Tobias and I."

"What's wrong?"

" I don't know. I feel like we're in the same place. We'd have like small moments of affection and then right back to the regular Athena and Tobias. I don't know how to advance our relationship without it being too much."

" just let everything happen naturally."

" I mean I try but I get so frustrated." I took a sip. " I feel like we both have feelings but they're just not strong and I don't know how to make them stronger so we can advance."

" for the first time, I don't know what to say."

" I know I just feel like we've had all this passion and now we're just at a bump. We had this great connection and once we realized we felt the same way, it's like what now?"

"Re-discover that connection then. Take time
apart, make him long to see you. You don't have to jump into couple-like stuff so quick because that makes the flame burn-out."

"Right."

"What sparked that flame for y'all in the beginning?"

" I guess the feeling of having feelings for each other but not knowing. But now we know."

"Now you guys know. But stop trying to act like fiancé and fiancée when you guys haven't built up to that yet. Don't force it. Let it happen naturally."

"Naturally." I nodded.