The Billionaire's Enchantress

Chapter 13

Third Person POV

Ria is so overwhelmed with emotions today. Thanks to JD who made everything possible. The man who keeps her inspired every single day. JD is very easy to get along with despite his status. He is fun, simple, and down-to-earth. 

After the surprising lunch that JD prepared for everyone, there was a short program from the kids. They showed their different talents in singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments. Everyone was happy and JD promised to come back whenever he has free time. The short program ended with a blast. All the kids left with a big smile on their faces. 

Ria helped in cleaning up the mess after almost everyone left. JD also helped with her although they didn’t really need to help as there were other people already cleaning. Ms. Valerie on the other hand, couldn’t contain her admiration for JD. She kept taking pictures with him which he gladly indulged. She was seen many times giggling at JD. 

Out of nowhere, a cute little girl came to Ria. She knows the girl as she is the youngest in the orphanage at 6 years old. Her name is Angel. It’s her aunt who gave her that name as the little girl does have an angelic face when she was first brought to the orphanage. 

“Ms. Ria, I made this gift for you and Mr. JD, your boyfriend.” The cute little girl smiled widely at her with her cute dimples showing. She wanted to correct her but opted to keep quiet. 

“Thank you, Angel.” She made a watercolor painting for Ria on a piece of white paper. She saw a half heart-shaped one with the name JD on it. 

“Angel, you gave me the wrong painting. This is for JD since his name is on it.” She smiled at her telling her she understood her mistake. 

“It is really for you, Miss. You hold the heart of Mr. JD.” Then the girl calmly called JD who was talking with someone beside him.

“Excuse me, Mr. JD. This is my gift for you.” She handed him the other half of the heart-shaped watercolor painting she made. He was surprised to see the inside.

It is the same color and design as Ria. It is the other half of the heart with Ria’s name on it.

“Thank you. You are Angel, right?” The little girl nodded. 

“Your gift is so special. I like it a lot. But I think you should give this to your Ms. Ria.” He added, smiling at her.

“That’s really for you, Mister JD. I gave Miss Ria the other half with your name on it.” She smiled sweetly at both of them.

“It means if you put them together, then you will have a complete heart. Just like your love for each other…it is complete.” Angel smartly declared.

Since when did a six-year-old child could speak about love between a man and a woman so easily? Ria was about to tell her that JD is not her boyfriend however he spoke first. 

“You know what, this gift is so special. I am sure Ria here is equally happy as I do.” He winked at Ria.

He is kidding again and he even lied to the child. He didn’t even correct the child that they are not in a relationship.

She exaggeratedly smiled at Angel. “Thank you for this beautiful gift.” Then she discreetly pinched the side of JD.

“Ouch! What was that for? She can be rude sometimes. She was given the gift, now she can just hurt me anytime.” He was complaining to Angel.

“Miss Ria you are hurting his feelings. Please make it up to him. Give him a kiss so he is not sad anymore.” Angel said which shocked Ria.

“Is this for real? Probably, JD bribed her. You have some explaining to do later.” She thought to herself. She rolled her eyes at him.

“Miss Ria, he is waiting for you.” Deep inside Ria, she is seething with anger. She was about to speak what’s in her mind when someone approached JD. It was one of the men who carried the boxes earlier. 

“Sir, everything was already taken care of. Mrs. Miller called me a while ago. She couldn’t contact your phone.” JD was smiling and he looked so happy from what he heard.

The short program ended. They went to her Aunt Alice’s office. They were sitting in a long sofa while her aunt was happily telling them about what happened at the conference she attended last month. There were additional donors for the orphanage. The most important news is that they will be able to start constructing a small auditorium where the kids can showcase their talents to the visitors. The auditorium will be a place for conferences, programs, holiday celebrations and so much more. When JD heard about the plans for the orphanage, he promised to help in the construction. Aunt Alice was more than happy and excited to accept the offer and thanked JD in advance.

