Page 60 of Taming the Elusive Billionaire

“And now she’s pregnant? Mason, how could you let this happen?”

“It was a wild night. We both happened to be trying to get a moment of peace, from all of the hustle and bustle of the party. We had a mild argument, then next thing I knew, the sparks were flying, and well, I don’t need to tell you the rest.”

“Do you regret doing it?” Mom asked after a brief pause.

“No,” I answered quickly.

“Does she?”

“I’m not too sure. She’s panicked about what her parents will think, and of course, Ella. Ella doesn’t know yet either.”

“Then we have a wedding to plan. We can’t possibly agree to have a baby out of wedlock. It will ruin the family name.”

“She doesn’t want to be with me.” I sighed and rubbed my eyes, feeling a sense of frustration burning inside of me like a furnace.

“Why won’t she agree to that? It will help her too, and she has a career to look out for.” Mom asked me, surprised.

“It seems that being with me makes her feel like a gold digger. She prefers to leave and go somewhere far away from here.”

“To where? With your child? My grandchild. That is not going to happen. You know that, right?”

I chuckled and turned to Mom. “And we can’t possibly tie her down on the bed and keep her here. She will die before we can convince her to marry into the family.”

“But why? She and the baby will get absolutely everything they could ever dream of and more here.”

“There’s more.” I said to Mom.

Mom turned to me, frowning, “What are you talking about?”

I scratched my jaw and scoffed. “Remember that day I went to Tennessee?”

“Right after the party or the next trip you went on?”

“Right after the party, the day she started the drawing.”

“Oh yes.” Mother replied, nodding.

“I wanted to situate my site where this little farm is. I offered him ten million dollars, but he rejected it.”

“Ok, what does this have to do with Lucy, and her being pregnant?” Mom asked, shocked.

“Raised the price to fifty, and he sent me with a warning never to set foot on it again.”

“Mason, that is just ridiculous. But, again, what does this have to do with Lucy?”

I closed my eyes and dropped my head, letting my shoulders fall also.

“Wait a minute, you offered someone fifty million for such a small place, and he refused? What is so important about this particular piece of land?” Mom asked, astonished by my actions.

I sighed and rubbed my chin with one hand, “It is in the perfect location for an area that we are trying to break into with the business. I assumed they would be money-driven, like ninety-nine percent of the population, and would accept my outrageous offer. But they didn’t even budge. Well, their son tried to convince them to accept, but they were having none of it.” I said as I turned to look at her and shrugged my shoulders.

“Okay, but I still do not understand why you offered them so much money. It’s just a piece of land. And there are surely other pieces of land you can look at,” Mom said curiously.

I shook my head, “I don’t know. I think I was just trying to prove to them that any man can bend with the right price.”

“Well, obviously you were wrong. Not everyone is motivated by money,” she said.

I laughed a little, “apparently not.”

---