Behind Closed Doors with the Billionaire Next Door

RHYS

The breeze is soft and dreamy against my face as I get out of my car, phone pressed to my ear.

The scenery here is magical, lush green mountains, the clean smell of water and white sand. San Juan is really the most magical island. I made the right choice.

When the voice on the other end finishes telling me about her day, I grin. "Come on, baby girl. Be good for me, okay?" I close the door to my car and hang the bag on my passenger seat around my shoulders.

"I promise I'll send you some pictures, and you are going to see what you are missing here. This place looks like heaven." I look around, and truly this place looks beautiful. Why have I never thought of coming to this branch, even though it was opened five years ago? If I knew how beautiful this place was, I would have been here a long time ago.

"But, Dad... Why couldn't you just stay here? New York is beautiful too." my seven year old princess, Myra, whines into the phone, and I can't help the smile that spreads on my face at my daughter's cute voice. She is the major reason I'm here. Even though this place has drawn me in, my daughter is one of the big reasons I came here. After everything that happened while I was still in the uniform, I couldn't afford to project all those negative energy and feelings onto my daughter. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable and sad just because of my troubles.

That's why I'm here first, and even though she claims that she will come later and that she prefers to stay in New York, I will do everything in my power to make sure she falls in love with this place when she gets here. But for now, she's safe with her aunt.

"Mon Cheri, we talked about this. Don't worry, I'll come to visit often, and you will come to visit me too, or I'll kidnap you here, and you won't be able to leave when you want to." I try to tease her but she just scoffs.

"Dad. No... That's scary." Myra's voice comes out very uninterested and sarcastic. I chuckle at her reaction. I don't know when she became this big girl that she even knows how to be sassy now. I hear footsteps behind me one second before I hear his voice.

"Sir." I turn my eyes sideways to meet Finch, the manager of the moving company I hired. He pauses when he sees me on the phone but I nod to him to continue, "It seems we were given the wrong key for the house. The keys don't work for the door." My eyes snap to the door where other workers are standing.

Beautiful blue iron doors that are supposed to lead to my home according to the agent but now we have been given the wrong keys? I sigh and turn back to the phone. "Hey, Myra. I'll call you when I settle in, okay? I love you."

"I love you too, Dad. I'll call you." "Okay, baby girl." I hang up the oboe and motion to Finch to lead the way. I try the keys to the door when I get there, and it does not work for it.

Are they trying to fuck with me? Why would the agent give me the wrong keys to the house? I look around, and on this street, there is only one other house besides mine, and seeing that a car is nowhere to be found in the front yard, that means my neighbor must be out.

Again, that means I won't be disturbing anyone when I break down the pathetic door that is currently hindering the flow of things. I think of calling the real estate agent but as he told me, their office is far from the town and waiting here for four hours just to get a key does not sound good.

"Anyone with a hammer there?" I call out to the men behind me as I examine the door. It's a very strong door, so just slamming my shoulders on it might not make any impact. "I have one." someone answers from the background and hands me the hammer. As I raise the hammer, ready to strike the door, a sweet but very annoyed voice calls out behind me, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Huh? I turn back with a scowl on my face because what sort of question is that? Is this person blind, or they can't see the hammer in my hand? But I'm shocked when I lay my eyes on the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

She is staring at me with light gray eyes, a big frown on her face as her eyes look around in anger. Her wavy ginger hair falls gracefully on her shoulders, her beautiful skin glows in the sunlight, and her pouty lips make me want to kiss them.

Wow... Despite the frown on her face, I find myself utterly mesmerized. Who is she? This woman who looks like an angel and a devil at the same time? She stomps over to me, pulling her bag to the side, then she folds her arms across her chest. "What do you think you are doing?" She asks again and I'm jerked back to reality.

"What does it look like, ma'am? I'm trying to break down a door." I snap because I hate it when people don't mind their business. She gapes at me for a second.

"And just what in the world makes you think it's okay to grab down the door?!" I sigh, goodness, she has such a pretty face but she is the exact type I can't tolerate.

"And what makes you think it's okay to just be in other people's business?" I bite back, looking around in frustration.

