CLAIMED BY A SECRET BILLIONAIRE HEIR

THE MAN IN THE BAR

GEORGINA SWIFT

Standing in front of the fish tank in my room, feeding my two goldfish fish food, and watching them as they swim around to catch the food with their mouths.

“I’m finally starting to like you guys. Maybe I should name you, don’t you think?” I talk to them as if they’ll respond to me. “How about I call you Don and Chase? Do you like the names? I love them,”

I sigh, sitting on the edge of the table and folding my arms.

“Lucas and Cassandra are renewing the vows. I received an invite, and I would like to support my best friend, but I am not sure if I should really go, especially after what I did to them. I almost killed someone, and I got away with it. My father can’t stop telling me that I should thank Cassie that I am not rotting in jail right now and that I should get my life right.” I whine, thinking of how everyone thinks that I failed in New York. That is why I came back to Canada.

I never failed in anything except that I failed in a relationship. Being here for six months now has made me realise how naïve and stupid I was thinking that a man would love me how I want to be loved. I’m twenty-nine, and all I wanted to do before the age of thirty was to get married and at least have a kid, if not more. Caleb used me and my body for years to benefit from it.

He made me his slave and I allowed him to come back into my life again with empty promises. I wonder if he even tried to look for me, at least.

But enough about Caleb for now. All I know is that he won’t get away with wasting more than seven years of my life, waiting for him to do the right thing by me.

I turn to leave my room. It is just after eight in the morning, and I am heading downstairs for breakfast. I usually have breakfast in my room to avoid my father, but I feel a little unwind today, and I don’t mind facing him.

My stomach growls to the smell of freshly baked croissants. I can't wait to dig into them.

As I arrive at the dining area, my father is not alone but with some strange woman who looks like she is moving in.

Not again… Gosh! Will my father ever stop? Will these women ever stop coming after my father for his money!

“Take the bags to the main bedroom,” My father instructs.

Oh, she is moving in with my father, but strangely, she isn’t enthusiastic as the women my father married before. Well, my mother was obviously his first wife, and then there were three more wives after my mother's passing… May her soul rest in peace. Now, it’s her, and she doesn’t look happy to be here.

They better not unpack her things because I will be making sure that she leaves soon.

“Oh, Gina. I’m glad that you are here to finally join me for breakfast.” My father says as soon as he notices my presence. “Angela, meet my daughter, Georgina,”

“Gina, it’s nice to finally meet you. Cassie has told me so much about you,” This Angela person says, catching me by surprise.

How is it that Cassie told her about me, but not my father? Where does she know Cassie from?

She brings her hand forth for a handshake, but I just raise a brow and fold my arms.

“You know Cassie? How?” I ask.

She smiles, refraining her hand from me.

“Anthony is my nephew,” Hearing Anthony’s name makes my heart feel the void that Anthony filled.

I drop my eyes, feeling overwhelmed, and I pull the chair to sir down.

“I would like to eat breakfast while it’s still hot,”

My father sighs and talks to his woman before they sit down.

“So,” I put the utensils down. “Are you going to marry her too?” I question, looking at my father.

“Yes,” He answers with no hesitation.

“Your divorce with the other woman is not even yet finalised, dad!”

“Don’t raise your voice at me, young lady! That is my business, and what you should be concerning yourself about is the man you will be marrying next month,”

“What!?” I exclaim. “Dad, are you marrying me off to a stranger?”

“You are not getting any younger, Georgina, and you can’t be living under my house forever. The man you will marry is going to love you, and you will bear him children and raise a family together,”

“I don’t even know him! I cannot marry someone I don’t love, dad,”

“It is already finalised, and do not even dare to think of running away because you know what will happen if you do. You wasted so many years with that i***t who played you when you could have gotten married to a descent guy who shows you affection and love. I could have been a grandfather long ago, but you chose to cohabitate and play wife to someone who had no intention to marry you! You were so stupid, my dear daughter,”

Before I could react to my father’s indifference, Angela moved her chair back and stood.

“Can you please excuse me? I would like to use the bathroom,” She says.

Poor Angela didn’t even touch her food. I lost my appetite, too.

“The maids will see you through,” My father says to her. “And you, young lady, you better prepare to meet your fiancé in two days where the wedding will take place.”

“In two days! Dad? Who are you marrying me off to?”

“Why don’t you wait and see? Meanwhile, get a dress to wear on your wedding.

What my father says always goes.

***

The idea of getting married never scared me, but what scares me is that I’ll be getting married tomorrow to an unknown person. I have seen arranged marriage movies before, and the scary part is when the bride meets her disabled, ugly, or poor husband on their wedding day. That’s my fear.

Is he handsome? Is he a billionaire? My father is already a trillionaire, so he must be a billionaire. Is he handsome? Is his body functioning well? Is he handsome as Lucas Jones?

