THE RICH BILLIONAIRE'S SECRET

Thoughts

“Of course, I noticed that she is an attractive woman, but she is also an excellent chef. Your point is moot because I will not be pursuing her. She is there to cook and nothing else.”

Even as he said it, Conrad knew that was a lie. He wondered if he could truly keep his hands to himself like he had just declared. He cursed Adelaide for even putting the doubt in his head. Of course he could keep his damn hands to himself! He’d had several pretty assistants before, but he’d never given them a second look because he was not the boss who had dalliances with his employees. It was way too messy, and there were plenty of other available fish in the sea.

But logic was not reality. Even thinking about Daisy got him somewhat heated, and he had to wonder how long he could remain professional. He felt his sister’s gaze on him and deliberately avoided looking at her in case she read his mind. There was no way he would give Adelaide the power to tease him about being interested in his chef. Possibly interested in his chef, he reminded himself with a scowl.

“You’re right. I’m sorry for bringing it up.” Adelaide finally said in a voice that didn’t sound sorry at all.

She knew exactly what she was doing, and he didn’t want to play her little game.

“It’s probably best that you maintain your distance. Do you know if she’s even available? I mean, do you know the relationship that she has with the father of her child?”

Conrad looked at his sister and wondered what she was up to exactly. But she luckily didn’t get the chance to torment him any further because his mother cut in.

“Leave your brother to his business, dear. He’s a grown man and has a good head on his shoulders.”

Conrad wanted to stick his tongue out at his sister like they were kids again, but grown men didn’t do that. So, he held his composure and let his mother rescue him from his sister. As grown men did do.

“But you have to put yourself back out there, Conny. How long has it been since you have dated someone?” Conrad groaned as his mother spoke. He should have known that he was jumping from the pot straight into the fire.

“What happened to leaving me to my business, Mom?” He asked, trying to keep a pleasant tone.

“That only pertains to your sister and your father. They didn’t carry you for almost ten months and go through sixteen hours of labor to have you. Nothing is personal when it comes to you and me, young man. Not when I literally gave you life.” Willow said with a satisfied smile.

The smile she always had when she knew he couldn’t argue against her point, especially when she played the mommy card.

“And don’t tell me you are too busy because your father built an empire and still had time to have this family. Did he ever miss any of you kid’s games? No. Any birthday? Not even one.” His mother continued.

Conrad frowned, knowing there were definitely some events that his father had missed, but he knew better than to argue with his mother when she was determined to prove a point. He let her have her moment of superiority.

“I haven’t found anyone worth my time, mom. No matter how little I may have,” He replied with a pointed look.

Willow scoffed. “You expect too much from every girl you meet, the poor things. No one is perfect, not even you.”

“I don’t know about that, mom. You seem pretty perfect to me,” Conrad said with his most charming grin.

His mother waved him away with a laugh. “Don’t start with me, mister. I’m not getting any younger and I just want to see you kids be happy. I want you to have beautiful families while I’m still alive to see it.”

Conrad laughed and shook his head at his mother. It just flowed so naturally from her that if he wasn’t used to her guilt-trips by now, he would genuinely feel remorseful. He would likely even do what she wanted.

“Did you hear that, Adelaide? Mom wants to see your children before she dies of old age at fifty-nine.”

Adelaide glowered at him while his mother burst into laughter. They both deserved that for being all up in his business, especially his sister.

“I don’t get why I need to settle down when your first born is the most eligible bachelorette in this city.” Conrad continued, enjoying watching his sister squirm.

Something passed over her face too, but she quickly masked it with a roll of her eyes and signature Adelaide scowl. If Conrad didn’t know his sister any better, he would have thought that she looked sad. But why would all this talk make his sister feel sad? She had never seemed like she was eager to settle down; in fact, she was even more picky than he was. Every man Adelaide had ever dated barely lasted for a couple of weeks at a time, and there was always something wrong with them. There was always some silly standard that no man could ever live up to: either he talked with his mouth full, he wasn’t well traveled, or he didn’t understand art like she did. By the time Adelaide had turned thirty, Conrad had just accepted that she enjoyed her single life.

