Page 1 of The Billionaire's Off Chance

Chapter 1

CHASMIN

IwatchMomfromacross the table. She’s a sweet woman with a small smile always on her lips. She has her hair tied in a bun and carefully smooths her dress before looking up at me. I can see the resemblance. Her bright endearing brown eyes paired with her soft expression show a deep love for me.

“Chasmin, thanks for having breakfast with me this morning.” She reaches a hand across the table. I take it, feeling the soft warmth of her hand.

“Mom, there’s no need to thank me for having a meal with you. In fact, I’m glad. This looks and smells delicious.” The food on the table makes my mouth water. Loaves of toasted bread with avocado spread and bacon, with a steaming cup of coffee.

She stares at the seat beside her, where Paul, my stepfather, ought to be seated. They’ve been married for six years now, and we live in his house. However, of late, since he lost his job as a paralegal, he leaves home early and comes home late. This breaks my mother’s heart. “It warms my heart to hear you say that. I wanted you to eat before you left for work. I know today is your big day. So, eat.” She smiles, taking her cutlery to eat.

I sigh, anticipation building in my chest. I’ve been receiving hints from HR about my promotion at the Rosii International Winery. Getting the promotion will bring me closer to my goal of taking care of Mom as she deserves. She’s worked tirelessly for my education to give me a happy childhood.

“Yes, Mom.” I reply and start eating. Minutes later, I’m done eating and make my way out of the house. Mom hugs me, kissing my cheek. “Take care, Mom.”

She waves, standing by the door as I walk down the short flight of stairs to the picket gate around the house. Stepping onto the paved sidewalk, I hail a cab and one stops as I get into the backseat. I look out to see my mom still at the door. The car begins moving as she waves goodbye.I’ll make it, Mom.I vow to myself. In a matter of minutes, the car stops in front of the ornate entrance of the Rosii Winery headquarters in California.

I take a deep breath, pushing the door open. I place one leg on the ground outside the car to alight. I close the door behind me and the car leaves. I look at the expansive entrance with flowers wreathing the doors, forming a lovely arch signifying our preparation for the holiday season.

The massive pillars used to keep shade over the entrance and parking for cars have flowers and trinkets ringing them. Even though I’ve worked here for three years as an intern, I still marvel every time at the effort the company puts into designing and decorating spaces.

People with a festive air around them enter and leave the company. They all have smiles on their faces. I put on my own smile, heading into the company. As I walk into the lobby, I feel as if I’ve entered a different world. The lobby is spacious and elegant, with a celebratory atmosphere. The high ceiling is adorned with gold ornaments and a large chandelier with snowflake design.

I pass a lavishly-dressed woman with a wine bottle in her hand and gaze out the stained-glass window, basking in the warm light reflecting off it. The walls are covered with green garlands and red wreaths. I feel pride, walking straighter. The floor is polished wood, having a circular design in the center. Several tables and chairs are arranged around the lobby for people to sit and chat. The most impressive sight is the huge Christmas tree that stands in the middle of the lobby.

There’s a soft murmur around as people admire the sight, taking pictures and selfies. I would have, but I feel shy going close to the tree. However, I see that care has gone into the decorations. The tree is decorated with red and gold trinkets, with mini wine bottles, ribbons and twinkling lights. I smell the pine scent of the tree and the wine coming from the bar. Soft music and laughter brighten the room. Although I don’t have much interaction with the people here, I feel welcome and enchanted.

I get a hold of myself, making my way to the elevator.Time to get to work.

I take the general elevator, going up to the third floor where my shared office is located. Getting to the third floor, I see more decorations around the space. The staff are messing around with each other. I smile upon seeing this. I make my way to my desk, greeting my colleagues on the way. I reach my desk to see it has been decorated with a red bow tied around a framed picture of Mom and me.

I smile and am about to settle in when my telephone rings. I answer it. A soft feminine voice speaks, “Miss Burrows, kindly report to the office of the HR manager.”

