A billionaire’s kiss

I climbed out of Ian’s car and stood outside a large mansion, surrounded by the woods. I could glimpse a crystal blue lake peaking through the tall trees to my right, the rays of the sun falling on it, twinkling the water. Ahead of me was a cobblestone pathway leading to the large mahogany front doors, accompanied by thick trees whose long branches canopied the neatly cut lawn below.

The workers were trimming the bushes along side the house, raking the garden, watering the flowers preparing for the party in the evening. Yet the sun was still at it’s peak after a two hour long drive from NYC.

I was marveling at the beauty of this place when a hand suddenly clasped mine.

I glanced up. “Let’s go, shall we?” Ian asked, pulling me out of my daze.

“O-okay” I nodded.

I walked with Ian to the house and was again amazed by the interior. Never had I ever been to such a luxurious house and I was simply amused by everything little thing here.

“If you like it so much I’ll buy you one” Ian whispered to my ear in his husky voice.

Before I could come up with a teasing remark, a hitched pitched female voice broke out.

“My sweet baby” A woman with deep blue eyes and chestnut hair approached us, her arms extended towards Ian. “How long has it been since I last saw you?”

She embraced Ian into a warm hug but Ian stood still, clenching his jaw in irritation.

“Look at how handsome you are” The woman smiled and placed a hand on his cheek. “I can’t wait to introduce you to my new friends”

“Get off of me” Ian spat.

The woman’s expression saddened. “Is that how you talk to your mother? Don’t you remember how you loved to crawl into my arms when you were little?”

Ian rolled his eyes and yanked her hand away from his face. “I’m not your little boy anymore”

The woman sighed and pulled back. “To me you still are-” Then her gaze fell on me, her face twisting into a frown. “What is she doing here?”

“Chairman invited her”

“What?” The woman was startled. “But you can’t bring a whore to the house”

Ian’s expression hardened, a muscle twitching in his jaw. “Do not call her that” He spat angrily and grabbed my hand, dragging me away from his mother.

He dragged me to the staircase but his phone suddenly rang. He came to a halt and took it out, answering it.

The person on the other end spoke and Ian scowled. “Email it to me” He ordered but then his brow’s snapped together. “What? That can’t be. Wait, I have a copy in my car. I’ll go and get it” He covered his phone with his other hand and turned to me. “Wait upstairs”

I nodded and Ian turned back, storming out of the house.

I sighed and glanced up at the staircase leading to the upper floor. I climbed up the steps and reached a dark floor, it’s tall windows covered with curtains blocking the sunlight.

Through the dark I could make out the expensive furniture and some of the potrays hanging on the walls, that were painted with bright colours. Observing the art work with great curiousity, I took steps forward, walking through the dimly lit hallway.

There were doors on either sides but all were closed. I stopped at one where the door was partly open. I slightly pushed it and the first thing I noticed was a large family photo hanging above a bookshelf.

It was taken when Ian was about 10 years old, sitting on his mother’s lap, smiling, showing all of his white teeth.

He was even pretty as a boy. Smiling at the thought I slowly walked inside. On the shelves were several other photos of Ian, taken at different times of his childhood.

There was one where he was crying, his face all red and puffy. A small laugh escaped my lips seeing it. The mighty Kingston crying, a sight you don’t get to see often. I took the framed photo to snap a photo of it but then glimpsed something black behind it.

I looked at it more thoroughly and realised it was an old ATC phone model covered with dust. My hand reached out to take it but a voice interrupted me.

“What are you doing there?”

I spun around and found Ian looking at me with raised eyebrows.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“Isn’t this your room?”

“It’s my parents”

My eyes widened. “With all these photos of yours?”

“Mmm”

“Wow, I can clearly see you’re the favourite son” I kept the photo back in place before walking out the door. Ian held my hand and took me to a room at the end of hall.

He unlocked the door and I stepped into a room with white curtains and white walls, a double size wooden bed placed closed to the windows. On to my left was a wardrobe and to my right a dressing table and a study table with small plant pots on top of it.

“You don’t like it?”

“No. I love it. It’s just-” I looked up at him. “It’s so white. I mean, I thought you like black”

Ian smiled. “Tastes changes. Anyways let’s go inside. Our luggages will be brought to the room”

I nodded and walked inside, my eyes wandering around the room. I opened the door to the bathroom and checked it while Ian removed his watch in front of the dressing table. I went through the load of books on his study table then poked my finger on the little plants on the pots.

I spotted another door beside the window and walked over to it, turning on the doorknob but it was locked. “What is this?”

Ian turned to me. “Ah wait, I must have the key to it somewhere” He bent down and opened a drawer in the dressing table, taking out a key. He handed it to me and I curiously opened the door.

And on the other side were just woods. Tall trees, wind and sunlight.

I blinked in confusion then realised the door opens to a staircase leading down to the woods.

“You have your own personal staircase?”

Ian snorted as he took off his suit jacket. “You say it like that’s something privileged”

“Well it is. I didn’t have my own staircase”

“You want one?” Ian asked teasingly and I smirked.