“She just hasn’t found someone who understands her like your father understands me. You know, people called me high maintenance too, but your father has never had any problem making me happy.” His mother replied, taking another sip of her expensive wine. Case in point; his father had probably flown it in from Italy or France for her.

“You’re spoilt.” He pointed out, “and so is Addy.”

“You say that like it’s such a bad thing,” his sister replied with a sweet smile.

“I think I’ve had my fill for the day. I’m going out for a walk.” Conrad stood up and darted from the room, going outside for some much-needed fresh air and time to think. He hated that his sister was right, and he hated himself even more for being weak. First things first: he needed to clear his thoughts of Daisy and focus on his work.

In just seconds, Conrad realized how impossible the task seemed. He was in a lot of trouble.

Taking a deep breath in, he tried to calm himself down. If there is one thing he’s good at, it’s fixing problems. It’s what made him so successful in his career, and he just had to approach this in a similar way. This was only a problem he had to find a solution to. His mother had always told him not to treat life like a giant puzzle that needed to be solved, but he was too scared to follow her advice. The fear of having everything he’s worked for blow up in his face was enough to ensure he did things his way, where he could at least control the outcome. He wished that he could be as adventurous as Daisy was, but he just couldn’t.

Deny it all you want, brother, but I see right through you.

Conrad shook Adelaide’s voice from his mind and continued pacing outside with his hands in his pockets. Almost every strong memory that he had was from this house. His parents had truly built a lovely home here, even surrounded by the rich opulence his parents flaunted. It was the warmth the house had that made it feel like home. His parents had always been there for them, and he was so lucky to have that kind of family. Even Adelaide wasn’t too bad when she wasn’t trying to get on his nerves.

Did he want to have that kind of life for himself too one day? That was a question that he couldn’t answer, certainly not now. So, Conrad did what he could right now, which was breathing in the fresh air and trying to clear his head.

But he probably needed more than a walk brisk walk around the garden to leave all his thoughts behind.

Conrad checked his gold watch as he ran up the front steps, his mind still on his conversation with Adelaide. She was always sticking her nose where it didn’t belong, and this time was no different. He’ll deal with whatever attraction he has to Daisy his way, not Adelaide’s. Conrad stomped his shiny black shoes on the rug, closing the door behind him as he listened carefully for any voices. Hearing none, Conrad reclined against the white and gold column in the foyer and called his driver.

“Donald, take the rest of the night off.” Conrad’s voice was curt, and he barely waited for a response before hanging up.

He trudged up the spiral staircase to Bryon’s study, pausing briefly at the rich mahogany wood. Screwing up his nerve, Conrad finally knocked on the door. “Father?”

After several seconds of silence, the door clicked open, showcasing Byron’s shocked face before he walked to his desk. “What’s on your mind, son?”

“Donald had an emergency and can’t come back to pick us up. I’m taking a car to bring Daisy and Leo home,” Conrad mentioned in lieu of a greeting, forcing a neutral expression on his face.

Bryon nodded and sipped his coffee. “You know where the keys are.”

Noticing the still steaming mug, Conrad chuckled. “Another cup, Father? You know mother will be upset.”

“That’s why I’m drinking it in here,” his father said with a shrug.

Conrad stared at the mug as his father took another sip. “Did you put cream and sugar in there too?”

Byron gave him a wink as the cup clattered against the coaster. “You’ll never know.”

Conrad gently closed the study door and resumed his search for Daisy.

****

The chatter coming from Willow’s study drew Conrad to the closed door just down the hall. He knocked, standing impatiently in the black and white hallway while tapping his foot on the marble floor. Adelaide opened the door and slide out of the study. She smirked at him.

“Are you over your tantrum, Little Brother?”

