Page 47 of A Billionaire for Christmas

‘Yes, it will. It was working before because I’ve posted on my socials about my new job working with you,’ said Freda, all excited. ‘There’s been so much interest already. So I’m thinking soft launch between Christmas and New Year and hard launch after. I’ve called in some favours.’

‘You have? Already?’ Molly tried to hide her alarm.

Lucca waved his phone at her excitedly. ‘And I’ve got you your first catering booking for the New Year! It’s a high-end event in South Africa. My friend’s thirtieth. Safari themed.’ Lucca gave Freda a high-five slap of the hand. ‘They’ll fly you both out there. Business class obviously.’

‘We have a booking? Without running it by me first? But who would manage the…’ She saw the joy shining from their faces.

‘Doesn’t matter. Well done. Thank you.’ Molly had wondered how the three of them would work together.

A million miles an hour apparently, with no corner of the globe off limits, and lots of jet-setting.

She felt her palms starting to sweat. This family!

Twenty minutes crawled by, and Molly sensed she wasn’t the only one beginning to worry. She whipped out her phone and called Monsieur Fournier, the solicitor.

‘Hello, Monsieur Fournier. It’s me, Molly Johnson. I just wanted to warn you that the Wi-Fi isn’t working… Hello? Hello? Monsieur Fournier?’

With wide eyes, Molly redialled. The line was crackled and patchy.

‘Monsieur Fournier. It’s Molly Johnson. I have all the evidence you need, but the Wi-Fi isn’t working.

Can you hear me?’ Molly strained to hear the reply.

‘No. No, I do have everything, it’s just that…

Yes, I know that the deadline is in less than two hours.

I have witnesses. I can put them on the phone.

What do you mean email the proof? How many times do I have to tell you?

The Wi-Fi isn’t working! I know it’s Christmas Eve.

Can’t you keep the office open a little longer? The signal will…’

Infuriating, insufferable man.

‘He hung up,’ Molly said miserably. ‘I couldn’t get a word in edgeways. He’s not a relative of yours by any chance?’

Levi sprang up and raced into the kitchen with his phone clamped to his ear.

He darted back to the lounge several minutes later, just as Molly was explaining that Monsieur Fournier insisted the legal requirements rested on her signature.

Her signature on the forms she hadn’t emailed back to him.

The forms he’d been asking for repeatedly, for months.

‘Shit. I’m going to lose everything and it’s all my own stupid fault.

’ Tears sprang to Molly’s eyes as she stared out of the window.

The snow was coming down. Toby had just received word that the pass was still blocked.

How could she stumble like this, at the last hurdle? ‘I’m so sorry, Ava,’ she whispered.

‘What about me? I was looking forward to starting my new job!’ moaned Freda. ‘I manifested it. I put it out into the universe. The universe responded. I have the launch outfits picked out and everything.’

‘Think. Think,’ murmured Molly. ‘We need internet. And mobile signal. I know! The roof!’

‘Great idea!’ squealed Freda.

‘I’ll get the ladders and some rope,’ barked Lucca. ‘Molly, you climb up there, I’ll hold the ladders, secure the rope to something and Freda can climb up and hold on to you while you send the email.’ He beamed. ‘What a team! Come on, girls, we’ve got this.’

Levi shook his head slowly, frowning. ‘Fascinating. Truly fascinating.’

They stopped chattering.

‘What?’ Molly asked. ‘What’s fascinating?’

Levi was struggling to hide his amusement.

‘The three of you have put your heads together, and that’s the plan you’ve come up with?

To climb on the roof, in this treacherous weather, and wave a phone about in the hopes you can get a signal?

’ He folded his arms and looked at the three of them like they were naughty children.

‘Do any of you even know the rudimentary elements of how mobile signals or the router or the wired ethernet connections work?’

It sounded very much like a rhetorical question and so Molly didn’t feel the need to answer it. If her life ever depended on explaining exactly what 5G was, she wasn’t sure she’d make it out alive.

‘There’s a good reason he’s the billionaire and we’re not.’ Freda giggled. ‘I wish I’d had the foresight to invest my inheritance in Bitcoin the way he did.’

‘Molly, grab your coat and your phone,’ said Levi, rolling his eyes at Freda while he picked up his laptop.

His phone was still glued to his ear. He was barking out orders with military precision.

‘Toby, get my coat, radio the helipad at the resort and clear us for landing please, and ready the jet for immediate take off. Molly, where’s the solicitor’s office? ’

Christ, she loved watching him be bossy and capable.

Molly took out the letter. ‘It’s just outside of Paris.’

‘Toby, tell the Civil Aviation Authority we need to land in Le Bourget within the hour.’

‘You can’t be serious?’ Molly asked. It was more of a squeak. It didn’t seem real, but she grabbed her coat anyway. ‘I’m still soaking wet.’

Levi gave her an exasperated look. ‘Then get changed. We literally have no time to lose.’

‘And there’s something else.’

They all looked at Molly.

‘I have a fear of sharp, pointy objects, in particular, rotating blades. I can’t possibly get in a helicopter with you.’

‘But you’re a chef,’ he said, trying not to snigger. ‘Isn’t handling pointy objects and whizzing things up in blenders half the job?’

Molly shrugged, nodding. It was almost as though Ava was doing this on purpose.