A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE (A Contract Marriage) EPISODE NINETEEN Theme: Hundred thousand dollars CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA THE GOLDEN RESTAURANT “What’s wrong, Raven? Is Rowan okay?” Benjamin questioned as he reached out to hold her hands. “He is...fine.” Raven sniffed lightly as she tried to feign a smile that obviously looked like she was in pains. Holding up a hand. “You can’t lie to me, Raven. I can easily tell that something is quite not right. We need to talk. So let us get a cup of coffee and talk about anything what is bothering you. Okay?” Raven shook her head in agreement. “Okay.” She sighed. Entering the restaurant, they settled at a table not far to the entrance. Benjamin beckoned to a waiter to order for both of them. “Coffee please.” He mouthed. “So let us start with...where do you work now? I remember you were attending Valeria Rosa culinary school.” “Wow! You still remember the name.” Raven chuckled lightly. “Of course! How can I forg
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE(A Contract Marriage)EPISODE TWENTYTheme: Meeting the billionaire CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA CRAWFORD CORPORATIONThey got to their destination in no time and Benjamin parked his car in front of an enormous building. From the looks of it and with the people going in and out, they were obviously rich people who act like they had something stuck up their ass.Raven spotted the Crawford sign at the top of the building and she knew things were about to get real for her. A dreadful feeling swept over Raven as she hoped that whoever she was going to deal with wouldn’t give her a hard time.“Let us go in, Raven.” Benjamin called out to her when he noticed that she was getting lost in thought once again.He had intentionally not said a word to her in the car as he tried to give her enough time to process her thoughts. And for a moment, Benjamin had prayed she wouldn’t tell him to stop the car and drive her back to the restaurant. If not for
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE (A Contract Marriage) EPISODE TWENTY ONE Theme: A deal with the billionaire CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA CRAWFORD CORPORATION Raven tapped her feet anxiously on the marbled floor. If her nails ever come alive they would have her teeth ripped off. She had chewed on her nails unconsciously and out of nervousness and her breath hitched each time she heard a door open. The thoughts of leaving that spot and heading to the banks nagged at her. But the idea of her getting more than the amount she needed made her curious to know more about this deal. Her mind drifted to the man whom she was sure would be the intended fake husband. He looked cold, his presence had made the room standstill and he walked with grace and triumph that came from having this corporation for himself. He had a charismatic aura that would make any woman attracted to him. Raven shook her head to get rid of such thoughts of finding her fake husband to be attracted. S
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE(A Contract Marriage)EPISODE TWENTY TWOTheme: Engaged to the billionaire CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA CRAWFORD CORPORATIONRaven stood dumbfounded at the man standing in all of his glory in front of her with his eyes as cold as steel. She took two steps backward to create a bit of a distance between them.Still, she couldn’t decipher his emotions and she waited a few second to check if he might burst into laughter at his expensive joke. But judging by the unrelenting glare on his face, Raven knew he was in no way trying to be funny.“You...you...you mean...now?” Raven stuttered. She was even more surprised at how dumb she sounded.“I don’t think you understand how critical this situation is for me. I have to get married to you probably in the next two weeks. So don’t you think you at least deserve to wear a ring?” Christopher stated. It was a matter of fact.“What? Two weeks?” Raven blurted out again. She stepped aside to look at Ben
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE (A Contract Marriage) EPISODE TWENTY THREE Theme: Lies from the depth of hell CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA LIBERTY UNION BANK On getting to the bank, Raven made a call to the hospital line to demand for the account details she would pay the money into. After getting it, she cashed the cheque and paid all the money into the hospital’s account for her son’s medical bills. Raven was beyond elated as she drove in excitement and relief to the hospital. It wasn’t until she got to the premises did her panic set in and she realized that she had to think of something to tell her mother. And Raven was about to lie about where she got the money from. Even at that, she had to think of something concrete to convince her mother. Eva McKenna was not a dumb woman and she could see through a lie by a thin thread. *************************** HARTFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Stepping out of the car, her cellphone vibrated. Tiana’s
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE(A Contract Marriage)EPISODE TWENTY FOURTheme: A caring and loving mother CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA HARTFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITALThey stayed silent for a while until a vibration from Raven’s phone broke off the silence.‘Hi Raven, I am standing outside the intensive care unit but you are not here and mom too. Where exactly are you?” Tiana asked on the other line.‘Oh! Tiana, we are at the cafeteria.’ Raven whispered unintentionally.‘Alright. I will be right there with you.’ Tiana responded.Raven ended the call. “Is that Tiana?” Eva asked.“Yes mom.” Raven nodded.It didn’t take long for Tiana to find her way to the cafeteria. She spotted both mother and daughter sitting at the far end of the room.“Evening Eva.” Tiana embraced Eva tightly.Eva patted Tiana’s back gently. “I know you love me so much but smothering me to death shouldn’t be part of your intention. I believe.” She teased, smiling up at Tiana who let her go almost imm
