The Billionaire's Hidden Heir

The wild thumping of the headboard of the bed against the wall stopped me in my tracks. The loud, excited moans of man and woman mixed with the thumping. I was transfixed to the spot, unable to move forward or turn back. The door to the room was cracked open a little, so I could see Mark bent over the back of a lady whose blond mane had covered her whole face. “Come on! Give it to me!” she yelled, squeezing the bedspread with both hands. “Argh!” Mark grunted out, his face contorted by the pleasure he was deriving from his clandestine activity. That sound was all I needed to hear. I took a step back to begin a rather hasty retreat out of the stuffy house only to hit the wooden table behind me, scattering some items on the floor. “Who the hell is that?!” I heard Mark demand from his spot in the room. I bent down as I made to pack up the things my hasty retreat had fallen to the ground when it dawned on me that doing so would be stupid. I rose, angry at myself and rushed out just as Mark began to yell for me to wait. He even said the famous “it isn't what it looks like” like I didn't have eyes to see what it looked like. When I got out of the house, the sudden burst of fresh air in my lungs caused me to throw up by the side of the road, expelling the little food my cousin had fed me some hours before. I held my heaving chest, uncaring about the looks I was receiving. I rummaged through my purse in search of my phone and dialled the first person I knew would come to my rescue no matter what. “I wasn't expecting your call, cous–” she paused abruptly when she heard me crying. “Ari, what is wrong? Ari? Where are you?” I tried to speak but my chest was closing up as more tears poured out. Taking a deep breath, I managed to say a few words. “Mark’s house. I need you.” “I'll be right there. Just wait for me somewhere close by,” Lydia said, her cool voice covering me like a blanket. I decided to wait for Lydia in a family restaurant in front of Mark's house. Tears were running down my cheeks silently, drawing pitying looks from almost everyone. The baby some seats away from me had her eyes on me as she sucked on a fry. My phone pinged as a text from my cousin came in. Lydia: We are close. Don't turn off your location. The bells above the door rang, signalling a new customer. I looked up, hoping it was Lydia finally here to take me away when my eyes fell on a fully dressed Mark. Even after his betrayal, he still looked as handsome as the day we met. I moved deeper into my booth just in case he came in to order a pizza and didn't know I was there. He walked towards me like he knew where I was and sat down beside me, not even in front of me. I was incensed by his nerve to sit down beside me like he hadn't committed a heinous crime. “How did you find me?” I asked coldly, my eyes on the orange couch in front of me. “Your location is on.” Shit! I kept silent, unwilling to talk to him since there was no point. “Ari, you have to understand that what happened in there in no way affects my feelings for you, ” He began to say, “It was just a fling. Meaningless sex.” I flinched as if he had slapped me with his words and he noticed. “I meant to say it was not important to me. I didn't know you were back from London.” He tried to place his filthy hands on mine but I took them away from his reach. He bent his head, his eyes roaming as he wondered what else to say to me. “Ari–” “Just leave me alone, Mark. It's over between us.” I uttered in a voice so small I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't hear me. “I can't do that. I know my action tonight was terrible, but trust me when I say that I love you. Before tonight, I have never cheated on you. She came onto me and–” “I don't want to hear it!” I cried out, drawing the attention of the people nearby. Tired of being in the same booth with him, breathing in his cologne, I stood up and asked him to let me through. “ Ari, please sit down and let's talk about this. Do not let us end what we have over a misunderstanding,” He said through gritted teeth. The fact that he was using the wrong terms to describe what I had caught him doing was the height of it for me. Why couldn't he just say he cheated? Why did he have to make it seem like it was not a big deal? “How is you cheating on me with some w***e a misunderstanding?” My voice had gone up and this time I was sure I had the attention of everyone in the restaurant. Seeing Mark go red in the face should have made me happy, but I needed more than that. “You said it was your first time. How is that knowledge supposed to cheer me up? Am I supposed to praise you because it's your first rodeo? ‘Oh! Thanks for not having cheated on me earlier!’ is that what you want me to say? ” He made to touch my hand but I flung his hand away, “Don't you touch me!” “Ari, you are embarrassing yourself,” His voice was a little above a whisper. I looked around and saw people had stopped eating and talking and were now watching us. Some had their phones out, recording the free show. “Let’s go talk in my place.” He grabbed my hand roughly before I could take it away and began to pull me. “Let go of my hand. You are hurting me.” I yelled angrily, trying my best to free my hand from his tight grip but failing. I could feel his fingernails drawing blood from my soft skin and I cried out, but he didn't release my hand. “I believe you heard the lady.” A familiar deep voice said before I heard the unmistakable sound of fist connecting with nose. My hand was released abruptly as Mark immediately cradled his nose with both of his hands. I looked up and saw Lydia's boyfriend, Erick. The look he had in his eyes was frightening as he loomed over Mark. Mark raised his head and glared at Erick. “I'll get you for this, Powell,” Mark said as he picked himself off the floor, his upper teeth ground into his lower lip. “Mark my words. You will pay for this.” An applause rang out as many of the restaurant’s patrons began to clap. “Ariana, are you okay?” He asked me when Mark had gone. I could not remember my answer as I blacked out.