Page 55 of The Billionaire's Off Chance

Chasmin shifts in her seat in the front of the car, having just come out of a daze. “How are you feeling?” I ask, resting a hand on her thigh, my other hand on the steering wheel.

After the trial, she came down with a cold. She’s getting better; however, she seems a bit jaded. She beams a toothy smile, glancing sidelong at Eric before resting her gaze on me.

“I’m fine. You’ve been fussing over me for days now. I should be asking you that,” she replies, placing her gloved hand on my hand on her thigh.

“I’ve been worse,” I mutter and let out a mirthless chuckle. “Probably when we get to my brother’s place, our moods will be lighter.” Igor has been insistent that I visit Chasmin and Eric. I finally accepted his offer. I had to. The atmosphere at home seemed to be choked with tension and anticipation for the worst. Going to Igor’s home is a welcome distraction.

“Scarlett informs me that she has made a feast for us. Being around them should make a difference…” Chasmin doesn’t finish her sentence, but I understand the unsaid words…a difference to our sullen mood. One consolation is that Chasmin has taken to my family fast and quite easily. For her and Scarlett to be on speaking terms shows how close they’ve gotten.

Turning a few corners onto the serene street where Igor’s lives in, we finally arrive at his gate. I honk, the gate slides open, and I drive in. Igor’s home is a proper mansion with three stories and a fountain and small garden surrounding the property. According to Igor, Scarlett loves gardening, so he does his best to ensure the garden is always thriving, no matter the season. I admire him for it.

Parking by the fleet of cars under a canopy, we all get out of the car. Eric puts his hands into his coat pockets, waiting for us to walk ahead. The snow has been cleared; however, it’s evening and the temperature is dropping. The snow is beginning to fall in earnest, covering the ground around the house.

I head to the doors, and they follow behind me. They open. A young man in a black suit nods his head in acknowledgement at us. “Mr. Rosii and Miss Motley, welcome. I’m Franklin, the housekeeper. Please.” He gestures for us to enter.

We step in, and Franklin steps away to give us passage. He closes the doors behind us. Warmth encloses us, taking away the chill we had felt a minute ago. We take off our coats, handing them to Franklin. “Follow me,” he says and walks ahead to the living area. He walks away with our coats.

“Brother, is that you?” Igor says and steps out of a room hidden by a red velvet curtain, probably his study.

“Yes, in the flesh. I made it.” I say, spreading my arms wide. He pulls me into a crushing embrace.

“Yes, I’m glad you made it. Scarlett was so glad to hear that you were coming. Chasmin, welcome to my home.” He shakes her hand warmly then bends to lift Eric. “And you, buddy, are a highly anticipated guest. I can’t wait for you to meet my child. That’s when he is born, of course.” He smiles proudly. “Don’t just stand around; feel at home. Scarlet should be down any moment.”

We take our seats on comfortable leather couches. Like us, Igor too has a Christmas tree, set up and decorated in the living room. I begin to notice the wreaths attached to the doors and the massive love sign decorated with lights above the mounted TV. His home exudes the Christmas spirit. I catch Igor watching me with a somber expression as he sets Eric by my side.

I sigh internally. I had informed them of the new development with Claudette and the court case. They are naturally quite angry. Igor tried talking to Claudette to make her back down. I advised him against it, but he didn’t listen. She ultimately didn’t give him the time of day.

“This sight pleases me.” Scarlett's soft pleasant voice fills the room, drawing me away from my thoughts. She is a thin, pale woman with a fondness for red, which shows in her cherry lipstick and flowing maroon gown. She makes a beeline for Chasmin, who gets up to meet her.

“Oh, dear, thanks for coming. I haven’t been able to get Lance to visit as regularly as I would like. You must change that for me,” she insists as the women hug like sisters.

“I’ll try, but making that man do anything other than his wishes is like pushing a mountain.” Chasmin sighs, wiping the sweat on her forehead. “By the way, how are you and the baby?”

Scarlett rubs her belly, smiling with love in her eyes. “I feel great. Better than ever, in fact. Who knows, Lance might have some plans for you too.” She winks and Chasmin blushes.

“Hey ladies, I’m here.” I wave to signal my presence. Scarlett looks as if she has just recognized me and sweeps to me.

I rise, hugging her. “Pardon me, Lance. I got carried away, seeing Chasmin. Welcome, it seems the Christmas spirit is in full effect. And who do we have here?” She ends the hug and heads to the seated Eric with a bubbly air.

“Eric, you look even cuter in your bowtie” She ruffles his dark hair and taps his bowtie. He blushes, murmuring, “Thank you”.

“Darling, we should entertain them.” Igor speaks up, taking Scarlett’s attention from Eric.

“Yes, yes. Please, I have a full table prepared for you all. Chasmin, please, I need your attention. Eric, follow us, my dear.” Eric jumps up and follows the two women as they head to the kitchen.

“Lance, how are…”

“Brother, how do you expect me to feel with the impending doom… I might lose to a heartless woman,” I say harshly, cutting him off.

He folds his arms, not showing his annoyance. “Does this mean you’re breaking under the pressure? I expect better from you…not this snappy attitude,” he finishes, then steps closer.

I don’t step back. I just glare at him. He’s trying to get a rise out of me, and it is working. I blow out a breath, closing my eyes. “If you were in my shoes, you’d understand. No offense. Come on, let’s join the ladies.” I try brushing past him, so we can end the conversation.

He stands in my way, blocking me. He places his hands on my shoulders, gripping them so hard that I feel a twinge of pain. “Hold on.” When he sees I’m not fighting him, he reduces his grip.

“Brother, I’m here for you. You should know that we are all working to ensure that Eric stays with you. Yours will be a happy story. Forget whatever the media is spinning. I always have your back, brother. We all do.” He says this with so much conviction that I get some of my confidence back.

I smile and grip Igor’s shoulder with one hand, squeezing hard. “Thanks, brother. Although I know this, it’s good to hear it. Now, we have to join the ladies. I’m famished.”

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