The Billionaire Who Saved Me

Farrah’s smile widened. Now, instead of continuing her dinner, she was intrigued by something else. It seemed like a waste if the dinner ended up being just a regular meal.

There was no one else. No Kurt to occupy himself with unnecessary lectures. It was just the two of them. A mother and son with a common goal.

Farrah put her spoon and fork down on the side of her plate for a moment. She picked up a napkin and dabbed at her lips for a moment.

“You should have been more careful and precise, Ariel.”

Ariel clenched her hands on the table. With a slightly furrowed brow, he squinted at his mother.

“Did you know, Ma?”

A small chuckle escaped Farrah’s lips. She chuckled briefly, looking down at her only son. But she didn’t answer.

“How?” Ariel asked again.

“Ariel, Ariel.”

Farrah sighed her son’s name and looked at Ariel with amusement. And instead of answering, she turned the question around.

“How could Ia not know? You are my child. Whatever concerns you, I surely know.”

Ariel fell silent. He didn’t say anything as he used the fleeting seconds to assess his own mother. To guess if his plan had really worked.

Ariel knew that the news of Garrett’s accident had been a hot topic for the past three days. He was sure that his mother had read the various articles that had appeared in both newspapers and online news sites. Now there was only one thing he needed to know. Did Farrah think he was behind the accident?

So, when Farrah mentioned her own persistence in Ashford City, Ariel sprang into action. He took on an attitude that seemed to be fueled by the same urgency his mother was experiencing. Both were equally driven by the desire to resolve all issues related to Garrett and Pacific Energy.

It turned out to be the right move. Judging by Farrah’s reaction now, Ariel could feel a slight sense of relief in his heart. His mother believed it was his doing. At least here, Ariel had managed to dispel Farrah’s doubts about him. To remove the question marks that had made Farrah suspicious of his actions all along.

That way, Ariel was sure he could protect Elice. He had to stay close to Farrah. Literally or vice versa. It had to be that way so that he could continue to monitor what his biological mother was planning.

“So…” Farrah’s voice made Ariel blink. His focus returned to his mother’s eyes. “… of course, it is easy for me to assume that the accident on Friday night was your doing.”

Ariel took a deep breath and held it in his chest for a moment. He nodded as he closed his mouth tightly. A look of annoyance shadowed his face. He snarled, “Garrett should have died.”

Once again Farrah smiled. This time, the dinner seemed uninteresting to Farrah, and instead, Ariel’s annoyed and angry face seemed more intriguing to her. Perhaps, in her eyes, Ariel now looked like the Ariel of old. The five-year-old boy who sulked when he didn’t get his way. He looked sweet. Adorable. Which made Farrah’s heart flutter. For one thing. It turned out that he and Ariel actually wanted the same thing.

Don’t you see this, Kurt? You should know. That Ariel is just like me. He wants all this too. He wants to get rid of Garrett and take over Pacific Energy, just like me.

Farrah reached for her drink. Took a sip of its contents. Feeling the coolness relieve her throat.

“It’s okay,” Farrah said later. “We still have a chance to get rid of Garrett.”

Farrah put the glass down. She still had not removed her fingers from the clear object when she found her son staring at her intently. Ariel looked curious.

“What do you mean, Mama?”

But Farrah just smiled. She said nothing. Instead, she picked up her spoon and fork again. She resumed her dinner.

For the rest of the dinner, there was no more important talk about Garrett. Instead, Farrah invited Ariel to talk about other things. But Ariel refrained from pressuring Farrah. To avoid Farrah’s other suspicions.

“Okay, Ma.”

Ariel closed her spoon and fork. He moistened his throat with the cool water. He wiped his lips with the napkin before continuing.

“Ruben and I will be working late tonight. I should go home now.”

Farrah nodded. She too rose from her seat. She intended to accompany Ariel on her way out.

As they walked towards the exit, Ariel’s eyes flickered as a figure entered. As he passed through the living room, their paths crossed. Ariel looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

“Madam.”

Farrah glanced at Teddy. “Wait for me upstairs.”

Teddy nodded. He glanced at Ariel, who had stopped in his tracks before leaving. With an unblinking gaze that caused faint wrinkles to appear on Ariel’s forehead.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“Be careful on the road,” Farrah’s voice made Ariel blink. He nodded and left his parents’ house feeling uneasy.

*

After Ariel left, Farrah quickly went upstairs. To the study, to be exact.

Teddy was already waiting for her. He was sitting in front of the desk and Farrah entered immediately after closing the door.

“What do you think?” Farrah asked as she made her way to the chair. She pulled it out and sat directly across from Teddy. “It looks like we’re going to have to postpone our plan to get rid of Elice. I heard that-”

Teddy raised a hand and placed a finger on his own lips. He signaled Farrah to stop speaking.

Farrah furrowed her brow. Confusion was immediately apparent on her face. But before she could ask, she found Teddy rising from his seat. The man was pacing the room, looking at various points.

Teddy’s demeanor sent shivers down Farrah’s spine. He was clearly observing the workspace. Then he started to feel around in some places. As if he was looking for something. Until he stopped moving.

Teddy stopped when his hand reached the lower corner of the desk. There was something that stopped his search. He picked it up and showed it to Farrah. A listening device.

Farrah’s eyes widened. Her face hardened. Anger clearly burned in her eyes. No need to ask, she was sure who had planted the device.

Farrah’s hand clenched in immeasurable rage. Her mouth tightly shut, she growled inwardly.

Ariel!

*