THE BILLIONAIRES WIDOW (Book 2)

Chapter 6

Character

Scott

Yeah am Scott. The rich spoilt son of a billionaire you've heard about. Everything you've read about me is true. And am not saying am proud of myself but my dad's death has changed me, and also the fact that am going to be a father is overwhelming too bad he won't be here to teach me a few lessons. Pff! That's a joke he was a terrible father that's why I turned out this way. Anyway, am really happy Arya is living with us, seriously I was scared of telling Melissa about it myself. Her reaction was bitter I know we need to talk but since my father's death I feel like nothing scares me anymore... Funny right? Go on Dawg, stay real.

****'Author*****

Now you know why Scott is among my favorite characters. He is real and uncomplicated, he cheats on his wife once in a while too.... That morning the Richards Empire was graced by the presence of the queen. Alicia Richards. Although Ben’s office was in that building he rarely used it and now that he was dead Alicia was going to take over and his office was the first stop. It was not clear if she was going to run the entire venture or Scott was still in control. The employees were still coming in one after the other to pass their condolences.

"Morning Mrs. Richards" Kyle said knocking on the door that was already open.

Seated was Scott and his mum. Paul had Just came in from outside.

"Morning Kyle, nice suit" Complemented Alicia.

"Thank you mum, welcome home. Can I steal Scott for a minute?"

"He is all yours"

Scott and Kyle walked out giving Paul room to discuss some matters with Alicia.

"Melissa just ordered Arya’s pregnancy to remain a secret" He said.

"It's a secret, I don't know what to do about the two of them"

"Arya is the smart one am sure she won't cause any trouble, you have to talk to Melissa" Paul suggested.

"I don't think it will work" Alicia said getting up.

She watching the town from her big window. The office was not new to her. Once in a while she had picked Ben up from there for dates and other occasions. They had enjoyed the view together too bad he was not there with her.

"Am sure she will listen to you more than anybody"

"You're relentless how about this? We organize dinner with the two of them".

"Who? Melissa and Arya?"

"No that won't go so well, I meant Scott and Melissa they seem to be stuck".

"Okay, I should get going. See you later"

"Bye Paul, ask Leila to come in"

She went back to the leather seat. Swung on it and then got up to the small fridge at the corner. Alicia fished out a bottle of coke opened it and took one long sip. She inhaled sharply and went back to her desk. Her first day was not going that well. She still needed time to adjust in her new life. Being a widow was something she knew was coming but she had not expected it that early. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Did Ben really die of natural causes? Was there a chance someone wanted him dead? If there was one then Paul knew them. Then there was the thing about not trusting anyone. Paul had not expounded on it. Perhaps everyone meant all of them including Paul himself.

"Morning mum" Said Leila coming in.

Girthed up in a navy blue dress with black shoes. Her hair was curled, her lips were glowing red from the excessive amount of lip gloss she had applied on them and her brown skin was smooth, full of vibrancy and life. She was looking good, better than her boss. She had wrinkles under her eyes, a sign of sleepless nights.

"Morning Leila what's on my schedule?"

"Nothing much just meetings and lunch with Arya mum"

"Okay when is the meeting?"

Leila looked on her watch.

"Right about now the people you requested are here already"

"Tell them to wait in the boardroom and remind Scott too!"

"On it"

She went outside to find Scott. He was in his office with Kyle and another guy she did not know.

"Morning sir, you have a board meeting"

"Thank you Leila, Is my mum aware?" asked Scott.

"Yeah she is"

"Good"

Scott and Kyle walked out together alongside Leila while the third gentleman was left working on something in the office. They found most of the board members seated. They were waiting for his mum to arrive. The ladies and gentlemen were speaking in low tones, it was not a novel meeting. They had a rough idea of what was going to come, condolences for those who had not send them yet.

"Good morning!" Alicia said walking in.

There was a chorus good morning from the group. Other members came in quickly taking their seats. She stood at the far end of the table waiting for everyone to settle, by his right was Scott and left was Kyle. She was the head of the table. The richest woman in fort Canon.

"All set I think. If you told me that one day this day would come I would have told you No. Despite having cancer, stage four or three actually I still believed my husband will leave forever" She said liking at his portrait behind her.

They all turned to look at it with their heads bowed. Paying their last respects to a fallen revolutionist and the leader of the vast and still growing Richards Empire.

She stood behind Scott's chair, "We all loved him. Others did hate him, my Ben was a handful sometimes but what I know is that deep down he had an impact on all of you. And even though he is not here with us, his dreams and aspirations for this company and for all of you still live in me and my son"

They all clapped happily.

