Arranged to Marry Her Ex-Billionaire Lover

Chapter 3

Lia

I groaned as the sound of my alarm clock mercilessly shrilled through the silence of the early morning. Keeping my eyes closed, I searched for the clock to shut it up. After a couple more minutes of twisting and turning on the comfiest bed I have ever slept on, I finally forced my eyes open.

I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and I walked straight into the shower before getting ready for the day. When I walked into the kitchen to prepare Leo’s low-carb breakfast, as usual, Lizzy was already in there making coffee.

“Good morning, dear!!” She greeted me in her chirpy voice. “Here is your coffee with no sugar and no milk.”

“Good morning, Lizzy!! And thanks for the coffee..” I said sipping on the heavenly-smelling liquid.

“I don’t understand how you call that coffee. I would prefer mine with lots of milk and sugar..” She remarked shaking her head and that made me chuckle. Lizzy always loved to talk and that didn’t mean she was a bad mouth. Her presence never makes you feel lonely and that’s what made her special.

She was probably in her late forties. She lived with her two teenage girls and her husband, Carter who was working as a Chauffeur here.

In the past two and a half months that I have spent here, Lizzy was nothing less than a motherly figure to me. Her innocence and her warm reception sometimes reminded me of my mum.

Mum

Thinking about her, my eyes drooped automatically. I wish she was still alive. I wouldn’t have to go through so much in my life. She was our sunshine and with her gone, our lives became empty and meaningless.

“What’s wrong honey? Did I say something wrong?” My chain of gloomy thoughts was interrupted when I heard Lizzy asking me concernedly.

“Ohh no no.. I am sorry I was just lost in my own thoughts..” I assured her that everything was fine with me and moved on to prepare Leo and Anna’s breakfast.

“So may I ask where do you go every Friday evening?” Lizzy inquired as I began to chop the veggies for the salad.

Her question stilled me in my place. I did not know how to answer her question. Though it was her husband who always drove me to the place, I never thought Lizzy would ask me this question that I have been hiding so well. 

“I-uhm.. I am visiting a friend tonight..” It wasn’t completely a lie. I was going to meet Xavier and scarlet on my way.

“Hmm. Is it a guy friend?” She asked wriggling her brow up and down.

I smiled at her childish antics, “Yes, I’m meeting a guy friend and his girlfriend..”

“Ohh, that’s sad..” It was funny to see the disappointment etched on Lizzy’s face. 

“Why do Anna and Leo live here by the way when they have a house in the city?” I asked in an attempt to divert the topic.

“Ohh, that because of Anna’s daughter-in-law, Gabrielle.” Lizzy placed her hand near her mouth as if she was spilling a secret, “They don’t get along well..” She whispered the last part. 

She went back to cleaning the dishes, “..and until their grandson returns from work, they will stay here..”

“What happens when they go back? I mean will you still work here?” I grew curious all of a sudden.

“We go with them to the family mansion. Carter and I have been working for them since we were teenagers and I can’t imagine working in a place without Anna and Leo. That’s the reason we came here with them.”

I nodded. That explains why Lizzy was so close to Anna. They were ‘Talk-mates’. I have many times caught them chatting and gossiping on the lawn in late afternoons.

“Alright, I will go wake up Leo and Anna..” I informed her, making my way out of the kitchen to bring the old couple down for breakfast.

Knocking on their door, I waited for a response and when I got one from Anna, I walked in.

“Good Morning guys!! Did you sleep well?” I went near the window to draw the curtains aside.

“Good morning to you too, Lia. I slept well..” Leo said muffling a yawn.

“Good morning, Lia! I cannot say the same because of Leo’s animalistic snores..” Anna grumbled along with a stare at her husband and I couldn’t help the small snicker that escaped my lips.

As they bickered among themselves, I busied myself in making their bed after which I helped them get ready. Once they were done, I escorted them to the breakfast table.

“Like I promised..” I drawled placing Leo’s favorite fruit, yogurt and granola parfait in front of him and watched how his lips twisted into a wide grin. I have been very careful about his diet but once in a while, I gave him foods that I knew he graved a lot.

“You are such a sweetheart..” He immediately dug his spoon into his bowl and moaned as soon as the taste hit his tongue.

