Rapine 2: Ravished by the Billionaire (The Trophy Wife)

by Charlotte Rose

  My mother blushes and turns to me. “What a charming man,” she murmurs.

  Julian talks with her for a while, telling her about himself and I lean back and relax in my seat, so happy to have the two people I love more than anything in the world with me in the same place.

  As we drive through Prague, where my mother and father were born and met each other, my mind is wandering and thinking random thoughts as I listen with half an ear to Julian and my mother talking.

  “So ladies, I’d like for us to have some lunch first, how does that sound?” Julian asks us.

  My mother and I nod.

  I take ahold of Julian’s arm and squeeze gently. “Thank you so much for this,” I whisper.

  He grabs hold of my hand and kisses the dorsal. “My pleasure.”

  “So how did you arrange all of this?” I ask Julian.

  “Well, I called your mother and asked if she wanted to meet us in her home country. She agreed and I bought her a first-class plane ticket to Prague and had the limo pick her up from the airport. I’ve arranged for your mother to stay in the presidential suite of the best hotel in Prague, while we stay at another hotel owned by a good friend of mine. We will be spending a full week in Prague.”

  The limo stops in front of a restaurant overlooking a river that I know to be the River Vltava. We go up to the outdoor rooftop terrace of the restaurant and we are promptly seated.

  The table we are sitting at has a magnificent view over Prague, the River Vltava and all the bridges crossing over it. I notice in the distance that there are groups of white swans swimming over the river. Even though I’ve visited as a little girl, I guess I didn’t remember how stunning my parent’s country is.

  During the course of lunch, Julian turns on his charm to the maximum. He tells my mother intriguing and funny stories about when he was very young that I haven’t even heard yet, like how he would crawl into the kitchen cabinet and hide for the fun of it. Julian’s mother was unable to find him even though she knew he was somewhere in the house and so she called the police.

  The manner in which Julian speaks and describes some of the events in his life has us both giggling and laughing loudly. Julian’s eyes glow as he entertains us. I haven’t come to appreciate until now that Julian really has impeccable and charismatic social and conversion skills. I can see by the look in my mother’s eyes that Julian has charmed his way into her heart.

  We finish eating lunch and as the waiter clears our plates, he interrupts in the middle of an entertaining story being told by Julian. “Would you like dessert, tea, or coffee?”

  We each order a shot of espresso and Czech poppy seed torte, a popular dessert in the Czech Republic, which I remember eating frequently when I was younger.

  When the waiter leaves, my mother smiles warmly at Julian. “I’d like to hear the story of how you two met and fell in love.”

  “I’ll tell the story,” I say before Julian has a chance to say anything.

  The waiter brings our dessert and espresso. My mother turns her full attention on me, waiting to hear the story.

  I compose my thoughts and I decide to tell her the story with as much truth as I can manage and skip the very inappropriate details. I think it through a little longer and I decide I will only skip the part about how Julian kept me confined in his home in Switzerland.

  “I first met Julian in New York when I was out with my girlfriends. He approached me and he didn’t notice that I was engaged. He was very intent on going out with me. I refused his advances and told him I was engaged.”

  My mother arches an eyebrow.

  Julian gazes at me, his lips tightening into a hard line.

  “When things didn’t work out with Derek I decided to take a vacation to clear my head.” I clear my throat and further compose my thoughts. This is more challenging than I thought.

  “I’ve always wanted to go to Switzerland,” I murmur. “So when I decided where I would go on vacation after the broken engagement, I decided Switzerland would be the perfect place.”

  My mother nods, encouraging me to continue.

  “At that time that Julian was in New York, he was simply there on business, but he was originally born, raised, and living in Switzerland. So I happened to see him there again and gave him a chance. After spending some time and getting to know him, I fell in love.”

  My mother looks intrigued.

  “Julian took me via helicopter to a mountain peak one evening. It was the most breathtaking view I’ve ever seen. We were over 15,000 feet high, holding each other and gazing into each other’s eyes. Julian dropped down to one knee and proposed to me. I said yes and then there was an explosion of multicolored fireworks. It was the happiest moment of my life.”

