Billionaire's Only Cure Read online

  She resumed stirring, her eyes focused on the mixture.

  "I don't want your forgiveness for running away, but for deceiving you."

  Alice stilled again. "Deceiving?" She turned her head to study him.

  "Yes." He tapped on the marble worktop. It was the moment of truth. "I indirectly deceived you three years ago." He paused, gauging Alice's reaction. She was staring at him.

  "My mother worked with Momento's CEO from behind a curtain and tangled you up in that parallelism charge, destroying your career." His heart tightened. For six months, he’d been waiting to tell her this.

  She clenched the handle of the coffee mug.

  "I had no intention of hiding it from you, but I only found out six months ago." His voice shook. "I know I acted like a jerk. Taking revenge on you, being part of the family who did this to you, but I sincerely want to apologize and seek your forgiveness."

  He jumped down and dropped to his knees, bowing his head slightly. "I'll accept any punishment you give me."

  Nothing happened. Alice remained frozen in place. He was staring at her legs, so he couldn't see her expression, but her ragged breath told him she wasn't in a good mood. Heck, how could she be?

  A hand tapped on his shoulder. "Let's talk on the couch."

  His chin lifted. Did she forgive him?

  Turning away, she poured milk into the coffee mugs and then carried those mugs to the couch.

  He sat there, disturbed. "Alice. I'm waiting for your answer."

  Abruptly, she turned to him, her eyes wet. "What answer?"

  "Can you forgive me, please?" He clasped his hands in front of his chest. Being with monks, he’d learned many things, and letting go of one’s pride when needed was one of them. There was no pride when it came to your loved ones. No matter how much he needed to bend, his ego wouldn’t come between him and Alice.

  "I—" The coffee tray quivered a little. "I don't know if I can blame you for that. It was your mother, not you. So, I don't think I can forgive you for something you didn't do. There's no forgiveness needed."

  Jade released a breath. Wow! He didn't think it would be so easy. He thought she would kick him out, and he would have to pursue her for days to regain her trust.

  "Wait. Don't tell me you gave up your mother because of this." Her eyes opened wide.

  Jade jumped to his feet. Letting his hand slip through his long hair, he smiled sheepishly.

  "Kind of. But it's not the only reason. I knew her wrongdoings for many years, but I kept my mouth shut, thinking she was building her business." He paused. "That's the reason I started my company."

  She sobbed hard and then dropped the tray. Coffee mugs bounced on the chair and then shattered on the carpet, and coffee sprayed everywhere. The small tug in his stomach grew by a tad.

  "Why do you think so highly of me?" Alice hid her face in her hands. "You do all sort of things for me, and I only offer you lies and betrayal."

  Chapter 43

  Overwhelming emotions took over Alice heart. Her whole body quivered. Her knees trembled. If not for Jade rushing to her and holding her arms, she would have collapsed amidst the broken mugs.

  Jade guided her to the couch.

  "Why do you keep doing this to me? Why do you help me so much?" She hid her face in her knees. "I can't take it anymore. It hurts." Something heavy weighed on her heart, pushing it down, choking her.

  Suddenly, a slap hit her back hard, releasing her choked breath.

  Again, he saved her life. He kept doing things for her without asking anything in return. He even went against his mother for her. What had he not done for her? He even retrieved her pride for her. He proved to the world that she wasn't a thief.

  And what did she do for him? Took money from his mother and betrayed him. Because of her, he almost went into an asylum.

  He even asked for forgiveness for a crime he didn't commit.

  Did she deserve him?

  No.

  He was too good to be hers. He should just hate her and walk away from her.

  "Alice?" He rubbed her back.

  "No, please. Don't touch me."

  Jade scooted away from her. Her pain increased exponentially with every inch he moved. She wanted to run into his arms and cry her heart out, but he was moving away.

  "I'm sorry." His deep voice was sad. "I know I'm the biggest jerk on this planet. It was foolish to think that you'd forgive me so easily." He stood from the couch, then dropped to his knees in front of her. "I know I don't deserve you, but I'll come back to ask for forgiveness. Hate me, kill me, but I won't stop until you forgive me."

  Then he rose and walked away.

  Every step he took, her heart slammed against her chest.

