Meeting Mr. Mogul: A Billionaire Contemporary Romance (23 page)

I straightened up and looked at him dead in the eyes. “You fix this mess. Or, I’m going to...” I stared angrily but trailed off as William cupped my face in his hands.

“Did they do anything to you?” he asked worriedly as he assessed my face then slowly glanced down on the rest of me.

I slapped his hands away and took a staggered step back from him. “Don’t you dare touch me,” I stated with clenched teeth as I continued to stare him down.

“I’m so sorry, Andy. I didn’t plan on any of this to happen. I promise you, I didn’t mean for this to happen,” he pleaded sadly with his face looking pained. “I’m really sorry,” he added softly after taking a steady breath.

I looked at him for a second, guilt and sadness written all over his face. I turned away from him and headed straight for the elevator. As I passed by him, I gave him a small pat in his arm. “Fix this, please,” I begged silently.

I didn’t see or hear his reply as I continued walking towards the elevator. I didn’t bother to give him a second glance.

By Friday, the buzz had died down and people weren’t following me around with cameras and questions. But it wasn’t like there still weren’t people who were curious about William’s involvement with me. As I read today’s paper, it didn’t look convincing enough for me maybe because I’m one of the persons involved in this gossip. The article sounded untrue yet the tabloids bought it or someone paid the tabloids’ opinion to print this article.

“At least, they’ll leave you alone now,” Maggie stated with a smile as I continued to read the article about William and I.

“Are you sure? It doesn’t look like we stumbled into each other’s company and William dragged me to the hospital because I started feeling sick,” I said back in annoyance as I held up the paper and pointed my hand at the article.

“For those who don’t know...” she started in defense as she assessed the paper with uncertainty.

“We both know that this is fake, Maggie,” I said with conviction, folding the paper in half and placing it in the trashcan beside my desk.

“You are only saying that because you know the truth. They don’t know that,” she remarked and pointed out in confidence as she sighed in defeat.

“I know what you mean, but still...” I started but trailed off, as I couldn’t find words.

“Don’t think about it anymore, Andy. It’s all done now,” Maggie interjected softly and gave me a comforting smile.

“Yeah. Thank god for that... I thought I would have to go home like some alley cat for a couple more days.” I sighed in relief as I turned back to my desk monitor.

Maggie chuckled and turned back to her work. As I waited for my computer to start up, I quickly glanced at William’s door. He still hasn’t arrived yet. I wanted to thank him for fixing things with the paparazzi, but we weren’t in talking terms for the past few days.

As afternoon passed and evening came, I started fidgeting and constantly glanced at William’s office door. He didn’t come to work today. It was almost seven thirty and he hadn’t left any messages saying that he wouldn’t be coming to work.

“Maggie, do you know where Mr. Maxwell is? Why isn’t he at work today?” I asked as I silently cleared my desk a few minutes before my shift ended.

“Oh. William,” Maggie started, glancing at me with surprise for a second. “He’s at home today. He’s not feeling well.”

“Not well? He looked fine yesterday, didn’t he?” I pointed out in confusion.

“He was slightly pale yesterday. He may not show it, but to me, I can see that he was sick. So, I asked him to stay home for today,” Maggie replied nonchalantly as she continued to type something in the computer.

“Oh,” I replied silently, not sure what to say.

“Do you need anything from him?” Maggie asked, glancing at me for a second.

“I thought he would be here today. I wanted to thank him for getting this whole mess sorted out,’’ I replied shyly.

“Oh. Okay,” Maggie replied with a small smile, her eyes glistening in interest. “Well, if you want to tell him today, I can give you his address,” she offered with a smile.

“You want me to go over to his house?” I asked in surprise.

“Yeah, why not?” Maggie replied rhetorically without shame. “Since you are going there, can you give this to him?” she continued while gathering a few files from her desk.

“Oh. So, you want me to go to his house for this?” I asked in confirmation and got up from my chair, walking towards her desk.

“No, not really. Since you wanted to thank him, and I’m too tired to drop by his place today...” she replied, trailing off with a grin on her face.

