Wife To The Secret Billionaire

~Three~

Riley sits in her car with her phone placed on her lap as she calls her best friend who is not in the country.

"Where did you keep your phone? I called you all day" Riley laments.

"Sorry girl, just business. What's wrong? Why have you been buzzing up my phone?" Layla responds, her face close to the screen.

"I proposed to Bernard yesterday," Riley says and Layla screams.

"You did what?"

"I just couldn't wait any longer, he wasn't popping the question"

Layla chuckles. "Well, that was a stretch, congratulations girlie. We have a wedding to plan"

"No, we don't." Riley looks out the window for a moment wondering how to break the news. "Bernard rejected my proposal," she says.

Layla doesn't say a word for a long time. Maybe or maybe not, she has predicted it will turn out this way.

"I mean if he doesn't love me, why have we been together for so long?" Riley's voice breaks.

"I'm so sorry, Riley," Layla mumbles.

"It's okay." Riley forces a smile. "I'm not hurt, I'm just… you know Dad is arriving very soon. I already told him Bernard and I are planning to get married. He has never met Bernard and he's delighted to meet him, now it's all messed up, and also I have no chance of taking over Whitlock now" Tears settle in Riley's eyes.

"Isn't there any other way to convince Dad?"

"You know him, he means every of his word and until I'm happily married, he doesn't think I can take over Whitlock"

"How could Bernard do that?" Layla grumbles angrily. "After everything you've done for him, all the money you've spent to up his status, all the gifts you've given him, the allowances you pay him…"

"How could I even think we would end up happy? Were we ever in love?" Riley wipes the tears that rolled from her eyes.

"I wish I could hug you right now" Layla pouts her mouth, sad to see her best friend cry.

"Already got a lot of that hugging from a stranger" Riley chuckles, the bouncer crossing her mind. "You wouldn't believe what happened."

"You got a new best friend?" Layla jealously asks.

"Worse. I got drunk and slept with a club bouncer!"

"You didn't!" Layla screams in terror.

"I did. I was beyond embarrassed when I woke up with a stranger this morning. I hope he doesn't have my information and spills it to Dad."

"Fingers crossed girl. You mustn't ruin Whitlock's reputation. Don't ever try something as silly as that"

"We are here ma" Riley's driver stops the car at the parking lot of the shopping mall. After sleeping at home all day, Riley feels she has to come out to relieve herself from all the heartbreak.

"Bye, Layla. I'll talk to you later. Need to get some welcome gifts for Dad and do some shopping to cheer me up" The girls laugh and Riley hangs up. She walks out of the car and wears her shades that match her black gown and heels.

Riley walks into the Cartier section of the mall to get some wristwatches for her dad. He is arriving tomorrow and she needs to gather all she has to impress him before she breaks the news to him and asks him for another chance.

Harvey has just finished his meeting at a secluded part of the mall and is ready to go home. His Secretary walks with him side by side as they come out of the elevator.

"Mr. Harvey, what are your plans tomorrow?" His Secretary, Daisy asks.

"I would be home all day, Daisy," Harvey responds.

"I was thinking, could we perhaps have dinner at your place?" Daisy blushes as she walks faster to meet her boss's pace.

"I would love to Daisy, you've been doing a great job making sure I clear my schedule, you deserve a dinner, but not tomorrow. I'd like to be alone tomorrow."

Daisy pouts her mouth. "I understand, Mr. Harvey."

As they walk further, Harvey stops when he sees an old woman cleaning the tiles of the mall, not only does she look tired, but sick too.

In the meeting he just attended, the executives concluded that they were going to lay off everyone above the age of 40 working at the mall. Harvey feels a tingle of pity for the woman and approaches her.

"Hello ma'am," he says with a smile. As the old woman turns to him, she feels dizzy and falls. Harvey immediately lifts her. "Take her to the infirmary," he orders Daisy, who walks with the woman side by side to the infirmary.

Harvey takes the woman's cleaning equipment, holds the mopping stick, and carries the pail of water, he looks around wondering where he can drop this equipment. As he walks towards the staff store, he bumps into someone.

Riley removes her shades as she and Harvey stare at each other. She accesses him from his head to his feet. He is neatly dressed and smells nice. Riley is too stunned to speak, she swallows her saliva hard as Harvey smiles.

"We meet again," Harvey says, butterflies swarming in his belly seeing the woman he thought he would never see again.

"Bouncer at night, cleaner at day? Is that it?" Riley raises her brows.

Harvey looks at the mopping stick in his hand and shakes his head. "This isn't mine…"

"You don't have to be embarrassed. A little piece of advice Harvey, don't wear expensive clothes to do these menial jobs, you'll ruin the fabric" Riley touches the texture of Harvey's shirt. She can see the quality he is wearing but can't believe he'll work in this type of clothes.

"I…never mind" Harvey sees no point in explaining things to her. "Did you get some rest?" He asks.

"Why do you care? Harvey, you don't get the opportunity to ask about me because we had a thing. You're a stranger and honestly, I beg you…may we not meet again!" Riley tries to walk away but Harvey holds her arm.

"Can I at least know your name?" He asks.

"So you'll blackmail me and spill to my Dad."

"I really don't know your Dad."

"You don't need my name then." She scoffs.

"Miss Riley." A salesperson rushes to meet Riley and Harvey where they stand. "Miss Riley, the new collections just arrived, would you like to see them?"

Riley frowns. "I'll be there." She tells the girl.

"Riley." Harvey smiles and Riley rolls her eyes. "I'd like to know you better, Riley," Harvey reveals his intentions, his eyes not leaving Riley.

Riley giggles. "You're smart Harvey and you don't wanna miss your opportunity either, nice. But I have made myself clear, I cannot be seen with someone like you. It's an insult to my personality."

Riley brings out her purse and takes a bundle of cash from it. She splatters it all over Harvey's face. "Even if I paid a call boy to have s*x with me, he wouldn't take as much as I have given you"

"You wouldn't moan a call boy's name as much as you moaned mine"

Riley is speechless at his response as the memories of their night together come flooding again. Too bad he is right, she hasn't moaned anyone's name as much as she did with Harvey. She recalls wanting every piece of him, she recalls the bed shaking at the rhythm of his pace, and she remembers her leg sprawled out on his shoulders.

Riley snaps herself out of the memory as she faces Harvey again. As much as she wants that experience again, Harvey is not in her class and she is tired of picking men from the gutters like she did with Bernard.

Maybe this will always be a one-night stand she will never forget and nothing more.

Harvey watches as Riley zones into her thoughts, he is praying that she accepts to give him a chance to get to know her. He wants her, he has never been more sure about something than he is now.

He wants to know more about fascinating Riley. He wants to make Riley his woman already.

"I'll leave now," Riley says and wears her shades back, walking out on Harvey. Harvey stands disappointed at his trial. Should he reveal to her who he is, so she'll give him a chance?

"Mr. Harvey, so sorry for the delay. The woman is getting treated now. I'll return these cleaning materials" Daisy comes back and tells Harvey, stretching her hand to collect the mopping stick from her boss.

Harvey points his finger to Riley who is walking out of the mall and Daisy turns to look. "Her name is Riley. Find out her next location, I'd like to have a chat with her."

Daisy is surprised. "Erhm. Okay, Mr Harvey. I'll need to put a tracker on her or her car."

"Well, do it immediately" Harvey orders and Daisy runs after Riley.

Harvey instantly feels a sense of satisfaction. Nothing will stop him from getting the woman he wants, he has never felt this way. This is new to him and he is up for whatever it takes to get Riley.