The Billionaire and his Choice

CHAPTER 4

JOHANNES

"Nora please wait."

She didn't listen to me, she moved away from the chair and walked straight to the door. I followed behind her and rushed up to her.

"It's okay, Johannes. I get it, I know I wasn't good enough for your family. I will have to go back home now, and please don't send anything to me again."

"No, Nora. You don't have to say that. I'm so sorry about what happened in there. You don't have to worry about my mom."

"I don't want to bring any problem between family members. You don't need to have an issue with your mom because of me. I will be going home now."

"Okay, if you insist. But let me drop you off."

"No, I will take a cab."

"Please, don't be stubborn, Nora unless you want me to chase behind the taxi and follow you back home."

"What?" She laughed, "Why will you do that?"

"Try and see how crazy I can be."

"Okay then. Don't drive too slow like last night, I don't want Liam do sleep before I we get home."

"You left him at home alone? I thought you said he is spending the evening with his class teacher..."

"Yes. But I want to take him when he's awake."

We got to where Liam was. He ran out and hugged Nora, she carried him up to her chest and give him a peck. Liam glared at me as he saw me.

"Hey, boy. How are you?"

He scowled at me. "Mommy, is this the man that came to the house before?"

"Yes. He is your daddy."

"My daddy? You said Daddy went out of Norway."

"Yes, now he came back to see you."

Nora put Liam down, he had a toy in his hands. He walked up to me slowly and I squat down to his height. He looked at me without saying anything.

"Are you taking me from mommy?"

"No. I can't do that, you will always be with mommy." I adjusted his collar, "I can see you love the toys I sent."

He turned to his mother. "Mommy! Did he send the toys?"

"Yes, honey. He did."

Liam jumped on me and gave me a wide hug. For the first time in my entire life have I felt such peace and fulfillment. I wrapped my arms around him and the feeling I had was like I had received the world.

I drove Nora and Liam back home and spent some time with them, but then I received a text message from Hanna, my younger sister.

Of all the ladies in Norway, it was that lowlife you brought to our home. Now Mom and Dad are quarreling because of it. Come fix the mess you caused.

"Johannes, are you okay?" Nora asked. It seems she must have seen the scowls on my face.

I faked a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's actually nothing. I will have to get home now, I have work to do early tomorrow. Take care of yourself. And Liam! Be a good boy for mommy."

I rushed out of Nora's house and got into the car and drove off as fast as I could. When I got into the the mansion I dashed out from the car and ran inside.

I overheard my parents arguing on top of their voices. "So you want my son to bring in a gold digger into our home to destroy all what we have."

"What are you saying? Did she demand anything from you? And can't you see that she is the mother of our grandchild?"

"And so what? She knew my son was rich so she got pregnant to extort from him. But I the mother won't allow it! I will do whatever it takes to keep her and that bastard away from my son."

"You won't do anything! And my son isn't a bastard," I said as I walked into the living room. My father and my mother turned their gaze to me.

"You can hear him. The boy is his son, and I also recognized him as my grandson. Why can't you let them be?"

"No! That woman and her son won't be allowed into this family. I will do whatever it takes to protect my family from such peasant fellows."

"Astrid, I am your husband and you have to listen to me. Why are you so..."

Father coughed hard and hit his chest. He wanted to speak further but the cough intensified, and he couldn't control it any longer. He coughed harder and I ran towards him to help him out.

"Hey! Get some water!" I screamed out to the maids. Before they would come to father with the cup of water he collapsed on my arms and was unconscious.

I rushed my father into the car and drove him out with two of the mansion bodyguards. One drove the car, while the other bodyguard helped me with father at the backseat. We got to Jael Hospital as fast as we could. It was the hospital where he always got his medications; the same hospital where he met Liam. Aside from the bodyguards I went alone.

The doctor told me that my father had a heart condition which got worsen with time. That medications and surgeries could only reduce the effect, but it was incurable. He also said that stress would lead to fatal condition.

Father regained his consciousness in the morning. Throughout the night, my sister and my didn't come around. When he woke up he held my hand and smiled at me.

"Don't be sad that I'm here. I want to ask you something, why did you bring Nora to us? Was it to please us, or to get her heart? Or are you really into her?"

Father was a very wise man, he knew me deeply and had tried all he could he stop me from womanizing. He thought I was still going after several women at the same time, as I used to.

"Dad, I am serious with Nora. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and our son, Liam."

"If you are honest with me, then you have my blessing, son. Don't lose her for anything."

After having some words with my father the doctor came in to check on him. I had to give them some space. I stepped out and I saw my mother coming towards the patient room. The moment I saw her I turned to walk away but she called me back.

"So this is it now, Johannes? You are now walking away from me?"

"You are the reason why Dad is in this state now!"

"Keep quiet! Parents fight all the time, or are you acting like you don't know he have been sick for while now? You claim you love your father so much, yet you are the only child who doesn't know he had a heart condition."

It this point mother was right. I haven't been paying attention to the things at home. But then, if she knew what he was suffering from, she would be treating him better.

"I am here to check on him, but I want to tell you this. You have to stay away from Nora, that lady doesn't mean good for our family."

"You are my mother, and I love you. But I have to say this, and I want to be clear. Since you don't love who I love, do yourself good and stay away from Nora and my son."