The Billionaire's Personal Obsession

Lagos cities always topped the list when it came to traffic in Nigeria. Today was no exception in Lekki, as Evelyn Collins parked her small convertible in the parking lot of Richardson Industries. It was still early in the morning and she was grateful for the cool air. The fact that she could feel it against her face excited her a lot. The season was the closest thing Nigeria had with where she came from. Inhaling deeply, she started her journey towards the huge building facing her.

Although she was a little bit later than usual, she knew she was still too early compared to other employees. She smiled with pride at that. It hadn’t taken her long to adapt to the culture around, and know that most of the employees worked with what they called the ‘Nigerian time’. Hah! Frank was going to kill her if she ever followed in the footsteps of others.

Evelyn walked into the impressive foyer of the building with a smile, greeting Waya, the security man at the door. He had got to be the most cheerful security man she has ever seen or met. Not that she had met so many. “how are your kids, Waya?” she asked, after she had greeted him.

“Oh, they are doing well, Miss.” He answered, still smiling. He had refused to call her by her name as she had asked him to do, severally. It always made her smile and shake her head. Just like she was doing now. “Welcome back.”

“Thank you, Waya.” She said to him, and then was off.

She had just come back from her weeklong break after falling ill. Mr. Richardson had insisted she take a break. Evelyn was glad she listened because she had taken her time to sort things out at home. She had caught the flu, coupled with a crazy stomach bug, which had lasted only a few days, giving her time to rest. Frank had known she had needed that break, and she hadn’t objected at all when he had asked her to go home.

Two years ago, she had been wallowing in self-pity after all the places she had applied for employment had turned her down. Richardson Corporations had been her last resort and was the biggest company she had applied for. Honestly, she had just applied because her roommate had insisted she did. She sure as hell hadn’t been expecting a call from Richardson’s informing her that she had gotten the job as personal assistant to the owner and was to start immediately. Even now, she still felt like she was living in fantasy. Being a personal assistant hadn’t been her actual plan, but it had been her best shot out of poverty, and wasting away in her London apartment, with an impatient roommate who had been fed up with her joblessness. But she had come to love her job, and the pay was freaking good. Not to talk of the fact that the same job had led her to a country she was fast beginning to call home.

The receptionist looked up from her computer. “You look lost in thought, Evelyn.” Bernice said, smiling. Her pearly white teeth contrasted beautifully against her skin, making Evelyn feel a little bit jealous of her friend.

Evelyn smiled in return. “Not really, the weather is just nice.” She answered dryly, looking around as if somehow, in the one week she had stayed at home, something had changed. It was safe to say the place was exactly how she remembered it. Beautiful, and sparkling clean. Frank Richardson had a thing for neatness.

Not that she was complaining.

Bernice seemed to find her answer funny and burst into a fit of giggles, drawing Evelyn’s attention back to her very excited friend. Was it just her, or Bernice seemed more giggly and excited than usual? “Weather Evelyn?” she snorted. “What has the weather got to do with anything?”

Evelyn couldn’t help the tiny giggle that escaped from her lips. “Everything Bernice, the weather is nice and it opened up the abyss of thoughts in my head.” Another dry joke. But her friend was used to it’

Bernice looked at her in confusion and burst into another fit of giggles, causing Evelyn to join her. The few people that passed looked at them like they were crazy. Oh well…

“Okay B, that’s enough. I know I’m not making any sense right now.” Evelyn said, clearing her throat as she tried to put herself together. “Is there any mail or package for Frank?” she asked as usual. Mails and packages usually came to the reception, and if she had the chance, she always collected them, so she could relieve her friend of the stress of bringing it up.

The receptionist began to shake her head but suddenly turned wide eyes. “Mr. Richardson came early this morning, and he asked me to tell you to meet him in..” she exclaimed, nervously looked at her watch. “Oh my God Evelyn, you have to be in his office in five minutes.” Her voice had gone from being filled with humor, to that of fear. Evelyn knew Frank was a little bit scary when it came to punctuality. And today he was earlier than usual.

