Page 12 of The Billionaire Revenge

“Men sometimes have no clue what they want” her father told her “did I tell you the story of how your mother and I got married?” he asked.

“Yeah, she walked up to you and asked you to marry her” Carrie replied reciting the story she had heard a million times.

“Well, what she doesn’t tell you is that I proposed to her first” her father said.

“You did?” Carrie asked surprised at the new twist.

“Yes I did” her father replied, “and then one day I got cold feet, told her I wanted to break off the engagement and travel the world.”

“That’s a horrible thing to do” Carrie said.

“I knew it was when I did it but I didn’t think I could do that to your mother. I wasn’t ready and I knew I would make her miserable so I left that very night.”

“What happened then?” she asked.

“She waited on me. She waited 3 months for me to return”

“She waited on you?” Carrie asked surprised

“Yes, and the minute I returned she met me and told me that she would marry me the very next Sunday.”

“Were you ready?” Carrie asked.

“I was so miserable without her. When she told me she was going to marry I cried with joy. I thought for sure I had lost her”

“But dad, I don’t think he’ll be back.”

“That might be so” her father said “but if it was true love then nothing will keep him away from you. Put your faith in that and you never know what might happen.”

Carrie dried her face and hugged her father.

“How do you always know when I need you dad?”

“You have a special noise you make. It’s called not picking up the phone”

Carrie laughed.

“Come on dad, let me show you around.”

They made their way through the different floors of the building where Carrie introduced her father to everyone. They all waved and smiled and some thanked him for sending her to their rescue. By the time the tour was over it was about time to close up. Jilan rushed her home promising to take care of the end of day reports and Carrie drove her dad to her home. When she got there she went to her room and called Malachi. If her father was right and what they had felt had been true love, then Malachi would return. She just wanted to give him a little boost. She picked up her phone and dialed his number. It rang until she got his voicemail.

“I know we haven’t talked for a while,” she said looking out the window at the trees in the backyard “but I know I love you. I knew the minute you said you wanted me to be your future wife that there was nothing I wanted more than to be by your side. I don’t know what happened for things to be the way they are but I hope you can see past it. I love you.”

By the end of the message she was once again in tears. She hung up and curled up in bed before drifting off into a fitful sleep.

***

Malachi drove into his apartment building and parked. He was out of his element. Since walking out of Carrie’s office he had returned home and he hadn’t been out until today. He remembered the day as if it was only moments ago, he had looked at Jessie talking to her and something inside him had gone primal. When he had said she would be his future wife he had meant it. Not only was she the most beautiful woman he had ever met, she was also kind, smart and most of all she had loved him. She had never told him but he had seen it on her face, and he had seen it in her eyes the next morning after the first time they had made love.

He took the elevator to his apartment.

“What the hell is this?” his sister shouted as he walked in.

He was surprised to see her, but after a moment he remembered he had given her a key.

“What are you doing here?” he asked “don’t you have twins to babysit?”

“I brought them,” she said motioning to his spare bedroom where he assumed the babies were asleep.