Someone knocked lightly on his office door. The noise brought Billy back to reality. For the last hour, he has been looking at this damned document, trying to get past the first paragraph. The situation was critical and the worst part was that he wasn’t seeing solutions to his problems.
Completely in shock, Billy stared at her blankly for a second, then gave a harsh, mirthless laugh.
Looking straight at the woman in front of him, Billy cussed out a blue streak. The light in Stephanie’s eyes just died when he said he wasn’t in love with her. But it was her fault. It was Stephanie that told him she could take a hard blow.
Someone was buzzing insistently at the intercom and that noise woke Shawn up. Still a bit weary, Shawn looked around and realized he was sleeping on the couch. That evening, Isabelle had some pregnancy-related problems and after a few trips to the bathroom, she flaked out. So, since he was too tired and worried about Isabelle to fall asleep, Shawn had decided to stay in the living room and work a little. But he too fell asleep. He got up from the couch, closed the bedroom door left ajar, then he looked at the small monitor on the intercom. He couldn’t believe it... His visitor was Billy. He let him in, opened the main door, and then, going into the kitchen, started the coffee machine. Shawn needed fuel to keep him going and to help him face Billy. The situation between them was absolutely ridiculous a
“No, of course not,” Billy answered.“Well, good, because I haven't either. You can’t push her to be a part of this game. You can’t take her money and go against our mutual decision. Uncle Chris wanted the business to be kept in the family,” Shawn continued. “I hope you explained Stephanie that we didn't want anyone outside the family in on our business.”“Well, Stephanie wants to invest this money without me forcing her hand. Even more, to clarify her position, she made me a rather... unexpected proposal,” Billy said, following Shawn's face thoroughly. With his arms crossed on his chest, Shawn stood up and faced his cousin.“What exactly did she propose?” Billy realized that beating around the bush was no longer an option. He thought that if Stephanie had found the cou
Lying alone in a new bed, in a new home, with one hand under his head, Billy was looking at the shadows on the ceiling and thinking. Sleeping was out of the question, even if he was tired as a mug. The events of that day were going back and forth in his mind, sucking all his energy. The last few days had been too hectic and Billy hadn't really had time to let the reality sink in. He spent an absurd number of hours at the office, saving the company. In doing this, Billy had subconsciously made things hectic so he wouldn't have to dwell on it. But there was nothing more to add at this point: he was a married man. In order to save the company, Billy went against his own principles. He accepted Stephanie’s proposal for so many reasons, but mainly to give himself a break and regroup. The money Stephanie ga
Billy walked over to his father and hugged him tightly. It was something he had wanted to do for many days. There had always been a very tight relationship between him and Chris. His father had always been his best friend. Billy had always appreciated his advice regarding the professional or private part of his life. So, arguing with him, staying away from his father in those days, had been very painful.“No, Dad, you should forgive me. I’ve lost focus. I let myself go and I was about to lose everything. Something like this would’ve never happened to you,” Billy replied, moving away from Chris. “I promise it won't happen again.”“Billy, everyone can make mistakes. Even I did a lot of stupid choices, in my own time as CEO. And I’ve learned one thing. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ll go down, but how you’ll ge
“You know that you’re still in time to put an end to all this? The bride has not yet arrived... Maybe she too is no longer sure of taking the crucial step...”“Shawn, you should stop... You know how women are. They need time to prepare themselves... Today is a special day for Stephanie, for everyone. She wanted to be perfect. As far as I'm concerned, I gave my word to Stephanie and I don't intend to back down.” Billy pulled his hands from his pockets and put one on Shawn's shoulder to reassure him and, maybe to reassure himself also. “She’ll be on time, don’t worry!”“Hmm... Maybe she understood that you two are about to make a big mistake and he wanted to give you time to run away...” Shawn continued skeptical, smiling and pushing him affectionately.“You’re such a h
While looking at her own reflection in the mirror, Stephanie spotted a glimpse of her wedding ring. Unbelievable! She was married to Billy, the love of her life. A detail he wasn’t aware of, thankfully. Otherwise, Billy wouldn’t have accepted her help. Her emotions we’re so many and contradictory. Stephanie was happy because she helped him save the company, and frightened because she didn’t know what to expect from this forced union. Stephanie would’ve loved to know Billy’s true intentions since he wasn’t in love with her. Through the mirror, she saw the reflection of her ivory lace dress chosen to be worn on that special day. She didn't feel the need to put on a traditional wedding dress. Nothing that was happening between her and Billy on that day was the real deal.&nbs