YOKED TO A BILLIONAIRE BY VENNEH LISAH

𝐘𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄:

"I'm sorry. I'm just… really busy. Please start breakfast without me." Ryan then shut the door.Outside the door, D'barl was crestfallen.

'I thought Ryan and I were starting to mend our relationship. But it's clear that he still hates me.' D'barl was extremely hurt by that.

Ryan was his beloved great-grandson. Hence, he greatly hoped that Ryan would become the next successor. After all, he had spent a large sum of money trying to nurture Ryan. Yet still, they ended up in such a state.

Meanwhile, Ryan felt guilty about his attitude towards his great-grandpa. 'He must be so sad.'

Suddenly, an eagle cry sounded out from the computer, and Ryan rushed over to check.

The mechanical dove had arrived at North villa and landed on a large tree. The camera was pointed at the entrance of the villa.

A woman carrying the eagle climbed out of a car, and the eagle flapped its injured wing. After being chided by the woman, it settled contentedly in her arms.

The woman's slim figure was familiar to Ryan.

He continued to fix his eyes on the computer screen, eager to see her face. Unfortunately, she kept her head turned away from the camera. When she arrived at the door, she suddenly stopped and turned.

Ryan's eyes widened, and his heart almost stopped.

Alas, the eagle's wing obscured the woman's face.

The woman carried the eagle into the villa. Shortly after, a female bodyguard looked towards the mechanical dove with a pair of binoculars. She seemed to be looking for something.

In order to prevent it from being spotted, Ryan had fitted the mechanical dove with camouflage technology.

Hence, no one saw the mechanical dove hidden amongst the foliage.

As expected, the female bodyguard failed to notice anything out of the ordinary. She then walked away with the binoculars in hand, and the other bodyguards started attending to their tasks.

Nonetheless, Ryan was desperate to know the truth. Thus, he kept the mechanical dove hidden in that tree. He would find out the truth the moment the woman walked out of the villa.

Despite watching the screen for some time, the woman did not appear. They even closed the door.

'It looks like she won't be coming out anytime soon.'

However, Ryan continued watching as he yearned for the truth. Someone knocked on his door again.

Ryan was speechless. "Who is it?" he snapped.

"Ryan, it's me," said Jason.

"Come in," said Ryan as he relaxed.

Jason carried a tray in. On the tray was a plate of hot cross bunnies and a glass of milk.

"Ryan, the head maid learned how to make hot cross bunnies. I saved a few for you. Have a taste."

"Thank you." Ryan glanced up at Jason before returning his focus to the computer screen. "The head maid finally succeeded after so many attempts!" Ryan muttered.

"What?" Jason was stunned.

"You and Eliana go to school so early, so you didn't see the head maid practicing how to make hot cross bunnies every day. She fed the failed ones to the other maids, and they spat them out many times."

Ryan was still looking at the screen as he spoke.

"Ah…" Realization dawned on Jason. "I praised the head maid just now, and she seemed embarrassed. She told us how she only succeeded after failing many times."

"Yep, thirty-eight times." Ryan nodded distractedly.

"The head maid is so nice. Ryan, don't you want to try one?" Jason placed the breakfast tray in front of Ryan .

Ryan reached out and grabbed a hot cross bunny. He took a bite and exclaimed, "Hmm, yummy! Please thank the head maid for me."

Jason's mouth fell open, and he could not help but ask, "Why are you acting like this, Ryan ?"

"What?" Ryan was stunned.

"Great-grandpa and daddy really love us. The head maid and Dr. Immaculate also treat us well. So why are you shutting them all out?"

It was Jason's first time discussing that matter so seriously with Ryan. Indeed, Ryan was an entirely different person from his usual frivolous self.

He'd suddenly grown stern. Looking into his brother's small face, Jason felt that Ryan exuded an aura of manliness.

"I haven't…" Ryan began, then reflected. "My personality's always been rather neutral. I'm not as lively as you."

"No," Jason shook his head, saying solemnly. "You were always wiser and more mature than I was even when mommy was still with us. But you'd still laugh and joke. You were close to great-grandpa too. I haven't seen you smile in a while."

"Now that Mommy's not around, I can't bring myself to smile," Ryan replied in a low voice, his eyes reddening.

Jason bowed his head in grief. He was silent for a moment, then said, "Eliana and I are sad, too, that mommy's no longer around. But we can't take it out on great-grandpa. It has nothing to do with him."

Ryan frowned but said nothing. He was the only one who knew their mommy's disappearance was caused by their great-grandpa after doing his investigations.

There was no way he could tell all that to Jason and Eliana though. He swallowed the truth in silence, and it weighed heavy on his heart like a stone.

'Let them live in blissful ignorance! That's the only way they can continue to be happy.'

"Great-grandpa's eyes were red, and he wasn't listening all the time I was talking to him, staring off into the distance," Jason pressed. "He was trying so hard to get you to like him! Why did you treat him that way?"