Ria took the chance to ask JD regarding the child’s gift for them. Her aunt left to quickly check on something.

“So tell me, did you have fun pranking me about Angel’s gift?”  For a brief moment, JD got confused until it registered on him what she was talking about. He was laughing this time.

“Honestly, I also got surprised myself. I never thought any of those kids would give me something. They just saw me for the first time today. Maybe, Angel must have seen something special between us.” JD was actually enjoying teasing her. Ria just shrugged it off and went to talk about something else when her aunt came from a short errand. 

After that, Ria went out with JD to show him the whole orphanage. She first showed him the building for girls. There are about thirty kids in the girl’s building ranging from 6-15 years old. The building is two floors with eight bedrooms and three common toilets and baths. Around three or four kids can occupy each room. The building is clean and well maintained. 

They also went to the boy’s building. There are twenty kids occupying the place. There used to be around 50 boys but some of them left. They got adopted by parents with good hearts. The place is also spotlessly clean. The vacant rooms were made into a mini-library. After she showed him the two buildings for both girls and boys, she brought him to the back part of the orphanage. JD was so amazed at what he saw. At the back, you can see a good space of vegetable garden that is richly growing. 

“Wow! This is amazing. Did the kids do these?” You can see varieties of vegetables ready to be harvested. There are carrots, tomatoes, eggplants, cabbages, and a lot more.

“It is great to see these! So the kids are actually having fresh veggies on their table.” He is still so amazed at the sight in front of him. 

“Yes, this vegetable garden has been here for a while now. When I was in high school, we started planting these vegetables. I am glad that you like this place.” 

“Thank you. It means a lot to see how these kids are being taken care of here. I am so proud and happy for you. I know it wasn’t easy for you but I’m pretty sure your aunt made it better for you. Look at you now, you’re successful.” JD couldn’t control his emotion. Why he said those words, he still doesn’t have a clue. 

When it was 5 pm, Ria got surprised again. JD just told her to say goodbye to her aunt. They are going somewhere special. And that he already got her aunt’s permission for her to come with him. Her aunt must have trusted him a lot. He told her they will be back the next day.

“Please take care, Ria. You are in good hands. JD, please take good care of my daughter. Be careful in driving.” 

“Thank you, Aunt Alice. We will take good care of ourselves.” It was Ria who kissed her aunt’s cheek before going inside JD’s car. He said something to her aunt as well but they were walking towards the building so she couldn’t hear them. 

There was a plan to visit JD’s farmhouse last time they talked on the phone. However, Ria thought that was only a quick visit not to spend a night somewhere. Her original plan was to sleep in the orphanage and the next day, go back to the city. However, JD with his full of surprises attitude didn’t even inform her of any of his plans with her. She had an idea where they may be heading tonight. 

“Where are we going? You never told me anything about your plans with me. I thought that you would spend the night in your place and then come back here tomorrow.” She asked but he remained quiet while driving. You could see his amused look though.

“JD, I am asking you. Why are you so quiet?” She asked again getting a bit impatient.

“I am sorry. I can’t tell you right now since I will spoil your surprise.” That’s all he ever said during the duration of their drive. He played some music after that. 

She understood that she couldn’t get any answer from him even if she forced him to. So, she stayed quiet as well. She didn’t want to nag him about it. If it is a surprise, so it is. 

It took them almost an hour to reach their destination. They are in a very remote area with endless vast of lands. They entered some woodlands until Ria saw a beautiful huge house in the middle of it. It was surrounded by lights… lots of them. It is a huge two-story house. The second floor has a beautiful balcony that has stairs leading downstairs. The house’s front columns are wrapped with beautiful vines. The design of the house is like a mix of old and modern styles. On the right side, you can see a swimming pool. It is almost 8 pm when they arrived, so the lights adorning the entire house made it look like a fairytale. 

“Welcome to our farmhouse!” JD said proudly.

