A Son for A Billionaire novel Chapter 15

EPISODE FIFTEEN

Theme: Who ruined the cake?

(FLASHBACK TO TEN YEARS AGO)

WINSLOW, ARIZONA

GOLDEN HOTELS

Ivy stood in the hallway looking confused, not knowing where to find the event hall. She had dialed Emily's line several times but she wasn’t picking, probably she was still in church. While her eyes were surveying the environment looking for a way to the event hall, Ace was busy pressing his cellphone as he was pushing the cart slowly. He was too engrossed with his phone, scanning through messages of women asking when they would meet up and he wasn’t even paying the slightest attention to the cart he was pushing.

Ivy stopped walking to dial Emily’s number again, she stood with her back facing Ace. And without knowing, Ace bumped into Ivy while she turned to face him with shocked expression on her face. And before Ace could figure out ,what was happening the cake and wine was already falling down to the ground, Ivy tried to protect it but part of it dropped on her dress as she hit the ground too.

Ace looked down at cake and the mess he had caused due to carelessness and his jaw dropped immediately his gaze drifted on Ivy’s beautiful face.

Ivy was so embarrassed as she thought that it had happened again, something always comes up wherever she is..and what if her mom comes around now?! Fear clouded her system.

“Oh my God..I..am..am..am so sorry..” Ivy apologized as she tried to get up but sat back on the floor when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.

“Please..Please..forgive me..I should have been more careful..oh my God what am I going to do about that cake? The wine is so expensive..” She blabbed continuously.

Ace started to say something but stopped..he started again but stop again.

“Please..I am so sorry..but can..can you..please help me up?” Ivy asked Ace as she felt another sharp pain by her side as she rearranged the make up kits she bought as a gift for her aunt.

Ace swallowed hard as he snapped out of reverie after checking out Ivy. “Oh..okay..I am..am so sorry...Are you okay?” He helped her up and she pulled off her heels.

“Yes..Yes..I am fine.” Ivy answered, one of her hand held on to the gift bag and with the other hand holding her left side. “Oh..the cake..the cake..and the wine..it must be very expensive. I am really..sorry.” She stuttered.

“The cake is ruined but you don’t worry about it.” Ace said.

“No..I ruined it..and I am sorry..perhaps can I pay for just the cake because I don’t think I can afford the wine?” Ivy asked with a worried look on her face.

“Please don’t apologize, it is my fault.” And with just an impulse Ace moved closer to Ivy and began to remove creams from her hair.

He didn’t ruin just the cake and wine but Ivy dress and hair was stained with buttercream and cake crumbs.

Ivy stopped him. “No, you don’t have to do this...I will clean myself..it is fine.” She stepped away from him.

Emily dialed Ivy’s number when she got to the hotel.

“Do you have a party to attend here?” Ace Clark asked.

Ivy shook her head. “Yes..my aunt is getting married to-“ a beep from her phone interrupted her.

“Please excuse me, I have to pick this call.” She said and Ace nodded before she accepted the call.

“Ivy, I am really sorry..I was helping aunt Julia out at the church. And she even asked me to get the gift from the manager of the event hall we booked to her. Where are you?” Emily asked.

“I am in the hotel..but I caused a mess in the hallway.” Ivy replied.

Emily turned around only for her gaze to fall on Ivy’s back view. “Big sister!” She screamed forgetting that she was on call with Ivy.

Ivy turned and then she saw Emily who waved at her but was surprised at Ivy’s look. And she began to walk towards them.

“My sister is here. You work here right?” Ivy asked Ace.

“Yes..I work here.” Ace replied.

“Please who do I need to meet to pay for the cake? I can come around later to pay for the wine.” Ivy asked.

“Oh you don’t need to pay for anything, I will take care of it.” Ace replied.

“No..no..they will actually deduct it from your pay and I don’t want that for you.” Ivy countered.

If only she knew who the young man was, he could afford to buy more of the wine and hundreds of the cake.

Emily got to them. “Oh..look at you Ivy, what happened to your dress?” She asked.

“I just bumped into him carelessly and then..ruined the cake and wine.” Ivy pointed to the floor.

“Wait..isn’t this Aunt Julia’s cake? The hotel gave her as a gift...” Emily unlocked her phone and check the image of the cake aunt Julia had sent to her.

