Agreement with a billionaire

Pretense can be real.

For the uncountable time, Laura adjusts her laying position on the bed as this time she sits properly, resting her head on the crown of her bed, with her mind rustling and roaming through the thoughts and conversations she had with a certain striking man, named Adrian Alimson.

In Laura’s life, she has never met a man as blunt and direct as Adrian, which makes Laura to believe he utters any word that comes to his brain and doesn’t bother to process if it is appealing to the ears. It might be appealing to the ears, especially when it comes from some like Adrian whom is wealthy, attractive and handsome at the same time, yet, Laura isn’t just looking for physical attributes but someone she can rest her head on and trust with her whole mind.

And that someone doesn’t seem to be Adrian Alimson, for no one needs to tell her before she knows that Adrian is a playboy and a good one to be exact.

When the words slipped out of Adrian’s lips for Laura to be his fiancé, she thought she misheard and needed Adrian to repeat his words, such that he did even more confidently. With his boldness and audacity of how he speaks Laura wanted to ask him his reasons for that, but she couldn’t and instantly declined when she recalled their first experience and his attitude towards her. To Laura, she sees Adrian as bipolar. One whom can act sweet today and actually make her heart race for a second and act indisciplined with arrogance in a blink the next day.

Is that a man she wants for herself? Definitely not, for no matter how pretense can be real, it eventually gets out.

Though she can’t help but query herself why she didn’t ask his reason for telling her such, for she has become curious, exclusively when he picked a call in her presence and his whole demeanor became melancholic and not a word of argument exited his lips and he agreed with Laura for the first time ever, for when she dropped down from his car, Adrian didn’t bother to look back before he drove off.

Another attitude which Laura believes she finds hard to keep up with.

Meanwhile, Adrian’s point of view is quite distinct from what Laura envisages.

Adrian slumps to the coach, as the feeling of frustration wraps him such that the removal of his tie exits from his neck in an instant, before running a hand through his hair in distraught.

Sleep cavalcade his eyes, due to the abrupt leaving of France which he had to when he received a call from the hospital about his unwell grandmother’s health, as upon reaching the US, the conversation he had with his grandmother is concerning, such that he still recalls.

Adrian rushes into St Lois specialist healthcare, until he gets to a particular private suite and he comes to a stop when he meets the specialist doctor in care if his grandmother.

“How is she?” Adrian asks the instant he lays eyes with Dr Simon, recalling how he was called in France about his grandmother going into shock, which led him to leave France at that moment unplanned.

“She is stable Mr Alimson, calm yourself please.” Dr Simon, whom is a man in his middle fourties’ with dark brown hair and a decent looking face, speaks to Adrian, while a sigh of relief washes over him. “Though, I do need to speak to you.” Dr Simon adds.

“What is it?” Adrian inquires as his demeanor reverts back to worry, while staring back at the specialist.

“The surgery we performed on her heart a week ago was indeed successful, and I believe I told you before the surgery that is is a fifty -fifty chance that she will survive after the surgery.” Every cell in Adrain’s body listens attentively to what Dr Simon has to say while he continues his observations. “And thankfully she did. My point now is, I do want you to recall that the surgery was only made to elongate her time of living, giving her a year and half to live at maximum, but with the recent crisis which took place today, It is my deepest condolences to say that she can not live up to a year anymore.” As though Adrain’s world shatters and every hope he always had comes crashing down his eyes with the information he receives.

“What do you mean she has less than a year?” Adrian asks quietly but painfully.

“Her body is rejecting the transplant and there is only a limited amount of that time we can keep it up before her body rejects it completely.” Dr Simon explains.

“Then we get another donor. We get multiple donors until we have the perfect fit.” Adrian speaks frustrated. “What’s the use of all the money I’m spending here and sponsoring this hospital if I can’t get the best?” Adrain’s tone now becoming agitated.

“You do have the best Mr Alimson. The heart we gave to her is the perfect match for her body but for some unknown reasons, my conclusion is because of her age which is why her body will accept it for a while but can not sustain her for long, which we knew. It’s just unfortunate that this crisis happened and her time has become shorter.” The doctor explains vividly for Adrian, taking himto run a hand through his hair disheveled.

“f**k!” Adrian curses lowly but audible enough for the Doctor to hear. “What do you need me to do now? You do know how much she means to me, what she’s means to, what she means to my sister. How do I deliver such unbearable news to them?” Adrian asks the Doctor as though it is his fault for such tragedy to befall him.

“I would advise that you spend the rest of the time which she has left as beautiful as possible with her. We can only try to elongate a life but when it has exhausted it’s time Mr Alimson, there is nothing left to be done. No matter the wealth.” Hearing the Doctors words, Adrian goes into a minute of thought replaying his words repeatedly as it dwells on him that there are some people whom is wealth can not entice nor save in any way.

Such persons like Laura and his grandmother.

“Can I see her now?” Adrian recovers from his thought, as from his tone of words one can tell the toll the newly said news is having on him.

“Of course.” Dr Simon nods his head positively and moves out of the way for Adrian to walk into the private suite.

Adrian pushes open the door to the suite gently, revealing his grandmother with a tube connected from a machine to her nose and her wrists while her heavy breathing can be heard audibly. Adrian walks closer to his grandmother, before taking a seat close to her, as pity and pain fill his eyes, knowing someone as good and generous as his grandmother should not be fighting for her life.

‘But well, life doesn’t always give you what you want’. Adrian recalls a statement his grandmother used to tell him. He watches his grandmother for over an hour as thoughts of what else he can do to make her live longer, when he sights movements from her.

“Granma,” Adrian calls, while a hand of his goes to meet hers.

“Adrian…,” His grandmother calls.

“Yes Didi, I’m here.” Adrian responds excitedly while calling her the nickname he gave to her since he was a little boy.

“You came.” Didi says with a happy smile on her lips.

“Of course I came. How could I not.” Adrian answers while caressing her fingers softly, before he watches his grandmother go silent for a second.

“I don’t have much time left again Adrian…” Didi starts, but gets cut off by Adrian’s dismissal.

“Don’t say that. No, I’m going to do all I can to make sure that all your wishes come true Granma.” Adrian says.

“All my wishes have come true my dear boy.” Didi’s gaze stares back at her grandson adoringly. “You and your sister have made me proud and you continue to, and Having you two as my grandchildren and seeing my great grand kids has made me the happiest.” Didi speaks with heartfelt. “Not everything is about wealth Alexander, and I want you never to forget that.” Didi adds by calling Adrian by his middle name. “Only God can save a life, and we humans only try. So don’t bother yourself anymore…”

“It isn’t a bother to me Didi, it will never be.” Adrian cuts his grandmother off again, while she smiles at his statement.

“Alexander,” Didi calls out to Adrian as her tone drifts from her previous tone to become solemn.

“Yes Granma.” Adrian answers dutifully.

“There is one thing that I would like to have before I do leave this world.” Didi says as Adrian listens attentively.

“Anything Grandma. Anything at all.” Adrian answers hastily.

“I want to see you get married before my eyes. That is indeed my final wish.”