“I’ll be there.” I answer quickly. I take the phone away from my ear, setting it down on the telephone rack. My heart beats erratically in my chest. I’ve already expected this but actually facing it is a different matter.What if things don’t go as I’ve planned?

Suppressing my doubts, I head to the HR’s office on the fifth floor. When I get to the manager’s door, I knock, receiving a grunt of an assent to come in. I step into an austere office with a minimalist design and cannot help but notice that the entire room has only two shades: black and white. The only pop of color is the Christmas garland on a shelf, and the manager does not look like he had been responsible for the garland without putting up a fight first.

A middle-aged man with sharp eyes peers at me from the rim of his glasses. Walter Shaw, the manager, keeps a cool gaze on me. I instinctively take a swipe at my forehead, but there's no sweat. “Relax, Miss Burrows. This is for you.” He takes an envelope off his table and passes it to me.

I take it. My hand shakes a bit, but I steady it. My eyes shift to look at Walter, waiting for him to say something but he just watches me. I get the hint and break the sealed envelope. I bring out a letter, scanning to see that I’ve been accepted as a full time Business Strategist. My hands fly to my mouth as I attempt, albeit unsuccessfully, to suppress my smile, which soon becomes a rather giddy grin.

I look at Walter to see a small smile on his lip. “You are officially welcome to the company. During these past three years working as an intern, you’ve shown exceptional qualities, Miss Burrows. Go, I’ll send my assistant to help you make the transition to your new office.”

“Thanks, Mr. Shaw.” I leave his office. When I close the door, I jump, clutching the letter tight in my hand. I punch my hands up in excitement and quickly reign my exhilaration in seeing the curious eyes on me. I return to my office on the third floor.

I seem to have boundless energy as I work. I begin to imagine my future, climbing the ladder in the company and making a name for myself. Hours later, after a busy day, I pack up, placing the letter in a secure place to show my mom, Anna.She’ll love to have it.Saying goodbye to my colleagues, I head to the elevator.

I reach it and promptly press the button. I wait for a few minutes before it stops, and the doors slide open. I enter, joining the other occupants. We descend to the lobby and spill out. The people block my sight, making walking out of the lobby difficult. Suddenly, the space around me clears, and I crash into a solid warm chest. I stumble back, and a powerful arm goes around my back, keeping me from falling.

I gaze up at him: dark hair, arrogant cool gaze and a chiseled jaw. He’s tall and his tailored suit hugs his muscular frame. I hold my breath as my heart thunders. He lets go of me. I feel unsatisfied but don’t show it.Who is he?I wonder. The lobby is strangely quiet.

The man looks me up and down and winks suggestively. Then he walks away, leaving me dumbfounded.What does that mean?He had made me stumble and now I watch him leave without an apology.What a jerk!I shrug off my discontentment and shake my head as I fight to push out the swirling thoughts since his arm had made contact with the small of my back. I blush and realize that my lips had parted slightly when he touched me as though they had expected whoever that handsome stranger was to ravish them. My head shakes once more.

I look in the direction he is headed; my heart skips a beat as I notice him walk confidently towards the executive elevator. I curse a little under my breath, knowing that I would have loved to give him a piece of my mind. Locking out my distracting thoughts, I take a cab home to my mom. As the car winds down the tarred stretch of road, all I can do while gazing into the dark night lit by the fire of a thousand buildings is to think about what my future salary will allow me to do.

I scroll through my phone and look at nice apartments while doing the math mentally to determine which one will best suit my taste, without burning my pockets. A sigh escapes my lips as we make the final turn and draw nearer to my home. I scroll through a few more times, taking note of the gifts I can get for Mom, hoping that whatever I pick will remind her how much I love her when she finds out that I'm moving soon.

Getting home, I see that my company isn't the only one preparing for Christmas. My attention is particularly drawn to a fresh green ornament, smartly hanging on our front door. The garland seems to invite me to open the door. I do so, then head straight up the stairs, thinking Paul will be arriving soon. He and I aren’t antagonistic toward each other; however, I haven’t been able to connect with him while he’s been married to Mom. I only tolerate him because Mom loves him.

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