Saving Brownie | ✔

Chapter 28 : It's All About The Money

"Oh my god, I'm going to sit in a Mercedes! That's so cool!" I gushed while putting on my black shades and sat inside the car (with my legs crossed), pretending to be a high class woman.

"We didn't ask for this, it's Robert who sent. We just asked for a normal car," Ian pointed out and Clark scowled, nodding in agreement.

"Robert who?" I asked, thinking he was perhaps their manager.

"The old man who took Clark in and passed on his million dollar company to Clark."

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold on." My eyes widened. "How did he . . . I mean why did he pass his company to Brownie?"

"It was because---"

"Mind your own business Georgia," Clark interjected and I pouted in dismay.

"Come on, I already know so much about you. Learning more wouldn't hurt," I reasoned out and Ian seemed to agree with me.

"Fine, but not when I'm here," Clark grumbled and I raised my eyebrow.

"Why?" I whispered to Ian who was driving the car. I was seated in the passenger seat [which was after much fight with Clark], who was then forced to sit in the back seat. "Why Ian?"

"Clark is a simple guy and doesn't likes himself to be called the 'CEO' of the company. He thinks that since Robert just passed on his company to him, it doesn't rightfully belong to him. But he was the one who brought the worth of the company from a few millions to now a billion, you know? The company is still growing rapidly and it's solely because of Clark," Ian explained and my lips curled upwards in awe.

"That's very impressive, but why did Robert pass on his company to Clark? Didn't he have a heir to his company? Why---"

"I'm right here," I heard Clark's voice from the back seat and I turned around.

"Aww, I almost forgot about you. Who are you anyway?" I mocked him and he rolled his eyes.

I knew he was a billionaire and a little more than that after what Ian said, but I was still curious. This 'rich' world always fascinated me. I wasn't poor or rich, maybe somewhere in the middle. After mum had gotten pregnant with my brother, her family didn't really approve of her relationship with my dad. So, my mum left her house, moved into town with my dad's family [who were really very supportive by the way] and raised the baby.

My mum had her enormous college fund in the bank, so she proceeded with her medical studies while simultaneously being a mother. A year before I was born, they married. Initially, they struggled a lot, but after mum and dad got their jobs, life became easy.

Their promotion came by steadily and soon we could afford all sorts of luxury. With my mum excelling in her field so much that she was awarded, we moved into a bigger house. Every vacation we went abroad, almost every week we dined at fancy restaurants, mum went on shopping sprees and . . . Fine, we were really rich, but not millionaire or billionaire rich! My family was rich, but I was broke as fuck. My parents didn't give me much allowances.

"Why are you so off ever since we arrived here?" I questioned Clark and I was met with silence for a few minutes.

I cleared my throat awkwardly in an attempt to break the weird silence and Clark admitted in a low voice, "London brings memories."

"Oh." I remembered Ian narrating to me about Clark's past. About how he was an orphan and how a stupid cheating bitch had left him at their wedding day for some other ass. But Clark was just twenty-two and marriage did seem a little early. I wondered if that was the reason why the girl left.

Nah, who would leave this deliciously handsome billionaire? She was really just a stupid bitch.

"Why this disguise now though? Are you really very famous? Do people here recognize you immediately?" I continued to stick my nosy little self into his enigmatic life and I could see Clark's jaw clench in annoyance.

"Later, George. You'll eventually know everything," Ian said gingerly and I averted my gaze at him.

"Okay, well, so just one last question please . . . " I begged and Clark let out a breath. "Okay, where are the hell are we going?"

"To the hotel," Clark replied curtly and I frowned.

"One more question, do you guys not own a house here?"

"We do actually, but we thought that when your father asks you about where you're staying, you can tell him about the hotel so that he doesn't feel uncomfortable of the idea about you staying at Clark or my place. However, after we make arrangements, we'll shift into the house," Ian elucidated and I smiled gratefully.

"That's very thoughtful of you!" I exclaimed and Ian pulled over in front of a posh looking building. My neck would break if I had to count the number of floors this tower had. It had huge balconies with aesthetic looking plants, almost everything was made out of crystal clear glass and smooth staircase led to the princely entrance.

"Here we arrived," Ian announced and I clasped my hands in glee.

Clark flashed me his 'really?' look to me and I said indignantly, "What? I'm weird and still a kid anyway! Plus, I'm poorer than you both."

We all got down and entered the lobby of the grand hotel. There was a typical gold chandelier suspended from the ceiling and the floor was spotless without a speck of dirt on it. The flooding lights made every item of furniture look like glittering jewels. The plush, comfy sofa made me want with luxurious velvety texture made me want to just doze off on it. There were paintings of naked asses, boobs and weird shaped dangly bits on the walls, which I tried my best to ignore. But even they seemed magnificent under the lights. 

"We have booked two rooms under Clark Brown and Ian King," Ian said politely to the lady receptionist who had copper coloured hair.

I strained my ears, did I hear him properly? Only two rooms?

"Oh, so you and Ian are sharing one room. Why though?" I asked Clark, but he didn't reply.

The receptionist smiled and looked at the computer. "Ah, yes. One single deluxe room under Ian King and one double connecting deluxe rooms under Clark Brown."

"Wait, what?" I shot him an incredulous look.

"Here are the single deluxe room keys, he will take you there sir," the receptionist said to Ian while ignoring my presence and pointed at the bellboy and two more attendants.

Ian just nodded, but didn't move until Clark said, "You go, I''ll see here."

"What is going on?" I whipped my head in confusion as Ian just smiled awkwardly and left with the bell boy.

"The keys for double connecting deluxe rooms are here sir," the receptionist said and handed the keys to another group of three attendants who were supposed to lead us to Clark's room, but where was I going to stay? The receptionist mentioned double connecting rooms, so I had to stay with Clark? No way! But why?

"You're going to stay with me," Clark confirmed and I shook my head.

"Is that your child?" the receptionist lady suddenly said, pointing to a pram that was near me, with a chubby little baby.

"What?" Clark and I muttered in unison and the receptionist looked at us with wide eyes. She realized that she was wrong when the mother of the child pushed the pram away.

"I'm sorry sir and ma'am. It's just that connecting rooms are normally occupied by couples with babies," she said sheepishly, secretly enjoying getting us embarrassed.

"We're not a couple!" Clark and I exclaimed in unison once again and then we both stared at each other.

"Oh." That was all the receptionist managed to say as she continued to apologize.