The Billionaire's Five

Chapter 23

"It only takes a small spark to start a furious fire than can burn the entire prairie."

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen." the interviewer of greeted, looking to the camera as the show cued. "Tonight we welcome one of the most highly anticipated actress and model-the star of seemingly all of the news spread around the country, the woman of the night, Valerie Rose."

Charlie stayed behind the camera and the crew, watching Valerie smile and reply to the host.

She was beautiful, really. Her hair color contrasted with her skin, plump lips and sparkling eyes staring at the camera. A smile suited for someone like her.

But it was obvious that it was her practiced smile. The smile that she has been preparing for this moment.

Valerie and the host continued to talk about her recent projects, as well as her upcoming TV shows for a few minutes. 

Charlie looked down on his notes, checking off the segments that has been done and proceeded to flip the page onto the next one. They were currently in a 10 minute break, and the questions about her marriage and kids were the next.

"So... news has it that you were married a year before your debut. Now, I don't want to revel on any rumors, so I'm asking you this. Is it true that you were married, Valerie?" the host asked, leaning over from his seat and staring at Valerie Rose.

Valerie remained smiling, and although it wasn't that obvious to the camera, Charlie took hint of a grimace, maybe a flinch on her eyes. 

She answered as Charlie expected her to.

"Well, it's not something that I'd want to say to everyone, but yes, I was married. Five years in fact, all before I took on the job as an actress." 

It was short and precise, nothing too much that she wouldn't want the world to know.

Scripted.

The host proceeded to ask more about the marriage, how it happened and how it came to be. About her ex-husband, Tobias Lawson. Just like they practiced.

"We were good friends ever since we met, Tobias and I. We knew what each other liked, knew that we had the potential. It was a marriage between our families, but there was no bad blood between us when we found out. We agreed to the marriage... only because we knew we'd function together well. That even though we started out friends, it would someday bloom to something romantic. Something that would keep our family alive."

Valerie kept the smile on her face as she talked, glancing to the camera and the audience once in a while. She was calm, composed. Elegant.

She knew what and how to answer, she was prepared.

"He was a brilliant, talented person. Truly. He was excellent at his job, and his designs were beautiful. He's pretty popular when it comes to his field." she laughed, words of compliments being thrown at her ex-husband as she continued to chat with the host. 

She was keeping it light, like they were happy and that there was no bad blood between them.

Charlie didn't believe it.

"And that marriage, the happy and content marriage you had with Mr. Lawson, it bloomed to you having a family of seven? Five children, with twins, in fact!" 

Valerie smiled at the question, then started to talk about her pregnancy with her first twin, and then those who followed. 

"It was difficult, but with Tobias with me, it didn't seem all that hard to handle. He was sweet, caring, and he had no short-comings as a husband. And my children are great, too. I have five kids, imagine that." Valerie giggled, shifting on her seat as she continued.