Blind Billionaire Bride

CHICAGO, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA

AT RIA ROBERT APARTMENT

Ma’am Elise walked in using her own keys. Ria ears perked at alert when she heard the door click but she relaxed after she heard ma’am Elise humming a solemn gospel song.

“Welcome back, ma’am Elise.” Ria greeted.

“Oh thank you miss Ria. Sure you are good?” Ma’am Elise dropped her bag on the couch.

Ria hummed a positive response. “I will be right back. Let me put this ice cream in the fridge so it won’t melt and the cake too.” Ma’am Elise made her way to the kitchen and came back almost immediately and she flopped down on the couch.

“How was your visit to see.. Mr Ian? Did you get the little girl’s measurement?” Ria asked.

“It was fine.” Ma’am Elise replied.

Ria shook her head and continued sewing while ma’am Elise watched her from where she sat. “Miss Ria.” She called in a low tone and Ria stopped the wheels.

“What is it, ma’am Elise?” Ria demanded.

Ma’am Elise cleared her throat. “Can we talk? No I mean.. we.. need to talk.” She stuttered.

“Okay, I am listening.” Ria wheeled the sewing machine again.

“No you have to stop the machine and listen to me.” Ma’am Elise said.

“Ma’am Elise, you clearly know that the owner of this dress is coming in two days time.” Ria reminded her.

“Miss Ria, I know but don’t worry we’ll finish up before that day. I just need your full attention on this discussion.” Ma’am Elise voice pleaded.

“Okay.” Ria threw her hands up in a surrender after taking the dress out of the sewing machine.

Ma’am Elise was silent. “So I went to Mr Ian’s office.” She was trying to find the right choice of words to use.

“Yeah, I know you are just coming from his office.” Ria leaned closer to the machine and rest her chin on her raised elbow.

“And guess what miss Ria?” Ma’am Elise sounded excited again.

“Ma’am Elise, I can’t guess anything. Please just go straight to the point.” Ria huffed.

“Okay! Well today, I found out Mr Ian is the son of Jack Bryant. And he is even the CEO of Lint Corporation.” Ma’am Elise announced in a raised tone.

“Good for him.” Ria replied. Virtually everyone know Jack Bryant owns Lint Corporation and the name is a big name in the country. Ria was surprised the man who had once saved her purse was a chief executive officer at a big company but it didn’t thrill her to know about it.

Ma’am Elise smiled dropped. “You are not surprised that the guy that retrieved your purse is the popular CEO Ian Bryant? He has just been listed on Forbes under the top 30 CEO section and he has million of dollars fortune!” She explained.

“I simply don’t care.. and I won’t even be surprised if his father owns the world or if he owns the whole of United State of America.” Ria replied.

“The world has no other owner than God and for now USA is partly owned by the president. And you also don’t care that he wants to make a dress for his niece?” Ma’am Elise demanded.

“Ma’am Elise, I don’t care if -”

“Ian Bryant offered to help you with the eye surgery.” Ma’am Elise blurted out her words.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“What?!” Ria gasped with her jaw dropping completely.

“Yes, Mr Ian told me that he is ready to pay your surgery bills.” Ma’am Elise rushed out her words.

Ria straightened up from the sewing machine. “Did he set up a meeting just to talk about me?” She frowned trying to imagine how the conversation must have happened.

“Kind of.” Ma’am Elise mumbled.

“Oh! So you discussed about me with that guy.” Ria said in a stern tone.

“No Miss Ria.. I swear I didn’t tell him anything other than the fact that you were born blind and Phoebe and Phoenix are your adopted kids.” Ma’am Elise stood up from the couch.

“Ma’am Elise -”

She cuts in. “I am sorry. But I just had to tell him.”

Ria sighed trying to control the fury within her. “Okay. Tell Mr Ian that he doesn’t have to foot my bills. I don’t need his help. And I would rather get a loan from the bank to get my eye surgery done.” She wasn’t happy that her trusted human had discussed about her with a man.

“A loan? No Miss Ria, we don’t know what the bank will ask for them to loan us such amount of money. Even if they loan us the money, how do you intend to pay back coupled with bills and rent on ground?” Ma’am Elise voice was calm. She knew the best way to talk Ria into accepting this offer was to be gentle with her.

Ria was silent. “I know it was wrong of me to talk to him about you. Please let us just accept Mr Ian’s offer since he is willing to help without a refund.”

“And that is exactly what I don’t want!” Ria screamed suddenly and Ma’am Elise jumped in fear.

“There is no man in this world that will give you one thing without asking for another in return! And I am not ready to give any man anything! I vowed never to put myself in a situation whereby I would feel obliged to do anything because I feel indebted to someone!” She yelled.

Ma’am Elise expected the outburst but it wasn’t at the time she expected it. “Yes I know… Miss Ria you ought to know that in the same way when people give you things it does not necessarily mean they want something in return.” She grabbed a stool and sat in front of Ria.

“Ma’am Elise…” Ria’s voice was low.

Ria realized that yelling at ma’am Elise wasn’t fair. She didn’t like acting out on this woman but she just can’t help it. Ma’am Elise noticed the tears at the corners of Ria’s eyes. Ma’am Elise knew why Ria was overreacting to what she said but talking to Ria in a gentle manner is the only way to win over her.

