There are many forms of apology, but none beats a sincere admittance forged from the bottom of one's heart.
And in complete honesty Billion had made amends for his mistakes and all he was asking for, was forgiveness.
But how do one cope when they are trying to mend fences and the other party is stonewalling?
After endless hours of tossing and turning in bed, Billion let out a relieved sigh when the dark hues of the night began to fade.
It was a brand new dawn, one that carried an untrodden weekend, and what better way to start it than a jog. So at the onset of daylight, Billion pulled on some warm clothes and went for a run.
Flustered with his contending emotions, Billion left the estate without his bodyguard as he needed not to only relieve his pent up anger but some time alone to reason freely.
The crisp freshness of the breeze caressed him while he jogged through the never-ending rows of blooming trees, but not even its balming coolness could calm Billion's raging mind.
Without an ounce of doubt Billion knew Emery Hamilton was the main object of his throes, but he had a more messier quandary on his plate at the moment.
Only a DNA test will prove whether Ryan is your son or not.
Billion nearly tripped over his own foot when Luciana's words came at him, but he caught himself before he could kiss the paved street and picked up his pace.
After their coffee date, weeks ago where everything went downhill, Billion had been procrastinating his next meeting with the woman and the child he might have fathered.
Indeed they were both immersed in last year's new-year spirit but Billion never ever takes the trip without protection. No matter how drunk he may be.
Hence Billion's near heart attack when Luciana confessed to him that she had reasons to doubt her nursing son was her fiance's.
The news had robbed Billion of speech and he had been in great denial to the extent of arguing with Luciana and storming out of the coffee shop.
After that evening, it'd been sleepless nights of calculation and though Billion knew there was a ninety percent chance that the boy wasn't his son, the ten percent lapse made him question everything.
Running for minutes on end, Billion's breath began to grow shallow, a sign from his overused lung and heart to slow down, and this time he yielded to the warning.
Sucking in lungfuls of breath, Billion scanned his environment to make sure he hadn't gone off his usual trail and once certain of his setting, he inched over to a loveseat by the sidewalk and sat down to calm his racing heart.
Minutes went by and Billion was still slouched in the loveseat, lost in his thoughts.
It was when the sun rays began to beat on him that he edged off the bench and trotted back home.
· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·
️The air was laced with the delectable aroma of freshly baked pikelets and brewed cinnamon tea when Billion ambled into the house.
"This place smells delicious... good morning, mom." Ashley turned her cheek up to receive the warm peck.
"Good morning, how was your night?" Billion shrugged.
Spotting a plate of colorful pikelets on the counter, he yanked off his gloves and rounded the marble isle to grab a piece.
"Miles go wash your hands!" Ashley slapped his hand away with a napkin but Billion had already snagged one.
"It's just one pikelet." Billion shoved the sweet delicacy into his mouth regardless of his mother's glare and strode over to the sink to wash his hands.
After filling up the trays, Ashley turned to her son and gave him a reproachful stare. "You ran off without Amedeo again, stop scaring the poor man."
"Maybe you can tell the poor man that I'm twenty-eight and not eighteen so he wouldn't have to babysit me. Besides I know my way around now."
Ashely scoffed. "Says the drunk guy who got lost and had to be tracked down by GPS."
"It was just one time..." Billion drawled out and grabbed another pikelet, adding some jam to it this time.
"Yeah yeah... and for the record, you don't turn twenty-eight until the seventeenth of June. Which is less than four months away so be patient." Ashely taunted.
"It's my age so why are you arguing about it?"
Ashely chuckled with a shake of her head. She placed a loaded tray before Billion and the latter dug in after muttering a thanks.
"You know, most people freshen up after a run before grabbing a bite."
"Good thing I'm not most people, now let me enjoy my breakfast in peace," Billion countered playfully.
Ashley rolled her eyes. Picking up her tray, she joined her son at the dining table. The two ate in silence which didn't last for long because the mother brought up the relationship talk again.
Not again.
Having little to no appetite for such a lecture, Billion quickly finished up his breakfast and mumbled an excuse before trotting upstairs to freshen up.
