The Billionaire and the Runaway Bride by Nadia Lee

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Declan

Aiden and I meet at Angelina on the top floor of the Aylster Hotel for drinks. The place has floor-to-ceiling glass walls, and the view is absolutely stunning up here no matter when you come, even on the odd day when it’s raining. And today it’s sunny and beautiful.

I make a mental note to bring Yuna here for a date when she can get free of her mom. She’ll love the food and everything about this place.

“So. Everything go okay with your assistant and the whole baby thing?” Aiden asks.

“Yup. Totally smooth. Yuna’s friend had twins. They’re cute.” I think about the babies. And how Yuna smiled when she held them. The memory does something funny to my heart. Just like the memory of what happened afterward does something to my dick.

But mostly, it’s the heart.

“Babies are nice when they aren’t your responsibility. Otherwise, no thanks. Do you know that newborn calves can walk on their own within an hour? Human babies can’t even shit correctly until they’re, like, two,” Aiden says.

“Someone piss in your Wheaties?” When he gives something this much negative energy, it means he’s unhappy about life in general.

“I just think human babies aren’t as adapted for survival, but somehow we manage to stay at the top of the food chain. No thanks to babies.”

Babies might not have put us on the top of the food chain, but they sure are great at making Yuna smile. So they’re awesome if you ask me. But Aiden’s in no mood to appreciate them, obviously. “Well, you’re just a ray of sunshine. You were in a much better mood yesterday. I don’t think it’s because Yuna and I had to leave early.”

“No.”

“So what’s going on? Some asshole judge deny a motion or something?”

“Ha! My opposing counsel wishes that, but he has a better chance of licking his own balls.” He takes a swig of his drink. “Nah, I just, you know…got stood up.”

I almost spew out my wine. “What? Why?” Aiden might not be movie-star handsome, but he’s still a good-looking bastard. And very successful. Ella might’ve tried to marry him if it weren’t for the fact that I would never let that happen to my best friend.

“It’s the most ridiculous thing in the world. We met, right? Hooked up, everything went fine. But then she found out I’m a lawyer. And she goes, ‘Oh I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. I want a normal person.’” He looks insulted. “Like lawyers aren’t normal.”

“At least she said sorry.”

“An empty apology. I won’t accept it. She has some weird bias against attorneys. She’s an…an attornist!”

“I’m not sure that’s really a word.”

“It sure as hell should be, to shame those who hate us.”

“She probably just had a bad experience somewhere along the line.”

He nods morosely. “She apparently got fucked over by some ex-boyfriend who’s also a lawyer.”

“Right? There you go.”

“Yeah, well, I got fucked over by an ex who’s a woman. You don’t see me swearing off women.”

I decide not to point out that he can’t swear off women because he doesn’t play for the other team. Probably wouldn’t make him feel better. “She’s going to be sorry she said that to you, especially when she needs a great lawyer in her corner.”

“Exactly.”

“You should just hook up with some other woman. Who isn’t one of those, uh, attornists.”

Aiden nods. “Thinking about it.”

“You do that. Cheer yourself up.”

“Right.”

Okay then. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah. I’ve got an appointment with a client who needs a lot of handholding over some intellectual property issues.”

“Isn’t that always the way?”

We pay for our drinks and start to get up. As he takes his card back from the bartender, he looks over my shoulder. “Hey, isn’t that your assistant?”

I turn around. “Where?”

“Over there.” Aiden gestures with his chin. Sure enough, Yuna is at a table in the southwest corner. An older woman with the same eyes and mouth is with her.

I really want to go over and say hi. But I don’t want to interrupt her time with her mother. I can always talk with her tomorrow or Monday.

I start to turn back to Aiden, then freeze when her mom starts flipping portrait photos. They’re large publicity shots. Impossible to miss.

Did she bring the hundred-candidate list?

Annoyance knots my gut. Actually, annoyance doesn’t really capture my feeling. It’s not exactly rage. That’s too one-dimensional, although it’s a lot like rage. But there’s also resentment. And jealousy.

Why isn’t Yuna throwing the photos back in her mom’s face and flipping the table over? Figuratively, of course. The table’s really heavy.

“I need to go over there,” I say. Screw letting her have time with her mom. I’m putting an end to this ridiculous matchmaking scheme.