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE (A Contract Marriage) EPISODE TWENTY FIVE Theme: Outcome of his proposal CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA CRAWFORD MANSION Christopher walked into the huge dinning hall, sighting all of his family members in one place. Ever since Mr James Crawford got discharged from the hospital, Christopher hadn’t caught up with them. He was too busy nursing his broken heart and trying to find a replacement as soon as possible. However, Christopher couldn’t escape the family dinner slated for tonight. And deep down in his heart, he had dreaded the question of his wife to be which his father was sure to ask tonight. Thankfully, he has good news to share. And with that Christopher grinned widely, mouthing a greeting to his family members. “Good evening mom. Hello dad.” He kissed his mother on both cheeks while he gave his father’s shoulder a mild manly massage. “How are you doing?” “Hey Chris, how are you?” His parents said at that same time. “
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE(A Contract Marriage)EPISODE TWENTY SIXTHEME: The Egocentric Billionaire CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA CRAWFORD CORPORATION“Do you think I am making things up?” Christopher whined into Benjamin’s ears like a whipped mosquito. “Just check this out.” He showed his friend the reply he got from Raven after texting her last night.“What does she think of me exactly?” He resumed pacing up and down the office and muttered some weird profanities.It really annoyed Benjamin that he had left a shoot that had gone for almost twelve hours all through the night. And he had, had to come running to his friend’s rescue thinking something awful had gone wrong with him.If Benjamin didn’t know his best friend better, he would have tagged him a drama queen and an attention seeker. But who could blame him? Heartbreak does a whole lot of stupid things to it’s victims.“I don’t see anything wrong in her response. So why are you getting worked up when it i
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE (A Contract Marriage) EPISODE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN THEME: EPILOGUE CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA A YEAR LATER "I can't believe I get to be the first person to cook for your guest and be your head chef right here too!" Tiana screamed as she awed at the delicate designs of Raven’s restaurant. “It’s so unfair that you knew about this and didn't think to tell me about it." Raven argued. "Have you gone bad on understanding simple words. It was a surprise. A surprise!" Tiana chuckled at her own words. They were doing the grand opening of Raven’s restaurant. Raven looked around reminiscing on how far she had come within a year. When they returned home from Brooklyn, Raven told christopher about Jacob’s return and they had asked him to come over to Connecticut and discuss how they would go about co-parenting. Jacob had been devastated at the news because he had been hopeful on Raven getting back with him. Since it wasn't going to be as
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE (A Contract Marriage) EPISODE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN THEME: Can second chance ever have a chance? BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, USA. "Rowan, baby. Come help me out here." Raven called out to her son. He had asked for an early breakfast. She had obliged to his request, but she was feeling sort of tired and needed some things to be handed to her. Instead Rowan mused in reply. He had been at the window all morning staring out like he was expecting someone. “Did your dad say he was coming today?" Raven asked him as she whisked eggs to pour in some flour. He had requested for pancakes. All of a sudden Rowan yelled out of excitement. “Grandma!” He ran towards the door. "Grandma?" Raven muttered. And just as she looked up from the bowl she had in hand. Rowan had opened the door and jumping at her mother. Raven gasped in shock when she saw every member of the Crawford family and Benjamin behind her mother. Each of them strolling into the house. She abandoned the bow
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE (A Contract Marriage) EPISODE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THEME: Raven is pregnant. CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA Eva couldn't bring herself to fall asleep after receiving Rowan's call. When she checked the time it was past eleven and it was impossible and disturbing if she tried calling Christopher. Instead she had turned all through the night till she got carried away by the sleep. When she opened her eyes again, the bed stand time read 5:30 a.m and she didn't care anymore if it was too early. She dialed Christopher's number and he picked up on the first ring. ‘Good morning, Christopher. I know this might seem too early. But I really need to talk to you.’ She ranted into the receiver. ‘Good morning to you too Eva. What's the matter?’ Christopher sounded very awake. He must have been up earlier than Eva had imagined. ‘Rowan called last night!’ She told him. ‘What? When? What did he say?!’ He asked anxiously. ‘I would tell you on the way. But ho
