“No. I can handle them,” he said defiantly.
Before he could say anything more, a barrage of news reporters with TV cameras, microphones and notepads assailed them.
“Carl, do you have any comment about the latest allegations?” one reporter shouted out, pointing a tape recorder in his hand at Carl.
“Carl, is it true that you paid Venus to be your wife for a year so that you could feign being a family man?”
“Carl, is it true there’s a link between you and a drug lord in Murumba? Did you have him executed, gang style?”
“There’s evidence that you’re paying a woman to keep quiet about your affair? Clarissa Bougon. Do you have any comment, Carl? Carl? Why have you been paying Clarissa large sums of money? To keep quiet?”
“Carl, why are you cheating on your wife with Clarissa?”
Anger raged through Carl’s blood as he escorted Venus out and pushed his way through the crowd of journalists. “I have no comment at this time.” His only concern was getting Venus away from them. He shielded her as he made way to a quiet area in the back of the building and closed the doors. He motioned to his brother that he would be right back prior to that.
“Carl,” Venus said, trembling as they stood alone in the dim lit storage area. She was clearly shaken up by this whole thing. “You-you’re having an affair?” Her eyes widened, horror and shock flashed within them.
“Listen, Venus. I…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Clarissa, but-”
“So it’s true then?”
“No. I’m not having an affair.”
Venus didn’t know what to think. Her mind was in a daze. She didn’t know if she was coming or going. She didn’t even care too much about them finding out that Carl tried to pay her to be his wife. But the thought of him having an affair?
“Venus, don’t go. Don’t leave me like this. I can deal with anything right now. But I can’t cope with you walking out of my life.”
The words reverberated inside her. She felt a chill slide down her spine. She didn’t know what to think.
“But this thing we have is just a one-year contract, remember?” she said to him hoping that he would change his mind. She wanted to hear it from him that what they had would go longer.
But he said nothing. And her soul was crushed.
“I…I have to go,” she said, feeling violently ill. Venus felt her heart squeeze in her chest. She was suffocating. She was going to pass out.
Carl went back into the campaign office to face the hoard of media. The noise level shot up in the room and he hushed the crowd. “Please. I will gladly answer your questions. One at a time. Just a few questions. That’s it. I have a campaign to run.”
Jules gave him the thumbs-up from the side. Carl was a Romero. They were not easily intimidated and he would face them alone if he had to. Right now, he couldn’t care less how they wanted to make him look. His mind was only focused on Venus. The look in her eyes. The pain. Damn! He should have at least told her about Clarissa. He didn’t want to tell anyone about Clarissa. That was supposed to be his own secret. But now? He would have no choice but to let the world know. And let the chips fall where they may.
If he lost the campaign based on this scandal, so be it. But losing Venus would hurt him more!
Just then his eyes caught Clarissa. She made her way over to him. “Please, Carl. Please tell them about us. It’s okay. I want them to know. I really do.”
Carl said nothing. He turned his attention to the waiting press.
“Carl, is it true that you paid Venus Jackson to be your wife?” a reporter called out.
“No,” he answered coldly.
“No?”
“I’ll be honest here, because that’s the type of guy I am. I fell in love with my assistant and I ended up marrying her. End of story. Yes, I was concerned about the idea that voters may not be comfortable with a single young man running for mayor in this town, but then things worked out differently. I will also note that I’m running for office, not my family. And I would appreciate my wife and son being left out of this from now on.” His words were firm and stern.
“So you did not pay her to be with you for one year?”
“No one knows how long they will stay married. But all I can say is that,” he swallowed, feeling his gut clench, “I hope that Venus and I stay married forever. She means the world to me as every wife should mean to her husband. Next question.”
“Is it true that you were paying a woman by the name of Clarissa to keep quiet about your affair?”
“No.” His voice was sharp. He knew that day when he’d slipped Clarissa that last check, after he’d flown in from Vegas that he was followed. The old man who had entered the building before him, was a spy, he’d learned later. Something to do with Eduardo’s connection having him and Venus watched the whole time. Luckily, he noticed everything and had studied the man’s facial features and memorized them down to the hairy mole at his temple. Carl never took anything for chance. Not in his position.
Carl drew in a deep breath. Not caring what the world thought of him. “The truth is, yes, I’ve been paying Ms. Bougon money but not to keep quiet.”
“Then why?”