“Your assistant can have some personal time off.” Aiden’s tone is chiding, which is ridiculous, because he works his paralegals like dogs.

“Not when her mom’s trying to force her to marry some asshole.” I spit out the words like broken glass.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“Well, okay, that is kind of weird. But what does it have to do with you?” Then he stops and gives me a penetrating look. “Ohh…”

“Shut up.”

“You care about her.”

“Of course I care about her.” It’s impossible not to feel something around Yuna. She has this magic that draws out emotions I’ve never experienced before. And I love it that she’s emotionally strong and capable of handling herself, especially against my shitty exes and Ella.

He’s still staring at me. “And you’ve slept with her. Well, well…”

“It’s called an adult relationship. When you get a girlfriend, you’ll know what I mean.”

I start toward Yuna’s table. A couple of Asian men with crisp black suits and earpieces move smoothly into my path when I’m about six feet away.

“I know her.” I point at Yuna. “I just want to say hello.”

They look at me like I’m a vagrant. Or some kind of stalker, which is insulting. Don’t they know who I am?

Yuna turns in my direction, does a double take, then says something I don’t quite catch.

The men immediately stand back.

I clear my throat smugly. “Told you,” I say as I walk past them.

The men give me identical blank looks. Maybe they don’t understand English.

Time to put on the charm and meet my brand-new girlfriend’s mom.

“What are you doing here?” Yuna says, her eyes wide with surprise. There’s a spark in them, too.

“Hi, Yuna. I was up here and saw you and decided to stop by.” I then turn to her mom and smile. “Is this your mother?” All innocent. That’s me.

“Yes. Mom, this is Declan Winters. Declan, my mother.”

“Nice to meet you.” Her mom extends a small, slim hand. A huge diamond winks under the lights. She doesn’t have a strong grip like Yuna, so I just give a slight squeeze before letting go. “The pleasure’s mine, ma’am.”

“We’re about to have dinner,” Yuna explains. “If you haven’t eaten, would you like to join us?”

Her tone is a little desperate. Whatever they were discussing before I interrupted them isn’t a topic she wants to go back to. I glance down at the photos. There are three of them. The one on the top shows a sharply dressed Asian man. Is he the number one marriage prospect from Korea? If so, her family could do better. The man looks like a lizard. A too-cool smile and even cooler eyes.

Meanwhile, Yuna’s mom glances at me, then Yuna, then back at me. Her dark gaze is assessing. Probably wondering if I’m as awesome as the top-photo guy. She should know I’m much more awesome. Warmer, too. Who wants to hold a reptile in bed?

“Sure.” My priority is Yuna. I take an empty seat next to her, and she smiles gratefully.

A waiter comes over and takes my drink order—vodka. A woman who’s been standing behind Yuna’s mom whispers something to the waiter.

“You aren’t allergic to seafood or shellfish, are you?” she asks me in excellent English.

“No.”

She turns back to the waiter and whispers some more. He goes away and returns quickly with my vodka.

Yuna’s mom waits until I take a sip before she starts her inquisition. “Mr. Winters, how do you know my daughter?” she asks in a neutral tone.

Guess Yuna hasn’t told her mom about me yet. Slightly disappointing, but most likely there was no good time. It’s not like Yuna can just blurt out, “I’m working and sleeping with one of the hottest men in Hollywood.”

An announcement like that is like the punch line to a joke. It requires a proper setup.

Still, I thought Yuna would have at least said something along the lines of how she met a hot-ass model turned actor, but maybe her mom’s spent all this time going over the hundred candidates and Yuna never got a chance.

“Please, call me Declan,” I say with a friendly smile. “Mr. Winters is so formal.”

Her mom’s eyebrows twitch, but she puts on a gracious mask quickly. “And you know my daughter because…?”

“She came to work for me. Still does. Work, I mean.” I glance at Yuna to see if she wants to add to this. Something about how we’re in a relationship.

But she doesn’t get the opportunity.

“Interesting,” her mother says. “She’s never done such work before.” Mild disapproval ripples underneath the smooth words.

What is this about? Does she want to know how good Yuna is? I thought the bet was between her and her brother, not her mother.