Thoughts of his likely fatherhood bugged him for the rest of the day, but the urge to bend to Luciana's request became overwhelming while he was unwinding by the outdoor pool on Sunday afternoon.
Inevitably, Billion knew he could not rewind the situation, and the only way to save himself from an aftermath of unnecessary drama was to take the DNA test.
Settled on that thought, Billion called Luciana Psalms.
His resolve waned with every second the phone rang but Billion steeled his mind to get this cleared up once and for all.
"Miles?" a soft voice called from the other end of the line.
Clearing his now thickened throat, Billion uttered the one sentenced that could make or unmake him.
"I'm ready to take the test."
"... oh OKay... thanks Miles, I really appreciate that. Just give me a second to book an appointment and I'll call you back. It's a family hospital so we should be in and out in no time."
"Sure..."
When the call ended, Billion leaned back in his seat, his eyes cast above as he offered a silent prayer for the results to come out negative.
· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·
It's been sleepless nights after Billion manned up and walked into that family hospital with a baby whose striking blue eyes pulled a string in his heart.
But Billion refuted the eye color notion since the boy was too young and the hues would keep changing till he was much older.
His biggest fear now? The test result was coming in today.
As a matter of fact, Billion was not perverse with the idea of being a father-clearly not when his heart flatters with the mere thought, but there was something sour about bonding with a child if you have no connection with the mother.
And for this, Billion told himself that if he is to be a father, then he wants his child and the mother of the baby by him; where he could establish an unbending connection.
Indeed his prayers would have to be answered because Billion had no idea how he was going to adjust into their lives when Luciana was engaged to be married and... he was still pinning over another woman.
And it all comes down to her.
Deep in his heart, Billion knew she was punishing him for calling it quits without hearing her out, but he was ready to talk things out so why couldn't she also let go of the past and give him a second chance?
And to go to the extent of blocking him from social media and cutting him out of her life without an ounce of mercy was just heartless and so sophomoric of Emery...
"Bill?" a tap on Billion's desk brought him out of his deep thoughts.
Billion dragged his hands across his face and looked up at the man who was starring at him with a frown.
Dwayne Blackwell was his father's advisor who was now Billion's consultant and a man Billion had come to trust and admire very much.
But the man's ability to probe into one's soul and pluck out their secrets was something Billion did not appreciate.
Dwayne had done his trickery questioning on him once and Billion had blurted out all the woes that seemed to clog onto his senses without hesitation.
And now, as he stood over his desk with those deep brown eyes fixed on him, Billion knew what was coming next so he tried to divert the man's attention.
"Dwayne, I thought you've already left," Billion began.
The man shrugged. "I was just heading out when I saw your light on. It's Friday son, go home and take a rest, you need it more than anything."
"I can't. I still have ..." Billion took a glance at his wristwatch and it read a quarter past six. "I have some few more minutes to go over the Bans proposal."
Dwayne nodded and set his briefcase on one of the visitor's chair. "Alright then, I will just stay behind to help you, I'm your consultant after all."
This man never gives up.
"Its OK Dwayne, I've got this. Latifah is probably waiting at the door with little Calli, you go home and I will call you if I need help with anything."
As if Dwayne hadn't heard Billion's objection, he said, "On any normal day I would have left the office without checking up on you, but you were absentminded during the entire board meeting so I decided to stop by... are you alright, son?" he asked in his usual calming tone.
Billion nodded. "You worry over nothing, old man."
Dwayne shook his head in disagreement. "I only worry when you space out like you were doing a minute ago... so let me guess, little Mrs. Dekker is still giving you tough time?"
Billion sighed harshly and tugged at his necktie to loosen its grip on his clogging throat. "She is driving me crazy, man... I mean why is she so unforgiving?" he let-out.
Dwayne regarded him for a while before he spoke again. "You know, some people are forged by the circumstances surrounding their lives to be untrusting of others, unforgiving and cold… and until they themselves come to terms with the needs of their heart and mind, there is nothing you can do about it."
"But for how long, Dwayne? That happened last year, way before Christmas! What else does she want me to do?!"
Billion pushed himself out of his seat and pranced over to the floor-length pane to calm his blustery nerves.
"If you are certain that she was in the wrong then why are you the one chasing her?" Dwayne questioned with a knowing look.