Conrad ignored her and tapped on the door again. “Mother, it’s getting late. I’ll be driving Daisy and Leo home.”

Willow opened the door, a look of disappointment gracing her features. “Surely they can stay for a little while longer,” she said, watching as Adelaide quickly hurried back down the staircase.

“Mother,” he exhaled, “I’m sure Daisy has enough notes to make family dinners for the next ten years.”

“Well, call the driver and we’ll be out soon. I let Daisy know about my distaste for liver, anything French, crusty bread, and asparagus. Now, I—”

“I know you, Mother.” Conrad interrupted, loosening his tie before he continued. “You’ve given her a rundown on likes and dislikes two hours ago.”

She wrung her hands. “Daisy’s a nice girl, and little Leo is falling asleep. Oh, how about you let them stay with us for the night? The driver can pick them up in the morning.”

He kissed her on the left cheek lightly before pulling away. As she smiled, Conrad pressed the door back open and saw Daisy seated in a pink floral chair armchair, frantically scribbling notes on a small notepad. His eyes travelled to the love seat in the corner, seeing Leo stretched out with his right leg dangling off the cushions and his eyes wide open. Conrad could barely contain a laugh. Leo wasn’t asleep. Instead, he was staring in fascination at the lavish chandelier sparkling in the lamplight.

“I’ll plan a family dinner soon,” Conrad finally decided, cupping Willow’s face in a gesture of peace. “You can spend the entire night talking with Daisy.”

Willow’s shoulders slumped as she slowly nodded, and Conrad could already see her mind whirling, coming up with dozens of questions to pester Daisy with. He kissed his mom on her forehead before entering the study.

Daisy glanced up at his entrance as she stuffed her notebook in her purse. “Is the driver here?”

He shook his head. “I’ll driving you and Leo home.”

“There’s no rush. I can wait for the driver,” Daisy said, pulling her notepad back out of her purse and glancing at Leo.

Willow clapped her hands, then tapped Conrad on the shoulder. “See,” she said, an excited grin on her face, “They’ll stay for a little longer. We’ll finish up our conversations and join you in the living room when the driver arrives.”

He studied Daisy until she looked away. That’s when he noticed she’d put her hair in a ponytail, which made him frown. Too bad.

“I remember being Leo’s age,” Conrad said, trying one more time to appeal to his mother’s senses. “I was never allowed to stay up this late.”

“It’s only quarter to nine,” Willow mentioned, squinting as she tried to read the clock on the wall.

“Conrad’s right, Mrs. Engel. I never let Leo stay up after seven o’clock, even on the weekends.” Daisy stood and grabbed her purse from under the chair, stuffing the notebook back inside for the second time this evening. Conrad couldn’t help but smile.

****

By the time Willow let them leave, Leo had actually fallen asleep. Although Daisy tried to carry Leo to the car, Bryon picked him up with ease, leaving Conrad to figure out the borrowed car seat. Conrad figured Leo was old enough to sit in the backseat with just a lap seat belt like he had a few hours earlier. However, Willow assured the group that their neighbors still had young grandchildren and would happily let them borrow one.

“Does it fit like the picture on the instructions?” Conrad asked, peering in from the other side of the car door and watched Byron place a sleeping Leo into the seat.

“Gosh, it’s been a while since I’ve done this,” Byron cheerfully whispered as he stood up. “It fits perfectly, don’t worry. You installed everything correctly. Now, all you have to do is give us a grandchild and we can get our own seat to put in the car.”

Not you too, Conrad thought, a headache already forming from the conversation.

“It looks like you’re becoming just as invested as mother is, Father.” Conrad slapped the car door. He winced at the volume, having already forgotten about the sleeping child in the backseat.

Bryon gave a dry laugh. “I’ll free Daisy from Willow’s talkative grip.”

Conrad walked to the passenger’s side door as Bryon returned to the house. He shoved his fists into his pants pockets as he studied Leo’s sleeping figure through the glass. Adelaide’s indirectness was like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer: potentially successful but leaving mass destruction in its wake.

