The Billion Dollar Baby_A Billionaire Romance

by Stella Andrews

  I shake my head and sniff, “No, carry on.”

  He nods. “Well, your mother was angry and tried everything to prove she was carrying his child. He was too well connected though, and every test came back negative and no lawyer would take up her case. In the end she admitted defeat and moved away. When you were born she disappeared from the hospital never to return.”

  I look at him in shock. “What, she just left me there?”

  Tyler’s eyes say it all. They are filled with sympathy and sadness for me and despite myself a huge sob finds its way out and the tears follow.

  He whispers, “Your mother went through a lot, Sydney. She probably had post-natal depression to make her do what she did. It happens and I expect she was desperate. I’m sure if she had been in her right mind she would have adored you.”

  I stare at him but his words don’t convince me. No, I was unwanted by my parents and have remained that way ever since. Tyler looks concerned as a hard edge creeps into my voice. “Finish the story.”

  He squeezes my shoulder and says gently. “The nurses called you Sydney after the midwife who delivered you. Then you were taken into care and they set about finding you a suitable home. However, once again the Emmerson power followed you and any prospective adoptive parents withdrew at the last minute. It became apparent that you were trouble for anyone who took you on and were left to be raised in the children’s home you lived in for most of your life.”

  I gasp, “But why would he do that?”

  Tyler shrugs. “Because he wanted to make sure you never had help to look into your birth-right. He wanted you to struggle, so you never thought to question. He had the story of your loving parent’s car crash fabricated to throw you off the scent of discovering your real parent’s past. Like I said before, he was not an honorable man and you were better off without him in your life.

  I feel cold and stricken and so numb I’m not sure I’m even still alive. Tyler’s story has crushed me. It’s taken the one thing I had from my past and shattered it into a million pieces. I’m not sure who I am anymore and it’s devastating.

  Tyler looks at me with concern, pity and something else. He is looking at me with understanding. The pain in my eyes mirrors his. He has the same look on his face that I imagine is on mine. As I look at my perfect stranger he ceases to exist. This man is no stranger to me, he is the same as me. Lost and broken and stripped bare. It’s all there in his eyes and despite my emotions there is something within me that wants to reach out to him and soothe it all away.

  Just for a minute, we stare at each other and then he smiles ruefully. “I told you it was a hard story to hear but a necessary one. You need to know the people you are dealing with.”

  I nod and then manage to croak out, “What happened to my mother?”

  The look he shoots me tells me I’m not going to like what I hear so I steel myself for even more.

  He pulls me just a little tighter and says softly, “She fell into a downward spiral after your birth. Her friends no longer wanted to know and her family had long since disowned her. She couldn’t get any work because your father had made sure of it. She managed to scrape by for a while taking small town jobs and hooking up with various men along the way. Then, one night she was returning home after work and was the victim of a hit-and-run driver. She was killed outright so at least she didn’t suffer.”

  I sit in shock for a good few seconds while I let his words sink in. So, that’s it. My parents are dead for real this time and never wanted me in the first place. Tyler looks worried and I smile sadly. “Bit of a sad story really, isn’t it?”

  He looks concerned and I sink back against the seat and take a long swig of beer. I fight back the tears that threaten to fall with a hard resolve. I will not cry for them, they don’t deserve that. Whatever happened to them is in the past. They are in the past because I can’t grieve for something I never had.

  Tyler says gently. “I’m sorry, Sydney. I wish it had been different.”

  Shrugging, I look at him and see the hurt in his eyes. He obviously has a story to tell too and yet I can’t think about that now. Instead, I shake my head and say quietly, “So, why have you come to tell me this?”

  He leans back and sighs heavily. “Because there’s unfinished business for us both. There’s still a lot to tell you about this sorry tale but I think you need time to adjust to what I’ve just said. When you’re ready, call me and I’ll explain the rest. Just know you’re not alone in this. I may be some asshole that’s blown in off the street and turned your world upside down but I had to for a reason. You deserve the future you’ll get if you trust me, Sydney. I’ll make sure you get everything you deserve in life and more.”

  Just for a moment we sit and stare at each other. Two lost souls shoulder to shoulder and facing a storm. We are strangers yet our paths have been aligned it seems all our lives. Trust me he said, well, for some strange reason I do. What I have to work out is if I care enough to try.

  6

  Sydney

  I’m not sure how I got through the next class. Tyler left after pressing his business card into my hand. He made me promise to call him and as I watched him drive away, I wondered about the man. Who is he and why is he so intent on me leaving with him—as his wife? Despite everything I’ve heard it’s that word that sticks out more than the others. His wife! Why does that feel so normal, so exciting and yet so dangerous at the same time? Surely, I should be running for the hills but instead, there is a flicker of excitement inside me that won’t go away. Tyler’s wife. What will that mean? In name only or in every sense of the word. This is the strangest day of my life and yet that’s all I can seem to focus on.

