His Gold Digger✔️

Chapter 9

LIZZY'S POV

Mark leaned down into the car and took my head as gently as he could. I had been shaken about this so much that I could heart race wildly.

“Thank you so much, I'm in your debt?”

I put up a nervous smile and nodded.

He awkwardly embraced me, and then pulled back as I struggled to return the hug.
With his help, I came out of the car and onto the landing, Mark following cautiously should I trip out of fear. He tried as much to make me calm but it didn't seem to work a bit.

“How about your little girl, Stormy?” he asked.

“At school, but I  have already spoken with a friend who will take care of her while I'm away”

We found ourselves in a great garden, where paths and beds of flowers were set in immense lawns of soft grass. The grass which glowed a brilliant green in the soft light of the chandeliers. There seemed to be large cherry-blossoms on every branch of every tree, glowing with soft, warm light.

The lawns sloped up to a terrace that ran along the front of a jaw-dropping edifice where every window was brightly lit, and where people (too small to see in detail at that distance) moved about, vividly saying that the ball and reception was for important guests.

I flushed red when we made our way into the large building. The atmosphere didn’t give me butterflies, it gave me bats! But Mark continued to reassure me under his breath to feel okay.

The crowd was glittering. Every eye turned in our direction as we made our way through the throng.
They all wore bemused looks on their faces. They all talked excitedly as we walked our way through the aisle. It was hard resisting the urge to burst out laughing.

'Exceptionally good-looking couple, it’s the suddenness of the billionaire's appearance that has set tongues wagging. And who is she? I've never heard of Mark marrying a new wife' those were the words I heard from a woman, who was not far from us.
Because of this I felt a bit unnerved.

A hush had suddenly fallen and all eyes were on us.

'Good heavens! Why have you kept me waiting, why?' A deep but loud, cheerful voice sounded from behind.

We both turned. He was a middle-aged man. He was colt-bald. He had a dry, lined face and terrifying moustache; and his thin neck showed an Adam’s apple that danced as he spoke.

Mark suddenly left, removed his hand from mine and ran into the man’s arms, the older man patting Mark at the back. They were in that way for sometime before they finally separated from each other, laughing heartily. The rest of their words were spoken in whispers.

I couldn't help but smile alongside as they bantered.

Finally, he remembered seeing me standing there with Mark. He took a glance at me and returned his gaze to Mark. I already knew what the next question would be.
A wide grin creased the smile of his lips when Mark answered. He approached me. My heart began its racing once again.

'I must admit she is one hell of a beauty. Flawless' he complimented, scanning my face.
I put up a smile and bowed curtly to him. He seemed very impressed.

'She's pretty' another man cut in. He looked every inch serious as he spoke and Mark looked very much like him.

'Thank you' I slightly bowed. 'I am most pleased' he took my hand and solemnly planted a kiss on it.

The man who Mark looked every inch like did the same. I knew instinctively that he was Mark's father when he passed our way with a woman who held onto him.

That was the same woman I'd seen a week or so ago when I'd gone shopping with Mark. The others were gracious and curious about the woman Mark had come with, The look in her face never changed.

It was a hateful and vengeful look which suggested that I was a dangerous insect which must be squashed quickly.

But I didn't give my attention to that, I deemed it was just as trivial.

'Why did you not tell me when you left college? That's very thoughtless of you, you know?' it was Gregory, this time he was ranting on top of his voice.

'Well' Mark said happily 'I know how busy a -'

'Busy? Nonsense. Don't you know my work also entails serving the people. Busy or not, a child must see his master'

Everyone applauded and laughed. He slapped  Mark on the back again and said he must not fail to meet with him at the end of the reception. With that, he went away.

Everything soon ended. Mark and I decided to go for a walk after he had seen McGregory who hosted the ball. Some of the guests were already leaving.

When it was all over, we stood talking on the terrace. Scraps of a waltz played by a large children orchestra drifted down, and scraps of conversation too, from the people who were walking to and fro.

On the other bank of the little river there was nothing to see at all. A thick fog covered everything beyond the edge of the water.
From time to time something would make the fog swirl and seem about to part, but it never did.

An awkward silence engulfed the both of us. Mark, despite not saying anything, gave me signs with his body. He kept coming closer and closer until our bodies touched. It gave me goosebumps.

Despite promising me that there was not going to be romance of any sort, he was now doing the opposite. No he wasn’t, I berated myself, maybe I read shit into things.

We both sat staring vaguely out into the facade, and, for a time, we did not speak. The air was chilly.

“Mark” I said at last “Sorry I’m gonna ask this.”
“Go on. There is nothing bad in asking.” he replied immediately, indirectly telling me how bad he was itching to have a conversation with me.
“Are you what people say you are. Are you a billionaire?” I asked, a silly grin spread across my face.
He chuckled and at some point began to laugh. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Well I won’t hide that from you. Yes, I am” he said, tears had already gathered in his eyes from laughing too much.
Then it dawned on me that I wasn’t sitting there with any ordinary man. He erupted into another laughter when my eyes widened from the sudden discovery.
After that, he said he wanted to know me more. We talked for some time before another awkward silence enveloped us again.

My mood had gotten better during that space of time. It was well-spent, well, until things got more awkward.

We were that way until his gaze shifted from the façade and fell on me. I did nothing other than stare back, blushing. But as much as I tried to look away, I couldn't. He seemingly had a powerful, compelling force over me.
We continued staring at each other's lips and kept drawing nearer to each other.
I wasn't able to resist that force no matter how much I tried. He was slowly closing the proximity between us as his lips neared mine. I could feel the blood beat in my brain, and the wild race of my broken heart.
Then I suddenly looked away, and took a deep sigh.

'We agreed on this Mike' I gave him a sidelong look and he was still looking at me. I would never be able to forget the disappointment in his eyes.