“This is where I used to spend my vacations during my childhood. My best friend friend, Jared, used to come here with his family.” JD inhaled and exhaled as he smelled the fresh air from the place.  Ria did the same thing. She could smell some flowers and the smell of the pine trees they passed by earlier. 

“This place is so amazing. I can’t put into words how to describe it.” Ria said after getting dumbfounded for a few minutes. 

“Let’s get inside the house. Stacey has been waiting for us. She is the caretaker of this place together with her husband.” JD pulled her and they went inside holding hands together.

JD guided her towards a huge oak door. When they got inside, you can see a grand chandelier sparkling brightly. It is intricately crafted with crystals. 

The chandelier was eye-catching but not until you put your attention to the grand staircases. There are two of them from both ends where the living room is; leading to the second floor. Ria can only see this magnificent view in front of her in the movies.

“Stacey, how are you?” JD hugged a middle-aged woman tightly. 

“It’s been a while since you came back! How have you been JD, my son? We miss you so much.” Stacey said while crying. She never has a kid of her own. She was in her early 20’s when she came to the farmhouse. She was single then. She met and married her husband in the farmhouse. 

Then, a man appeared who almost has the same age as Stacey. It must be her husband… Ria thought to herself. The man tapped JD’s shoulder and hugged him as well. He was beaming widely at JD. 

“John, how are you doing? I am so happy to be here again.” JD said happily. 

“We are more than happy that you finally came here after all this time. When she told me you’re coming here, I thought she was just joking around.” It’s John who put his arm on his wife’s shoulder. He was laughing. 

“By the way, this is Ma. Victoria Sanford. You can call her Ria. We just got from the orphanage earlier. And Ria, this is Mrs. Stacey and Mr. John Miller.” Ria shook hands with them.

“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Miller. I am honored to meet you.” Ria said politely while smiling at them. 

“We are happy to meet you too, Ria. You can just call me Stacey and my husband here, John.” Mrs. Miller is such a friendly and nice woman.

“Is Ria your girlfriend? She is such a beautiful nice woman. Are you a model or perhaps an actress?” Mrs. Miller excitedly asked. Ria was blushing. 

“No, I am not an actress nor a model. JD is just a good friend.” She shyly smiled. She needs to correct what they thought about her and JD. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. We really thought you are the girlfriend of our JD.” Mrs. Miller sounded disappointed.

“Stacey, give them some time. I can see that they are going in that direction.” It’s Mr. Miller who teased them. 

JD was silently listening to them. He was slightly disappointed when Ria told them that he is just a friend. 

What is happening to him? These feelings are so new to him. He admits that he does enjoy her company. He likes her simplicity. She has a way with people that they warmed up to her. She’s like an enchanter who casts a spell on everyone including himself.

“Ria, let’s go. Stacey and John made dinner for us.” JD took her hand readily. It’s interesting how she has started to get comfortable with him.

Ria thought it was a simple dinner. However, JD took her to their garden. It is the most beautiful garden she has ever seen in her life. She could see a variety of flowers surrounding the garden. She was thrilled when she saw the beautiful table set up for their dinner. There is a bottle of champagne to the side. On the center of the table is a nice flower arrangement of tulips. She knows tulips don’t really grow in a tropical place. They must have imported them abroad.

 “This is so beautiful! Thank you. I thought it is just a simple dinner.” Ria just realized that there is nothing simple with the way JD does things. He always makes things grand for her. She just remembered earlier what she heard from one of his men regarding Mrs. Miller taking care of things. This must be this beautiful dinner by the flower garden. 

“I wanted to celebrate with you. I had a great time earlier at the orphanage.” He pulled the chair for Ria and poured a glass of champagne. Then, he went to his seat and poured for himself. Ria was intently looking at what he was doing.

“I am glad to know that you had a great time at the orphanage. The kids love you already.” She smiled at him. 

“I was so happy earlier. It feels great to be able to make others happy. Being there and see how those kids living their life despite everything is such a great inspiration for me. It was a humbling experience. I want to visit them regularly.” JD declared with happiness radiating on his face. Ria smiled at him.

