The Billionaire's Mole

Chapter 3

Doctor Phil ushered Lucerne into his office and showed her where to seat. She was shaking with grief and sorrow. Lucas Sorrowful words of dying had shattered her heart and tore her apart.

At first, she thought he was just being silly but after much persuasion, he insisted that he heard the doctor speaking with Aunty Leslie.

It all began to make more sense; why Aunty Louise was a bit grumpy in the morning and why she was insistent on Lucerne visiting Lucas because she(Aunty Louise) would normally come to the hospital herself.

"Miss Lucerne…Lucerne Williams? Can you hear all I have said?"

Lucerne was lost in thoughts and could not hear the doctors calls and was distant from their conversations.

The doctor gently brushed her hand and she jolted back to reality.

"I am sorry Doctor Phil… I was lost in thoughts".

"I understand Ma'am. But you need to take it easy, you also have your health to protect".

"Is my brother really going to die, doctor Phil?"

The doctor took a deep breath like the words he was about to say were too heavy for his breath.

"I know this may be too difficult for you, Miss Lucerne but his heart is failing, every second_______

"Doc, just tell me; is there a chance that if I raise the money and we do that surgery that he will be alright?" She cut in impatiently.

The doctor looked away briefly towards the chart on his shelf.

"I have checked through the organ donation centre, no heart that matches is available right now. You know these things work based on top priority ".

Lucerne twisted the corners of her mouth, suppressing the urge to burst out in loud screams.

Doctor Phil passed her some handkerchiefs and held her shaky hands, reassuringly.

"If you can come up with the bills, fifty-nine thousand dollars, we could buy a spot for him on the top list of the donors".

Lucerne let out a deep sigh and asked "what number is he currently "?

"Twenty-five, Ma'am. It is progressive, was 50 about three weeks ago. But I am just worried about how critical his condition is becoming. Every second, our tests detect more situations with the heart. Breathing is increasingly becoming difficult too. As he is now, he cannot leave the hospital. He would have to remain here, under our supervision ".

Lucerne nodded weakly. Her thoughts were racing. All she could think about was her brother and his smiles. He was such a gentle soul. He had been sick for as long as twelve years. His early teens and early adulthood.

His smiles were now too feeble and he could barely leave his eyes open for long. His face was now pale. She could not even stand the sight of him without crying uncontrollably.

"Doctor Phil, please, help me to keep him alive. I will find a way to raise the funds required. I need Lucas to be hale and hearty".

The doctor nodded and smiled warmly at her.

"Maybe you should consider getting a loan. How much is your salary?"

"Twenty-eight hundred. But I get tips all the time and in addition to my 9-5 job, I also do some remote online jobs. My gross monthly income should be about five thousand".

"That should give you access to at least thirty-something thousand, I think. But what would be the loan security?"

"Our home. My Aunt Louise bought the house years back with money our parents left for us. Maybe, we just have to let it go for a higher purpose".

Her eyes were filled with lots of pain. Doctor Phil could see the desperation she had to help her brother. His heart went out to her.

He took her cold, shaky hands in his again and squeezed them lovingly. Then he said:

"If I can find a way to be of help, I would. I do not own this hospital, I am not even the surgeon who would carry out the procedure. But I would do anything within my reach to make sure you get through this. Your brother will be okay, I swear this to you".

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"Which of you is Miss Lucerne Williams?" Lucerne heard a coarse voice ask from the door that led to her department. She looked up quickly to glance at the face but she could not recognise whoever it was.

Her supervisor was tagging along behind this well dressed gentleman and pointed towards her direction.

"Over there sir", "Lucerne, please stand up".

Lucerne rose, slightly hesitant to answer whoever it was that called her.

"I am Lucerne", her voice sounded rusty and her face looked strained and puffy from her elongated crying in the hospital. Her eyes were bloodshot. She looked really unpleasant.

Her supervisor looked at her with disgust etched on his face.

"Why do you look like you didn't get enough sleep, Lucerne Williams?"

She put her face down and brushed her hand over her hair to put it in place.

"You cannot go in there looking like this…" he turned to the man who had asked for her presence,"right? She is not representing our brand well looking like this. You look like a piece of s**t, Lucerne! Go and freshen up and get it together"!

She stood, mortified, waiting for the man to say a word approving or disapproving her grumpy supervisor's instructions.

"Mr Liam is not here today for your brand, Randy. He is here for something entirely different".

Randy, her supervisor, was standoffish. He twisted his grumpy face in a frown and asked the man why he wanted her then.

"But Mr Liam indicated interest in buying some shares from our company. If this is not the reason he is here, why then is he here? And why does it have to be Miss Lucerne who is obviously not in her right frame , at the moment?"

The man looked up at Lucerne and smiled. Then he said: Mr Liam needs her for a personal business.

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LUCERNE WILLIAMS

I stood, looking lost. I did not look pretty at this point and my hair was dishevelled. My eyes were sore and swollen. I was not pretty at the moment but for some reason, Liam whatever wanted to see me. My heart raced into several places; different questions popped in my head. Why me?

My grumpy supervisor, Randy, was confused and annoyed at the man's wish. He tried his best to convince the man not to take me to Mr Liam but the man was hell bent; insisting it was his boss' instructions. What was so important about me that this mystery man would want me desperately, I wondered.

Randy was overly angry and his expressions could not hide his feelings. "There, You can have her", he seethed and stormed out of the room leaving me and the man whose name was Josh.

"Miss Lucerne Williams, may we proceed then to see my boss"? His voice was calm. I tagged along beside him, walking through the large hallways of our big company. My heart raced with anxiety.

"I am sure you are wondering why Mr. Liam Windsor needs you".

Of Course I was wondering. My mind was clogged with scary ideas. What could he want with me?

"Absolutely, sir", I summoned the energy to speak up. I was emotionally drained and weak.

We were already close to the office where Mr Liam Windsor was waiting for me.

Mr Josh put his hand on the door handle and halted. He turned to look at me and with an expressionless face, he spilled the most shocking news to me without:

"Well, might I inform you, so that you do not get startled,that what the boss wants from you, is a contract marriage.” My eyes widened with bemusement, “Pardon?” I exclaimed with narrowed eyes.