“As you know,” Carl commenced, the room now silent, “growing up, my brothers and I didn’t have much. We lost our family home on Chancery Lane. Then we moved into a low-income building. Well, we spent many nights going to bed hungry. Not having enough. At Christmas, we used to pretend we had money,” he said, trying not to get emotional. “Well, we made a vow before our mother…died that no one in our household would ever go hungry again or have to make our own presents or not have enough heat or essentials to live.”
“Wow,” a voice sounded.
He also spotted Clarissa nodding in approval.
“And we moved out of there, eventually. But we lost mother and I wanted to keep that vow. It might seem stupid to a lot of you but I wanted to keep my promise. That address where Ms. Bougon lives—that’s the very apartment we’d occupied when we lived in that building. My brother Jules and I always went back there, first at Christmastime to anonymously drop off presents at the door for whoever lived there. Then we delivered cards and gift cards not knowing still who was living there. That home brought a lot of painful memories but also dreams and hopes. Then Ms. Bougon caught us one day and we told her that we were keeping our promise to our mother. She was struggling just as we were when we lived there. You see, that’s why as your mayor, I will make sure that families don’t just have the bare minimum to survive but enough to get a good start in life. Affordable daycare so they can work. Well-paying jobs so parents can take the best care of their children and…no unfair tax hikes so they can afford to keep their homes. Now, that’s all the time I have to answer questions. As you know, I have a campaign to run. Thank you.”
With that, Carl turned and left as reporters continued to hurl questions at him.
“Hey, that was good, bro,” Jules commended him as he turned to head back to his office.
“Thanks,” he said half-heartedly. None of it seemed to matter now. He was running on autopilot. Venus was gone. And there was nothing he could do about it. Jules then turned back to deal with the media.
Carl went back to his office and was stunned to see Venus sitting in the chair in front of his desk with a notepad in her hand.
“Venus,” he said quietly, stunned. “I thought you’d left.”
She stood up and faced him. “Now that wouldn’t be professional to just quit without giving you notice, would it?” she murmured, her great big beautiful eyes fixed on his. “Did you mean what you said, Carl?”
“That I thought you’d left?” he said innocently, a boyish smirk on his face.
She threw back her head and laughed. She dropped her notepad and pen on the table and reached over to hug him. “Oh, Carl. You’re something else, you know? I don’t know why but my heart told me to turn back and I’m glad I did. I heard your answers at that…press conferenc
e.”
“Hey,” he said, looking directly into her eyes. He lifted up her chin, feeling a magical pulse between them. “I love you, Venus Jackson or Nadya whatever. You make me so happy. You bring out the best in me—even in my darkest moments. I can’t live without you. I don’t want to spend the year with you. I want to spend forever with you.”
“Oh, Carl. I…I love you so much.”
“Will you stay married to me, Venus? None of this matters, my campaign, my work. None of it matters if we can’t be together. I don’t care if I lose this campaign, but I can’t lose you, Venus. I love you too much. ”
“Oh, Carl, yes,” she said breathlessly. “Yes. Forever. Till death do us part. I want to be with you forever.”
He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her passionately.
This would be the sweetest beginning to their forever together.
EPILOGUE
Eight months later…
The large-screen plasma TV on the wall of the campaign headquarters was turned up on full volume. “Carl Romero has been elected as Mayberry Hill’s fifty-fourth mayor, winning a staggering sixty-five percent of the vote and leading in forty-one of the city's forty-three wards,” the reporter announced.
The loud screams in the campaign room and the confetti raining from the air and party favors popping lent themselves to a joyous occasion.
Venus hugged her husband as he prepared to give his victory speech. “I want you here beside me, baby,” he said to her.
“Yes, of course,” Venus said, planting a huge kiss on his lips then wiping her lipstick away. The entire Romero family was also present, including his other brothers, Zack, Lucas, Dion, Troy and Alonso.
Carl had won in a historic majority vote for Mayberry Hill. He was also the youngest person elected as mayor in the town’s 105-year history.
“Well, Mr. Mayor,” Jules playfully punched his brother in the shoulder. “I guess they’ll be no more favors, huh?” he teased.
Carl rolled his eyes and grinned.
Carl lifted up Tristan. “Well, little guy, are you ready to see all the wonderful supporters?”
“Yeah!” Tristan yelled, clapping his hands in the air.
