Blind Billionaire Bride

CHICAGO, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA

TWO DAYS LATER

AT LINT CORPORATION

Ian stopped pacing the small area around the couches. “Cassidy, do you really think this idea is going to work?” He looked straight at Cassidy who sat on the small couch with her eyes glued to her phone.

“We just have to give it a try.” Cassidy replied with a shrug.

“Well, what if she refuses to come around?” Ian asked.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Then let us hope she shows up and everything works according to plan.” Cassidy looked up at him with a small smile on her face.

Ian walked back to the large desk. “That’s not the answer to my question. But it is alright.” He looked away from Cassidy and glanced down at Ria’s card on the desk.

“Go on and give her a call.” Cassidy urged him.

Ian picked up the card as he sat down on the swivel chair. “Do you know which of these numbers belongs to ma’am Elise?”

Cassidy nodded. “The first belongs to Miss Ria herself. The second is the home line and then the third number is for ma’am Elise.”

Ian dropped the card on the table again. “Why didn’t you just go straight and tell me that the third one is for her?”

Cassidy rolled her eyes. “Well, I was just thinking you might need to call Miss Ria someday.” She shrugged.

“That’s enough. This is going to be hard but I hope it works.” Ian sighed.

“Okay, I just hope she agrees to meet up with you.” Cassidy glanced back at her phone to continue the game she was playing.

“Yeah, I hope she agrees.” Ian dialed ma’am Elise number and she picked up on the second ring.

“Hello.” He said.

“Good afternoon.” Ma’am Elise voice boomed over the phone.

“Ma’am Elise…” His voice trailed off.

“Yes. Yes. Ma’am Elise is on the line.” She paused and continued. “Who is on the line?”

“Ian.” He looked up at Cassidy.

“Ian?” Ma’am Elise repeated in a low tone. She tried to remember where she heard that name last.

“We met at Ainsley-” Ian prompted her.

“Oh! Ainsley Hospital!” Ma’am Elise completed.

“Yes ma’am.” He mumbled.

“And you are the man that retrieved miss Ria’s purse from that thief!” She blurted out.

“Exactly.” Ian replied.

“Why didn’t you come and get a dress done for your wife? After all I gave you the business card for that reason and I was expecting you to give us a call.” Ma’am Elise said.

“Oh really? I am sorry for not calling ever since you gave me the card. And Mrs Elise-”

She interrupted him sharply. “Yes.”

“I.. I don’t have a wife.” Ian replied.

“Oh.. you.. don’t have a.. wife.” Ma’am Elise stuttered.

“Yes.” He nodded.

Cassidy moved from the couch to listen in on the conversation. “But… Mr Ian.. you should have aunts, sisters and female friends.” Ma’am Elise added.

“Yes.”

“So why haven’t you patronized us. Mr Ian, get a dress at our place and a trial will convince you.” Now the conversation is heading to another direction entirely, he didn’t call to have someone persuade him to get a dress.

Ian Bryant cleared his throat. “Ma’am Elise, I gave the card to a friend who wanted to make a dress for his daughter.” He took the cellphone away from her ear to whisper to Cassidy. “What was that name Mr Griffin told them?”

“Mr brown.” Cassidy whispered.

“Oh yes! Ma’am Elise his name is Mr Brown.” He informed her.

“Oh! Oh my God! You directed Mr Brown to our workplace! I didn’t know because he didn’t give me a precise name!” Ma’am Elise sounded excited over the phone.

“Yes.” Ian responded.

“Thank you, Mr Ian. We already gave Cassidy her dress the day before yesterday and she liked it!” Ma’am Elise added.

“Yeah I saw the dress too. It was stunning.” Ian furrowed his eyebrows when Cassidy shook her head.

“Wait are supposed to say that… No! It might blow the secret!” Cassidy mouthed.

“Mr Ian, thank you once again.” Ma’am Elise giggled.

“Go straight to the point now.” Cassidy mouthed again.

Ian turned on the speaker of his cellphone. “You are welcome. So ma’am Elise I was thinking of setting up a meeting for just me and you. I mean we really need to discuss some things about -”

Ma’am Elise cuts in. “Do you want to get a dress?” She asked.

Ian looked up at Cassidy who was now very close to his face. “This is not going to work.” He wrote down in a clean sheet.

Cassidy nodded. “It is going to work. Get a dress!” She said lowly.

“Yes ma’am Elise, I want to get a dress for–”

“Niece.” Cassidy whispered.

“My niece… yes my niece she is just nine years old.” Ian rushed out his words.

“Oh! That’s great! We make dresses for kids too.” Ma’am Elise coaxed.

“Go straight to the point now.” Cassidy jolt down on the sheet.

“And the meeting is not only about making a dress for my niece. We can talk about some other things too.. like business.” Ian read out what Cassidy had written down on the sheet.

“Business? Okay! I love that Mr Ian!”

“Yeah. So when should we meet up?” Ian asked.

“I am less busy now. We don’t have much work at hand.” Ma’am Elise replied.

“Can we meet now?” Ian requested.

“Sure. It is fine by me.” Ma’am Elise agreed.

“I work at Lint Corporation.”

“Lint corporation has many branches which of the branches should I visit?” Ma’am Elise questioned.

“The main office. Someone will be waiting outside to bring you to my office.” Ian answered.

“Okay, I will be there soon.”

“I will be expecting you.” Ian replied and she disconnected the call.

“The plans will work.” Ian sighed out loud when he dropped the phone on the desk.