"I had something urgent to deal with just now…" Ryan began. He suddenly sat up in dismay as raindrops began pelting down outside the window.

His mechanical dove was still hidden in that tree! It was in no danger of being discovered at the moment. But it faced an even greater risk of short-circuiting.

Ryan had installed a waterproof system for it, which was effective for warding off drizzles. However, that torrential downpour was another matter altogether.

"What was so urgent?" Jason demanded.

"I'll tell you later," Ryan replied distractedly. He frantically turned toward the computer in a bid to hastily transfer his mechanical dove to another place of refuge from the rain.

"Ryan!" Jason cried in annoyance. "I'm talking to you. Aren't you being a little rude?"

"I'm busy. I'll tell you later! Go and get some breakfast first," Ryan pleaded, his eyes fixed on the computer screen.

"I'm getting really mad!" Jason declared, his arms akimbo. He stalked out of the room.

Ryan glanced at Jason's departing figure, then turned back to his computer.

' Wait till I get Mommy back! You won't be mad then.'

Violla returned to her room after attending to Finny's wounds. She drew back the blinds and gazed out at the gloomy skies. Her heart grew as heavy as the dark clouds that gathered on the horizon.

She recalled the wails she'd heard at the Romans' residence . Violla's heart ached for the children.

As her mind drifted, Violla was suddenly drawn to a faint red glow emitted from a tree not far off. She immediately fished out her binoculars. Peering through them, Violla realized that she was looking at a dove.

Her mind flashed back to the bird that had been felled with a single shot. Upon its dissection, she had discovered that it was actually a mechanical dove. Violla presumed that that must be a similar specimen.

Roman Corporation specialized in technology. Such creatures were mere playthings to them.

Violla scoffed. 'Is Davon using these toys to spy on me? How childish of him!'

She raised her gun and prepared to condemn it to the same fate its predecessor had suffered. However, another thought struck her. 'If Davon's so intent to spy on me, perhaps I should take him for a ride!'

Violla lowered her gun.

The rain was still falling steadily. There was a knock on the door, and Lucky entered with a pot of hot tea. "Miss Landiana, have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up."

"Go and get someone to close all of the windows," Violla ordered. "Today's itinerary is canceled. I'm taking a break today."

"Yes, Miss Landiana."

Ryan remained in the room, his eyes never leaving the computer. He was waiting for the resident of the villa to appear in order to get a good look at her face. After a long while, however, she was nowhere to be seen. In addition, the villa's windows had all been shut.

The only sights the mechanical dove was privy to were the villa's stone walls.

Ryan felt his stomach growl. He picked up the hot cross bunny on the table and ate it, washing it down with milk. Then he continued watching the screen intently.

Before he knew it, it was noon, and the head maid was rapping on the door, calling, "Young. Sir Ryan, time for lunch."

Ryan's eyes were sore, and he was starving. However, he wasn't about to squander that opportunity. He yelled through the door, " Can you bring the food up here? I'll eat in the room."

The head maid exchanged glances with D'barl, who was standing behind her.

D'barl nodded. With his permission, the head maid replied agreeably, "Alright, I'll get it ready then."

Ryan glared at the screen. 'They can't possibly stay in there forever.'

The head maid soon reappeared with lunch. Entering the room, she saw Ryan planted in front of the computer. "Young Sir Ryan, you'll hurt your eyes if you keep staring at the computer screen. Come and have lunch first," she chided.

"OK. Thank you," Ryan swiveled in his seat to face her. "Can you bring it over here for me, please?"

The head maid was about to set the food down onto the table. She believed that the study table was not an appropriate place for meals but obeyed nonetheless.

"Thank you." Ryan reached for his food and began eating with gusto.

"Take smaller bites. Don't rush through your food," The head maid said tenderly. "Try the juice too. It's freshly squeezed."

"OK," Ryan nodded absently. "I'll call for you when I'm done with the food. Don't worry about me."

"All right," the head maid said and exited the room.

Ryan continued his vigil at the computer. All was still quiet at the villa. In spite of that, He was unfazed. He was firm in his conviction that whoever was within would have to emerge sometime.

The rest of the day came and went without much fanfare. When at last night fell, Ryan sprawled onto the table in weariness and slept.

The sound of a car revving startled Ryan awake. He rubbed his eyes and squinted at the screen.

The rain had subsided, and the door of the villa opened. Eight female bodyguards lined up before the door bearing black umbrellas. In their tidy rows, they formed a shelter from the rain.A woman wearing a black suit marched out of the villa.

Ryan's heart skipped a beat. He quickly leaned forward and nearly bore through the computer screen with his gaze. The figure he had seen that morning had looked just mommy's. His desire to get another glimpse of her had superseded both exhaustion and hunger.

The entire day Ryan had spent waiting had been an absolute torment.

