THE BILLIONAIRE’S TREASURE

Chapter4

“Good, you move into my house tonight.”

“Wait. What?” She shouted.

“What happened?” Aunt Suzzy asked.

Tracy clenched her palms into a fist. Her anger started to rise. She finally found the courage to accept his contract marriage only for him to insist that she move in with him that night.

Oh God, what have I gotten myself into? She stared blankly at her screen.

Tracy shook her head, trying to dismiss the feeling of living in the same house with Jack. She let out a long sigh and noticed the doctor walked towards her. His face was impossible to figure out.

He stopped in front of her. She stood up at once. Her heart sank with worry. She could not sit still.

“Miss Gilbert, we’ve received a payment receipt to perform your mother’s surgery. Please come with me to sign some important documents so we can begin.”

Tracy felt extreme joy and relief. Aunt Suzzy embraced her so tight. Tracy pulled her close with all her strength.

Her whole body shakes with the need to cry tears of joy. She couldn’t control it as a sob escaped her eyes. The hospital hallway seemed bright at last.

Tracy felt brave that she had given her mother a second chance to be alive. She was fully aware of the sacrifice she had to make. She had already paid the price. There was no way she was going back now.

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

The giant gates opened wide before the car had even stopped.

Tracy pressed her face to the window glass. She was charmed by what she saw. The house was big. Like really big. It was more than a house. It was a mansion.

It stood high, surrounded by marble limestone towered over the entrance. A bright water fountain sparkled at the center. The driveway seemed longer than the childhood street she had been raised on.

The moment she stepped outside from the car came two men dressed in sharp uniforms. They stood by the front door as if they had been anticipating the arrival of royalty or someone important. But was she any of the two?

She stood uptight before she looked down at herself.

A faded dress.

One piece of broken shoes.

Her luggage in her hands. The only belongings she had brought with her.

“Welcome to Mr Walter’s Residence. This way Miss.” One of the uniformed men said and she followed him.

She got inside and could scent the bundle of lilies formed in the shape of a rose. It was neatly planted by the corner of the crystallized living room. Little by little, she glanced through the entire house amazed by how magical every part was.

Then an older woman entered the room. She glanced at her, looked her over from head to toe. She had an aura of authority. Tracy felt judged like an item. She wished she could vanish out of thin air.

“Son, I cannot remember sending for an extra maid, so why do we have one here?” The older woman asked.

Tracy couldn’t speak. She couldn’t hear anything for a second. The edges of her face got blurry. She squeezed her fingers around her luggage as she felt blood rush quickly through her chest.

Instantly Jack walked into the room. His eyes moved briefly to her.

“You’re here.”

“I was told to move in today.” Tracy replied.

Jack looked at his mother.

“Mom, this is Tracy.” The contract source I told you about.”

“Tracy, my mother.”

Tracy forced a half smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs Walter.”

“Oh, is it?” Her eyes traveled over Tracy’s faded dress.

Jack’s mother blinks. “So you’re here for the contract?”

Tracy swallowed hard as heat curled up her face. “Yes, ma’m.

“I see.” Jack’s mother gave her a fake smile.

Jack’s phone rang and Tracy was relieved for a bit. She couldn’t handle the silence in the room. She became conscious of her worn out shoes. She pitied herself.

“Mom, I’m heading to the office now. An emergency came up.” Jack said, kissing her on her forehead.

“Alright. Stay safe and come home early.” His mother replied.

The instant Jack left, his mother turned to look at Tracy for the second time. A flash of irritation crossed her face. She was displeased.

“Nanny May,” Jack’s mother called out.

A woman in her 40s, wearing an apron with side pockets appeared with a professional stance. “Yes ma’m.”

“Take her to the staff quarters. She would be staying in one of the rooms there.”

The nanny bowed and gestured towards Tracy to follow her.

Tracy hesitated. “I thought I……”

“You thought you’d be in Jack’s room?”

Tracy’s throat tightened and she lowered her eyes. “No. I just…...”

“Better. At least you know your place.” Her gaze sharpened.

Tracy stood in a small room that had no trace of warmth. It was chosen by Jack’s mother. The room appeared cold. To them, she was just another business deal to be sealed. Nothing more.

She sat on the bed and her fingers wouldn’t stop trembling. For a minute, she wondered how she would last here for a year. She tried fighting the tears that eventually fell down her face. There was no way she could turn back now.

Hours later, Tracy laid down on the bed and tried to sleep. But there was no atom of sleep left in her. She wasn’t surprised. This was her new life after all. She would try to find a way to hold up and be strong.

A knock on the door caught her off guard and intense panic set in. She didn’t move for a few seconds.

The knock sounded again. This time louder.

She kept her eyes locked in the door. Since she got here, she hasn’t offended anyone. But somehow the knock outside made her feel like she had done something wrong.

Gradually she pushed herself up as she took a careful pace forward.

The door handle moved.

“Mrs Walter?” It wasn’t Jack’s voice.

“Yes?” Tracy answered.

She opened the door partly and a maid came in.

“Mr Walter requested you come downstairs right away”

“Did he say why?” Tracy asked.

“No, ma’m.”

Tracy’s stomach tightened at the thought of him. She was not ready to face him.

She had spent the whole day attempting to convince herself she could endure this marriage. She remembered how Jack’s mother scanned her like she was an object sent to the wrong address.

Another thought increased in her mind.

What if Jack changed his mind?

What if his mother concluded that she wasn’t qualified enough to be his wife?

Tracy reaches for her dress, grasping it like she was about to stumble into the unknown.

When her imagination fades, reality sets in and she remembers that the maid is actually still standing there. “Take me to meet him.”

She walked out of the room and into the hallway. Everything around her seemed designed to remind her that she didn’t belong there. The shiny floors. The expensive furniture. The huge windows overlooking the gardens. She took the stairs and made her way into the living room.

At the end of it stood Jack.

And he wasn’t alone.