THE BILLIONAIRE’S PERFECT MATE

“Who are you? How did you know my name?” Hillary asked, swiftly getting up from where she was seated, engulfed by fear and worries. She expected to get a response from Natalia, but she didn’t. Instead, Natalia’s eyes were fixed on her, looking at her intently as if trying to scrutinize her to get answers to some unanswered questions running through her mind.

“Am I dreaming? Is it that I am mistaken? Am I just reading too much meaning to the birth mark? Maybe she has the same birth mark as hers? She can’t be her. I was told she died in that fire 15 years ago. But if they have the same birth mark, could they also have the same name too?” Natalia thought over and over in head, while shaking it, trying to make herself believe that she was mistaken but at the same time, she had the fear that the reality she didn’t want to accept was standing right in front of her. Her gaze was still fixed on Hillary, with contradicting thoughts running through her mind, which made Hillary uncomfortable.

“The people who knew me by my real name were my parents and the Porous family. I am sure this woman isn’t my mother as my mum is dead. Since she isn’t my mother, that means she is Stephanie’s ally. She is one of the people aiming after my life!!!!” Hillary had thought silently, with her eyes widened at the thought of Natalia being one of those aiming for her life. That thought made her shivered and she became more engulfed by fear. The scene of the night her mother got burnt to death flashed through her eyes, which made her hands, and her feet trembled. Although she was scared, she tried composing herself so Natalia wouldn’t see through her fears.

Suddenly, Natalia, who was standing still began to move towards Hillary, with a strong face and flashy eyes, which crept the hell out of Hillary. Hillary began to move backward trying to escape from Natalia with her hands on her dress, holding firmly on to it, trying to hide her fears. The more she moved backward, the more Natalia gently walked towards her, with her gaze not leaving Hillary’s face. She maintained eye contact with Hillary, as if watching every of her movement, which made Hillary tensed the more.

“Is she truly my Lily? Is my daughter still really alive or am I just getting my hopes high?” Natalia thought, taking her weak and slow steps towards Hillary, who seemed scared and afraid. Realizing Natalia wouldn’t back off, Hillary decided she had to find a way to get to the exit, which she wouldn’t be able to do without having to pass by Natalia.

“Who the hell are you? Did Stephanie send you?” Hillary asked, almost yelling, trying to get an answer from Natalia but who didn’t respond but just kept on making her way towards her. Natalia was lost in thoughts and didn’t listen to what Hillary was saying. She was in a world of her own. Although she saw Hillary’s lips moving, she couldn’t get exactly what she was saying as she was lost in a fury of thoughts, trying to solve the mystery and riddle before her. In no time, Hillary stumbled on a table behind her, which brought her to a halt but didn’t stop Natalia from moving towards her. Realizing Natalia was just a few steps away from her and she didn’t know what she was up to, she decided to fight back.

“She can kill me in this room without anyone knowing. I need to save myself if I do not want to end up like my mother. I need to live for the sake of my child, Austin. I need to live to get my revenge on those who killed my mother” Hillary had thought, clenching her fist, getting ready to fight back. She knew the only way for her to escape was to take Natalia down and take to her heels and with that, she found courage within herself. She viciously looked around the room for an instrument to use in protecting herself in case Natalia decided to attack her and just then, her eyes fell on a flower vase sitting prettily on the table she had bumped into. She hastily reached for the flower vase and wrapped it around her shaky hand, ready to fight.

“Stop walking towards me!!!! If you do not, I will hurt you with this!!!!” Hillary yelled, pointing the flower vase at Natalia and trying to scare her but still yet, Natalia didn’t halt.

“You think I am joking? No, I am damn serious right now!!!! I am going to hurt you!!!! You think I will allow you kill me like you people killed my mother in that fire 10 years ago? No, I can’t die now. I can’t die until I take down the Porous family and avenge my mother’s death. Yes, I am Lily. I am Lily Porous, the daughter of Annie; the woman you murderers burnt to death that night ten years ago. So, back the hell off!!!!” Hillary yelled in frustration, with her eyes clouded with tears as she remembered how her mother was brutally killed. It was as if the threat worked as Natalia halted in her steps immediately, upon hearing Hillary’s outburst.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“What ….. what …. did you … just say?” Natalia, who had come to a stop asked stammering, with her lips parted and her mouth trembling. In no time, tears began to roll down her eyes with shocked expression on her face. She was in disbelief and couldn’t believe that her daughter – her dear Lily, whom she had been made to believe was dead was actually standing right in front of her. Hillary, who was shocked by Natalia’s reaction stood still, letting her guard down slowly and wondering what was going on.

“Why the hell is she crying? Why does she look so sad and hurt?” Hillary thought, looking straight into Natalia’s eyes, whose tears became uncontrollable and all she could see in her eyes were pain, sadness, longing, pity and anguish.

“Is she not who I think she is or is she just trying to deceive me so she can attack me after letting my guard off?” Hillary thought again, thinking Natalia was trying to cajole her.

“What? You are trying to deceive me now? You think your tears can get to me? No, it can’t. I won’t allow myself to be fooled anymore. Do not come close to me and make way for me to pass” Hillary said, regaining her confidence and discarding whatsoever pity she felt for Natalia. She aimed the flower vase at her, while slowly moving towards the exit, keeping her eyes on Natalia in case she wanted to act funny. Natalia just stood still, weeping bitterly with her hand on her chest, as if trying to relieve her heart of the pain and ache it was feeling. She wanted to talk but the words wouldn’t come out of her mouth. The more she braced herself up to talk, the more the tears came uncontrollably, forcing her unspoken words down her stomach. She watched as Hillary slowly moved to the exit, wanting to escape from her presence, which hurt her. Just as Hillary was about opening the door, trying to make her way out, Natalia finally let out her unsaid words.

“Mon Rayon de Soleil” Natalia weakly said amid her cries, looking at Hillary with love and compassion.

With Hillary’s hand on the doorknob, she halted in her action upon hearing what Natalia had called her. She slowly turned around to look at Natalia and wondered why she had called her that. The only person who called her “Mon Rayon de Soleil” which meant “My Ray of Sunshine” was her mother. She stared blankly at Natalia who smiled warmly at her amid her soft cries, looking straight into her eyes and trying to put the pieces together. Upon looking straight into her eyes, she realized the gaze felt familiar and the smile on her face was quite similar to that of someone special to her, the one who called her “Mon Rayon de Soleil”.

“Mom!!!!”Hillary yelled, after finally putting the pieces together with the flower vase slipping off her hand, colliding with the tiles and shattering on the floor. Her body became stiff, and she couldn’t move. She was finding it hard to believe the identity of the woman standing in front of her. Her gaze was fixed on Natalia and right in front of her, Natalia slumped onto the floor, with her body colliding with the cold tiles.