Evelyn had no time to ask questions before she was shooed into the waiting elevator. She frowned as she wondered what was going on. Why would he come in early? He usually came in late in the mornings. He had been behaving weirdly these past few days and Evelyn had tried so many times to ask what the problem was but he had always dismissed her with a friendly smile or a pat on the back. If anything, his dismissal and unwillingness to talk to her had made her worry, and had hurt a little, since he always talked to her. Well not always, but most times.

She thought about her boss. Frank, as he liked to be called was a very cheerful old man. He has been really nice to her all the time and had been a father figure to her the two years she had worked for him. And she hadn’t spared any opportunity she had to tell him how grateful she was, and would always be. The man was God sent.

The elevator came to a stop and Evelyn quickly walked out, heading straight for the door to Mr. Richardson’s office. Whatever this was, she was going to find out anyway. And the earlier the better. She stopped at the front of the door and ran her hands over her cloths as if to straighten them, before letting out a deep sigh.

It didn’t help. But she opened the door anyway.

Evelyn looked at Frank in shock as if it were the first time she was setting her eyes on him. She closed her eyes as she tried to process what he had just said.

“Evelyn, today is my last day at the company.” He has said with a small smile. “I’m moving to London with my wife.” Her boss said, as his eyes softened at the mention of his wife. It didn’t take a genius to know that Frank adored his wife. But that was beside the point now.

What the hell was he talking about?

“I don’t understand Sir. You mean you are leaving for good? Who will take over the company? I don’t understand. Did the doctor request this of you?” She had asked in confusion.

He had walked over and gently placed his hands on her shoulder, giving her a small grin. “My dear Evelyn, life’s too short. I’m already too old for this, I’m going so I can enjoy the rest of my days in peace. And don’t worry, my last son Julian is taking over.” He frowned and looked at the door. “He should have been here by now.”

Apparently, during her week at home, Frank had decided to finally resign. It was no news, as everyone in the company already knew it was coming since Frank’s visits to the hospital had increased. She was just shocked it had come this soon. And she definitely wasn’t ready for it.

Evelyn felt tears in her eyes, but held them back. This was a man who had been really good to her. “Time really does fly past, really quick. I can’t begin to show you just how much I appreciate working for you. I will surely miss you.” She said in a shaky voice. And that was the truth. She had come to be very fond of him. Gosh, who was going to scold her now and teach her how to run a business, even if she was just an assistant?

Frank opened his mouth to respond when the door to his office opened, and Evelyn turning very slowly, facing the man who has just entered and felt her whole body freeze.

What in the world was this handsomeness?

Julian Richardson, Frank’s last son. It had to be him. A man who was arguably the most stunning she had seen or met. His African-British heritage added to his striking handsomeness. He was clean-shaven and dressed in a well-tailored suit with an air of arrogance, gracing his features. He looked domineering and she could bet her life to it that under those designers, lay a well-toned and muscled body.

Hurriedly, she tried to put all those thoughts away as he walked over and stood just beside his father. but she couldn’t help staring at him as he approached, with long powerful strides from equally long legs.

“Good morning, Dad.” Even his voice sounded dreamy. Gosh…could he be anymore perfect? She thought.

Julian Richardson flicked his gaze to the woman standing beside his father. He had felt an impact of female sexuality when he had walked into the office, and set his eyes on her very tempting form. He couldn’t see her face since she hid it behind a curtain of flaming chestnut hair, which was too bad, and equally exciting because he couldn’t wait to see her face. A face he knew would definitely match her body! And what a body she had! He let his gaze quickly slide down her body, taking in her sensual figure. That body of hers didn’t stop, with her firm, well-rounded breasts that sat high beneath her neatly cut chiffon top and her waistline that begged for his hands to clasp before sliding down to the flare of her slender hips. How could one woman have such a body all to herself?

She lit up the entire frisking room! And he knew that if his father was not in here the room with them, he would definitely be doing something crazy!

Her shoulders were stiff and she looked tense,