The Billionaire's Bundle of Joy

Chapter 3

RIZ

IT WAS noon, and I hadn’t eaten yet, but I couldn’t feel any hunger. When I reached the gate, the elderly guard asked me.

“Ma’am Riz, where are you going? Aren’t you taking the car?”

I shook my head and smiled sadly. “No, sir. I don’t know when I’ll be back, so I’ll just commute.”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded, and he sighed.

“Wait a moment; I’ll call you a taxi. Please wait for a bit, okay? It’s quite far from the entrance.”

He called a taxi, and after ten minutes, one entered the village. I thanked him and got into the car. The driver put my things in the trunk.

I only knew Paul’s name. I don’t even remember how old he is. I had too much to drink that night, but I remember how good-looking he was. I was smitten, and the next thing I knew, it was morning. We were in bed, and I had no clothes on. I felt tender as well. I had marks on my neck, shoulders, and other parts of my body that I covered with makeup to avoid anyone seeing them when I got home. That was over two months ago.

“Ma’am, where are we going?”

I thought hard and tried to remember the name of the company he worked for. I failed to remember the name, but I remembered the logo. I quickly grabbed a pen and paper and drew it. “Sir, this is where I’m going. Do you know where this is?”

He took the paper, looked at it, and scratched his head. “Ma’am, just a moment, okay? Because I have a lot of passengers already.” He thought for a moment and then suddenly snapped his fingers. “I know, ma’am! That’s Calderon Holdings. I dropped off an employee there yesterday, that’s why it sounds familiar.”

“Really?” I felt a sense of joy because at least I knew where to look for Paul. “Okay, sir. Let’s go there. Thank you.”

Our trip went smoothly, and although there was a bit of traffic, it was tolerable. When we arrived at a tall and elegant building, I was taken aback. Which department should I look for him in?

“Ma’am, we’re here. I’ll help you take down your things.”

“Okay, sir.” I handed him my payment, and although I wanted to give him a tip as a thank you, I couldn’t because I only had just enough money. “Thank you very much for your help.”

“Thank you too. Take care.”

After he left, I headed to the lobby, pulling my small traveling bag. The lobby looked fancy, and its interior was modern. There was a lot of silver and jewels to lighten up the place; even the fountains in the middle were impressive. It’s simply elegant.

When I approached the receptionist, I smiled at her. “Good afternoon, ma’am. I’m looking for Paul Gonzales. Is he here today?”

Her brow furrowed suddenly. “Is he new?”

I didn’t answer right away, but I didn’t let on that I didn’t know. “He’s been working here for a while.”

She checked the computer, her frown not disappearing. It was as if she had never heard of that name before. After a few moments, she seemed to give up.

“Ma’am, there’s no one here with that name. Are you sure it’s Paul Gonzales? I’ve been working here for the last five years, and I haven’t heard that name.”

I rubbed my neck in frustration. “Ma’am, if you don’t mind, please check with HR so we can both know if there’s no one here with that name.”

She looked at me. Maybe she felt pity for me, so she nodded and called HR. A few seconds later, she ended the call. “It’s confirmed, there’s no one here with that name.”

I felt like a candle about to go out. I didn’t know where to start looking again. “Thank you, ma’am. If someone comes here with that name, please give him my contact details. It’s important.”

“Sure, ma’am. There’s a logbook, and you can write down your name and number.”

After I wrote my name and number, I left the building. I didn’t know where to go. One thing is for sure: I am starving. I need to eat because my child and I are two now. I have to start looking for a job too. I brought my laptop, and I prepared my résumé a couple of weeks ago. I’ll just print a new one if this runs out.

I want spaghetti and ice cream. My cravings are weird, and I’ve only just started feeling this. Since there’s a fast-food place in front of the building, I went there. Pulling my bag, I walked over and ordered. While waiting, I checked my messages on my phone. To avoid wasting time, I searched for temporary accommodations. I can’t afford a hotel. I certainly can’t rent a house.

My head was aching trying to figure out how to stretch the money I had. If I did the math right, it might only last two months, and I’d have to be very frugal during that time.

“Here’s your order, ma’am.” He placed the food in front of me and took his leave.

“Thank you.”

I dipped the spaghetti in the ice cream and started eating. It was delicious. At least for a moment, my problems faded from my mind. I was about to take my third bite when someone stopped near my table. He was wearing an expensive suit. When I looked at him, I didn’t recognize him. I hadn’t seen this man before.

I wiped my lips with a tissue and slightly irritated that my meal was interrupted. “Can I help you?”

“Ma’am, are you Arizona Consigna?”

My brow furrowed. “May I know who you are? Do we know each other?”

He must have sensed my unease because he smiled slightly. It turned into more of a grimace. “My name is Rowan Bautista.” He cleared his throat as my brow furrowed. “I’ve heard that you’re looking for . . . Paul Gonzales.”

I could hardly breathe. Finally! Someone knows Paul.

“Do you know where he is?” I immediately asked him.

“Yes, ma’am. He asked me to take you to him.”

But suddenly, I felt doubtful. What if he was lying and didn’t really know Paul? He might just be making this up and wants to kidnap me. Forgive me, God, for thinking such things.

“Can I see your ID first before I go with you? I’ll send it to my friend so that if something happens to me, they’ll know who I was with.”

The man looked confused, then amused. Maybe he had never heard this before.

“I don’t mean any offense. But these days, it’s not good to trust strangers. I hope you understand.”

“I understand.” He did as I asked and handed me his driver’s license. The name he gave me was real.

After I took a picture of it and sent it to Reysa’s email, I felt more at ease. “Where are we going? Where is he?”

“He asked that I take you to his penthouse. You will wait for him there. He’s a busy man and spends a lot of time meeting with investors.”

I nodded and said I would just finish my meal. With every bite I took, he grimaced a bit but didn’t comment. Well, he can be disgusted as much as he wants. What matters to me is that my baby loves the spaghetti dipped in ice cream.