  He was almost at the door when she realized something was wrong. The meaning of his words slowly settled in her mind.

  "Jade." Her chin lifted.

  He turned back, his eyes pained.

  She sobbed. "Why did you say everything in reverse? I'm the jerk here. I don't deserve you. Please find a good girl and live happily." She hid her face in her knees again.

  He rushed to her, and a hand lifted her chin. "What did you say? Why would you say that? I'm the sinner here."

  "Are you stupid?" Alice grabbed his collar and pulled him closer. "I betrayed you. I took money from your mom and ran away like a coward."

  Jade smiled, a pure smile like bright sunlight penetrating a dark cloud. Sighing in relief, he dropped on his butt. "God. Does that mean you're not angry with me?"

  Staring at the charming devil, she wiped her tears. "It wasn’t your fault. It was your mom. You cleared my name. Why would I despise you? In fact, I'm grateful for everything." More emotions burst out of her heart as she thought of the things he’d done for her. "It should be you, cursing and hating me. All I did was to hurt you." She lowered her head back to her knees. She couldn't face him anymore.

  Jade chuckled then grabbed her arms and pulled her toward him. She lost her balance and fell against him. They both tumbled to the floor, but he didn't let her go.

  Her heart fluttered. Lightning zapped through her body like she’d turned into a conductive element.

  She tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t let her go. Slamming her fist on his chest, she once again tried to get out of his tight embrace.

  Instead, he pulled her closer and tightened his grip.

  Finally, she gave up and let her head rest on his chest, listening to his quicker heartbeat.

  He planted his lips in her hair. Her core quivered. Her heart almost gave up. Her heart strings emitted a melodic tone.

  She closed her eyes. "What are you doing? Have you gone crazy?" she whispered.

  He replied with a chuckle.

  Surely, he had gone crazy.

  After what felt like an eternity, he stopped laughing. His right hand loosened from her back and moved to her chin. Pulling it up so her chin rested on his chest, he stared into her eyes.

  He raised his neck and planted a kiss on her forehead.

  Her heart felt like a sea of currents eddied around it.

  "That was for your foolishness," he murmured.

  She pushed her chin into his ribcage. "What foolishness?"

  "You really think that way, dummy!"

  "Stop insulting me!"

  "What should I call you then? Is this the reason you pushed me away back then? Doc was right."

  Alice sighed and nodded. What was there to hide? He knew everything now. Then why was he kissing her like he loved her? It must be shock. He must have forgotten what she said. Her betrayal must have loosened his brain screws.

  "You dummy. I knew about it already. I was angry at first, but then I learned your reason behind it." He raised his neck, planting another kiss on her forehead. "You did it to save your mother, and I don't have any problem with it. But I'm sorry you lost her anyway."

  His blue eyes held a sincere feeling. Everything he said came from his heart.

  Suddenly, she missed her mother. She
wanted to tell her how beautiful his thoughts were. Water rolled down her eyes, wetting his jacket.

  "Granted, I was angry at first, and I wanted to take revenge. But you know where that went. You crushed my hatred with a head-butt and made me fall for you all over again. Well, now I think about it, I was never out of love with you. Not even once did I think about any other girl in the last six years." Lifting his head, he stared at her lips. "Do you know why I went to train with the monks?"

  She shook her head.

  "Because you were afraid of what would happen to me. Weren’t you?"

  She nodded. But how did he know that?

  "Doc predicted your fear, and your actions proved him correct. So, I had to get cured. For our sake." Jade's arms wrapped around her back, and he flipped her onto her back to hover over her his face inches away from hers. "Listen carefully."

  She nodded, cautious about his closeness.

  "First, I'm going to kiss you. Then I'm going to pull a ring out of my pocket and put it on your finger and make you mine."

  Her eyes drifted to his lips, those parted lush lips.

  He lowered his face, and his lips crashed against hers.

  After five years, her heart strings played music. The music of her soul. Their souls. The sensation spread across her body, telling her that she couldn't stay away from her charming devil even for a moment. She knew her answer and gave it to him in that kiss.