“Can you build one to your glowing pool in the penthouse? I’ll put up a sign saying jump here and grow brains. Many people would come”

Ian shook his head in dismay. “You’re crazy.

“Can I go down?”

“Yeah. Let me come with you” Ian put his tie down and walked out with me.

Upon reaching the ground, I closed my eyes and inhaled the fresh air mixed with the aromatic scent of fresh leaves, spring rain and timber. I could hear the birds chirping in the distant trees and the hum of the wind blowing towards us. It was both peaceful and calming.

Then I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist, pulling me to a hard chest. “Feel it?” Ian murmured in my ear. “This is why I have my own personal staircase. It’s calming”

I released a sigh in content and glanced up at the streaks of sunlight penetrating through the canopy of the trees.

“It’s beautiful” I whispered.

“Mmm” Ian landed a soft kiss on my temple. “Wanna see the lake?”

“Of course!”

Ian laughed. “Fine. Let’s go”

We walked straight ahead to the dense woods which got more lighter as the sun came into view. We were near the bank when we heard someone crying.

Ian and I both exchanged puzzled glances but we inched closer. Then I spotted Alice sitting on a log, her head hung low.

I accidently stepped on a broken twig and Alice’s head snapped my way.

“Who is it?” She asked in alert.

“It’s me, Hailey and-” I turned to Ian but he quickly shook his head, hiding in the shadows. “It’s just me, Hailey”

“Oh Hailey come here” Alice wiped her tears from her cheeks and Ian quickly slipped back into the woods.

I watched him ago before walking over to Alice, sitting on the log next to her.

“Hi”

She smiled. “Hi”

“When did you arrive?”

“Few hours ago. You?”

“Just now”

I observed Alice. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were red. Why was she crying? Then my gaze fell onto what she was holding. A framed photo the wedding photo of her and Nathan.

“Wanna look at it?”

“What?” I asked dumbfounded then realised she was talking about the photo. “Oh sure”

Alice gave it to me and I carefully took it, my gaze falling on the couple. Alice was beautiful in her wedding gown and Nathan Kingston was equally dazzling with his bright smile, his arm wrapped around Alice’s waist as they posed for the photo. But was she crying over a cheater?

“You must be thinking I’m crazy” Alice sighed and leaned back. “To cry over a cheater but the truth is, he didn’t cheat”

I glanced up looking startled.

“He wouldn’t do that to me Hailey. He wouldn’t. I know it” Her fingers clasped the pendant on her neck, fidgeting with it as she stared at the lake. “You know, this place was where Nathan kissed me for the first time” A smile curled up her lips as she recalled the memory. “We came here for a dinner with his family and he took me here, saying this was his favourite place from his childhood” Alice glanced at me with a faint smile. “And this place is the only reason why I came to this godforsaken house today”

“You came to the party because of this place?”

Alice nodded and returned her gaze back to the lake. “This place remindes me of him, of every good memory we shared together. I know you won’t believe me because there were pretty much good evidences that he cheated, specially his suicide letter but-” She swallowed and shook her head. “I don’t think it’s true. If he really cheated-” Her eyes filled with tears. “Why would he send us these on the day he died?” She said gesturing to the photo.

“Us?”

She nodded. “Ian and I. Ian received a photo from his teenage years and I, this wedding photo”

That was why Ian cherished it so much. It was the last gift from his brother. I trained my gaze back on the photo and noticed that it had the same flower pattern on the wooden frame.

“Nathan didn’t kill himself because of his so called mistress. He killed himself because-” She blinked back her tears. “everyone stopped believing him. Even his own brother whom he loved so much”

“Is that why you hate Ian?” I asked quietly.

Alice nodded. “He gave up on Nathan. He trusted the media more than his own brother” Alice sniffled and looked down, unable to control her tears. “They…” She bit her lip. “They killed him” My heart shattered at the pain in her voice and I slipped my hand through hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Sorry you had to listen to my rambling” She quickly wiped a tear that fell down her cheek. “I do that when I’m sad”

I smiled. “It’s alright. I’m happy that you shared your sorrow instead of holding it in”

Alice looked at me. “I’m glad you’re here Hailey. You’re the only person I’m comfortable with in this entire house”

“I’m happy to hear that”

Alice smiled. “I should get going now. We have a party to get ready” She made a gagging face at the word party and I laughed.

“Yeah we should go” I stood up with her.

“I need to clean my face before I go to the devil’s house. See you later” She waved a bye and walked in the opposite direction.

I let out a heavy sigh, calculating on each word I just heard. But before it could get any confusing, I walked back the way I came from and half way I spotted Ian, sitting under a tree a few meters away, his eyes closed, his face tilted up to the sun.

I walked over to him and sat down beside him. Ian slightly opened his eyes as he felt my presence and a small smile curled up his lips seeing me. Without saying any word he moved into a lying position and placed his head on my lap, closing his eyes back.

“I’m not a pillow”

“I’ll give you thousand dollars”

“Oh then it’s alright”

Ian’s chest rumbled with a soft laughter. “You never change”

“Never” I smiled and ran my hand through his soft hair but I couldn’t help wondering what Alice told me.

If Nathan Kingston didn’t cheat, then what really happened?