The silence in the office turned up a notch as the question dawned on Billion. He knew the man was cracking his shells again, but if that was what it would take to unleash the pains, then so be it.
"Honestly I have no idea... maybe it was all an assumption on my part and she is probably angry with me for accusing her of something she didn't do... I just don't know," Billion morose.
Dwayne nodded as if he was expecting that answer. "Well then, if she did not cheat on you and you assumed she did, then she is offended because you've insulted her loyalty and dignity. Believe me, Latifah likes to pull that feminine pride nonsense and its not a joke."
Billion turned to the man with a defeated look. "But all the evidence was there..."
Dwayne shrugged. "It could also be that she is angry at you for keeping her in the dark, where your marriage is concerned ... by the way, that was selfish of you," he shot Billion a glare.
"Her head wasn't in the game at that time. She was still keeping in touch with her college boyfriend and I didn't know where her loyalty lies..."
"No, you didn't tell her because you were insecure and jealous," Dwayne retorted.
"I wasn't jealous!"
Taking another tottering breath, Billion combed his fingers through his already tousled hair and took a calming breath.
"I was scared she would flip if she knew the truth and I couldn't risk Lewis's licence and... I didn't want to lose her… I had no choice but I swear, I was going to tell her everything after we've gotten the Foundation back."
Dwayne chewed on his bottom lip as he mowed over his next words. "From what you've told me, this girl lost her parents not long ago, had to deal with an abusive boyfriend and you, son were a dick who betrayed her love and trust-"
"I didn't mean to hurt her…"
Dwayne held up a finger. "That girl is still dealing with the pain of loss, anger, grief, hatred you name it... so what you can do now to help her, is to give her the space she seems in need of. Time heals so give her that... when the right time comes and you two are meant to be, you would be."
Dwayne lifted his briefcase onto his lap and went through it while Billion leaned against the ivory wall, and pondered over the man's words.
"Tomorrow is my little brother's bachelor party at Latifah's place. It's just a drink up with the boys, nothing shady so you should definitely come and release some pent up emotions." Dwayne held out a small colored card.
Billion backed away from the wall and strolled back to his desk. He took the card from Dwayne and resumed his seat.
"Don't worry, you won't feel out of place because we are a diverse bunch who see past color ... so, will I see the boss at kissit tomorrow?" Dwayne asked with a gentle smile.
"Definitely..." Billion returned his smile and slipped the card into the breast pocket of his maroon suit.
"Alright then," Dwayne clasped his briefcase back in place and rose to his feet. "Go get some sleep boy, and tell that lazy old man to get his ass up cause his team is losing their touch."
Billion chuckled against the heaviness in his chest and said, "I sure will."
Dwayne bade him goodnight and strode out of the office. The elevator dinged a second after, prompting Billion he was the only person left on the 20th floor of Liutec.
When the right time comes and you two are meant to be, you would be.
"I sure hope so, Dwayne... I hope so."
Two popping sound from his cellphone grabbed Billion's attention.
The DNA test result is in.
Billion's heart skipped a beat when he read the message from Luciana.
Reluctantly, he dialed her number but his mother's call came through so with the intent of calling Luciana back, he received the incoming call
"Mom?"
"Miles? Honey are you coming?"
The urgency in his mother's voice sent goosebumps across Billion's skin and he quickly sat up in his seat.
"Is everything alright?" Billion asked in apprehension, his mind traveling to his father unconsciously.
"Your... your dad moved Miles. I think he is gaining consciousness… I don't know but his hand twitched."
It took just a split-second for Billion to process his mother's jubilant oration, and shake off his own astonishment before shutting down his laptop, and throwing his stuffs inside his briefcase.
"Have you called doctor Alvarez?" Billion queried.
"Yes, he is on his way."
"Good, I'm on my way." Grabbing his briefcase and laptop bag, Billion dashed out of the office.
──────────────•••────────────
The DNA test result is in, what's it gonna be?
And Papa Lincoln is awake, I smell a trip back home (joking or not.)
So that is chapter 46 folks, kindly leave a comment, light that star and share.
More interesting chapters coming your way so stay tuned.