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE(A Contract Marriage)EPISODE HUNDRED AND FOURTEENTHEME: Rowan’s decision BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, USA.Raven cried persistently, her cries seeping through the walls of the bathroom to the room. Despite her attempt to muffle the sound just to prevent her son from hearing, Rowan laid on the bed pretending to be asleep and he could hear her cries. This had become a regular pattern for her every night, she would cry for some long minutes, at times she would remain there close to an hour just shedding tears.The little boy was getting tired of his mother’s consistent sadness and wished he could tell it to someone. He had thought of informing his father about it but Rowan knew better. He had seen the tension and heard the stiffness in their voices whenever they were together. Rowan loves his mother, he knew how much she endures to make sure he was fine. And he had never seen her so disheartened before. He felt her weight when she returned to the bed, noticing
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE(A Contract Marriage)EPISODE HUNDRED AND THIRTEENTHEME: Mother and son BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, USA.Rowan stared at his mother as she picked on her food. She hadn't been eating much for days now. He had asked her countless of times if she was sick but she always responded otherwise. When he had been in the room with her, she must have thought he was asleep as she spoke to Tiana and informed her of the pregnancy saying it is the reason behind her constant early morning sickness.Rowan didn't understand most of the conversation, but one thing was clear to him—his mother was pregnant. His father Jacob had been away for a few days and Rowan had began missing him already. He had grown accustomed to his presence within a short period of time."Why won't you and Dad get married?" He questioned out of the blue.Raven stared at him with an open eye. "What are you talking about Rowan?" She had been too lost in her thought that she wasn't paying much mind to him.R
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE(A Contract Marriage)EPISODE HUNDRED AND TWELVETHEME: Let’s get back together, Raven. BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, USA. TWO WEEKS LATER“Please ensure he doesn't play any sort of game that would stress him or cause his blood to pump too much." Raven told Jacob as she brushed through Rowan's hair.Ever since Rowan met his father, he had been spending maximum time with him. And Jacob took every advantage of the boy’s enthusiasm to walk his way into their lives. He began dropping by everyday since Rowan hadn't started school yet and made it easy for him to move around with his father.Raven didn't join them and always waited till Rowan got back. Somehow she trusted Jacob to take care of her son. Since they came to Brooklyn about two weeks ago, she still hasn't gotten over the breakage of her supposed marriage. Every night she wailed wishing everything would change. However, her ego wouldn't let her reach out to him or any other person in connection to him
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE(A Contract Marriage)EPISODE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTHEME: It was just a contract CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA CRAWFORD MANSION“Raven and Rowan are missing.”The whole room went silent as their eyes popped out in shock. Christopher wished he could turn back the hands of time and not say a word to them. He blamed himself for asking them to meet up, he should have waited to hear from the police. The looks on their faces made him want to run far away.“Wh...what do you mean by they are missing?" Eva stuttered, her face devoid of any color.Christopher held his hands to the back. It’s now or never. “I wish I can explain in detail. I am sorry I lied to you all. They have both been missing since Tuesday and I can't reach Raven up until now."“Will you stop this nonsense right this minute young man!" James slammed his palms on the table in anger. "Why would you joke with something as delicate as this?"Christopher sighed. “This isn't a joke
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE (A Contract Marriage) EPISODE HUNDRED AND TEN THEME: Christopher’s Regret CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA CHRISTOPHER CRAWFORD APARTMENT Christopher tossed and turned on the bed as he checked the time again. He had slept in all through Friday and Saturday after Jessica left. Seeing Raven had been gone for too long, he knew it was time he let the rest of the family know what was going on. The day had refused to break since he went to sleep. Instead of waiting till dinner, he decided they should all have a Sunday breakfast. He had texted his parents and siblings not excluding Eva that he and Raven had some important news to share. And they couldn't wait till dinner when all of the Crawford were expected to meet. All his life Christopher had never felt so lost. Within few days his whole life tumbled down the hill and gave his heart bruises. He missed Raven so much that it hurts. Checking the time it was six in the morning. Deciding not to go bac
A DEAL WITH THE BILLIONAIRE (A Contract Marriage) EPISODE HUNDRED AND NINE THEME: Jessica’s Confession Tiana moved past Benjamin to see the shattered glasses on the floor. “Are you okay Chris?” she asked. “I am fine!” Christopher responded still not taking his eyes off Jessica. “Oh that’s the bitch?!” Tiana queried as she made an attempt to run at Jessica. Benjamin caught her midway and held her in place. “Behave yourself.” He purred into her ears as his hands was weaved perfectly around her waist. “Okay. Fine. Let me go.” Tiana gritted. Jessica stared at the room as she wondered what was going on. “Chris, did you ask your friends to come gang up against me?” She let out a snort. “Wow. I am so disappointed. You know we could sort this out on our own.” Christopher ignored her as he took a seat on one of the couches. Tiana copied his movement and only Benjamin walked towards Jessica handing her the documents he had previously shown Christopher. “You might want to see this.” He