ESCROW RICHARD BLOOD LINE

CHAPTER FIVE

Richard did not have it in him to get mad at his wife. He knew she would never intentionally keep such important news that meant the whole world away from him without any reasonable reason. “I can explain babe, I was going to have the conversation with you this morning. But, there was the call and you leaving in a hurry. That is why I stayed up waiting for you, with a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling wine and a sexy lingerie on the side.” She twirled around in an awkward circle, her beige baggy night wear floating in the air. Her attempt to bring a smile to his face worked perfectly.

Richard took his wife's hands and engulfed it with his, his stare intense and filled with appreciation and love. “Now that I know about our baby, everything will be okay. I'll walk with you all through, never letting go of this hand.” She chuckled lightly before wiping the tears that stained her cheek. “You will be the best dad in the world.” She teased before placing a kiss on his lips.

He removed his baggy suit jacket, his mind trailing back to the conversation he walked in on. “I overheard your conversation with your mum. I think I can help you with the bid.” He proceeded to unknot his tie, his shoes going off at the same time. “I got a job at Bigger Sons Tech today.” There it was, the brewed up lie. It came out with ease and without a hitch. Sierra squealed with delight as she hugged him from behind. “Congratulations baby!.” She whispered behind him, her hands gently kneading his tensed up shoulder.

“Let me teach you the ABC's on how to place the bid. I heard some office workers discuss the bid and the guidelines to follow.” Sierra seemed skeptical at first, but after a while of convincing her to let him be her coach, she finally gave in. Richard had secretly decided to help her become CEO. It was time to make a grand comeback and retrieve all that she had lost.

“Shall we, baby daddy?” Sierra hopped on his back, blowing feathery kisses behind his ear as they both made way downstairs. The next morning, Richard quaffed down his meal hurriedly and exited the house like every normal day. But today, was a different ball game all together. He did not go job hunting or join the long Que of applicants, he was headed to a segment of his company, to meet with Butler Theo. “Young Master, you look… stunning.” The evident sarcasm in Butler Theo's voice could not be hidden as he jabbed at his funny attire.

This suit was his trademark, recognized by his haters and foes, who interpreted it as his permanent relationship with poverty. He had to fool them until the very end. They had brunch at Restaurant D'Liver, one of the famous croissant stores on Down Street Abbey. Richard had a taste of the goodies and relished on its crunchy texture. Butler Lee was lactose intolerant and mild signs of diabetes in his defense when Richard offered him the piece of heaven he savored.

“I need you to look into something for me.” He said to the Butler, who was at his beck and call. “What could that be, young master?” He replied. He was now, at full attention, waiting for Richard to speak. Richard cleaned the crust from his lips, drank a healthy gulp of his iced Americano before speaking. “The bid for Bigger Sons Tech should be given to Sierra Devon, my wife. It should be a sure pass.” Sierra was very reliable and experienced in the world of tech and its subsidiaries. She just needed a platform to thrive and as her husband, he made the grounds leveled for her to walk on with ease.

“That won't be a problem, young master. Consider it done.” The butler responded. The rest of the day went in a haze, Richard felt exhausted in a good way from the day's task. He walked in on his wife cooking in the kitchen as she swayed her hips to the somber music playing in the background. Richard snuck in on her and enjoyed what he saw. “You should become a professional dancer, you know?” He teased and was rewarded with a startled Sierra, who obviously did not hear him come in.

“When did you return, babe?" She asked as she came to give him a full hug. The baby bump was barely visible and could not be felt from the thin fabric she put on. But he knew his child was in safe hands, growing with each passing day. How was work?" She inquired from him, and for a moment, he was tempted to inform her of the truth.

Her phone rang at that moment, “My mum.” She mouthed out to him before picking up the call. “Sierra Devon what the hell have you done child! How dare you place the bid without consulting the family. We are all doomed! Doomed, I tell you. Wait until your father hears this, he will go berserk with madness.” She blew hot through the phone, rendering Sierra speechless.

Richard interjected, not afraid to speak up and defend his wife. It was his idea, after all. “It was not her idea, mother, it was mine. So if you are enraged, blame it all on me.” Richard threw his mother-in-law unbalanced with his words, he could already picture her face taking the color of an overripe pumpkin. “How dare you, you son of a nobody!!.” She growled out loud, her anger palpable. “Mother, let's make a deal that will put you at ease. If Sierra looses the bid, I'll leave her and walk out of her life without putting up a fight.”

Sierra looked at him in disbelief, his words completely unacceptable to her. “What are you doing?" She whispered to Richard, who already had his A game out and in play. “But if she wins the bid, you will hand over the CEO position to her and leave us be.” He sounded so confident and sure of himself, which garnered a loud laugh from Lady Carolina.

“Deal. The family and I will come visit tomorrow. Let's all hear the news of the bid together.”  She replied to his bravado like he was a child playing with fire.

The next day, they all converged at his house, ready to chew him out in his house. Richard held it all in, there was no need to overreact to trivial matters. It was only but a matter of time before their day of reckoning came.

“Let's be done with this debacle and leave this stench of a place. Shall we?"