Mrs. Miller came to bring their dinner. Fresh vegetable salads were served. Shrimps and scallops were served as side dishes. Their main course for the night was a grilled salmon steak. 

Ria and JD were both eating quietly when Mr. Miller came. He brought a bouquet of fresh roses. JD took it from him. The moment Mr. Miller left, JD handed the flowers to Ria. She took it from him with wonder in her eyes. She smelled the roses while smiling.

“Those roses are from our garden. They are called Rose Juliet. The peach-apricot color made this flower one of the famous flowers in the world. It took 15 years to create this kind of hybrid flower.”

“Thank you. This is such great beauty.” She couldn’t stop smiling. 

“Those flowers are for you since you are very special.” Ria’s eyes widened slightly from what she heard. Is this true or is she just imagining things? If this is a dream, she doesn’t want to wake up anymore. 

“Ahmmm… thank you.” Her face is all red right now. She feels overwhelmingly thrilled just to receive a bouquet of flowers from JD. 

“I want to be honest with you Ria. In so short a time that I’ve known you, I started to like you… a lot.” He is looking at her with a serious face. 

Ria doesn’t know what to say. It’s all mixed emotions for her right now. She wanted to keep quiet but her heart told her to say something. However, her head keeps contradicting her. After a long while, Ria broke her silence. She couldn’t bear to just stare back at him especially that their faces are so closed to each other. She didn’t realize that he moved closer to her. She could smell his fresh breath fanning her face. She closed her eyes before speaking. 

“I like you, too.” She said making JD broke into a wide smile. 

“You are kind, nice, thoughtful, a gentleman, and so much more. You are very easy to get along with and most of all you’re such a great chef!” The latter made him laugh. Good thing her joke worked this time. He was too serious earlier and she started to feel awkward. She needs time to process the things he told her. 

She is not sure if he likes her as a friend or something more. He is a playboy. They are good with words to get any woman they like. Besides, she doesn’t want to assume.

They continued eating their dinner after that awkward moment. She would look at him from time to time but he seems unaffected. He was moving normally and the things he said earlier weren’t a big deal for him. That’s what Ria thought. 

“I hope I didn’t make you feel uncomfortable about what I said earlier. I just felt that it was the right moment to say.” He suddenly said after he finished the grilled salmon steak. Now, he is drinking his glass of champagne.

No, I am fine although I did get surprised at what you said. I don’t exactly know what to say.” She said honestly. 

“So, we’re okay, right? You wouldn’t stay away from me if I start to do something more special?” 

Ria understood what he meant but still, she couldn’t believe it. There are so many beautiful and better women with who he can spend time. She feels so insecure about herself right now just thinking of those women. 

“Why are you still quiet? Mind sharing with me what’s in your head right now?” JD prodded her to talk further.

“Huh? I don’t want to assume. And why me?” She finally had the guts to ask. 

“Why not? You have impeccable qualities that I truly admire. And one more thing, I don’t care about your status in life if that’s what you are worried about.” JD said sincerely.

She doesn’t have an answer to what he said. She just knew that she is happy right now with him. 

Wherever this will lead them, at least she gets to experience being with the man she secretly loves. 

However, she has no intention of confessing her feelings to him. She would let time takes its course. 

After a couple more minutes, JD took her hand to stand up. He guided her to their huge flower garden. She thought earlier they were already in the middle of their whole garden. She was wrong. The lights surrounding the whole flower garden made it more attractive at night. JD told her some flowers growing in their garden such as roses, gardenias, anthuriums, bromeliads, orchids and so much more. 

The place is such a sight to behold. They walked around while JD was holding her hand. She just let it be as the moment calls for such a romantic interlude.

“My mom started this flower garden back when I was a little kid. It started with a small area. My mom loved taking care of flowers. For her, it was a form of relaxation. It became her hobby until it grew big. Some of the flowers here are so expensive when you sell them in the market.” JD looked proudly at his mom’s garden.