  My mother’s eyes widen. “That’s beautiful.”

  Julian smiles, pleased with the way I told the story.

  My mother smiles and turns her attention toward Julian. “Truthfully, I was a little concerned at first. My daughter sent me an email to tell me she broke off the engagement with Derek, a man whom I really respected and liked for my daughter. She told me she went away to clear her head. Soon after receiving that email, my daughter calls me and tells me she’s gotten married. So you can understand my surprise. I was also very disappointed that she eloped rather than having a family wedding.”

  My mother takes a sip of espresso. “Now that I’ve met you Julian, I’m very happy you two have married and I can see why you make my daughter so happy. You are a wonderful man and I might add that I feel you are an even better match for my daughter than Derek was, and whether you planned it out or whether you accidently met, I’m just glad the two of you met.”

  I beam and Julian grins. My mother’s wisdom and inner knowing seems to have kicked in and she really doesn’t care how we truly met even if Julian may have manipulated the situation in his favor a little bit. She only seems to care that I am happy, because really when it comes down to it, that’s all that really matters.

  We spend the entire week with my mother, visiting the popular sites in the Czech Republic and going to restaurants, allowing my mother to get to know Julian better. We also briefly visit some relatives on my mother’s side of the family. I tell my mother that I’d like her to give me her full analysis of Julian at the end of the week once she’s spent some time with him.

  At the end of the week, just before my mother gets into the limo that will drop her off at the airport so she can fly back to New York, my mother squeezes me tightly. “He’s perfect for you,” she whispers into my ear. She hugs Julian and says she will call when she is ready to move to Switzerland. She gets into the limo and it pulls away.

  Julian pins me to his side as we watch the limo drive away into the distance.

  “That was one of the best surprises,” I murmur. “Thank you.”

  “I have many more pleasant surprises in store,” Julian whispers.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  We’ve arrived in Berlin, Germany and we are staying at a five star hotel owned by Julian. As we walk through the foyer, I am breathless and speechless at the interior design of the hotel. I’ve never seen such unique, sophisticated, opulent, and luxurious style in my life. It’s way ahead of its time, revolutionary, and over-the-top modern. It’s all gold, glass, beige and steel with 20 meter tall glass walls and extraordinarily high ceilings with dim gold and red lighting and black marble floors. There are stainless steel oddly shaped sculptures and decorations. The furniture of the entire hotel is composed of a variety of pieces—clear glass, stainless steel, some are stone, and some are dark wood.

  Julian leads me through the hotel’s lobby to the large curved reception desk. I am clinging to Julian’s side, gazing around. We check in and are guided up to our suite by the female manager of the hotel. She looks at me respectfully in the glass elevator up to our suite. She opens the door to our hotel suite for us and hands Julian the key card.

  Our presidential suite is exceptionally beautiful with high ceilings and shin
y black marble floors. There are glass walls on every side and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city.

  As Julian walks and talks me through the suite, showing me around, I hear the echo of our feet and Julian’s voice in the entire suite because it’s so large and nearly empty—minimalistic style. The suite is dimly lit with blue lights in the living room, purple lightening in the den, and golden lighting elsewhere. There are two glass walls on each side of the dining room—it’s a glass wine cellar staked with various vintage wines and expensive champagnes. In the master bedroom there is a massive coral reef aquarium with bright yellow, orange, and red colored fish.

  When Julian has finished giving me a tour, he turns and gazes at me with his piercing, penetrating blue eyes.

  “You’re unfiltered opinion, Mrs. Stone?” He raises an eyebrow.

  “Beautiful!” I gasp, breathless and in awe.

  Julian lips turn up into a mischievous grin.

  “You designed it all yourself?” I gaze up into the eyes of the man I continually grow to love and respect more and more each day.

  “Damn right, I did.” Julian grins. “If you like this hotel, you should see the hotels and homes I own in Asia—Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo. Those Asian cities are known for their marvelous interior and architectural designs. The hotels I own there have consistently gotten positive feedback.”

