The Billionaire's Authentic Daughter ▶️

3 0 | J U L I A

"What's got you in that mood?" Jade asked as we both arranged a fresh batch of books on the shelves.

I sighed. "It's nothing."

"Julia, you know you can telling me anything, right? I know you find it hard to open up to people but I just want you to know that I'm someone you can trust with anything."

"I know, thanks. But really, it's nothing." I said dismissively.

"Alright, then I'll tell you what's going on with me. I have this friend in my college and she's really nice. I think I might like her. But then there is this guy who is after her as well and honestly I just find him very annoying. She'll be better off without him. And everyday I just feel like we both keep fighting for her attention. He also can't shut the fuck up. Such a chatterbox." During my time at the library when I was with her, I've come to know that Jade is quite talkative and an over-sharer. On the first day itself she told me about half of her life story. It was fine by me because she was an interesting character.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Aren't you in love with Braxton?"

"Of course I am. Who isn't? If he agrees I'll drop everybody else like hot cakes and marry him. But the thing is that although we are kind of close, I don't think he sees me like that. I mean it is kind of given because he works with so many beautiful women and in comparison, I'm nothing. Still, there's no harm in a little obsessive one sided love," she shrugged and then sighed. "When will he visit Mrs. Quinn next? When will I see him again?"

"Right, I never got the chance to ask but how is he related to Mrs. Quinn?"

"She's like a mother figure to him. She was friends with his grandmother and took care of him for most of his life after his mother passed away due to a plane crash. He's always been very close to Mrs. Quinn after that. She was good to him and cared a lot about him."

"I'm glad he had Mrs. Quinn. She's a warm person. Although I can't fully understand, I can still know how it feels like to lose a mom."

"Did you also lose your mom?" Jade asked softly.

I shook my head. "She abandoned me somewhere and was taken into a foster home before getting adopted. I don't even remember her. I was barely two years old."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I can't really bring myself to feel sad about a person I don't even remember. But I still need to search for her, for me. I want closure."

"Braxton is also searching for his mom," she said.

"Didn't you just–"

"I mean he's searching for his surrogate mother. He was born through traditional surrogacy because his dad's wife was infertile so technically his mother who died wasn't really his mother."

"Oh, I didn't know that."

"Of course you wouldn't. I don't think you are even his fan otherwise why wouldn't you know everything about him?" She threw a book at me and I caught it in time before it hit my face.

"I'm just not some crazy obsessive fan like you are. I don't know everything about the singers that I like."

"Hey! I told you I'm just a little obsessive," she said, keeping a small gap between her tips of her thumb and forefinger.

"Sure." I rolled my eyes and chuckled.

"Now are you ready to talk about what had gotten you so upset before?"

I groaned. "You had to bring it up just as my mood was getting better."

"Hey, I'm sorry but you'll have to face it sooner or later." We finished up stocking the new books and returned behind the counter. There weren't many people in the library today.