The Billionaire’s Desires

Hillary’s POV

Paris, France,

Almost three years later…..

“I’ll take care of the babies, Hills. Go in there and have a shower, you stink girl.” Becky told me jokingly, snatching Gemma from my hand, cooing and cuddling with Gemma. Gerald is playing with some toys in the toy room, although they are just two years old, they are already exhibiting different characters. Gerald is so independent and creative, he always prefers to stay on his own and play with his toys, he hates being cuddled or pampered like a little child. You would never know that he is only two years old because he always acts all grown up and matured. On the other hand, Gemma is the complete opposite of her brother, she can never sit on her own, she clings to everyone, I mean everyone. You can never see her playing with her toys on her own, she is always seen with one of the grownups, and all she ever does is giggle and talk all day. The worst part of it all is that she expects you to understand everything she is saying when it is so apparent that she is saying gibberish. Gerald can say a few coherent words, I mean, he has always been smarter and more mature, I would say that he is growing a lot faster than his sister who is only a few minutes younger than he is.

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do. Now hand Gemma over to me already. You can meet us in the restaurant when you are done.” She said with a smile.

“Thanks, Becks, I wonder what I’ll do without you all.” I told her with a smile of my own, then I passed Gemma into her arms, smiling as she hugged her aunt so tightly, obviously excited to be passed on to other willing arms. Becky collected a few of their toys and shoved them into the car with my kids. I called out to her, reminding her to fasten their seat belt and put the car on child lock. I’m always so careful with them, especially with Gerald who loves trying out new things. I heard the sound of the car zooming off while I put some of their toys away before going to take a bath. It’s been a year and eight months since we fled to Paris and I must confess that everything has been so perfect since we got here. After we got enough money to start up a new life, Miguel took the platinum black card from me and hid it far away. He was able to get the chip out of Becky’s neck without causing any harm to her, I don’t how he managed to convince the guys to help him do it, but he did and we were so happy when the surgery was finally over. We left no traces as we fled Canada’s borders and relocated to Paris, France.

Miguel chose Paris because he knew that this would be the last place anyone would expect us to run to, considering the fact that I’m still heartbroken because of Nathan’s death. We got an apartment at the rue des Rosiers, 4th Arrondissement that is Situated in the very heart of Le Marais, a district so-called thanks to its former status as marshy swampland, the Paris street of Rue des Rosiers is one of those streets that makes you feel like you’re strolling through the Paris straight from a movie. Paris is so damn beautiful and I enjoy going for a walk in the cobbled lane filled with cafés, eateries, and independent boutiques, Rue des Rosiers is easily one of the most iconic streets Paris has to offer. And, of course, if you’re in search of medieval Paris, then this is the place to come. Oh, and while in Le Marais, be sure not to miss the world-famous L’As du Fallafel. Serving fantastic vegan food, this eatery is located at number 34 Rue des Rosiers and it’s pretty safe to say that I’ve never tasted such good falafel, and at such a good price too. The delicious meals I ate we had in Paris moved us to open our own very restaurant that prepares both French and American dishes.

Becky wanted to open a new pharmacy, seeing as she had to abandon her shop in New York. But Miguel kicked against that idea because it would only lead Robert right to our doorstep. Robert had always known that eke has a thing for saving lives, that is why she went to nursing school. When he discovers that she has slipped out of his hands, he would search the whole for her, and he would focus his attention on the pharmacy, especially, the newly opened pharmacy that he suspects to be hers. He loves playing this game of cat and mouse with her, he knows that this little game of his scares the shit out of her, that is the way he wants it to be and that is why he did not retrieve his money from her the first time he found her. He loves seeing her all rattled off and scared, I guess it gives him the kick or something. But I totally agree with Miguel, if that sick bastard happens to be looking for her, his main focus would be on all the newly opened pharmacies in every city, it wouldn’t take him long to find us here in Paris considering the fact that he is a well-known terrorist. He has the money and connection, he would sniff us out within a few days. Running a pharmacy here in Paris would only make it easier for him to find us.