  Luckily, the first of the children push through the door and I smile as I see Kasha one of my students. She must only be 5 years old and is totally adorable. Her mom has left already and I sigh inside. This is the usual run of events. Her mom doesn’t hang around and scoots off as quickly as possible, usually by way of a ride from her latest hook up. When I look at her gorgeous daughter my heart breaks. She is uncared for and her clothes hang from her frame, dirty and torn. Her hair is always matted and there are large circles under her eyes. Despite everything, she’s a happy child. She knows no different and just loves coming here.

  I beckon her over and reach in my bag for one of the apples I bring to class. I try to bring nutritious snacks for the second class of the day because I’m not sure how well they eat.

  She comes across and sits on my lap as she eats the apple hungrily. While we wait, I tell her one of my favorite stories and relish the sparkle in her eyes. This is why I put myself through hell. These kids need my studio and without it, they would be left to fend for themselves while their mom’s claw their way through life. Don’t get me wrong they love their children. Most of them are barely adults themselves and this is the life they led as kids so know no different. I’m no different. I had nothing and relied on a little handout of kindness from a stranger from time to time. I knew nothing else. I watched movies about happy families and thought they were just make-believe. Now I know better and have made it my mission to help others like me, even in this small way.

  Kasha snuggles into me and I cling onto her. I want to protect her from the harsh world we live in but know I can’t.

  Before long the class fills up and the faces that stare at me now are very different from the ones before. These kids want to be here, crave to be here and never want to leave. We have fun and there are no harsh words or lonely corners to sit. We are a family and support each other through a hard life. I can’t let them down, if I did, I couldn’t live with myself.

  Two hours pass in a flash but it’s three before the final child leaves. The mom’s push their luck but I don’t care. Many times, the children fall asleep waiting and I’m just happy they have a safe place to do it in.

  As I tidy up I start to worry about the future. Today has been life-changing. Should I hear Tyler out and head off with him on some sort of missi
on to find my roots? Should I take Michael’s offer and dance the night away to protect my business? If I take the first offer what will become of the children I care so deeply for? I can’t leave them even for a couple of days, who knows what may happen in my absence?

  I suppose I’m so deep in thought I drop my guard for a moment and as I turn around, I turn into someone standing behind me. Startled, I pull back and feel the fear grip me as I stare into the cold eyes of Michael Santobello.

  I step back and gasp and he smiles in that sinister way he has.

  “Good evening, Sydney. I was passing and thought now would be a good time to discuss the rent increase.”

  I try to put on a brave face and say coolly, “If you don’t mind Mr. Santobello It’s been a long day and I’m tired.”

  He steps closer and I feel my heart beat rapidly. Leaning down, he growls, “Don’t be a fool, Sydney. You know I always get what I want. If you value this place as much as I think you do then you’ll come with me.”

  I step back and feel the fear grip me. Go with him… where?

  He nods toward his large black car and says in a low voice. “I want to show you what I’m offering. Don’t make any decisions until you have all the facts.”

  My heart starts beating so fast I think I may faint. Go with him. In his car. This doesn’t sound good at all. However, the look in his eyes tells me I have no choice, so, swallowing hard, I walk beside him a trembling mess.

  He sees me safely into the back of the car and then goes around the other side and joins me. His driver starts the engine, and the car moves off at a fast pace. The air is thick with unspoken words and a sense of inevitability. The man beside me doesn’t take no for an answer and crushes people like me before breakfast. I am so out of my depth even a lifeguard couldn’t save me.

  I feel his eyes on me and shiver inside. He must be in his mid-thirties and like all successful men he surrounds himself with the fruits of his success. His clothes are the best that money can buy and he is groomed and immaculate. His expensive aftershave hangs in the air alongside the promise of what’s in store for my future. This man will not take no for an answer and tonight he is proven to have run out of patience.

  He says in a low voice. “You will see that what I’m offering you is a bright future, Sydney. Girls like you deserve only the best and you will thank me for my persistence.”

  I feel the anger controlling my words as I say angrily, “Why are you doing this? Why me? I pay you a good amount of rent each month why do you want so much more?”

  He laughs softly. “Good question. The answer is simple. Money.”

  I look at him and raise my eyes. “I thought you had more than enough of that already, why is making me dance in your club such a moneymaker for you?”

  He grins. “Sydney, we are alike in so many ways. I was born with nothing, much the same as you. I had no loving home to bring me onto the right path and it made me angry. I wanted what it seemed that every other kid had. They wanted for nothing and I wanted for everything. So, I made a vow to myself that I would get there by any means possible and picked myself off the streets and ruthlessly pursued my dream. The trouble is, I have never stopped. Every opportunity in my life is a business opportunity. I look at everyone who crosses my path and look for the dollar potential in each one of them. My wife gave me status and power in society. She took me to the tables of every man who looks down on people like us and they beg for my help. Do you know how that feels, Sydney? To be above the very people who looked down on me all their life.”

  I shake my head and look at him with sympathy. I don’t miss the flash of anger in his eyes as he sees the pity in mine. He sneers, “You have your morals now young lady but they are quickly pushed aside when the going gets tough. As soon as you sample the finer things it’s like a drug. You will protect it at all costs and now it’s time to show you what I mean.”

  I stare at him and say softly, “You haven’t answered my question. Why me? You get money from me every month and I provide a service for your daughters. Isn’t that enough?”

