Owned by the Billionaire CEO

MEETING THE WALTONS

“Oh Tom, you made it just in time, come here!”

The middle-aged woman exclaimed in a thick British accent, pulling Thomas in for an embrace, grinning from ear to ear.

“Hmmm, guess so. Hello Clara,” Thomas replied in a rather unenthusiastic tone, and Amy felt bad on behalf of the woman for such rudeness.

But Clara didn't even seem to notice his demeanor. Or maybe she was already used to it?

She turned to Amy, the cheerful smile still on her face, “and who's the fair young woman, Tom?”

“Clara Walton, Amy Wilson. Amy Wilson, Clara Walton,” Thomas introduced briskly, pointing at each lady as he mentioned their names.

Amy wondered. Why was this woman bearing Thomas's last name?

Could she be…

His relative?

But then, why did he sound so formal?

What was going on here?

The woman stepped closer and pulled Amy in for a warm hug.

“Pleasure to have you, Amy.”

Amy returned the hug, and for the first time in a long while, someone else who wasn't Debby made her smile.

“Come, follow me. Julie and Oliver are waiting at the table.”

At the table, a man and a lady were sharing a kiss. Clara cleared her throat loudly, and they broke free, the lady blushing mildly.

“You both might well have stayed home and had the whole night for this, you know.” Clara teased, her hands folded across her chest.

Sighting Thomas, the lady beamed with joy, stood up and strolled over to him.

She gave him a straddling hug, patting him on his back.

“Glad to see you, BROTHER,” she said as she pulled away. Amy noticed how she stressed the word brother.

Amy's eyes fell on the lady. She had a striking resemblance to Thomas, but on this person the masculine jawline and other features were expressed softly and more curved.

In other words, she was beautiful. Her silky black hair was styled in a chignon, she had ocean-blue eyes, a perfect nose, round lips, and her skin was like milk.

Amy began to feel nervous, maybe even intimidated.

“Julie, meet Amy. She came with Thomas. Amy, meet Julie, my daughter and her husband Oliver,” Clara introduced Amy to everyone at the table.

“Hello Julie, hello Oliver. Nice to meet you,” Amy smiled, hoping she didn't sound timid.

“It's my pleasure too, Amy. And you're beautiful,” Julie winked.

Amy liked her already, she decided.

“Thank you, you look stunning too,” Amy smiled and returned the compliment.

The two ladies shared a brief hug.

Thomas held out the seat for Amy before taking his own seat, and she wondered why he acted so gentlemanly at times when he was literally a demon at the core.

The waitresses poured in from the entrance, trays laden with food and drinks. In a few minutes, the clanking sound of cutlery on plates filled the room.

Classical music streamed gently from the speakers, enhancing the opulent atmosphere of the gala.

“You can take your shades off if you want, Amy. "The paparazzi are not allowed anywhere within these four walls,” Clara assured her.

Forgetting the warning from Thomas earlier, she wanted to take off the glasses, but Thomas seized her arm.

“Don't.”

“Oh Tom, do you have a problem with that?”

“I'd rather she stays unknown to the wrong people, for reasons best known to me,” Thomas offered an explanation, the first full sentence he made that evening.

Clara's eyes widened, and she looked at Julie, who was also surprised. Did he just give hints of probably caring about what happened to a girl he only brought to dinner?

The two women pondered on his words in silence, the realization dawning on them—Amy wasn't like Mel or Cass or Lizzy.

She was different, and Thomas was protecting this one.

Thomas changed the topic, aware of what was going on in their minds.

“The opening ceremony is way past, but I haven't seen Schneider anywhere around. We need to seal a deal tonight. That's the only reason I'm here.”

Oliver cleared his throat, “I'm sure he will come up for the closing speech or special announcement.”

Thomas nodded at his brother-in-law.

“He should.”

Amy turned her attention to the man who was earlier introduced as Julie's husband.

He had blond loose curls, dressed in a fitted sequined black blazer glistening with little diamonds here and there.

A tattoo peeked out from behind his blazer, drawing attention to the fact that he wore no shirt underneath.

A silver Cartier necklace with a tiger's head adorned his neck, and his knuckles were stacked with multiple diamond rings.

He had a sense of cool fashion, Amy thought. Unlike Thomas, who was always gruff and buff in gray or black formal suits.

Oliver turned to Julie and rubbed the back of her neck for the umpteenth time, and Julie leaned sideways to kiss his hand in return.

Amy looked away shyly from their public display of affection, and Clara smiled at her knowingly.

“So Amy, what are your hobbies?” Clara asked in her thick British accent.

Amy pursed her lips, smiling at the thought of her hobby. “I love to paint,” she grinned.

Clara's eyes showed pleasant surprise. “Oh, dear! You paint! I love seeing paintings! I admire painters. How do you folk get inspiration for your works?” she stared at Amy with wonder in her eyes.

Amy smiled at her sincere admiration. “I just let it flow, it's like chipping away what I feel, bit by bit, feeding it onto the plain board till my whole story is understood by everyone who would see it."

Clara smiled at her, "hmm, you make it sound so easy, dear. "

“I believe it is easy, liberation even. It's something everyone should take a break and do, once in a while. To pause and tell their own story, no matter how sad or how happy it sounds. Whenever it's getting overwhelming, it's therapy to paint it all out. Because no one deserves to bear it all to themselves.”

The whole table went silent at her words, their eyes fixed on Amy in silent appreciation. Except Thomas, whose facial expression remained the same, oblivious and sipping from his glass of champagne.

But at her last sentence, she felt Thomas stiffen beside her.

Clara's voice came out a bit lower now, “I'll make sure to see it in this light when next I visit the museums back in London.”

“You'll be glad you did.” Amy smiled.

*****†*****

About 30 minutes later, Amy felt pressed and needed to go to the ladies’ room.

She turned to Thomas. “I'm going to locate the restroom.”

Thomas's eyes narrowed, not liking the fact that she was going to be out of his sight for even a few minutes.

He caught sight of Jacob Schneider coming towards him and the nagging thought about accompanying her to the entrance of the ladies' room was put on hold.

Moreover, he wasn't even sure ‘wrong people’ were anywhere near this building.

There were tight security measures the Schneiders had put in place.

What could possibly go wrong in just a few minutes? He thought.

“Go. But don't speak to anyone and never take the glasses off. If I don't see you in 10 minutes I'm breaking in there to get you,” he said with a grave expression on his face.

What Thomas Walton never expected was that everything had already gone wrong, starting from that very instant she left his side.

Because the man in the shadows was following Amy into the silent corridors of the restroom.