And that was how we settled on opening a restaurant and it has been great, I mean so great. At first, it wasn’t easy because none of us had any experience in running a restaurant, we had to learn on the job, and trust me, it wasn’t easy at all. For Avril and I, It has always been our dream to own our very own restaurant, it was like a dream come true for us to see our dreams coming to life, although It would have been more preferably if all of this is happening to me while Nathan is still around, he would have been proud of me, he would definitely have loved It, and I would have asked him if it’s okay to withdraw such a huge amount of money from his card, I still feel so guilty, it almost feels like I did something wrong like I betrayed his trust. I know he would understand that I was in dire need of the money, I hope he comes back to me soon. I still dream about him every night, I hope and wish for his return, praying for him every day. Sometimes my dreams feel so real, it feels like he is right in the room with me, I feel his hands on my body as he caresses me and assures me that everything will be fine, but when I open my eyes and look around, I find the room completely empty, it would be just me and my kids on the bed, with Gemma hugging me so tight, like her life depends on it. Gerald doesn’t bother with hugs and cuddles, he loves sleeping on the same bed with me, but he lets his sister get all the cuddle that she needs, he simply sleeps off like a mature adult.

You know, sometimes, I can’t help wondering where Nathan is right now, sometimes I wonder if Ariel had been right when she declared him dead and planned his funeral, and I can’t help wondering if my kids are going to grow up without knowing their father, how would explain to my kids that they don’t have a father, will they understand me, will they believe me if I tell them that their father loved them even before they were born, he named them even better he knows of their existence. He had always wanted them, he planned a perfect life for them before he even met me, even before he fell in love with me. I always wondered if they would believe me, I mean, someday, these kids would grow up and they would certainly notice the absence of a fatherly figure in their lives. Don’t get me wrong, Miguel is doing such a great job by filling up that space in their lives, but the fact still remains that he is not their father. He now shares a room with Becky and I’m certain that pretty soon, she would get pregnant with his kid and he would have to spend more time with his kids and not mine, and that would force my kids to ask me that painful question that I still haven’t come up with an answer. I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it would be for me to explain to them that their grandparents would never accept them into the family. It would be so difficult to make them stop asking about him, they may end up hating me for running away like a scared kitty cat, I can never bear it when that happens, I may just have to seek out Nathan’s parents and ask for their help.

They may probably send me away with insults and abuses, they may kick my kids out of their house, ignoring the fact that they both share a striking resemblance with Nathan. But what I know is that I won’t let it affect my kids, I won’t let them feel unwanted or unloved. I’ll be sure to tell them the whole truth before taking them there, they need to prepare their minds for anything that might happen when we get there, we would just have to face it all with pride, I won’t let them feel hurt, I will never let those mean people to hurt my children, I’ll protect them with my life. But then again, what if I draw the wrong attention to us when I go back to New York, what if Ariel gets to find out that I had been married to Nathan all this while, will that not be a danger to my kids, what if she tries to take their lives as well, how do I run away two with kids? It had been so difficult to escape from her when it was just me and my friends, how on Earth do I run away this time around, when I have two kids to cater for. I’m sure I won’t be her target anymore because she would know immediately that these kids truly belong to Nathan, she would never let them take their place in the Trent’s household, and she would never let them expose her lies and treachery. She would come after my kids with everything she got and I wouldn’t be able to save them. No, I can’t make such a mistake, I won’t attempt such, I’ll just have to come up with some cover story to tell them, I can tell them that their father is fighting in the United States Army or maybe I can tell them that their father is dead, I really don’t know yet, but I’ll certainly come up with something, anything at all. It would be so much better than telling them the truth because the truth sucks and it fucking hurts.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

I got dressed in my blue sundress and I tied my hair in a ponytail. Then I applied a little makeup to highlight my facial features, then I put on a low sandals and carried my little handbag as I head out of my room, and after making sure that the whole house is locked, I picked up my car keys and I stepped out of the house, heading to my red Range Rover. I didn’t bother carrying anything for the kids because I’m sure that Becky got more than enough toys and snacks for them. They all keep pampering them, spoiling them rotten. They get to have everything they ever ask for, they only have to say the word and it’s all theirs. I know they are just trying to make them feel loved and I’m so happy to have them around. It would have been so damn difficult without them, I wouldn’t have gotten this far without them.

I drove through the busy roads with a series of twists and turns before pulling into the entrance of our building, our hotel. It is the most beautiful hotel I’ve ever seen in my life, and that’s quite something because I’ve been to a lot of places and I’ve stayed in many hotels, especially when we were still on the run, but this one is special, its mine, ours I mean, it’s ours. It got this massive and successful because of our collective efforts. When we first acquired this building, Miguel had complained bitterly because we had spent a huge chunk of our money on acquiring the property. He thought we would not be able to run such a huge establishment because we have zero experience in running something like this. But I was confident that we could do it because we had the right motivation, besides, the building wasn’t as expensive as it is supposed to be, the previous owner is an elderly man who ran the restaurant poorly until he incurred a huge debt that ran down his business. He has no choice but to sell off the building to save himself so much trouble. There had been so many offers on the table, but he considered ours because he considered ours. After all, we were the only ones that wanted to run a restaurant just like he did. He doesn’t want his building to be used for any other purpose, he loves the hotel and restaurant business and that is the reason why he sold the building to us at such a decent rate.