  He shakes his head and smirks. “It’s never enough until I say it is. It may have escaped your notice but you are one of the prettiest girls in town. They don’t come better than you around these parts and I see a very lucrative investment in front of me. Your body will make you more money than you’ve ever dreamed of and put thousands of dollars in my pocket. You’ll be an asset to my club and keep them coming back for more. Don’t dismiss this job without seeing it for yourself first hand.”

  I edge toward the door as far away from him as I can and say in a quiet voice. “And if I refuse?”

  He laughs softly. “You won’t because it’s that or nothing. You see, if you don’t dance for me then your stay in this town is over. You won’t have a dance business and I can make things pretty uncomfortable for your friend Lucy. I own the apartment you live in and when the rent increases you will be both out on the streets. You will have no job to run to because the Coffee Club is also one of my assets and the owner won’t be able to afford his own brand of protection. And most of all those little angels you teach will suffer the most because they will have nowhere to go at night. Their moms won’t thank you because they will have to scrape by with a kid in tow. Many of those moms learned the hard way and do what they must to survive. So, you see, darlin’, it would be pretty selfish of you to refuse, don’t you agree?”

  Before I can answer the car grinds to a halt and Michael looks at me with a gleam in his eye.

  “Let me introduce you to your new life, Sydney. I think we’re going to work very well together.”

  He reaches out and runs his fingers up my leg and I smack his hand away. He laughs at the fire in my eyes and snarls, “I love it when they fight back. Maybe I’ll show you what that means tonight, or then again, it may be something to leave you with to keep you warm in your bed at night. Anticipation is everything, Sydney. The chase is what I crave. Resist me all you like because when I win, it will be all the sweeter.”

  As he exits the car, my world spins around me like a tornado out of control. I’m not sure I can cope with more but it appears I have no choice. Michael is about to show me what a prison looks like and this particular prison is firmly rooted in hell.

  7

  Sydney

  The line outside the club is impressive. Michael sweeps past it grasping my hand firmly in his. The doorman nods respectfully and parts the rope to allow us through. I shiver inside. The line is full of men of all ages with one thing on their mind. The availability of the girls within.

  I feel sick as I accompany him down a deeply carpeted hallway with huge gold-framed mirrors set on the walls. We must look a strange reflection as we pass by. The successful businessman, tailored and immaculate, alongside the young scruffy girl in her dancewear.

  I note the reverence on the faces of his staff as they watch us sweep by. There is respect but no love in those expressions. There is also fear, and it surrounds me as I breathe it in filling my body with the rancid, acrid taste of defeat. I am no match for this man. What he has planned is inevitable.

  We push through some double doors at the end and the mood hits me as loudly as the music. Flashing lights are illuminating a round stage set in the middle of the room. A dancer is swaying suggestively in the center, peeling off her clothes as the watching men encourage her with shouts and calls. They are not alone as they watch. Many have a semi-naked girl gyrating on their laps, with dollar bills stuffed inside the shred of clothing they wear to excite and titillate their audience.

  I feel sick as I see a man take a nearby dancer’s breast in his mouth as she giggles provocatively.

  Then I see the dancer on stage remove her final piece of clothing to many cheers as she invites one of them to come and join her. With a sick fascination, I watch as he runs his hands all over her body and then his mouth. I feel sick to my stomach and think I may actually hurl on the well-heeled shoes of my captor.

  He laughs at my expr
ession and pulls me to a booth in the corner out of sight of the rest of the occupants. A waitress heads over wearing nothing but a Basque and smiles at him suggestively.

  “Your usual, sir?”

  He nods and replies, “Same for my guest. A bottle of your finest to celebrate her new job.”

  The girl looks at me curiously and I see a flash of pity in her eyes. She knows. I wonder if she once sat in the seat I’m in now. Maybe she recognizes herself in me and knows the hard road ahead. She gives me a half smile and then heads off to the bar while Michael settles back and regards me coolly.

  “Look around you, Sydney. This is a controlled environment. You see the customers having fun and showering the girls with dollars. The most they do is grab a quick grope and maybe a kiss or two. If they tried anything more security would remove them. All around are cameras and surveillance and I protect my girls as I would my own family.”

  I bite back. “So, you’ll let your own girls work here one day, will you? Maybe they would enjoy the attention of a drunk guy grabbing them in their most intimate places. Will you sit back and watch the dollars rolling in then? Will you look on them as a business opportunity when they reach the age of consent?”

  I know I’ve gone too far when he grabs me the wrist - hard. I feel the pain as he jerks me onto his lap and punishes my bold mouth with his demanding one. He pushes me down to the cushioned seat of the booth and holds me in place with his fingers around my neck. I almost can’t breathe as he whispers in my ear, “You have a smart mouth young lady and I will punish you for it later. You have just sealed your fate with every harsh word spoken. Like I said, the more fight they have, the more I enjoy it. Now, if you value getting out of here in one piece, you will sit tight and do what I say. You don’t have the luxury of saying what you want to me because I own you like I do everyone else in this town. You’re just lucky I like what I see in you because I’m being more patient than usual.”