Does he look like me? Conrad through, tracing his eyes over the pointed nose and deep dimples. How the hell can that be true, and I don’t remember her?

The sound of footsteps caused Conrad to look up. He forced a smile as Daisy approached.

****

Love songs play softly on the radio as Conrad drove. With the sound of Leo’s snores, it was hard to make out the words to the songs, leading Conrad to anxiously concentrating on driving Daisy and Leo home. Every time he glanced over at Daisy, she was texting on her phone.

“He snores like an old man,” Conrad whispered, breaking the silence with a joke.

Daisy glanced up from her phone and giggled. “Only when he’s had a very busy day.”

“Well,” Conrad told her, “I know the feeling.” There was another pause, before Conrad spoke again. “Natalie never told me how you heard about the job. I hadn’t told her to put an advert online yet.”

Daisy slide her thumb up and down the edge of the seatbelt strap as she spoke. “Uh, my best friend, Emma, knows Natalie. From what I understand, she called around to see if anyone had a job opening, and Natalie responded. I didn’t know there wasn’t an advertisement.”

He waved his hand, resting it casually on the window as he continued to drive. “It worked out,” he said, nonchalantly, their conversation ending in silence.

Conrad slowed to a stop, eyes following as Daisy threw back her head and laughed. She looked at him and waved before she pointed at her phone. He looked at the road and shook his head. A sense of déjà vu flashed through his mind. He had seen that laugh before, coupled with her head movements. Don’t I know you, Daisy?

He looked in the rearview mirror at Leo, mouth open as he slept on. Any man can have dimples like me. Leo could be anyone’s child. Conrad tapped his index figure on the wheel as he thought. I won’t lie to myself or anyone else, he finally decided.

Until a couple of years ago, he’d had a one-night stand a few times. He remembered all of them, and he’d always used a condom.

Conrad glanced in the rearview mirror again. Do you look anything like me, Leo?

“I’m sorry for the disruption. My best friend, the one I told you about, Emma, well, she’s having a terrible time with her parents for the weekend. Now, she wishes she’d pushed her trip back to another weekend,” Daisy explained, capturing Conrad’s attention once again.

He shrugged. “Everyone’s been there.”

“There?” she questioned, and even though Conrad was watching the road ahead of him, he could feel her eyes on him

“In that situation,” he offered, gripping the wheel tighter.

“Oh,” Daisy said, “yeah, I guess.”

Conrad cleared his throat, attempting to feign disinterest as he asked, “Is there a reason Leo’s father couldn’t take him for the weekend?”

Daisy stared straight ahead. “Emma a God’s send. I’m thankful for her.”

“So, your ex-husband’s a deadbeat?” Conrad asked, carefully testing the waters.

“I’ve never been married.”

It wasn’t a rebuke, so Conrad continued. “Then, your ex-boyfriend’s a deadbeat?”

Daisy looked at him before she announced, “I don’t have the best track record with ex-boyfriends.”

When he finally looked at Daisy, she turned away. Conrad studied her profile for a moment, trying to read her expression. Are you telling me you had a one-night-stand, Daisy? Let’s try a different approach, shall we?

“Every boy should have a father in his life no matter if you get along with him or not, Daisy.” The glare Daisy sent him was enough to shut his mouth promptly.

“Leo’s father isn’t in the picture. He’s not my ex or my current,” Daisy snarled, the tension palpable in the front seat. There was a sharp edge to her voice when she added, “Leo’s doing fine without him.”

Conrad made eye contact, practically shivering under the coldness in her stare. He slowly nodded and focused solely on the road for the next half and hour.

****

The large corner office was Conrad’s crowning achievement in his career. He worked hard turning Byron’s multi-million-dollar freight company into a billion-dollar enterprise. While at school, Byron secured him his first position in the mailroom, a part-time gig that was flexible with his classes. In the past ten years, Conrad had worked nearly every position within the company, several without pay. It was more about the experience. Bryon always lectured on the importance of understanding his employees, and what better way than to work alongside them.

