SEDUCING THE BILLIONAIRE

Chapter 16

“When I said somewhere private, I didn’t expect you to bring me to your house.” Audrey chuckled as the big, tall gate opened.
“I know you wanted to be somewhere where no one will post you and start attaching their own concocted stories to the pictures,” he responded as he drove in.
She looked out the window, admiring the place. It was not as big as Duke’s estate, but it was really beautiful. It had a homely atmosphere to it, and she liked that. Sometimes, mansions were too big that they ended up feeling like hotels instead of a home.
“Who do you stay with?” she asked him as he pulled over and stopped in the driveway.
“Alone, but my siblings and cousins come and go.”
They got out of the car, and he led her inside. The lounge area had minimal decorations with a black and grey colour scheme.
“Your place is really beautiful,” she complimented as she sat down, and he put the remotes in front of her.
“Thank you. What would you like to drink?” he asked.
“Am not picky. Anything will do.”
Even as he walked over to his mini bar, Jerome’s mind was still debating. Sure, he wasn’t really doing anything wrong and sure the marriage between Audrey and Duke was contractual, just a business transaction, but they were still married and perhaps it was wrong to befriend her, but he couldn’t help it. He hated how Duke was treating her and just wanted to be there, to assure her that she was beautiful just like that, her body was perfect, and her personality made her even more precious.
He truly didn’t understand why Duke was obsessed with the skinny ones, the ones who starved themselves, going on crazy diets and drinking weird concoctions just to maintain a thin body, some of them did not even look healthy, practically skin and bones. He liked his women happy and healthy, whether slender or thick and curvy, as long as the person was healthy and had a great personality, then they would get along.
He had tried to brush it off, reminding himself that Duke’s marriage or Audrey’s well-being was none of his business, but his mind just kept on drifting back to the matter.
He poured two glasses of wine and walked back to the lounge, handing her one as he sat next to her.
“So,” she took a sip “wow, this is really good wine”
“Thanks, I have an aunt who is in the wine business, she’s, my supplier.”
“she’s got great taste, maybe you should connect me to her, Duke has a collection for whiskeys and vodkas, but I think a win collection would be great as well…”
“Speaking of Duke, how are you two doing?” Jerome asked
“Ah ah, we came here to talk about your day” she redirected the conversation. The last thing she wanted was to talk about Duke and whatever shenanigans he was up to. “What had you stressed today?”
Jerome took a deep breath and sipped on his wine.
“It was just a sensitive case which came on my desk, I was ready to go all in, but the victim is reluctant to go before a judge and say what happened… I can’t really share more details because it’s a sensitive case and it’s still active, but it just frustrates me when the client doesn’t trust me to win it for them and instead of listening to me, they want to do things their way…. I mean I’m the lawyer, I’ve been doing this for a while... I know how to…” Jerome went on to vent without disclosing any confidential information and Audrey just sat there listening, sometimes people didn’t need advice, they just needed someone to sit there and listen to them vent.
.
.
By the time Audrey was getting back home the sun was setting, after Jerome had vented, they had started watching a new Netflix show and before they knew it, they were invested, even promising to only be watching it together so that they be on the same page.
She found the chef had already started cooking, and Lindsey was in her room trying to get her homework done. She said hi and told her to call when she was done so that she could double check and then went to her room for a shower. Duke wasn’t home yet, and she didn’t even bother obsessing over where he might be or what he might be doing.
.
“So, what’s the deal with that woman?” Connie asked, her hand on Duke’s chest, slowly caressing it.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. She’s so not in your league, and she’s not your type, so how did you end up married to her?” she asked
He may have made her sign an NDA, but there was no way he was going to tell her the truth.
“She was there for me when I felt like I had no one,” he answered, “she’s a really great person.”
“Are you having sex with her?” The pangs of jealousy clutched at her heart.
“If I was, I wouldn’t be here with you right now,” said Duke. He stretched out for his phone on the side of the bed and checked the time “damn it, dinner is at 8PM, I have to get home.”
“Are you serious?” Connie frowned “just skip it.”
“I can’t. It’s the only time during the week where I can catch up with my family.” Did he just consider Audrey family? Well, he was married to her, but it still struck him as odd, he always thought of it as just a business arrangement but in that moment he was realizing that he actually liked sitting at that dinner table and hearing all about how Lindsey and Audrey’s days went.
“Does she know about me?” Connie watched him pick up his clothes from the floor and start getting dressed.
“don’t even think about approaching her and bringing her into this,” he warned her “you signed that NDA for a reason. This is just between you and I.”
“I didn’t say I was going to tell her,” She pouted and crossed her arms “I just mean… Why do you even need her? I can make a great guardian for Lindsey if that’s what you’re worried about”
Duke highly doubted it, he was certain she would allow Lindsey to be all over social media trying to be an “influencer” or going out on silly dates with her classmates because it was a part of “growing up and exploring”  Connie had started attending parties with alcohol at 14 years old and started going to clubs at sixteen, whenever she talked about it she did not show any regrets and that was not the type of influence he wanted on Lindsey.
“Connie, I will not start thinking of a divorce when am in the middle of an adoption battle” he refuted the idea “we haven’t even hit one year in this marriage yet, I don’t want to bring such disruptions in Lindsey’s life.”
Now fully dressed, he went over to the bed and planted a kiss on her lips.
“I will call you later.” He opened his wallet and brought out £500, handing it over to her. “Go out for dinner or something.”
Connie grinned as she accepted the money.
“Thank you,” she pulled him closer, giving him another wet kiss before releasing him.
Connie was not broke, but she was no millionaire, far from it, and she would always gladly accept more money. The Lusaka socialite lifestyle was not a cheap one.
Of all the girls Duke had had flings with, she was now the last one standing, and that made her believe she was special. Perhaps he was in love with her. She had tried to look into Audrey and was very disappointed, especially when she saw that she wasn’t even on Facebook or Instagram anymore. What kind of billionaire’s wife lives under the radar away from the spotlight? Clearly, she did not know how to utilize the great opportunity that had been given to her.
If she were Duke’s wife, they would be living a different life, spending more time in the spotlight.
She sighed as she put the money in her purse. She just had to be patient. Once the adoption issue was over, then surely Duke wouldn’t mind getting rid of his wife. If not, she would just harass and frustrate her until she gets fed up and leaves on her own.