“Why don’t you take a seat, honey?” Anna offered when I handed her the vegetable salad.

“Oh it’s alright. I will eat later with Lizzy..” I refused, feeling a bit awkward and can you blame me, they were my boss after all.

“Come on, I insist..” Anna dragged me onto a seat. 

“O-kay..” I grabbed myself a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a grilled cheese sandwich.

“So Lia, at what time do you have to go out today?” Leo asked. 

“Uhm..” I swallowed the morsel of bread before continuing, “at four and I will be back by six..”

“Alright, Carter will drive you there and bring you home..”

I could have clearly refused Leo’s offer but who better than me knows how stubborn the sweet old man could be at times. Every time I left the farmhouse, Leo would force me to take one of their cars and he wouldn’t take no as an answer.

“Why take a cab when there are so many cars uselessly parked outside? Moreover, we wouldn’t have to worry about your safety if Carter drives you around..” That is what he and Anna would say each time I argued about taking a cab.

At first, I was left speechless by their hospitality. I haven’t come across such good people in my whole life. I was a mere caretaker and they didn’t necessarily have to be so kind and generous to me.

“Thanks a lot..” I mumbled as I tried to gobble my food as fast as I could.

After breakfast, Leo and Anna liked to spend their morning hours in their garden. Though Leo couldn’t be much of a help to Anna, he never failed to keep her company while she did some vegetable gardening. It was a routine for both of them to go together to pick fruits and vegetables from their farm and came back only for lunch. 

I generally kept myself busy with a book and would tend to them only when my presence is needed. While they enjoyed their time together, I would sit under the mango tree for hours and would just keep a watch on them from afar.

Their relationship amazed me. I got to know from Lizzy that they were married for sixty years but their love for each other never seemed to fade away.

Seeing them, I wish I had someone like how Anna had Leo in her life but I knew love never knocked at your door twice. I too had someone special in my life, who loved me and did anything and everything to keep me happy and smiling but I was foolish enough to break his heart. They say you don't know the value of what you have until you lost it and I  couldn't deny it in my case. 

My life would never be the same without him. The void his absence had created in my heart could never be fulfilled by anyone else. After him, I couldn’t think of another man and couldn’t move forward from where he left me. 

Snapping out of his memories, I sighed and closed the book I was hardly reading. After some time I walked Anna and Leo back into the house for lunch. 

I was giving Leo his meds when the landline phone in the living room rang.

“Lia, call please get it for me, my dear? My legs are really killing me today..” Anna asked, massaging her knees. Her arthritis was really taking a toll on her.

“Sure, just a sec..” I jogged to the living room to attend the call before it could get disconnected or something. Almost all of their calls were important and business-related and I am sure Leo wouldn’t want to miss taking them.  

“Hello!!” I said panting from the small sprint that I took from the lunch hall. I seriously need to pay some attention to my health and start working out if I don’t want to die at such a young age.

“Hello..?” I said a little louder when there was no sound from the other end.

“Y-Yeah Uhm.. H-Hello.” I heard the person stammering a little before he cleared his throat and asked, “Who am I speaking to?”

“Uhmm.. H-Hi, I-I am Lia, the c-caretaker.” This time it was me who was stammering. The man’s throaty and deep voice sounded very familiar to my ears that my heart suddenly quickened its pace and I had to swallow a huge ball of nerves down my throat.

“Ohh..” Once again there were a few minutes of silence on his side before he spoke again, “I tried calling grandpa and grandma’s mobile phone but I couldn’t reach them. Can I talk to them if they aren’t sleeping?”

So he is the grandson of Leo and Anna.

I was pondering over the newly known fact when I heard his penetrative voice drilling holes into my heart, “Hello? You there?”

“Y-Yeah.. Yeah.. Just a minute. Anna is here..” Luckily she had already come to the living room by that time.

“Who is it?” She asked when I handed her the handset.

“It’s your grandson..” I said absentmindedly and didn’t wait to listen to what they spoke. 

What the hell is wrong with me? 

How could I be so affected by a man's voice, and that too over the phone?

Shaking my head, I made a short trip to my room to call Scarlet to let her know that I will be coming to their apartment in the evening.

***************************************************************

“Are you sure you will be alright?” I asked Anna and Leo for the hundredth time this evening.