Now that his objective had finally appeared right before his eyes, Ryan refused to blink for fear of missing something.

However, the umbrellas shielded the top half of her face from Ryan's eager eye. There was nothing he could tell from the single sliver that was exposed.

Ryan grew frantic. He hastily adjusted the angle of the mechanical dove, trying to get it to fly lower in the hopes of catching sight of the woman's face.

It wasn't the most subtle thing to do, but Ryan could care less. He'd think about the consequences afterward.

The mechanical dove loftily descended, landing on a tree just by the entrance of the door. Bit by bit, it revealed the woman in an almost dramatic fashion. "If only I could just see her face.'

Ryan held his breath. He stared so intently at the screen that his face was mere inches from it. His little hand curled up into a fist as he muttered furiously to himself, "Quick, quick!"

The frame kept dipping lower and lower, closer and closer. Ryan saw her mouth, the tip of her nose.

Suddenly, Ryan heard an eagle scream overhead. It swooped down, directing its piercing gaze straight towards the camera. It wore a look of murderous rage.

Ryan recoiled instinctively in terror. At the same time, the screen fizzled out into a blank white.Ryan's eyes widened and he gaped at the screen, aghast.

'That eagle attacked my second mechanical dove!'

Ryan wasn't as vexed as he had been the previous time. The feeling that rose within him was more akin to a sense of loss.

However, that seemed like a promising lead to mommy's whereabouts. Hope rekindled within Ryan's heart, and he felt a renewed sense of vigor surge through him.

Ryan was young, but he knew that the more something was shrouded in secrecy, the more there was waiting to be uncovered.

He was determined to get to the bottom of things. 'What does that woman from North villa have to do with Mommy? Why did her figure look just like Mommy's? Most of all, why did she have Mommy's ring?'

Ryan's actions had alarmed her now, however. He couldn't afford to be reckless.

As he was deep in thought, there was a banging on the door followed by Davon's voice hollering, "Ryan, can I come in?"

"Daddy!" Ryan dashed to the door and opened it. "Please come in."

Davon entered the room. He draped his jacket over the small sofa and surveyed his surroundings. "Immaculate did up this room for you when you were three and a half years old. Now that you're older, would you like a revamp?"

"No, I like it like this," Ryan said, handing a cup of fruit juice to Davon. "I only have fruit juice, milk, and yogurt. There's no alcohol here."

"Ha!" Davon chortled. "Wait till you grow up. I'll install a mini-bar here for you."

"How old must I be?" Ryan queried, pouring himself a glass of milk.

Davon clinked his glass of fruit juice against Ryan's milk. He glanced down at Ryan fondly and said, "Mentally and intellectually, you're already pretty grown up. But your body is still that of a child's, so you're still one."

"Thank you," Ryan said, taking it as a compliment.

"Jason and Eliana complained that their rooms were too childish for them. They're insistent on renovating it. Are you really fine with keeping yours the way it is?" Davon quizzed.

"Yes," Ryan answered, looking around his room. His gaze landed on the family portrait hanging on the wall. "This room still has traces of Mommy and Mrs. Blake."

Davon fell silent.

Ryan was already a lot more mature than other children his age. He was able to piece things together even when the event had been incomprehensible to him when it happened. Ryan was thus aware of the fact that it was D'barl who was responsible for her going missing.

Ryan's resentment towards D'barl was therefore perfectly reasonable.

"Why did you come back so early today?" Ryan asked, changing the subject in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Mr. Douglas called to say that you'd shut yourself in your room all day without taking a single step outside. Great-grandpa was very worried about you. He hasn't eaten or drunk anything," Davon replied, looking meaningfully at Ryan.

"Huh? Why didn't great-grandpa eat or drink anything?" Ryan asked, stunned. "I was busy doing something in my room. I had lunch."

"Great-grandpa was just concerned about you. At the same time, he also feels a sense of guilt towards you…"

Davon trailed off. That was the first time he'd confronted Ryan about the matter. However, Davon was never really good with words. He was at a loss on how to finish what he had impulsively started.

Davon felt bitter towards D'barl and usually kept his distance as well. How could he then expect Ryan to put on a facade of affection for D'barl when he could not bring himself to do so?

"So?" Ryan frowned. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"Treat it as if you're doing daddy a favor. Go visit great-grandpa," Davon said, gently ruffling Ryan's hair. "He's getting along in years and if he doesn't eat, he'll destroy his body."

"All right, I'll go," Ryan said smoothly. "But there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a very long time, daddy."

"What is it?" Davon asked warmly.

"Why didn't you protect mommy?" Ryan's clear gaze seemed to penetrate right through Davon. "Why did you abandon her?"

Davon lowered his gaze. Memories of the past crowded into his mind, clamoring. "It's not that I didn't protect her. I just didn't do it well enough. I didn't abandon her either."