I scratch my head frustratedly and throw myself back on the bed.

Just then, somebody knocks on my door. I scream for them to come inside, and to my surprise, it I Angela, who is walking into my room with a tray of breakfast in her hand.

“Good morning. I hope that you don’t mind. I brought you breakfast because you didn’t come down today, and you did not have dinner last night. I really hope it is not because of my presence here,”

I sit up and shrug nonchalantly. Honestly, I forgot that she was here.

She is not even a threat anymore to me. She is nothing like the women my father married before – except my mother. I do see a little of my mom in her. She is humble, but I hope that she does not change later and be someone I hate.

I am still going to observe her… Oh, wait. My father is kicking me out of his house, I almost forgot, so I won’t be able to watch her.

“Don’t worry, you are good. I’ve always avoided my dad, so he got too excited to see me coming down for breakfast last morning,” I cough.

She giggles a little before she puts the tray on the tray on the little coffee table. I notice my medication in the tray, which they always bring together with my breakfast. They didn’t waste any time telling her about my mental health, did they?

Tsk!

I really curse the day that made me take mental health medication. I am a very smart woman, a graduate, and career wise. This medication is inconveniencing me.

“Thanks for the food, Angela. Is there anything else you need me to insist you 2ith? I ask, seeing her looking around my room.

“Um, not really. It’s just, I really hope that you are okay,” She says, causing me to laugh.

“You don’t even know me; you don’t have to worry about me,” I say bluntly.

“I know, but as a mother, I do worry. I hope that you and I can get along so that you can trust me enough to talk about things that you can’t talk to your father about,” She says before she leaves. I watch her until she closes the door, and I roll my eyes.

***

I just got my wedding dress. It is really beautiful and very expensive. If I am going to get married tomorrow, then I should put an effort into it and look gorgeous. Who knows, it might be my only wedding in my life, so I don’t want to waste it.

I am sitting in the car, contemplating between calling Cassandra and not calling her. She has been trying to contact me these past few months until she stopped completely because I ignored her. I miss her, and I would like to tell her that I’m “finally” getting married. I know that it’ll be easier to talk to her rather than I talk to Angela.

Fuck it! I’m going to the nearest bar to clear my mind. I start the car and drive to a club nearby. As soon as I get there, I turn my phone off, get out of the car, and head into the club. It is after noon, so I should be able to go home soon after a drink.

The bar is empty with only a man behind the counter who has his back on me. The man is pouring a drink in a glass, and I am just observing him. For a moment, I forgot about the reason that brought me here. I gets to the bar, sit on one of the high chairs and put my bag on the empty chair next to me.

As I lead gazes at the man’s back, I imagine what he might look like. I picture him as being tall and muscular, with broad shoulders and a lean frame. His hair is dark and swept back, and his features are chiselled and handsome.

I can almost feel the intensity of his gaze, even though he hasn’t turned around to face me yet. The music plays on, and the I feel myself being drawn into the moment, feeling as though time has stopped. I am having fun guessing his looks. I just wish I could do the same with the person I’ll be marrying tomorrow.

Then, the man turns around.

My heart skips a beat as the man turns around, and I get my first glimpse of his face. His eyes are piercing and dark, and they seem to see right through me. His hair was thick and dark, styled with a disciplined elegance. His features are striking, and his jaw is firm and strong. His lips are full and inviting, and I can’t help but feel drawn to him. He looks at me, and I feel a rush of electricity course through my body. I can barely breathe as he holds my gaze, and I find myself unable to look away.

Then, he speaks;

“Can I get you a drink?” He asks.

As the man speaks, his voice is low and smooth, like silk.

My throat is dry, and I can barely find my voice.

“Yes, please,” I manage to say.

He leans forward, and I can feel the heat of his body radiating towards me. He pours me a drink, and as he hands it to me, our fingers brush. I feel a jolt of electricity, and I look up at him. His eyes are smouldering, and I feel myself being pulled under his spell.

As I hold the man’s gaze, I feel myself losing control. I take a sip of my drink, and I can feel the warmth of the alcohol spreading through my body.

I then asked,

“Are you trying to get me drunk?”

The man chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

“Are you not trying to get drunk?” The man asked. “I am sorry I didn’t ask what drink you would’ve liked to have, but it looked like you needed this,”

“It’s okay,” I say, inwardly scolding myself for staring at the man too much.

He looks really familiar, but I can’t place him.

The man walks around with his drink. As I see the man walking towards me, I feel a shiver of anticipation run through my body. His eyes that seem to see right through me. His suit is perfectly tailored, and I can smell the faint scent of his cologne as he gets closer. I feel a flutter of excitement as he reaches me, and I can’t help but wonder what he’s thinking.