“Lia, if you ask us this question again, I am not letting you go anywhere..” Anna threatened me with a playful smile.

I chuckled at her but on the inside, I was really worried for them. Every time I left them alone I underwent this state of agitation. I was aware that Lizzy and the other maids will be there with them and they wouldn’t be exactly alone but still, it couldn’t be helped.

What if something happens to one of them in my absence?

None of the maids were trained to perform CPR or any other sort of first aid procedure on them.

“Lia, you should go now. Carter is waiting for you..” Anna patted on my arm and I nodded.

“I will be back soon, okay?”

“Take your time, honey. We will be fine..” She reassured and I silently made my way to the car waiting for me.

I spent a brief ten minutes at Xavi and Scarlet's place. We hadn’t met after I left their apartment and we had so much to catch up on, that those ten minutes weren’t sufficient for us.

“I should leave now..” I said, placing the cup of hibiscus tea that Xavi made for us.

“Not so soon. You are coming here after more than two months..” Scarlet groused holding my hands like a five-year-old not willing to let her mama go.

“Yeah, stay for some more time. We will drop you at your workplace before dinner time..” Xavi added.

“Guys, if you have forgotten today is Friday, the only day of the week when I get to visit Charlie..”

“Ohh sorry.. It totally slipped out of our minds..” She apologized slapping her forehead. “Hey, can we both come with you to meet Charlie? It’s been a while we saw the little guy..”

“Sure. Why not?”

Clapping her hands, Scarlet jumped down the couch to get ready, and soon we were ready to leave.

“So, how’s work and stuff?” Xavi asked from the passenger seat. Scarlet and I were at the backseat giggling at every trivial thing we talked about.

“I haven’t worked in such a pleasant environment before. Leo and Anna are wonderful people to work for..” I told him and noticed Carter smiling back at me from the rearview mirror.

It’s didn’t take us too long to reach our destination. I thanked Carter before we got down the car. I took a couple of seconds to stare at the huge board fixed on the metal gates which read ‘St. Vincent Tacony orphanage for kids’

It never failed to squeeze the blood out of my heart. Taking a deep breath, I made my way into the building, Xavi and scarlet following me close behind.

“Ms. Wilson..” Mary, the sister at the reception greeted us as soon as she saw us walking into the hallway. “Charlie would be really happy to see you..” She said and I forced a small smile at her. 

Like always she guided us through the large corridor passing numerous doors. Immediately I was welcomed by the loud wails of young kids staying there.  

My Charlie wasn’t supposed to be in here among the other kids. The sweet boy deserved a better life and that is why I was working so hard to get him out of the orphanage.

My heart almost melted the second I saw his blue eyes clouded with unshed tears. From his reddened nose, it looked like he had been crying and there was no one to attend to him. He was placed in his small crib along with a ragged stuffed toy.

I did not waste another minute as I rushed forward to carry him in my arms and hug him to my chest. I buried my nose into his neck to inhale his baby scent and that did the job to pacify me to some extent.

“Did you miss me, sweetheart? Huh?” I rocked him in my arms and instantly his cries died down.

“Hey little fellow, do you remember us?” Xavi cooed to him and soon Charlie began to babble back to him happily.

“He’s grown so big from the last time I saw him..” Scarlet commented, kissing his crown.

"Yesh, he'sh a big boy now. Isn't it?" I spoke to him in a weirdly funny accent before repeatedly kissing his chubby cheeks. 

I pulled out the kitty plush toys that I had got for him and as soon as he saw it, his bright blue eyes sparkled like stars in a dark night sky. We three kept playing with Charlie for god knows how long.

And all throughout the two hours, I didn’t want the visitor’s time to end anytime soon. No amount of time I spent with Charlie would be enough for me and the same could be said for him. He enjoyed spending these couple of hours with me and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in my life.

When it was time for us to leave, Charlie broke down into a fit of cry and it really ripped my heart apart.

“Ms. Wilson, please leave. He will settle down in a matter of few minutes..” Mary tried to console me but I couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down my cheeks.

“I promise to take you out of here. Just give me some time, Charlie..” I whispered into his ear as if the eleven-month-old baby could understand me. Pecking his cheek, I walked out of his room leaving a part of my heart with him.