Her Forever

Chapter 3: Somebody to Love

Life has a strange way of bringing people into your life. But they all come and go. Some people you're destined to meet and it doesn't take very long for them to become an important part of your life. Quentin Walsh's meeting with Alicia Cowan was a destined one. No matter how short their meeting was they couldn't stop thinking about each other.
They were from different walks of life. Quentin was a cutthroat businessman who lived to own everything and rule an empire of materialistic desire and the power to have anything he wanted. Life had blessed him with entitlement and gifts of joy and status. Yet he was cursed too.
Well, not in the way most people without money are, but life is a struggle. Some of us unfortunately, struggle more than the rest but we all do. His struggle was a lack of love and care from others. The only relationships he had were with people, gnawing at his bones for their own welfare, and then there were people that showed a sort of pretend love towards him that only lasted until their inner desires had been quenched. This left Quentin with a thirst, a sort of longing for love he had experienced through his mother.
On the other hand, Alicia was a common personality with a simple life and even simpler dreams and wishes. Anything extraordinary or slightly fancy was almost offensive to her.
But since life had different plans for these two. They had no choice but to give in to the callings of the heart and walk a path they never intended upon. They were quickly obsessed with each other.
As the city lights shimmered Quentin got up from his chair to admire them. His office had the most beautiful look of the city. Yet another gift from life to him.
Amidst the busy thoughts of work his mind was still hoping and dreaming to feel a more human emotion. And this was the reason why he couldn't stop thinking about Alicia. He wanted her.
He quickly set aside his business affairs and called his Private Investigator Kenneth. After a while of impatient pacing and two glasses of wine, Kenneth finally arrived at his office.
Quentin initiated the conversation without any delay and got right to the point after a short greeting.
"It's been a while Kenneth"
"I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon after you hired me to investigate your mother. Again!."
"Step mother, Kenneth, please have a seat."
Quentin sat down on his chair while quickly brushing some papers off to the side.
"There's someone else I need you to investigate for me but this isn't because I suspect her of something. It's just out of simple curiosity." Quentin explained
"Her? So this is about a girl?" Kenneth enquired.
"Yes, this is about a girl." Quentin answered while turning the screen towards Kenneth.
On the screen was a file that said Nelson Cowan.
"This doesn't look like a girl Q"
"It's his daughter Alicia Cowan"
Quentin explained his situation to Kenneth and how curious he was to know anything and everything about Alicia.
"But I still don't understand why? You've never asked me to keep a file on chicks you go out with. And Alicia doesn’t appear to be your normal type."
Kenneth had an expression of utter confusion on his face which slowly faded into a suspicious look.
"Believe me I don't have a problem with her at all. I only just met her once. I just need to know everything about her."
This surprised Ken a bit. He had never seen Quentin this desperate. He wondered if Quentin realised what was happening here at all.
It will be fun to watch this one unfold. Ken thought to himself.
He took off to get Quentin what he wanted.
Quentin felt a bit relieved. He knew he could trust Kenneth.
He finally looked at the file for the charity auction reports, his legal department sent over to him. The list of recipients of donation caught his eyes.
It had the name of Doctor Nelson Cowan on top. Quentin cancelled his plans to go to the clinic to thank Alicia. There was no need to do that if he would be meeting her at the auction. She has to be there. Her father's clinic is the top recipient of the charity, after all.
He read the rest of the file with a smile on his face.
Maybe the charity was good for something after all.
***
Quentin had been living a stressful monotonous life with each day being extremely laborious. Amidst dealing with his business he had no time to feel vulnerable. He never let anyone close to him and always kept his guard up. Albeit that made people hate him just a little, it kept him and business safe and functioning. But now Quentin was at a point in life where he wanted to feel something just anything. He wanted to be in love. He wanted to be vulnerable. He was sick of his own demeanor; he was sick of always being the top player. He was tired of having relationships that only lasted a night. He wanted to be understood and cared for. Why did he choose Alicia to be the one to help him feel that way? He didn't know himself.
