WOLF and the Runaway Heiress.

Chapter 03

RIO

It’d been a week since dinner at the house, and Liam was now back in town after a four-day business trip with his father and brothers.

Liam Reid was the youngest son of four in the Reid family. Harrison Reid was a business tycoon, and he was notoriously known for being ruthless within his industry.

It was no wonder he made Liam work for his place.

Being the youngest meant that Liam would be left with nothing but the name of Reid after Harrison stepped down, but that never stopped Liam from striving to prove his worth.

From late-night calls and last-minute plans cancelled because his father needed his help with something, Liam did it all without question.

To love Liam was to accept that he was running around all hours of the day for little to no recognition. He was so deficient in the family tree that Liam was never featured in family articles in the news or magazines. All they ever talked about was the eldest son taking over the businesses or expanding within the industry.

Because his father never truly accepted him fully, Liam was always pushed to the side.

This was why I made as many excuses and allowances as I did. I needed to support Liam as much as I hoped he would support me in my pursuits.

I was hoping that this would be a nice, calm romantic dinner for the two of us, but when I arrived after my interview with Shelly Daynes, the owner of Shelly’s Bakery, I found David and my bestie, Bree, already there waiting for me.

“Hey guys, what a surprise.” I schooled my emotions and approached with a smile and cheerful tone, while inside I was crushed.

I missed our alone time. I missed those moments where it was just us. His father wasn’t as demanding, and our friends had their own lives to lead. Lately, it seemed as though everything was closing in on us.

Or was it me getting cold feet?

“Babe,” Liam stood and greeted me with his trademark smile, his perfectly white bleached teeth catching the light just right.

If that ping sound could have been heard, it would have. At least that's what I heard in my head every single time he smiles. It used to make me laugh. I was wondering about the long-term side effects this may have on his enamel. Does it promote early tooth decay, or will it make his teeth bionic due to the chemical absorbency of long-term conditioning?

See. These are the random thoughts I mentioned earlier.

Shaking the thoughts away, I pushed up on my tiptoes and received Liam's awaiting lips.

“How did the interview go, babe?” He asked, pulling out my chair situated between him and David. Bree was sitting opposite me, also between Liam and David.

“I think it went well, to be honest. I should hear back soon.” I was beaming with excitement. "I really liked the vibe Shelly was giving off. I think we will work well together."

If I got the job, that is.

“Of course you did, did you bring her any of your incredible baking?” Bree giggled, taking a sip of her red wine.

“Not quite. She had me bake for her on the spot. I liked the pressure, and she loved the tarts I made. They were a fruit tart with a custard filling. So, I'm left feeling confident, but who knows. I know she was interviewing one other person after me, so we’ll see.”

I didn’t want to get too worked up. I needed to stay in a mindset of hoping for the best, but being prepared for rejection.

“Please, we all know you’re getting it. Don’t worry so much.” David chuckled. “You are probably the best baker out there.”

This time I laughed. “I doubt I am the best, but I can hold my own. Fingers crossed, the other applicant overmixes her batter.” I smirked.

“Ok, so I have a bone to pick with you.” Bree starts.

My eyes widened briefly.

“Oh? Why's that?”

“You didn’t tell me you were having a birthday wedding. Liam and David filled me in that, instead of you and your mum going on the month-long trip in like three months, you were going to get hitched instead. Why was I the last to know? I thought we were besties, Rio.” Bree put on a false pout to dramatize her point.

My body tensed at her words, and my eyes drifted over to Liam slowly.

Our eyes locked, and I knew mine was burning with fury. We had already discussed this, yet once again, Liam was trying to get his own way.

“Babe, before you get upset, hear me out.” Liam raised his hands in surrender as he started. “The resort I was talking about, they only have this one availability for the next two years. A wedding party just dropped out, and if we give them an answer now, it's all ours at half the deposit for the short notice. If we don’t, it could be years before we get a spot again.”

I could see his logic, but I wouldn’t back out of my plans with my mum.

“Liam, I get it. But if one couple drops out, who’s to say another won't later? I won’t break off my plans with my mum. We’ve been planning it for over a year, and it's important to me.”

“More important than us getting married?” Liam shot back.

I would usually back down when he got like this. I hated it when people stared at our disagreements because he got too worked up.

It always confused me. I had to adjust and be more mindful of my words, but it was okay for Liam to have these random outbursts just fine? Personally, I didn’t think my spontaneous thoughts were more embarrassing than his temper, but what do I know?

“Honestly, yes.”

The table went silent. Liam’s face fell at my words.

“It’s not that I don’t want to marry you, Liam. I won’t back out of my plans with my mum. If you loved me, you would understand the importance she holds in my life. We’ve been planning this for too long, and you and I have only just gotten engaged. What's the rush?”

Liam's jaw ticked for a moment before he let out a sigh and nodded his head slowly.

“You’re right. You had these plans long before our engagement, and I need to respect that. You should be with your mum and have fun. After we are married, you are all mine!” he winked, leaning in for a kiss.

“Yay! Mum and Dad are happy again!” Bree squealed like a child, nudging David, who just shook his head at her and finished his glass of wine.

“Speaking of mum,” David started to speak, changing the subject. “I have officially moved up from intern to assistant department head. I have managed to prove myself to her enough to become a paid man.” He teased.

“Like that's been a problem, Mister Flash-the-Cash. You live a life more lavish than I do.” I teased back.

It was true. I often wondered how David managed to do it. I knew the monthly allowance mum gave him wasn’t a large amount, yet David managed to turn it into gold every time.

At times, I worried he inherited his father's gambling problems, but Bree and Liam have both told me that David never sets foot in the casinos. He is exceptionally skilled at investments and managing his finances effectively.

Perhaps I should ask him for some tips, because while he stretched out five thousand dollars monthly and lived lavishly, I was drowning in bills. With baking expenses, car payments and keeping up with these three spending habits, I was barely ending the month with mere dollars in my pocket.

I needed to budget better, but it was hard with Liam, who was used to nice things, David, who lived like a king on an average allowance, and Bree, who also seemed to be doing financially well despite her modest upbringing. How could I be the only one struggling when I have a billionaire mother?

Don’t get me wrong, I had millions in my savings account, but I promised myself I would never touch it. I wanted to use it to start my own business; I didn’t want to rely on my mother to open it.

Every year, when she gave me money, I would squirrel it away and have a strict five-thousand-dollar monthly allowance transferred into my chequing account at the beginning of every month. That was it. No exceptions.

I watched as David and Liam had the waiter bring another expensive bottle of wine to the table, while I was still working on my water with lemon. I was never one for alcohol, but I didn’t stop them.

Looked like I was the designated driver again for the evening.

So much for a lovely, relaxing evening with my fiancé.

With a sigh, I finished my lemon water and signalled for another. I suspected I would be in for a long night.