The Billionaire Who Saved Me

“So you came this afternoon just to tell me that you won’t be able to come home this weekend?”

At that time, when the sunlight had begun to fade, Elice took the opportunity to stop by Wilda’s house. It was a simple one-story building, almost adjacent to the neighbors. There was only a small multifunctional courtyard. It served as a place for Wilda to tend to some of her favorite plants and also to dry clothes.

“Yes, Mom. You could say that. I’ll be working overtime tomorrow, so I thought I’d go straight to my apartment.”

Living in different places was not the ideal solution for Elice. But circumstances forced them to. The current location of Wilda’s house was quite far from Elice’s workplace, so she lost valuable time just commuting. Not to mention fatigue. So, despite the difficulties, the decision was made.

Elice was reluctant to part with Wilda, but at least she felt reassured. Wilda didn’t live alone, she had someone with her.

“Overtime? It’s not usual for you to work on weekends, Elice. What’s going on?”

Walking through the cool living room, Elice saw a middle-aged woman who bore a slight resemblance to her mother. Not surprising, considering she was Wilda’s own sister, Rita Russell.

“There’s an impromptu interview, Aunt. My colleague was supposed to go, but she had an accident. So, I happened to be free and was asked to replace her.”

Rita nodded. “I’m sure Hollis was happy to have you working overtime.”

Elice laughed as she continued walking. She was thirsty and the thought of cold water from the refrigerator was irresistible. She hurried to the back.

“He’s not as ruthless as Auntie thinks,” Elice said. “In fact, he’s kind, just like Mom said.”

Rita’s eyes rolled dramatically. She chose to sit at a large table in the kitchen where various snacks were spread out. Wilda joined her.

After quenching her thirst, Elice joined her mother and aunt. She smiled quietly as she watched Wilda and Rita skillfully and quickly place various snacks into a cake box, along with a packaged drink.

Elice smiled in silence as she watched Wilda and Rita, who seemed absorbed in preparing the snacks. A sight that inadvertently drew her attention to the past. Where six months ago they had bravely moved to Ashford City. Armed with the money from selling jewelry, Elice tried to build a life there.

Fortunately, there was Rita. Wilda’s sister, who had decided not to marry, welcomed them with open arms. She invited them to stay and they decided to start a catering business. It was small, but at least it provided them with an income.

Meanwhile, Elice seemed to be under the auspices of the goddess of luck at the time. At an event Wilda attended, Elice met Hollis Brook. Wilda’s high school friend, who was currently serving as a manager at one of the largest magazines in the business and economics category, especially regarding the names of young entrepreneurs in the country. Known to the public under the name Metro.

Not only involved in print media, Metro was also known for its private television station called Metro Channel. This channel, once again, focused on the world of business and economics. Although in reality they also presented other aspects such as health, politics, sports and other hot news.

Long story short, Metro Magazine, which was one of the subsidiaries of Metro Group, is where Elice found shelter. She held the position of an editor, although in the field, Elice’s job sometimes evolved. Not just an editor, but sometimes an impromptu writer or even a makeshift beverage maker. The most recent addition to her role was as an impromptu interviewer.

“Anyone who gives overtime to his subordinates must be a cruel boss.”

Rita responded to Elice’s words as she set aside a box of cakes that she had taped shut. Of course, this was met with Wilda’s laughter.

“Didn’t you hear what Elice said earlier?” Wilda asked as she placed a rolled omelet in the cake box. “Her colleague had an accident, so Elice had to replace her, whether she wanted to or not.”

Rita scoffed, looking indifferent. “And it just so happened that Elice was the one to replace her.”

“Because I happened to be the one available. All my friends already have their own plans for this weekend. And yes… it seems that this weekend is a busy day for all of us.”

Elice’s long explanation made Rita stop her work for a moment. She looked at her niece, then smiled and shook her head.

“If tomorrow is indeed a busy day, make sure you bring some home-cooked food. Don’t forget to eat.”

Elice knew. Behind Rita’s sometimes blunt attitude, she was a good aunt. She even made sure that Elice always brought food after her visits.

“Of course, Aunt. I wouldn’t turn down delicious free food.”

This acknowledgement immediately led to bursts of laughter, without exception.

*

When Elice arrived at her apartment at nine in the evening, she immediately placed the food in the kitchen. She kept it in the refrigerator, remembering that she had already eaten with Wilda and Rita before going home.

Living alone, Elice rented a simple apartment. It had only one bedroom, a living room, and a dining room off the kitchen. It seemed small. But at least it was a comfortable home for Elice.