“Right now, it’s Stacey and John who are taking care of these with the help of some workers here in the farmhouse,” JD added.

“This is such an amazing place. You can really see how well-maintained it is. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful place with me.” She said emotionally.

“I am glad I get to share with you where I grew up. Do you know that you’re the only woman who sets foot in our farmhouse?” JD intertwined their hands further. Her hand perfectly fits with his. She doesn’t want to break this special moment. 

They continued walking around the whole flower garden. The landscape was beautifully done. In the center of this huge flower garden is a white octagonal wooden gazebo. Actually, they only passed just half of the entire flower garden. The whole farmhouse is like a magical place. It can be a good tourist destination for its magnificent flower garden.

The pathway towards the gazebo is surrounded by huge spherical lightbulbs on both sides. The gazebo screams elegance both inside and out. The sofa is beautifully crafted from rattan. There is a nice centerpiece table also made from rattan. Stylish Mediterranean lamps can be seen hanging inside the gazebo. 

There are some hanging plants that add a more natural vibe inside the gazebo. The sound of the wind chimes completes the serenity of the place. It is the best place for relaxation. Ria feels so contented and peaceful right now. 

“This gazebo was built before I left to the US. I had it built since I enjoyed this place so much. This is where I feel peace and happiness. And sharing it with you now makes me feel contented.” JD held her hand tighter. Before she could move away, he held her waist this time. 

JD is way taller than her. Her head could barely reach his mouth. She is very intimately close to him this time. He scooted down so he had good access to her beautiful face.

He was looking intently at her face. Inching closer and suddenly kissed her. He gave her time to protest but neither happened. Instead, she melted in his arms with one gentle kiss. He kissed her boldly this time, claiming her lips, and held her nape to keep her in the same spot.

At first, Ria couldn’t move but deep inside her, she likes the way he kissed her. And when he kissed her again, she didn’t even hesitate nor protest back. She didn’t have any control over everything at that moment. It was just her heart which consumed her whole being. 

The kiss went deeper and JD encircled his arms around her body tightly. She couldn’t breathe normally. 

He only ended the kiss after they were both panting. It was an awkward silence but JD spoke up.

“I am sorry I just can’t resist your charm. You got me enchanted with those big beautiful eyes of yours and luscious plump lips.” Replied JD with his baritone voice but it came out like a whisper to Ria’s ears. 

Everything is just perfect for her at the moment.

Ria didn’t utter any single word after the kisses they shared. She let JD pulled her to sit on the sofa. The place has a good romantic ambiance to it. 

“This is our first date together and I want it to be extra special for you. I hope you like it.” JD declared. He is actually waiting for Ria’s reply anxiously. She has been quiet for a while now. Whenever she replies back, it was only in brief words. 

“Thank you for bringing me to this special place. I am just too overwhelmed right now with emotions. I can’t even express how I feel.”

“What about those I said earlier?” JD wanted to hear more from her. 

He is such a straightforward person. She doesn’t want to say anything to him yet. She admits that she feels elated about him confessing his admiration for her. However, she feels anxious deep inside and she doesn’t know why.

“I admit I got shocked and I still don’t know what to say to you. It is way too fast. Can we take it slow and see where it leads us from here?” She’s actually giving a chance for them to know more each other. She never doubts her feelings for him. She’s not sure about him though. They need more time.

She understands that in this modern age, it is very rare to see a woman taking her time to be with a guy she likes. Usually, nowadays, a couple enters into a relationship first, then they test their compatibility. She is not that kind of woman. She is idealistic. She wants to be with the only man she loves and spends the rest of her life with him. That works in the movies and fairy tales. But still, it’s the choice she made. 

“I would settle for that right now.” JD smiled and casually hugged her. 

“I just want to enjoy every moment with you.” JD has a weird feeling he is saying it all from the heart. He knows that this is just one of his plans to get rid of her. But why does he care about what Ria feels towards him?