Conrad stood in front of his ceiling-to-floor window and enjoyed the sunny New York skyline. He’d sacrificed a lot of personal time to become the CEO of Engel Enterprises, and some days Conrad just wished for a break. Leo popped into his mind. Conrad grinned. It would be nice to settle down, reduce his hours, and start a family.

Seconds later, the grin faded as he thought about Daisy. f**k, what if he’d had s*x with Daisy six years ago and Leo’s my child? That would certainly explain her anger over last night. He internally swore the more he thought. I don’t have any dates to calculate. Why can’t I remember? Was I drunk?

His office door opened and closed, but he didn’t turn around.

“Conrad, I rescheduled your meeting for one o’clock tomorrow.”

Conrad turned, leaning his forearms on the top of his black leather chair. He watched Natalie shift back and forth in his doorway, but his mind was still focused on Daisy and Leo. Slowly, he inhaled and exhaled.

Natalie was still standing in the middle of his office, hugging a big stack of file folders and frowning at him. “The Swabs acquisition didn’t go as planned?”

Conrad frowned and shook his head. “No, they just have to approve the redrafted fees and we’ll be set.”

She chuckled and placed the files on his desk. “Well, what’s with the Monday afternoon blues?”

I need to know if I have a son. Conrad immediately shook his head. He tapped his hands on the top of his chair for a couple of seconds to ease the frustration building inside him.

“You only do drum solos when you can’t figure something out,” Nathan said as she sat on the couch against the wall.

He walked around his desk and grabbed a legal pad and pen. “Here.”

She took the items and sat in the chair across from the desk, poised to write as if taking minutes for a meeting.

“Investigate Daisy’s background.”

Natalie put her pen to the notepad, then stopped. She looked up at him. “Daisy?”

“Daisy.”

“Why Daisy?” The confusion was obvious on Natalie’s face.

“Why not?”

Natalie sighed. She tapped the pen on the legal pad for a few seconds before she gave him a challenging stare. “Emma would never recommend someone who has something to hide. Do you think she’s a mass murderer or something?”

He gave her a look. “She not a murderer.”

“I rarely ask you why you’re assigning a task. But this is extremely disturbing. I’m not just going to dig into Daisy’s life without an explanation.”

Conrad sat behind his desk and slouched down. He stared off, lost in thought.

“Well?” Natalie prompted.

“You sprung her on me pretty quickly. I want to know more about her,” Conrad murmured.

Natalie rolled her eyes. “She’s a woman who you would gladly have on bended knee.”

Conrad waved his hands as he laughed. “I’m married to my work right now,” he told her.

Placing the legal pad and pen on his desk, Natalie walked to the door. She grabbed the doorknob but didn’t open the door. Instead, Natalie turned back and commented, “One day, one of your one-night-stands will catch up with you.

“Have a good day ma’am.”

The sky was a dusty gold color, shimmering in the early morning air. The stars had already receded and given the sky to the sun. Even the crisp November breeze was finally starting to feel like winter.

Daisy, who sat in the backseat of a ridesharing car, made eye contact with the driver in the rearview mirror and brightly smiled. “Thank you, sir,” she called back, already exiting the car. After she slammed the door, shivering as a gust of wind blew her hair out of her face. She searched for Conrad’s key fob in her purse, fingers catching on the hundred spare receipts that lined the big pocket.

“Come on,” Daisy complained, moving things around in her cluttered purse, hearing a bottle of pills shaking around, her regular keys jingling, and even her small notebook catching on the zipper. Daisy was not a morning person, and her sleep deprived brain was clearly suffering at this early hour.

Maybe that’s it took her almost five minutes to locate the key fob sitting on top of her wallet.