When my agent told me this was a town where everyone knew each other and was familiar with each other, I didn't know it would mean people literally pushing their noses into what does not concern them! Goodness. I am frustrated but she looks even more frustrated and angry as she throws her hands up.

"Because it's my freaking door and I'm going to call the police if you're going to keep standing there with an evil looking hammer and trying to break down my door!" She bursts. It takes me a second to realise what she is saying.

"What?" She takes another step forward till she's right up in my face and pokes me in the chest. "You're a theif aren't you? I've heard about you in the neighboring towns, breaking doors and stealing stuff, but don't think I am afraid of you, I'm going to- I throw my head back and laugh at the craziness that is happening in front of me. Just who in the world is this rude woman?

"Your house? A thief?" I sweep my arm across the huge moving trucks that are parked outside. "Ever seen a thief try to move into a house before?!"

Then as if she is noticing it for the first time, her eyes run over the trucks and she winces. I fold my arms across my chest and wait for her. "Fine, I get that you're moving and whatnot but that is my door you're trying to break."

"No it's not..." I glare at her because this is the apartment that was... I look around clearly and try to remember the picture I was shown when scouting for the house. She only raises an unimpressed brow as she watches me. I think the movers realize their mistake the same time I do. Shit. This isn't my apartment,

I really had been trying to break down the wrong person's home! Just beside her house, the house I had checked earlier, very identical to hers but the only difference was the huge green door instead of blue.

One of the movers had made a mistake and when I'd gotten down from the car, I didn't bother to confirm, I just followed the movers and was about to break someone else's door. I wince. That means one thing. This loud, annoying woman, she is going to be my neighbor. Goodness. I clear my throat and my arms slack at my sides, I think my cheek even brightens a bit. "Uh.... I think.. I think I made a mistake, I'm sorry about that, I just moved here and so I was not exactly being attentive when I was shown the picture of my place and mistook it for yours." I mutter and she nods. "Uh-huh." She does not sound like she believes me at all. I puff out my chest in annoyance. "I am not a thief, I'm an ex soldier and so can never be classified as a thief." I bite and her eyes darken. "Of course you're an ex soldier, I wondered where you got the guts to barge on my porch and try to break down my door, you lot act like you own the world so I'm not surprised." She snaps and I stare at her incredulously. I've only ever seen people love and respect ex-military officers, I mean, we fight for the country, to keep everyone safe. I have never seen one with a grudge against military men. "What are you trying to say?" I glare. "I just apologized, do you think it makes sense to still be like this?" She waves her hand dismissively. "Whatever, get off my porch please, I would like to enter my house now, thank you." Still dazed, I over her command and it's only when she unlocks her door, yanks it open and is about to enter that I find my voice again. I can't let this tiny looking woman talk to me like this and walk scot free. "Hey." She turns to me, waiting. "Well? Are you not going to apologize for calling me a thief?" I ask when she doesn't say a word. She only rolls her eyes. "Stay away from me, Mr neighbor." And then she slams the door behind her. I stand there for more than a minute, so shocked and out of it. I thought the people of this town are supposed to be friendly and sweet? Who the hell is this woman? Mr Fingh walks over to me again, wincing. "So sorry sir, I just realized one of my workers is color blind and he seemed to have made the mistake." He muttered remorsfully and I shake my head. "It's fine, let's just pack into the right house this time please." I mutter and finally walk away, still shocked at my encounter with the proud, stubborn woman. The one who also happened to be so beautiful. What the hell? Still troubled, I walk to the door of the next house and this time. The door opens with no hesitations. I sigh, I just had to make such a mistake with the worst kind of neighbor ever. The movers start to drag in the luggages while I watch them and instruct them on where to put what. I turn to look out the window into the very peaceful looking town. Slowly my agitated heartbeat calms down and I smile. This was exactly why I chose this town. Just from the picture I could tell that the island was going to be a really beautiful and peaceful one. And later, when the agent had told me that the people literally fre up together and lived like a family, I knew it would be the best kind of place for my daughter to grow up. It would be the best type of place and environment to heal so I can become the best version of a parent that I can ever be to Myra. My eyes zoom back to the one beside mine and I grit my teeth. I just never imagined I would be thick with the worst of the people as a neighbor.