The environment was energetic in the hall as they prepared to enter. Venus held the arm of her husband trying to let it all sink in while Carl had Tristan secured in his other arm. They looked like the perfect first family. She was first lady of the city. It didn’t seem real. None of it seemed real. And Carl was her number one best friend for life and her loving husband.
“My grandson,” Toni said proudly to Carl. The look of pride sparkled in the old man’s misty eyes. “My grandson, the mayor! I’m so proud of you, Carl.”
“Thanks, Granddad. I have all of you to thank for everything.”
“Wish Mom could have been here,” Jules added.
“I know,” Carl said in a low voice. “I think in a way, she is…with us all.”
“Hey, bro,” Zack and his wife Blue came into the room. It was a family reunion as well as a loving supportive community of well wishers. “The crowd is screaming for you, man. You’re a rock star.”
“Hey, thanks, Zack. Blue, you look well.”
“So do you,” she chimed in.
Blue hugged Venus.
Amber, from the consulate, stood in a corner by the door taking everything in. She looked extremely happy for Venus. She’d done so much to assist Venus, and Carl was very grateful to her for that. Even though she’d lost her job at the consulate after what she’d done to help Venus. It was against regulations to “break in” to search your boss’s office so it didn’t go down too well with the committee. But Carl offered Amber a job, though she had politely refused it. Still, he hoped Amber was going to be okay. She seemed like a sweet girl, though a little reserved with an air of mystery about her. He was beginning to think all women harbored secrets.
“Well, are you ready?” Carl arched a brow, smiling at his darling wife.
“Ready when you are, Mr. Mayor.”
And together they faced the world as Mr. and Mrs. Romero, the first family of Mayberry Hill.
***
Coming soon… The Billionaire’s Baby - Jules Romero and Amber’s story!
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Books by Shadonna Richards
THE ROMERO BROTHERS
The Billionaire’s Second-Chance Bride, #1 (Antonio III & Lucy)
A Bride for the Billionaire Bad Boy, #2 (Lucas & Maxine)
The Playboy Billionaire, #3 (Zack & Blue)
The Billionaire’s Island Romance, #3.5 (Christian & Arianna)
The Billionaire’s Proposition, #4 (Carl & Venus)
The Billionaire’s Baby, #5 (Jules & Amber)
The Billionaire’s Assistant, #6 (Dion & Jenna-Lynn)
Snowbound with the Billionaire, #7 (Troy & Pamela)
The Billionaire’s Marriage Proposal, #8 (Dr. Alonso & Britney)
THE BRIDE SERIES
An Unexpected Bride
The Jilted Bride
The Matchmaker Bride
His Island Bride (Free)
An Unexpected Baby (The sequel to An Unexpected Bride)
The Billionaire’s Second Chance Bride
The Belmont Christmas Bride
THE BRIDE SERIES COLLECTION (Books 1-5 and other stories)
WHIRLWIND ROMANCE SERIES
Accidentally Flirting with the CEO (Free)
Accidentally Married to the Billionaire
Accidentally Falling for the Tycoon
Accidentally Flirting with the CEO 2
Accidentally Flirting with the CEO 3
THE BILLIONAIRE’S WHIRLWIND ROMANCE (Books 1-3)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SHADONNA RICHARDS, USA Today Bestselling Author
Shadonna Richards enjoys reading and writing about the magic of romance and the power of love. She has sold over 300,000 copies of her bestselling romance novels. Born in London, England, she has a B.A. Degree in Psychology and a Diploma in Nursing. Winner of Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write 2010 Day Two Challenge, she is also a member of Romance Writers of America. She's a proud mommy and wife and lives in Canada with her husband and son.
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.shadonnarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorshadonnarichards
SOME INTERESTING FACTS:
* All books in her Bride Series (as of May, 2012) have hit the #1 spot in their categories
* Three of her Bride Series novels simultaneously occupied the Top 5 Hot New Releases in Romance Anthologies in May 2012 *
Five of her Bride Series novels were simultaneously listed in the Top 20 Bestsellers list in Romance Anthologies in May 2012
* Her novels: The Matchmaker Bride, His Island Bride and The Bride Series (Novels 1-4) made the Top 100 Most Wished For list in April 2012 & May 2012 in the top 10 spots
* She made Amazon's Top 100 Most Popular Authors in Contemporary Romance at #48 in March 2013
* She made Amazon's Top 10 Most Popular Authors in Contemporary Romance in November 2013
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The Billionaire's Proposition (The Romero Brothers, Book 4) Page 13