She opened the front door and looked at the silver clock on the wall. Daisy was still ten minutes early, despite the earlier panic. It was a quarter till six o’clock, and, as usual, Conrad’s place was silent. In a few minutes, Conrad’s alarm would ring, blaring some ungodly weird music that he insisted on waking up to.

After she pulled her phone out of her purse, Daisy put her coat and purse in the living room closet, shutting it carefully behind her. Daisy glanced at Conrad’s bedroom door. I know what it feels like to have Conrad inside of me, making love to me, but what is it like to wake up next to him every day. She thought, imagining the bed-head and sleepy voice as he tried to wake up, before her thoughts caught up with her. Did I say make love? I wish that had happened, but I need a dose of reality. Conrad and I had s*x. To make love, there must be love involved.

Daisy flipped on the lights in the kitchen and glanced outside. In such a short amount of time, the sky had turned a bright blue. She opened the refrigerator door and gathered the items for today’s breakfast, carefully balancing them against her shirt. With a bump from her hip, Daisy closed the refrigerator door, the simple calendar with each day’s dishes written down catching her eye. She sighed after seeing Conrad’s scribble. He’d scratched out the frittata, an egg-based breakfast, for Italian ricotta pancakes instead. She packed the items back into the refrigerator.

Conrad’s music played, making her jump and swear, grabbing the new ingredients with a sense of haste.

Daisy hummed softly as she heard Conrad’s heavy footsteps traveling to the bathroom. Seconds later, the shower started, water rushing through the pipes. While she was mixing the ingredients together, her phone buzzed, immediately drawing Daisy back to her task. She glanced at her phone on the counter but didn’t read it, figuring the text was from Emma. With this new job, Emma had taken to dropping Leo off at school, and it was around the time Emma typically sent a text saying Leo had been dropped off. This was the only thing Daisy hated about the job. Working for Mr. Carda had allowed her to take Leo to school. Now, she missed that short walk with her son, and instead had to rush while picking him up in order to drop off with Emma before she was needed back at Conrad’s. With a six o’clock dinner time, and a variety of complicated dishes to impress her boss, Daisy sometimes had to run to make it back on time. One day, she promised, I’ll have a life. Hell, maybe my husband will cook for me.

By the time the shower stopped, Daisy had almost finished the pancakes, and knew she still had another fifteen minutes before Conrad was ready. Turning on the coffee machine to brew a fresh pot, the smell of coffee and pancakes filled the air.

By the time Conrad entered the kitchen, Daisy had both sitting on the table waiting for Conrad.

“You got my message,” Conrad commented with a grin. He sat at the kitchen island and quickly started eating. Conrad was dressed in dark pants and a white business shirt but no tie or suit jacket, yet. He always waited until he left hastily to put the items on.

Daisy set a glass of water next to his coffee cup, laughing when he gave her a thumbs-up as he chewed. Before she gathered the ingredients for dinner, she looked at the menu on the calendar.

“That’s the only thing I scratched out,” he told her as he grabbed his plate and cups, setting them in the sink.

Daisy looked from the dirty plate to Conrad. “I think it took me longer to make that than it did for you to eat.”

He smirked and left the kitchen.

When her phone rang, Daisy slammed the refrigerator door closed and placed the food she’d gathered on the counter. Daisy’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Emma’s name.

“What’s wrong?” She answered, fear coursing through her veins.

“Didn’t you get my text, Daisy? Leo’s sick.”

“Sick?” Daisy asked faintly.

“Oh, don’t worry. I think it’s a tummy ache. He wasn’t hungry at breakfast and couldn’t keep it down.” Emma didn’t sound nervous, and a small wave of relief started to shoot through Daisy. “He seems fine otherwise. When you didn’t text back, I made the call to keep him home.”

Daisy rubbed her eyes as panic raced through her body. I should have been there.

“I know what you’re doing, Daisy. Don’t blame yourself—”

Conrad walked back into the kitchen, deftly tying his red and white striped tie.