“Yes, I just have to call Lauren and inform her I want to get a dress for Mia.” Ian leaned back in the chair and rubbed his temples.

“Please do so while I talk to Mr Griffin. I missed his calls earlier on.” Cassidy yawned.

“Okay. Please call me Ramsey.” Ian instructed.

“Sure.” Cassidy exited the room.

***************

IN RIA ROBERT APARTMENT

“Miss Ria.” Ma’am Elise called on her way out of the kitchen. No response. “Miss Ria.” Ma’am Elise called again.

Sometimes hearing ma’am Elise call out her name and how she talks makes Ria extremely happy. “Yes, ma’am Elise.” Ria answered from the couch she sat on trying to do her eye exercises.

Eye exercises is mainly meant for blind people to recognize things normal human could see. Ria learnt to recognize things when her parents enrolled her into a school for the blind. The teachers spent their time teaching the disabled how to do things on their own, how to read and write without anyone’s help. And Mr Nathan Robert had even gotten a private teacher to help his daughter identify things like visual images and some other things she needed to know easily. But Ria was a bit slow in learning how to do things on her own but with time she had managed to catch up. Then Madison Robert had thought her daughter how to identify fabrics. Clothes materials by it textures, quality, designs and most especially how to use the sewing machine.

The eye exercises and lessons has helped Ria learned to do things herself. She knows every part of the apartment, she can cook and find things easily as long as no one moved it from it initial place.

When Andrea died, Ria had to start going to stores herself. To be honest, it wasn’t easy the year Andrea died. It was a very tough year for her because Ria had to learn to do the things Andrea would do for her, like going to the grocery store and others. Most times she receives help from people as long as it wasn’t from a man. But one thing Ria couldn’t do was use the cellphone to relate with people online and advertise her business. It was Andrea’s job to look after Ria and the business but after she died no one was there to help anymore.

But all the same thanks to Andrea who helped Ria counts steps along the way, around the house, every angles and from their home to every regular places they always visit. Ria has taken notes of every steps in her head and a diary. And then after Andrea’s demise, Ria had to leave alone and survive.

Surviving. Actually, it is what Ria has been doing right since when she was born. It was a good thing she met ma’am Elise. She became Ria’s second Andrea, her eyes and her angel. Things got back to normal the moment Elise stepped into Ria’s life. She is a blessing. She has helped the business with her good communication skill that has brought more people to them. Ma’am Elise works as a babysitter and care workers at times aside Ria’s sewing business. To be honest, Ria truly doesn’t know what would have become of her if Elise wasn’t in her life now.

Anyways, Ria is always thinking that she wouldn’t have survived or maybe she would have had things in a harder way and who knows probably she would have given up on life. But all Ria could see in her life is that God has been so good to her. He always has this way of bringing good people into her life the moment she needs one but at the same time it is just so sad that they always end up leaving her behind-Death. So cruel! Taking away good people and leaving the bad ones to live on the earth.

And at some point, Ria started thinking if she was a bad luck. Perhaps a jinx. And over the years, Ria Robert has been trying to fight off this voice that keeps whispering into her mind that she is a bad luck.

“You are not a bad luck.” Another voice would say and Ria claimed it in her head and mind.

“I am not a bad luck.” And not only that, Ria had even compose, a rhyme from her mother’s words which she had taught Phoebe and Phoenix.

“I am a blessed child. I am destined to be great. I am not giving up on my dreams.” And lastly which she didn’t add to the rhyme she taught the kids. “I will never give in to the thought of suicide.”

Suicide? Yes, Ria has tried to commit suicide once when Andrea was alive after they moved to Chicago. Ria started feeling like she was a burden to Andrea because she worked two jobs at a time to fend for them. That day, Andre came in from work before Ria could stab herself. She talked some sense into Ria’s head and she never thought that her death would cause Andrea more trouble. Andrea was her angelic friend. An Angel in human form.

At this point, Ria keeps praying nothing bad happens to ma’am Elise, Phoenix and Phoebe. “Miss Ria, I am heading out.” Ma’am Elise said

“Huh?” Ria itched the bridge of her nose.

“I want to go out now.” Ma’am Elise repeated.

“Yes I heard you but you said that no outing this morning.” Ria replied.

“Yes. I-”

Ria interrupted her. “Ma’am Elise, are you seeing someone?” She teased her.

Ma’am Elise bursted into laughter. “Miss Ria, well I wish I am seeing someone. Anyways, I am not seeing anyone at the moment.”

“Okay, so where are you going?” Ria asked.

“Mr Ian just called. He wants to see me.” Ma’am Elise responded.

“Who is Mr Ian?” Ria questioned.

“Mr Ian? You don’t remember?” Ma’am Elise arched her eyebrows.

“I don’t-”

“Mr Ian is the man that got your purse back from a thief and the guy we saw at the hospital.” Ma’am Elise reminded her.

Ria furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Okay. But why does he want to see you?” She demanded.

“He wants to make a dress for his nine years old niece. And I think he doesn’t want to come here with her because of..” Ma’am Elise paused to study Ria’s expression.

“Me right?” Ria mumbled.

“I didn’t say that.” Ma’am Elise said in a low tone.

“Okay.” Ria shook her head.

“Can I go to see him?” Ma’am Elise questioned her as she packed few things into her handbag.

“Sure.” She forced a smiled on her face.

“I’ll go ahead.” Ma’am Elise walked closer to Miss Ria.

“Bye.” Ria waved.

“Take care.” Ma’am Elise gave her hands a small squeeze before she exited the room.