  “I find it interesting that you hire female managers for your hotels.” I raise an eyebrow.

  “Yes, well, like I said before, I don’t trust men the same way I trust women,” Julian explains. “I hire the smartest women I can find and I have been very satisfied with them so far.”

  I frown as I consider this.

  “What’s wrong, Cheryl?” Julian whispers.

  “In the very beginning you told me that you thought men were intellectually superior to women.”

  “Yes, Cheryl, in my upbringing, my father and all the books he imposed on me to read, specifically by Charles Darwin, had a strong influence upon me and my thought processes.”

  I recall reading though Charles Darwin book in Julian’s home.

  “Most of the things I own, I put women in charge of, and in much the same way, all I own is ultimately yours and in your trust as long as you submit to me,” Julian explains.

  I nod my head in understanding.

  Julian smiles. “I’d like to show you around Germany, it’s one of my favorite places.”

  We are walking hand-in-hand on the streets of Berlin and I can tell Julian is eager to show me around Germany. We visit numerous places—architectural buildings, an art museum, an ancient history museum, and picturesque town squares. I notice that Berlin’s architecture has a fascinating range, from the historical to high modernism.

  In the evening we have dinner at Berlin’s top rated restaurant located on the fourteenth floor with majestic views overlooking the city. The restaurant itself is beautiful and the menu is unlike any I’ve ever seen. There is even a “water menu” consisting of forty different types of bottled mineral water from eighteen different countries—from 12,000-year-old Canadian glacier water to Tasmanian rain water.

  Julian and I enjoy a five-course meal. Each dish is artfully-prepared with colorful-looking food on large white dishes looking like bright and vibrant abstract paintings mounted on white walls.

  During dinner, Julian tells me numerous interesting things about Germany’s history and the Middle Ages and I listen to him, captivated.

  “There are over 25,000 castles in Germany and I’d like to show you a few tomorrow,” Julian murmurs.

  “Yes, I’d love to,” I respond.

  I gaze around the restaurant, at the magnificent view over the city, then back at Julian’s gorgeous face and my breathing stops for a moment. Julian’s bright blue eyes pierce through mine, dominating and possessive. I gaze at him silently, admiring the man who is my husband.

  “What is on your mind, Cheryl?” Julian whispers.

  “I admire you,” I murmur.

  “Oh really?” Julian arches an eyebrow.

  “You’ve accomplished so much at such a young age. You remind me of The Great Gatsby.”

  Julian smirks, appearing to appreciate the compliment. “I’ve read that book and seen the movie a while ago. I must say I relate to him in many ways.” Julian is thoughtful for a moment. “However, now I know what this life is all about.”

  The waiter comes and clears our plates. “Dessert, tea, coffee?” the waiter asks Julian reverentially.

  “Cheryl? What would you like?” Julian asks me.

  “Coffee, please,” I tell the waiter.

  “Coffee for me as well,” Julian tells the waiter.

  “Right away sir, madam.” The waiter quickly rushes off. Within minutes he returns with our coffees.

  I take a sip and raise my eyebrow. “So, what is this life all about?”

  Julian takes a sip of coffee and remains silent for a while. I am eagerly waiting for Julian to respond. He takes another sip of coffee and finally responds. “As they say, life is a game, money is how we keep score. But ultimately getting the girl of your dreams in the end is the ultimate victory. Having you as my wife is my biggest achievement.”

  My heart swells and I feel butterflies in my stomach. It feels wonderful being valued so highly. I smile and blush. “Being your wife is an honor.”

  I recall the past few months. It’s really been a whirlwind too unbelievable and unimaginable for the average person—but I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Membership in an elite secret society can make a man virtually limitless and Julian has accomplished all that he has at his age because of this.

  “Gatsby didn’t get the girl in the end, but I’ve got you and I’ll make sure to keep you forever,” Julian murmurs.