"We will hit back at death. We must avenge his death by making his dreams comes true. He did not die with them. No. So why did I call this meeting? Anyone?" she asked raising her hand.

They all looked at each other as though the answers were written on each other's forehead. Kyle decided to relieve the tension and sadness in the room. When he raised his hand everyone burst into laughter. Even Alicia broke keyfabe and laughed.

"Yes Kyle", she said amid laughter.

"I don't know how you guys find this funny, I think you called this meeting to get to know some of us am sure you don't know most of this people"

"Correct, anyone else?"

"Mum" Scott said with his hand up in the air.

"Am now your Boss son", She teased.

"Okay Boss, I think you called this meeting to remind us that all is not lost with dad's death"

"Correct, last one a lady this time"

All eyes were on the sales and marketing department ladies. Seated at the far end of the table close to the entrance.

"Mum!"

"Yes...I think I remember your name Maya right?" Asked Alicia getting closer to her.

"NO mum... Tanya"

"Kyle was right, yes Tanya".

"You called the meeting to show a new era. Women in leadership"

Inaudible voices, groans and grunts were heard from the group. The topic of gender balance and job segregation at the workplace was still a ticking bomb. And men were not happy. They were used to Ben and now they had to answer to Alicia. Not that she was not up for the task, change is hard in the beginning, messy in the middle and easy at the end. Their problem was beginning.

"Order! Men get used to it"

"Not cool boss" Scott said smiling.

"Don't worry I will ensure all of you are treated equally. Let's get started" She Said and went back to her seat.

The first official board meeting since Ben’s death started with a word of prayer from Alicia herself. The members and entire staff introduced themselves, goals were set, projects reviewed. And before they went for lunch there was a vote to elect the new Head of the empire which Alicia won undisputed.

*******

She felt empty without her daughter by her side. It was their first major argument in years. As a teenager Arya was not that active to an extent it hit them worried or perhaps it was Henry's iron fist parenthood that denied her the freedom to be a teenager and Lilly’s fear to stop him. Lilly was ashamed of herself and Henry. The little scuffle they had reminded her something. It was not Arya’s fault. Everything that was happening to her and their family. It was their fault. They were the pillars of the family. When the two met long ago and decided to be husband and wife they lay the foundation. The values they had was what they passed onto their children, they molded them into who they were.

"Hey Millan just a minute!" She said when they met at the staircase.

"Hello how can I help?"

"Are you in a hurry?" Lilly asked calmly.

Millan thought about briskly, "No am sure I can save a minute or two to help you with whatever you need"

"Okay I need to talk to you, do you know a nice place we can sit and talk"

"Yes I do, just wait in the living room I'll fetch you okay?"

"Sounds great"

She just smiled at her and walked away. Lilly was embarking on a new journey of trying to understand who her own daughter was. What emotional pain and suffering from the people she loved most had done to her as a person and the better way to do so was to learn from someone she was close too. Lilly waited in the living room as instructed. Millan came back and ran upstairs where she spent much time before she came back and went into a meltdown of talking uncontrollably.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Your daughter can be a handful sometimes she seems so off today like way off... Okay maybe I should stop talking"

"That's why I want to talk to you”

"Follow me"

They went to the garden. It was the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. Quiet and peaceful as she requested. It had a small glass house with comfy coaches and TV of its own mounted on the glass walls. Millan switched it off and sat opposite to Lilly who was trying to find where to start from.

"So what's bothering you?"

"You said Arya is..."

"Ooh that's usual for girls and especially those in her condition am sure you are aware, sometimes she is high on hormones you can't blame her"

"Yeah we had an argument and I realized I don't know my daughter anymore" Lilly said with devastation followed by tears.

Even Millan seated across could feel her pain. She joined her massaging her back slowly to calm her down. She had done that countless times Lilly was not the first one which made it easier for her.

"What happened?"

"I was very furious that she slept with a married man and now I feel bad about it yet I don't know how I can apologize" she says blowing her nose.

"Trust me Arya is the most forgiving person I have ever seen. She behaves like everything worse has happened to her so nothing you do or say to her is scary enough. She doesn’t hold grudges"

"Really, just like that?"

"Yeah just like that”, Millan assured. She held her hands and then continued, "Take Alicia for example. When they met Ben introduced Arya as his wife!"

"What!"

"Mmh, Alicia threatened her. She even tried to pay her off so that she could leave Ben alone. Well it was a test but Arya passed with flying colors. My point is look at then now, another example is Jake. He sold her out being her first and only friend or someone close to a friend that time but they are still good friends. You are no different"

"Thank you for the Pep talk" Lilly said confidently.

"Did it help?"

"It did"

"Now go get your daughter back!"

So she left psyched up to meet her daughter and apologize.