Betrothed To The Cold Billionaire

I stood outside Grandpa Henry’s ward with Adrian by my side. We were waiting anxiously for the doctors that had rushed in to revive him. We got to find out from a nurse that he didn’t have any pulse so they were doing all they could to give him one.

I noticed how sweaty Adrian look. He had anxiety written all over his face. It was worse than the day of Grandpa Henry’s accident. He had a very fearful look like he thinks Grandpa Henry can’t survive this one.

I placed my hands on his as a way to comfort him, to let him know that I was with him while he held it tightly. No words were said but I noticed how he calmed down a bit. It seemed like he really needed it.

We stood there for a while before we heard the door to the ward opened from the inside. My happiness and relief was cut short when I noticed the sad and fatigued look on the doctor’s face.

No words were needed to tell us the outcome of the surgery. Adrian pulled out his hands from mine and rushed into the ward. The doctors did nothing to stop him, rather, they just gave way for him.

I followed behind Adrian and entered into the ward. There, I saw the once vibrant Grandpa Henry laying on a hospital bed and covered with a white cloth. Adrian drew closer to him and removed the cloth used to cover his face.

His eyes were closed and his face was very pale like he had been malnourished. Adrian crouched weakly next to him and shakily held his palm.

“Grandpa Henry…. it’s me Adrian..” He whispered.

“I’ve come to see you. Can you please open your eyes.”

“Adrian..” I called but he didn’t listen to me.

“No… he’s not dead yet. He can’t be. Right Grandpa? You’re not dead yet. It’s just a prank that you’re playing on me.” He muttered as he shook Grandpa Henry’s lifeless body.

“Adrian.. please stop. He’s gone.” I pleaded as I tried to get him off his body but he wouldn’t listen.

“No!! Don’t tell me that!! He isn’t dead yet. He can’t die yet. Tell her Grandpa! Tell her you’re not dead. It’s just a joke…. please open your eyes..” He pleaded with a very shaky voice.

“Just wake up. I promise to do whatever you want. I promise to always obey you. I’ll do whatever just wake up.” He pleaded profusely as tears dropped from his eyes.

Seeing him that way made me teary too. That was the first time I was seeing him cry this way. It made me really emotional that I crouched next to him and hugged him tightly.

“He’s gone Ariel.. he’s gone.” He muttered as he kept crying like a baby while I tried my best to console him. Through out that day at the hospital, mournful cries filled the air as a very important person in the most successful family in Miami had passed away.

************************************

~A few days later~

**At the cemetery**

“We’ve come here to lay down beloved one to rest. He was a father, a grandfather, a friend and a boss to most of us. He was a man loved by many but now, he’s going back to the place that he c…” The pastor was saying but I wasn’t listening.

All that was on my mind was Adrian. Since the day Grandpa Henry died, he hardly said any word. He only exchanged greetings and talked only when he was spoken to or he felt he needed to.

Since that day, he hardly showed any emotions. It seemed like he had cried his eyes out that day because right now, he was still putting on the poker face he had on.

A lot of people I have never seen before came to send him off with us. I guess they were part of his many friends and even business patners. Grandma, mom, dad, Hillary and even Sandy were here with us.

When family members were called out to give out their speech, Adrian decided to step up because for some reason, his father and aunt didn’t attend.

I guess they couldn’t bare to bury another family member after sending off Oliver and his father few days ago. All through Adrian’s speech, he didn’t falter neither did he cry.

He was well composed and didn’t even stutter once. After he was done, he recieved a round of applause from the audience before he came back to take his sitting position beside me.

Grandma gave out her speech too and she was crying all through. She had to stop halfway since we couldn’t hear what she was saying due to her cries. Dad had to help her leave the stage and Hillary completed the speech for her since she wrote it down on a small piece of paper.

Some other people came by and gave their speech and after, it was time to lay him to rest. The pastor said a few prayers before people were able to send him away for the last time. Adrian held my hand and pulled me along with him.

We got to where Grandpa Henry was laid in his coffin and I noticed how beautifully he was dressed. He didn’t look pale like he did at the hospital probably due to the intensive care he was given at the mortuary.

Unlike how I had expected, he didn’t even look like someone that had been dead for more than a week. He was dressed in the most expensive tuxedo with a very expensive watch worn around his wrist.

“I’m going to miss you a lot Grandpa.” He muttered with a small smile as he placed his flower on his lifeless.

“Me too. And I’ll make sure your great grand child would recieve all the love and care in the world, like you’ve always wanted.” I added as I placed my flower on his lifeless body.

“I promise to make whoever that did this to you pay dearly for it. As long as I am breathing, he or she will never walk about as a free person.” Adrian vowed. He gave Grandpa a last look before leaving with me.

After everyone had said their last goodbyes, he was finally laid to rest and the grave was covered back immediately. It felt so unreal to me. Grandpa Henry was fine. The doctor said the surgery was okay but he just passed away so mysteriously.

The doctors checked up on him severally when he was still alive but nothing was wrong. How could be suddenly stop breathing. Even though the doctors ruled his death as a sudden heart attack, something was really fishy. I could feel it but I just couldn’t say anything.

We just buried three of our family members and they already blame me for the death of one of them with is Oliver. They don’t care if it was self defence, all that mattered was that I was the one that pilled the trigger. I’m also still the suspect for Grandpa Henry’s accident even though it was caused by his own son.

I’m just waiting for the perfect time to let Adrian know about what I discovered. I can’t add more stress to the one he already has. I was still deep in my thoughts when I suddenly heard my name being called so I lifted my head up only to see some men in police uniform walking towards me.

“You’re under arrest Mrs. Ariel Montgomery for the murder of Mr. Henry Montgomery. You’re free to get a lawyer and if you don’t have one, well get one for you. Anything you say or do will be used against you in the court of law so I would advice you to just follow us to the police station quietly.” One of them said.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“What??”