He recommended some of his staffers to us and we found them to be quite diligent and hardworking so we hired them immediately. After we made the payment, Miguel supervised the renovation of the building, rebranding it into a modern hotel and suites. The restaurant was on the top floor and there is a staircase that leads to the rooftop which happens to be our best spot because everyone loves coming here because of the rooftop restaurant, it is always filled up because all the tables are always booked in advance, not to mention the fact that we serve both American and French foods, our restaurant is simply the best. The middle floor consists of the hotel and suites which are made to look and feel like home, then on the ground floor, we have the outdoor swimming pool and other outdoor and indoor games, including our top-notch gym. With the help of the previous managers of the restaurant and hotel, it wasn’t so hard for us to run it, we had to learn on the job, but we are doing a tremendous job and we have been running it successfully for over a year with no issues whatsoever.

I parked . u car in the parking lot and I stayed back in the car and admired the hard work of the owner of this hotel. Yeah, we are doing a great job here, I couldn’t be more proud of our achievement over the years and I know that if Nathan were here, he would be proud of us as well, he would be so proud of me. I got down and walked towards the reception desk to leave a few instructions with the receptionists at the front desk. Miguel was not in town so we had the obligation to handle his job while he is away. As always, he handles our security and that of the hotel, he has never let his guard down since we got here, he is always being careful, trying to keep us safe and he is prepared for any danger because he still believes that Ariel would come searching for us someday. I’ve tried to tell him to relax a bit and let the security guards handle all that, but he wouldn’t let them handle it alone. Apart from the security cameras that were installed by the security company, Miguel still had a few cameras installed on some hidden strategic positions so even if the company’s security cameras gets hacked, he would still see everything that is happening around us. His eyes are always on that screen even when he is not around, he still uses his iPad to monitor everything. The only issue I’m having with him is that he keeps taking off to God knows where and he has refused to tell us about his whereabouts. I don’t know why he keeps traveling and I don’t want to be that girl who doesn’t let the people around her have their privacy, so I’ve decided to keep mute about it, I’m sure he would let us know if anything was up, he wouldn’t keep his secrets forever, right?

After checking on the security took the elevator and went up to check on Avril at the kitchen, she is fully in charge of the restaurant and kitchen, while Becky is in charge of the hotel and suites. I basically handle the books, keeping account of everything and making sure the books are in order. Oh, and I handle the facilities downstairs as well, although I’m mostly in my office, sorting our accounts and watching the kids play in their mini playroom that Miguel made for them in my office. In a few months, they would be going to kindergarten, but right now, they are stuck with me and their uncle and aunts.

“Mama… Mama… Hug- Hug- Hug,” Gemma screamed happily when I got into my office.  Becky sat with them in their playroom waiting for me, it’s a good thing that we have capable managers in every department, I wonder how we would cope without them because these kids take a whole lot of our time and energy.

“Welcome, her majesty. You sure took your time, I was wondering if you missed a turn or maybe you got swept off your feet by a prince charming, and by prince charming, I mean Lawrence.” Becky teased.

“Ha Ha Ha… So funny.” I retorted sarcastically, making her chuckle softly.

“Come on, Hills. You can’t let all this beauty go to waste. You are a very beautiful woman and you deserve a good man who would take good care of you and your kids, these kids need a father…”

“They have a father Becks and he is coming to us pretty soon. I’ve told you to stop talking to me about Lawrence, I don’t need a man in my life and certainly not him. Now get the hell out of my office.” I yelled at her angrily. This is the only thing she does that pisses me off. She keeps playing matchmaker, trying to get me to hook up with some rich dudes that wouldn’t take no for an answer. The most recent guy is Lawrence and I’ve told him countless times that I don’t want to be with him but he just keeps coming. I must admit that he is the most patient guy I’ve ever met, he never gets angry, no matter what I say to him or how I react to his seduction, he just keeps coming back, and he is so good to my kid, buying them presents and treating them like his, but I just don’t need a guy in my life, why can’t they understand that?

All I want is Nathan, he is the only man for me.