Anyway, if this is part of Yuna needing to prove her independence to her family, I can lay it on thick. After all, I don’t want her family telling her what to do. Or who to marry.

“I’m always surprised when I’m reminded of how little experience she has,” I begin. “She’s been invaluable. The best assistant I’ve ever had.”

Yuna beams. “Thank you.”

Yuna’s mom doesn’t look pleased. Not that she looks displeased. There’s nothing overt in her expression, like she’s done so much Botox she can’t quite move the small muscles. But I can tell she isn’t thrilled. It’s a subtle shift in her body language.

“Is that so?” she says. “But if you think she’s that good, her replacement will be even better.”

Her replacement? Did Yuna’s mom not hear what I said?

“Yuna has other obligations,” she adds. “She wasn’t supposed to get a job, and I apologize for the misunderstanding. But I know a good assistant isn’t easy to find. So I’m willing to have Ms. Kim take care of your needs until a permanent replacement can be found.”

Ms. Kim to take care of my needs? Who the heck is that?

“Ms. Kim’s been working for Yuna for a long time,” Yuna’s mom adds. “She’s one of the most capable assistants our family employs.”

Yuna says something to her mom in Korean. They go back and forth for a while.

Hopefully, Yuna’s saying how much she adores me because we’re dating. And her mom’s saying it’s wonderful because Yuna needs a good man in her life.

Okay, so their tone is a bit terse and staccato, but it might be a cultural thing. Koreans could always sound like they’re arguing, even when they’re praising something to the skies.

Should I speak up? Yuna probably doesn’t need my help. She isn’t the type to let people bulldoze over her, and she knows what she wants. She isn’t going to dump me to marry that guy in the picture… If she were the type to give in that easily, she would’ve never left Korea in the first place.

Suddenly, the Korean conversation stops. Yuna’s mother narrows her eyes at me. “You’re dating my daughter as well?”

“Yes, ma’am.” My voice is steady. So is my gaze. I’m proud to be dating Yuna, and I’m not about to hide it. I even add a smile.

For some reason, it doesn’t work its magic on Yuna’s mom. She doesn’t smile back. “I see. It’s best if you terminate the relationship.”

I almost choke on my own spit. Yuna gazes at her mom like she’s gone full Hulk. Well. Her mom is like the Hulk. Not the nice, controlled Hulk that takes photos with kids, but the really mean one that flips cars and smashes buildings because things aren’t going the way he wants.

“Shouldn’t that be up to us?” Who the hell does she think she is, trying to boss us around? If she cuts Yuna off, I’m going to support her one hundred percent and buy her all the dresses and shoes she wants. So go ahead! Make your best threat!

“Normally, yes. But you’re a celebrity.”

So she knows who I am. Guess Yuna must’ve told her during their Korean conversation. Which makes her reaction even weirder—in my experience, women love my fame. And the fortune that comes with it. Yuna’s family not being impressed with my money is understandable. But fame? That’s a valuable currency.

“If my daughter wants love, I can accept it up to a point. But a celebrity? That’s…” She stops. Her lips are pulled tightly shut. She isn’t at a loss for words. She doesn’t want to say more because whatever she’s going to say isn’t going to be nice.

“I assure you, ma’am, it’s my fame that’s going to help me treat Yuna to a nice life,” I say, doing my best to be polite. I don’t quite understand what her problem is here, but maybe there’s some cultural element to it. I’m not going to antagonize her until I know more.

“You could give up your fame today, and Yuna could still live like the princess that she is for the rest of her life.”

Yuna sighs, then finishes her drink. “Mom, that’s not the point.”

And I’m not going to live like an anonymous bum to make Yuna’s mom happy. “I’m pretty sure she prefers a man who has a purpose in life. And contributes to the world.”

“The contribution doesn’t have to be selling his face.”

Jesus. The woman isn’t going to give in. Now I see where Yuna’s determination and stubbornness come from.

“Why don’t we eat?” Yuna says as the waiter brings a gorgeously laid out five-tier seafood platter. “We can agree to disagree for an hour or so.”

“There’s nothing to disagree about.” Yuna’s mom’s voice says she’s correct and everyone who doesn’t acknowledge it is wrong. “But of course we should eat. It’s uncouth to debate universally accepted truths on empty stomachs.”