  Epilogue

  Gavin stepped into the restaurant lobby, lined with some ancient stone statues. Similar statues circled around the fountain in the middle, ejecting water from their mouths and filling the pond with crystal clear water. The scent of fresh flowers wafted over the cold breeze, sending a little chill through his neck. Staring at his plain white T-shirt and black jeans, he wondered if this was the best choice for the chilly evening. Winter was coming.

  A waitress dressed in a white blouse and black skirt came forward. "Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Hyde is waiting for you in cabin number 6." Her curated smile and modulated voice sounded robotic.

  He smiled at her and followed the stony pavement leading to the cabins. While the lobby offered an authentic Chinese flair, the actual restaurant was built for providing private spaces to its customers. Since his father owned this restaurant, Gavin was confident that no one would eavesdrop on his business conversations.

  A man with two days' beard, dressed in a gray T-shirt and black jeans, rose from his chair when Gavin stepped inside the cabin.

  This was a shocker.

  The man he’d met six months back had completely changed. Long hair, two days’ beard, and casual clothing? No way. It was like seeing a different person. And where were his gloves?

  After cataloging the shocking changes, he grinned. "Jade, what did the monks do to you?"

  Jade smiled, a smile filled with a strange calming vibe. Then he extended his hand.

  "Are you sure about this?" Gavin asked. He knew about Jade's condition. Germaphobia. After Jade told him about his disease, Gavin had studied it a bit, and learned it could be dangerous. When they met, Jade was dressed in a black armor-like suit, his full face covered in a mask, and his hands in gloves extending under his suit.

  "Yes, they did. The training almost cured me," Jade replied.

  Doubtful, Gavin briefly shook Jade's hand and then sat on the comfy leather chair, spotting a little dust in the corner. He might need to ask the manager about the cleaning service.

  "That's good news. Does that mean you can take charge of your company again?" Gavin asked, pulling his eyes away from the dust.

  Jade scratched his beard. "Ah. About that. Can you hold that for fifteen more days?"

  Gavin arched a brow. Six months ago, Jade Hyde—the son of the Parker Empire’s owner— came to him with an unusual proposal. He wanted Gavin to take over his company through a sneaky takeover.

  It was crazy.

  At first, Gavin declined. He knew of at least five different ways the scheme might fail. But the man was persistent. Jade said he trusted Gavin because of his transparent principles, and he was hunting for a CEO to take over for a few months. Gavin still declined. If it wasn't for his friend Max Jenkins, he wouldn't have bothered at all. After three meetings, Jade opened up on his motivations; he wanted to save his company from going completely bankrupt. Though a chemical product company wasn't Gavin's forte, he decided to help Jade because of Max, and his honesty. And then the thrill was still there. Now, six months later, Jade was back.

  Gavin lifted the water glass. "You’d better have a strong reason for me to continue. I've already got my eye on my next acquisition." He had been inspecting a tech company called Tecme Systems, and it fit his criteria for revival. It was going bankrupt, and they had a promising IP in development. He knew he could revive the company.

  "I'm getting married this weekend." A shy smile spread on Jade's face, as he tapped on the edge of his water glass.

  Gavin almost spewed water across the table. The man couldn't touch a single person six months back, and now he was getting married?

  Well, good for him.

  "Congratulations. Jade." Spreading a fake smile over his face, Gavin rose and shook hands with Jade. What was wrong with that man? He had just cured himself from the worst kind of disease, and now he wanted to get married? What would happen to Parker Chemicals then? Though Gavin had settled most of the matters for the company, it wasn't completely out of the water. The exposure of Mrs. Parker's illegal deeds had almost buried the company’s stocks. He’d had to put in eighteen hours a day to get the company back on its feet. The next CEO would have to spend considerable time getting everything back to normal. "I'll help you. But I hope you've looked at the company’s condition. It needs your full attention right now."

  Jade smiled a carefree smile. "That's fine. It will survive. I can't focus on it until I do the most important thing in my life. Getting married to my sweetheart." He chuckled.

  Gavin smiled, another fake smile. For some people, marriage was the most important thing, but not for him. He didn't have any time for marriage, nor that thing called love. All the free time he got, he used to read action manga without romance. He wouldn't be thinking about romance, not for the next ten years.

  "All right. Consider it my marriage gift to you."

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