While Quentin was day dreaming and pondering deep in his thoughts. He heard a knock on the door and a voice that always made him feel extremely defensive and almost repulsed.
Quentin felt that he waited for forever before Ken was able to bring back information about Alicia.
He was not really able to do any work with his attention all diverted between the dealings and looking at the hands of the clock moving slower by the second. So this interruption from his most hated person, coming to him shortly after he finally was able to look at Alicia's file, was a level of annoyance he was not ready to cope with.
"Quentin honey have you looked through the files for the charity?" Said his stepmother.
The question made him feel so stressed that he sprung up from his chair and mumbled to himself, "it's not a charity you're just making people think that. I'm sure."
"What was that sweetie?" Asked the blonde lady that married his dad and came into his life just to suffocate him.
"Nothing! I said I've looked through and the papers have been signed. This better bring some good changes to our city." said Quentin before leaving the office to bring himself a snack.
His stepmother had a habit of snooping through his stuff in his absence, trying to find something that would give her the upper hand over Quentin, and this was yet another opportunity for her. She put down her purse next to the fancy aquarium that she had gifted Quentin and walked behind his desk. After going through the papers to make sure they were all signed and ready she mustered up the deviancy to go through Quentin's personal laptop. As soon as she opened it the first thing that appeared was Alicia Cowan's social media page. With several beautiful pictures of her in all sorts of places and dresses. There was no denying that Alicia was an extremely beautiful girl.
"So, this is his type." She said to herself while staring at a picture of Alicia in a fancy black dress. She quickly snapped a picture of her page and rushed back to her seat when she heard Quentin coming back in.
Quentin could always tell when she had done something because she had this vile expression and an irritable grin on her face whenever she found something out about him.
"Did you go through my stuff?" He demanded to know.
"No sweetie I just think you look very handsome today."
"Cut out the act Ronda"
Ronda Kristin Walsh had never liked her step son calling her by her first name.
"When will you start calling me Mom?"
"Never! You are not my mother, you don't belong in my life and you don't belong in this office. Now get out!"
Quentin was always short with her. And rightfully so. He knew very well, the difference between a mother's love and someone trying to take advantage of him.
Ronda made a sorry expression of being utterly disregarded and stormed out of his office. But she had the picture of this girl, just another advantage to win the game she was playing. She definitely knew what to do with it.
See Ronda wanted to have the upper hand in everything when it came to Quentin. She knew that he was at an age where he needed somebody to love. And there was no way that she would let it be someone she didn't approve of. There was a girl she had already chosen for Quentin.
Bianca Pittsworth, a self centered, narrow minded, egoistical simpleton. Who checked everything off the list for Ronda. She was mesmerized by her and idolized her. Ronda knew Bianca worshipped her so she needed her to be close to her all the time. Which was why, once in a while, she wouldn't hesitate inviting Bianca to her room late at night. And on top of that if she could find a way to blackmail Quentin into marrying her, she would have all the aces she needed to play him.
Because according to Ronda, what is the point of having so much money that you couldn't spend it in a lifetime, if you didn't spend it on a beautiful woman like her?
Ronda called Bianca on her phone.
Before Bianca could even wish her hello, Ronda said, "Get to my house. I happen to have some good news."
She hung up the phone quickly when she saw the driver Quentin provided her approaching, whom she suspected was definitely on Quentin’s team and would rat her out to him the minute she showed any of her true colors.
Unfortunately, Ronda couldn't make herself say no to the few luxuries that Quentin let her have. Her life was such a dream being a billionaire's widow.
That is why she couldn't afford to lose in this game.No way.

______________________

Hey, guys!

So...? Did you like our villain? We hope you did!

Let us know what you are thinking in the comments.

If you are liking this story, please don't forget to share it around and vote.

And don't forget to be here next Friday! We have a ball to attend.