  We spend the next few days doing tours of numerous thousand-year-old castles. The first day, we see Hohenzollern Castle which is built atop a high mountain, constructed to resemble a medieval knight’s castle. We see Sanssouci Castle with its gorgeous extensive gardens and original Frederician-Rococo style. We get a tour of Hohenschwangau Castle, a beautiful Neo-Gothic-style structure built in the 19th century. We tour Burg Eltz, built in the 12th century and hidden in the middle of a dense forest.

  The next day we see Dragon Castle Schloss Drachenburg which looks like a medieval castle from a fairy tale, sitting atop a mountain, surrounded by lush green forests, mountains and lakes. We also visit the Neo-Gothic Lichtenstein Castle that looks like something right out of a fantasy movie, towering on top of a rugged cliff.

  The third day, in the afternoon, we see Neuschwanstein Castle, a fairy-tale castle constructed in the late 1800s nestled among the breathtaking beauty of the Bavarian Alps. Dazzling chandeliers and beautiful paintings adorn every room. As we tour through the castle, hand-in-hand, Julian stops and turns to me. “I hope I’ve made our honeymoon memorable so far,” he whispers.

  “Yes, it’s been unbelievable,” I gasp.

  “I’m glad,” Julian responds and kisses me. “Would you like to watch me fight this afternoon?” Julian asks abruptly.

  My eyes widen in surprise and then my heart constricts. Has this got to do with fighting against Derek?

  “I have a gym that I like to go train at when I’m in Germany,” he explains, seeing the worry on my face. “I’ve planned a fight with my trainer at the gym.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief. “Sure. I’d love to watch,” I murmur.

  Our private driver takes us to a MMA gym located in Berlin. On the way there, Julian tells me more about martial arts. He trains four different styles of martial arts: Kyokushin, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Jujitsu.

  Julian explains that Japanese styles of martial arts are rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training. He tells me that before he met me, he would train long hours, follow a rigid diet, and push himself to a constant state of exhaustion in order to build his endurance and skill. He tells me he loves the sport because it’s more
primal and aggressive than any other sport and provides the ultimate purity of competition.

  When we arrive at the gym, Julian greets his trainer and introduces me as his wife. The trainer politely introduces himself and shakes my hand.

  I notice there is no one else at the gym as I assume Julian must have reserved the gym for the afternoon. Julian takes off his shirt and his pants, revealing black MMA fight shorts. The trainer turns on some pumping music.

  Julian and his master enter the gym’s Octagon and I take a seat right near it. I watch as Julian prepares for the fight, his shoulders swell as he takes in deep breaths and holds them in for a while before breathing out. In the other corner of the Octagon, Julian’s trainer also takes in deep breaths and stretches.

  I gape in awe at Julian’s muscular fighter’s body honed by years of training. He begins bobbing on his toes and cracking his head from one side to the other side.

  The two men approach the center, nod at each other respectfully, punch each other’s fists, back away, and begin bobbing on their toes with their hands balled into tight fists and raised up near their face.

  Julian’s trainer aims a swift punch, but Julian ducks just in time and then aims and lands a spinning kick. The trainer comes forward and lands a punch that skims Julian arms. Julian lands a kick than sends his trainer back, but he quickly recovers, comes forward and lands a powerful kick to Julian’s stomach which sends Julian back.

  My stomach tightens as the men bob on their toes, fighting each other. I watch the flex and pull of Julian’s muscles as he throws numerous punches and kicks. I get so turned on. I can’t take my eyes off Julian’s body during the fight. The same man who is so tender with me, is aggressive and ruthless in the Octagon.

  I hear very fast trance music blasting as Julian and his trainer spar violently with each other. They go back and forth for a while. I lose track of time as I try to watch every single move they make. The men are moving at lightning speed and it’s hard to catch every move they make.

  Adrenaline pumps through me and my palms get sweaty as Julian’s trainer lands several potent punches and kicks which Julian tries to quickly recover from. Julian’s trainer moves fast to land more punches and tries to sweep Julian’s legs from under him to get him down on the ground but Julian moves away just in time, striking his trainer’s rib.