After taking a shower and putting on short-sleeved pajamas, Elice didn’t rest right away. Instead of sleeping, she opened her work bag. Only to pull out a folder of questions to be asked at the introductory conference for Pacific Energy’s new spear.

Elice had already studied the ins and outs of the company. But of course, there was only one thing that caught her attention now: Garrett. Thanks to Freddy, Elice now felt really uneasy. She kept checking her phone to make sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her.

“Is it him?”

Elice wasn’t sure. But as she looked at several more photos, her uncertainty slowly faded. Gradually disappeared. Replaced by a look of disbelief.

“I-is it really him? Garrett from that night…”

Even Elice couldn’t finish her own sentence. The phone slipped out of her hand. A low growl caught in her throat.

“How is that possible?” Elice asked herself. “How could he be Garrett out of all the people in the world?”

As much as Elice wanted to question this, she became even more perplexed. Why did fate work this way? Kylie should have come, right? But she had an accident. So the task fell to her.

“Argh! How can I interview him? How?”

At that moment, Elice felt like going back in time. Not far, just back to this afternoon. When she had caught Yonna and Neva gossiping about her. If she had known it would turn out like this, she would have gladly swapped tasks with both of them.

But it was too late. Elice knew that. She couldn’t retreat. And that made her try to strengthen herself.

“It’s just a normal night for a couple of mature woman and a man. And I’m sure he must have forgotten about me.”

Elice decided to just sleep. She needed rest. And she had to be at her best the next day.

Of course. He must have forgotten me. So… everything will be fine.

*

In the evening, Elice was already prepared. In a semi-formal outfit dominated by black and white. A safe color combination for such an event. Although, of course, Elice’s sense of style managed to dispel the impression of a saleswoman.

The straight cut basic pants were complemented by seven-centimeter-high heels. This made Elice’s slender legs look taller. It looked fitting.

The blouse with semi-puffy sleeves was adorned with a beautiful ribbon around Elice’s collarbone. It was made of smooth satin and had golden buttons that shimmered in the light.

For her hair, Elice deliberately tied up her wavy hair. She didn’t want to risk feeling hot later. Of course, she adorned the modern bun with a cute hairpin on the side.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Elice was ready, physically. But mentally? She tried a thousand times to stay calm.

“He can’t possibly know you, Elice. It’s impossible.”

Considering Garrett’s background, at least this lesson seemed almost logical to Elice. Wasn’t it common for upper-class men to have one-night stands? And the next day they would immediately forget what happened.

That’s how it was, by the time Elice’s car came to a stop in the area of the Fullman Batavia Park Hotel, she already felt calm enough. Freddy’s presence with her made the situation even more manageable. His friendly nature easily calmed Elice.

Elice and Freddy entered the hotel conference room where the event was being held. First, they had to show their invitations, a mandatory requirement to attend the event. A waiter directed Elice and Freddy to their seats, right in the front row. A special place, considering that they were representatives of Metro.

While waiting for the event to begin, Elice suddenly found her body shaking again. Trying to remain calm seemed futile. Oddly enough, Freddy said something different.

“For a rookie who gets such an assignment right away, you look really calm, Elice. Really. You really amaze me.”

Elice swallowed hard as she tried to keep a smile on her face. Whether Freddy was lying or telling the truth, she wasn’t sure. Because, oh my! A moment later, Elice could feel sweat forming between her fingers. And that was when the main character of the conference entered the room.

Freddy stood up; camera ready. He apologized briefly to Elice and immediately began his task, focusing on the new face of Pacific Energy.

The man walked in a tall figure across the red carpet on the floor. He appeared calm and collected, his eyes looking straight ahead. As if he did not care about the camera flashes that accompanied his journey. Perhaps he didn’t care about a woman who seemed to freeze at his arrival.

Elice held her breath. This time her hands were clenched. Now everything was clear. He was indeed the man from the night before.

G-Garrett…

Elice didn’t know what kind of coincidence was happening at this moment. What was certain was that she now felt as if the earth had stopped spinning. She no longer seemed to care about the list of questions she had to ask Garrett. Even more, Elice wasn’t sure if she could speak in front of Garrett. It was a daunting task.

But it wasn’t all that difficult yet. Until Garrett stepped onto the podium with a microphone in his hand, a moment that made Elice realize that her thoughts were wrong.

Just as their eyes met, Elice noticed a look of surprise in Garrett’s eyes. And Elice was sure. He still remembered her.

Garrett.

*