“I didn’t know that you could be like this, Maggie,” I commented with a chuckle. “Alright, I’ll give it to him,” I added as I gathered the papers she had piled up on the edge of her desk.

“Thank you, dear. Well, I do have to give myself a break some times,” she said with a wink.

After Maggie gave me the address to William’s place, I said my goodbyes and headed out to the bus stop. I was hesitant as I glanced around the streets when I walked out of the main entrance. If one of those idiots from the tabloids followed me, I would kill myself for getting in a situation like that. My thoughts were in turmoil on my ride back to my apartment.

When the bus stopped at the waiting shed on his street, I felt my knees slightly shake with nervousness as I walked out the bus. I let out a huge breath to calm myself. I tried to think of nothing as I forcefully placed one foot in front of the other and walked towards William’s apartment with a heavy heart.

Heavy and agitated heart, I should say. I didn’t know that he lived by himself and wasn’t staying in the grand Maxwell Mansion with his mother. And not knowing that he lived right across the street from my apartment all this time made me seethe with rage. No wonder he knew where I lived.

I looked up and studied the building across the street from my apartment. Compared to where I live, his condominium towered over its neighboring buildings. Unlike the building beside it, which was made of red brick and a rather mediocre finished cement, his building stood out with its tinted glass walls and steel frames. For all I knew, he owned the damn classy building standing in front of me.

I entered the building and was welcomed by a sophisticated lobby that had a cream white granite reception desk and golden walls with an equally elegant white and gold furnishings. The floor was tiled and polished exceptionally well, you can see your reflection. The design reminded me of the small lobby in my apartment. And then it clicked. He did own the damn place. It was very obvious.

I let out another huge calming breath before approaching the reception desk, where a young man with light brown hair stood with his head down. I was a foot away from him when he looked up at me in surprise, but then recovered his expression and gave me a small welcoming smile.

“Good evening. How may I help you?” he asked when I finally reached the counter.

“Do you know what floor Mr. Maxwell’s apartment is in? I’m Ms. Maxwell’s secretary. I came here to give him some papers to sign,” I replied soberly as I held up the brown envelope that held the documents Maggie gave me.

“Top floor. Penthouse,” he replied directly, still smiling. “The elevator is that way,” he added as he gestured his hand to the left, where three silver metal doors were located.

“Right. Obviously,” I mumbled grimly to myself and nodded in reply. I slowly turned towards the elevator.

When I reached the top floor, the elevator dinged as it opened to a dimly lit hallway. For a second, I thought I was in the medieval era. The air was cool, the walls were grey, and I would’ve tripped and fallen on my face if it weren’t for the two mini chandeliers lighting up the hallway to some extent. I hesitantly stepped out, looking down at the dark red carpet. Who would have guessed Mr. Mogul had a thing for the dark ages.

As I continued along the hallway, I turned sideways to see the clear, floor-to-ceiling window. The view outside was breathtaking as the city lights illuminated the streets. There were skyscrapers and towers lined up closely in the heart of the city. If you squinted your eyes, on the right side you could see a glimpse of the suburbs. I never would’ve thought that the city was this beautiful at night.

When I finally reached the end of the hallway, a huge white door stood in front of me. Its frame was carved with the same kind of wood I remembered seeing in the Maxwell Mansion. That kind of furnishing is something you’ll never easily forget. I caressed the frame with the tip of my fingers before knocking gently on the door. It took me at least three tries before I realized that there was a small golden doorbell on the left corner of the wall.

After ringing the bell twice, I finally heard a faint call from the other side of the door. My heart suddenly picked up, knowing who it was. When the door opened, I was about to greet him but I couldn’t find my words as I laid eyes on him.

He wasn’t the William Maxwell that I knew. He looked vulnerable and frail. He was wearing a plain white shirt and grey sweat pants. He looked like a man who lost everything. Who was this man and what did he do to Mr. Mogul?

“Mr. Maxwell?” I asked, choking the words out.

“What do you want?” he asked his voice deep and raspy. He coughed twice before he looked up. “Oh. What are you doing here?” he asked when his dull blue eyes found mine.