“I understand why you are rejecting this great help but-”

“Ma’am Elise, I don’t.. want to offend you. So please… don’t convince me to accept it. I don’t need Mr Ian’s help.” Ria stood up and she made her way to the bedroom.

“Miss Ria, please listen to me.” Ma’am Elise followed closely behind. “From what I have seen.. Mr Ian is good person.”

“And there is no good man in this world.” Ria said even as she tried not to miss her steps.

Ma’am Elise continued. “Remember your dreams.” She said in a low tone. “Your mother’s dying wish which is for you to fulfill those dreams of becoming a famous clothe designer.” Those tears in Ria’s eyes dropped down her cheeks but she didn’t stop walking.

Ma’am Elise swerved in her pathway and leaned closer holding Ria’s hands. “What will happen to those dreams if you don’t get a surgery done soon? Miss Ria, you waited this long and here is the opportunity waiting for you to embrace it. This is a miracle.” She said.

“No, my miracle shouldn’t come from a man.” Ria gritted.

“But this time it is from a man and you have to accept it.” Ma’am Elise replied.

“No.” Ria declined.

“Miss Ria, you have to accept this great opportunity. I know you want to say yes but that deep hatred in your heart is taking the best of you. That fear, those memories are holding you back but don’t let that make you lose someone you can’t replace. Don’t be too quick to push Mr Ian away.”

Ria shook her head in disagreement. “No. Ma’am Elise, you just don’t understand me. We can’t trust him. He is evil. He is not a good man.. he can destroy me.. he can ruin our lives.. he can.. he can..” She was trembling as her voice trailed off.

“Relax.. Calm down Miss Ria. I know how you feel.”

“No.. no.. you don’t know how I feel. I can hear him.. I still see him.. I still feel him everywhere.. I hate them all!” Ria screamed.

Ma’am Elise embrace her quickly. “I know what it feels to be abused and violated by a man. I know how you feel.” She said shakily.

Ria tried to make sense of her sentence. “I was sexually violated by my step father when I was thirteen. So I know what you are going through too.” She whispered.

Ria pulled away from her. “Your step father raped you when you were thirteen?” She asked.

Tears formed in Ma’am Elise eyes. “Yes he did. I couldn’t tell my mom about it because he threatened to kill me. And I was so scared of what he would do to me if I told anyone about it.” She answered.

“But.. you never mentioned it to me the day I met you on the bus.” Ria was surprise by the revelation.

“His threats has been holding me back and I had let go of that part of my life. My step father forced himself on me whenever my mom was away at work. She was quite busy as a doctor. I don’t want to remember those horrible days because I realized it would destroy me completely. And when I couldn’t take it anymore, I left home at the age fifteen and survived on the street. I begged for aims on the streets and I moved from cities to cities so my parents won’t find me. But my suffering ended when I met this woman, Mrs Hope. I explained my story to her and she took me in and raised me.” Ma’am Elise recounted her past.

“You.. You.. never saw your mom?” Ria cried.

“Never. I have no idea if she is still alive. Mrs hope succeeded in changing my perspectives about men and truly I found out all men are not the same. I learned to love.” Ma’am Elise said.

“Ma’am Elise, are you framing a story just to make me accept Mr Ian’s offer?” Ria was finding it hard to believe the story.

Ma’am Elise sniffed. “No.. Miss Ria why would I make up something like this? This is my story.. a part of me I always want to forget and I can’t lie to you.” Her hand reached out to wipe Ria’s tears.

“Ma’am Elise..” More tears streamed down her face as she held Ma’am Elise’s free hand.

“I know it is hard to change your perspective but let Mr Ian help us so we can fulfill those wonderful dreams.” She gave her hand a small squeeze.

“No.. ma’am Elise.. I am scared. What if Ian is just like Lucas? What if.. what if..” Her voice trailed off.

“Listen Miss Ria, not every man is like Lucas. I know you don’t like to hear it but not all men are evil. There are still good men in the world. Look at me, after my ordeal with my step father, I healed and got married even though it didn’t end well but I am still grateful for the good memories I shared with my husband.” Ma’am Elise said in a low tone.

“You are so strong.” Ria mumbled.

Ma’am Elise knew what Ria went through in Lucas den was more terrible that what she went through in the hand of her step father. Ria is physically blind, bruised, broken and scarred but ma’am Elise wished Ria would let go of the past and see the good that the future entails.

“Mr Ian could be one of the good men left in the world. So please let us give him a chance to help us. Don’t worry you will be fine.” Ma’am Elise hugged her.

“No man is going to ever hurt you again.. I swear it. I am here for you and no one will hurt you again. I promise.” Her soothing words comforted Ria until she calmed down.

“Okay. Thank you, ma’am Elise.” Ria sniffed.

“Is this a yes?” Ma’am Elise asked.

“Yes.” Ria embraced her again. She needed all the comfort this woman was offering to her.

“Should I call him?” Ma’am Elise requested.

“Yes.” She muttered.

Ma’am Elise withdrew from the embrace and led Ria to her room. A small smile broke out of her face because she was able to convince Ria to accept Ian Bryant’s help.