Earlier the hotel management had mailed the picture to Aunt Julia together with a congratulatory message. Mrs Tonia only asked Ace to take it to the hall when no one showed up to get the gift.

“Oh! It is really aunt Julia’s gift!” Emily showed her sister the picture.

Ace cleared his throat. “Actually I was asked to take the cake and wine to the event hall.” Ace said.

Ivy heart beat accelerated. “Oh no..no..what..do..I do..Emily?” She stammered with the fear that her mom would scold her if she finds out that she had ruined the gift meant for her aunt.

“Nothing can be done..you should clean up and I tell her aunt Julia...” Emily said.

“Oh..no..I can talk to the manager to get her another cake, please don’t let her know I ruined it.” Ivy eyes pleaded with her sister.

Ace just stood there surprised as to why Ivy was begging when it wasn’t even her fault that the cake and wine was ruined.

“Do you have any money to pay for the expensive wine even if you can afford the cake? Come on Ivy, I am pretty sure aunt Julia will understand you didn’t mean it.” Emily said.

“I already told her not to bother about it..and that I will take care of it since it was all my fault.” Ace said.

Mrs Rivera saw her daughters talking to one of the hotel workers when she walked in with Julia, her husband and some other guests.

“Julia, isn’t that Ivy and Emily?” She pointed at the girls.

“Oh that’s true, Ivy decided to come around..I am happy she showed up.” Julia said.

Mrs Rivera has to sneer at Julia’s words. “Wait..isn’t that cream on her face? Why is she looking so rough? I think something is wrong. Julia, please go ahead to the hall with your guests while I check out what is happening over there.” Mrs Rivera said before walking away.

And then silent fell in the hallways and all that could be held was Ivy sobs.

The bridegroom decided to step out of the hall when he didn’t see his bride arrive with the other guests. He saw his bride raising her voice at Ivy and so he decided to go to them.

“Excuse me ma'am, I actually caused the mess...It was all my fault.” Ace Clark said and they all focused their attention on him.

“Can you hear that?!” She said to Mrs Rivera.

“Darling that's enough! Don’t stay around here..the ceremony is about to start so let’s just go into the hall.” Simeon the bridegroom said as he held on to his bride’s hand.

“Are you okay Ivy?” Aunt Julia asked as she dusted off creams and cake crumbs from Ivy’s dress.

She felt Ivy trembling but Ivy did her best at holding herself up. Aunt Julia tried to hug her forgetting that she was on a wedding gown but Ivy dodged her.

“I don’t want you to ruin your dress.” Ivy sniffed without looking into Aunt Julia’s eyes.

More guests started to arrive making their way towards the event hall. “We should go now.” Simeon said to Julia.

“Ivy-“ Julia was interrupted by Ivy.

“I am fine..” she sniffed and wiped her tears. “I dropped by at the mall and bought the make up kit you have always wanted to have.” She handed the bag over to Julia but her aunt didn’t take it.

“No Ivy, you shouldn’t have gotten it for me” a tear stream down aunt Julia’s eye.

The make up kit Ivy bought was really expensive and most trending but ain’t Julia couldn’t buy it because all the money she had was put in preparing for the wedding. Ivy has saved up enough money from the minor jobs she did at neighboring towns who gave her jobs without knowing who she was in her own town.

“Can you accept the gift for her?” She asked the bridegroom.

“Sure.” Simeon took the gift bag from Ivy.

“Thank you aunt.” Ivy faked a smile before leaving the area at a close run.

She left without her heels and walked barefooted out of the hotel.

Ace Clark stood wondering what sort of family the young girl came from, a mother who treated her child like she was a stranger, a father who couldn’t caution his wife, a sister who couldn’t dare to defend her sister and an aunt who was angry that the girl let people talk down about her but willing to fight anyone and showing so much care for the girl.

He wondered why a mother would be so harsh on her own child, and not to mention calling her bad luck.

“Please is everything okay here?” Mrs Tonia asked as she walked to the area. Her gaze shifted down to the mess on the floor.

“Oh! The cake!” She gasped out.

“I am really sorry..please I am sorry.” Mrs Tonia apologized to the couples.

“No..it is alright.” Simeon said.

“Don’t worry, I will ask them to order for a new gift for you.” Mrs Tonia said.

Emily decided to walk out at that moment to find her sister.

“Thank you.” Simeon said before taking his wife away to the event hall.