“I’m here to deliver some paper work. Are you okay?” I started but trailed off as I asked him worriedly.

He waved his hands dismissively as he grabbed the brown envelope that I handed to him. For a second, I stood there not able to say another word. Then, I snapped out of it and remembered why I came in the first place.

“Mr. Maxwell. I wanted to say thank you for this past week,” I started, taking a step towards him.

He turned back to me, his eyes wide. It was like he had finally realized who I was. “Andy. No. It was nothing,” he replied, slightly straightening his stance.

“Uhm... May I come in?” I asked after a short pause, nodding my head inside his apartment.

“Oh. Right. That was rude of me. Please,” he said frantically, opening the door wide as he gestured for me to go in.

I gave him a weak smile and walked past him. The first thing that caught my eye was the clear glass wall across the room. It was like the one in his office. The room was spacious with little furniture present, like his office. I slowly made my way to a huge black couch in the middle of the room. I turned to my right and noticed a huge painting.

“You like Renaissance art?” I asked as I continued to study the painting from afar.

“Yes. I like how it holds beauty and history at the same time,” William replied softly as he sat down on the couch, grabbing a dark red wool blanket that was laid out beside him.

I turned towards him, studying his pale face. “How ill are you?” I asked as I took a step closer to him.

“It’s just the flu. I’m not on my death bed yet,” he stated with a chuckle, which turned into a series of coughs.

I bit my lower lip in concentration as I gauged his actions. He continued to cough a few times after a short pause. With a defeated sigh, I walked towards him and placed my hand on his forehead and neck. My hand was greeted by his burning skin. He was sicker than he thought. I placed my hand on his shoulder and forced him to lie down on the couch.

“What are you doing?” he asked in confusion as he resisted, placing one of his warm hand on my wrist.

“You need to lie down. You are heating up badly.” I forced him down a little harder.

He looked at me for a second before giving in. I grabbed one of the pillows nearby and put it under his head as I slowly brought him down on the couch. Then I grabbed the blanket and covered his whole body with it.

“Have you eaten?” I asked silently as I lightly patted down the sheet onto him.

“I don’t know... I forgot...” he replied, as he turned his head away from me.

I stood up and looked around the vast room until my eyes landed on a kitchen counter. “Do you have chicken in your fridge?” I asked as I glanced down to him.

“I don’t know. What do you want to do with a chicken?” he asked grimly as he glanced up at me in confusion.

“I’m making you some chicken soup,” I replied with conviction and walked away from him. I know I’m going to regret this if I don’t act fast.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked aloud, his voice raspy as he coughed again.

“It’s not what you think. Now, sleep while I make you soup,” I instructed sternly, as I hunted for utensils and ingredients.

Half an hour had passed and the chicken soup was almost done. I kept it warm for a while and checked on William. I silently walked back to the living room. I could hear his soft snores and chuckled at the noise. Slowly, I peeked through the back of the couch to see his sleeping face. The blanket was up to his chin and his dirty blond hair stuck to his pale face as sweat started to form. I smiled at how innocent he looked at that moment. Even a man who talked like he owned the world had vulnerable moments.

I lightly slapped his forehead to wake him up a few minutes later. He groaned in annoyance before opening his blue eyes. He looked disoriented as he quickly sat up on his couch and turned towards me.

“You look like a wet golden retriever,” I remarked with a laugh, shaking my head in amusement.

“You’re the only person I know who can be cruel enough to laugh at a sick person,” he countered with a suggestive smile.

Since the first time I stepped into his apartment, his eyes gleamed back with their usual bright blue shade as his lips tugged up into a smile. I liked his smile. He looked more alive than before. Like a bullet train, some sense hit me. What was I doing here, making him a meal, taking care of him?

As he saw my sudden change of expression, the smile on his face was gone as the glint in his eyes hardened back to its dim color.

“Here’s your chicken soup. Eat it all up so you’ll get better,” I instructed as I grabbed the tray on the table beside me and placed it in front of him.

“Thank you,” he replied, looking down at the steaming bowl.

“No problem.” I walked a few steps away from him, gathering my bag and coat, which I had placed on the couch beside him.