Return of the Lost Billionaire

Inside the big mansion of the Heartfillia family a big part of the crowd from renowned families, and corporations had arrived for the annual Christmas party. The clock strikes 11:55. The atmosphere is very much lively and joyful. The Christmas tree sat at the center of the room, decorated with lights and bells and a big star at the top of it.

Under it lies a big bunch of presents lying on top of one another. Party music was playing while everyone was enjoying the drinks and food.

Among the middle, stood Caroline Heartfillia, the first wife of George Heartfillia, the owner of the Heartfillia real-estate business.

Her neck is decorated with a diamond necklace, followed along with the expensive leather coat, and branded watch. However, none of it outshined the wrinkled face she had making her look relatively older than her actual age, along with her shiny grey hair which reached up to her ears.

When the clock struck 12, she raised her glass of wine for a toast.

“Merry Christmas!” she greeted with a broader smile on her face.

Everyone followed after her.

“Merry Christmas, Grandma,” said Jeremy, the first son of Caroline. He hugged her and pulled away.

“Merry Christmas, son.” She greets me with a smile.

“Lucas and Tom have presents for you,” Jeremy added, placing his hands in his pockets.

Lucas and Tom stepped forward and went over to their grandma’s side, holding out their gifts to Caroline.

“Merry Christmas, Grandma.” They said in unison.

Caroline smiled and took the gifts from their hands. “Oh, thank you, my grandsons.”

She opened the one from Lucas to see a red diamond bracelet. Her face was belated in joy to see that.

“Beautiful.”

Following next she opened the one from Tom.

It was a sapphire ring.

“Come give me a hug.” She said, holding out her hand towards them.

They hugged her and pulled away. “I have presents for you as well. Wait.”

“Stacy! Bring the presents for the kids!” she yelled.

All of a sudden, two maids from the crowd came and gave two gifts to Lucas and Tom.

“Open it and see!” Caroline said, patting Lucas’s back.

Jeremy smiled and drank his wine.

All the guests present watched them in awe. Tom was gifted a branded watch. And Lucas was gifted a key.

He became puzzled to see the key.

“What is this for, Grandma?”.

She smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “This is the key to the new car that you have been asking for for a while.”

“It’s in our garage. You can check it later.”

Lucas’s stern-looking face lights up right away to hear that. He gave a broader smile at her.

“Thank you, Grandma, you are the best.”

“Mom, you didn’t have to do that, you know?” Jeremy asserts that he was as happy as Lucas to hear that.

“I love my watch as well, Grandma, thank you,” Tom said.

“You are welcome.”

A bit away from them stood, Diana and Daisy, along with their dad, Reagan. He arched his eyebrows out of irritation to see Lucas smiling happily.

Daisy poked her elbow at her husband’s side, who stood next to her. He’s Nicole, the owner of a branded fashion designer company in L.A.

He nodded awkwardly and went to Caroline’s side along with Daisy.

“Merry Christmas Grandma,” he greeted with a bow.

Caroline glanced at him, giving an unentertained gaze.

“Merry Christmas,” she said blandly.

“Your gift Grandma, open it,” he said, holding out the gift to her.

Daisy gave a forced smile.

Caroline took it without showing any appreciation and opened it right in front of the crowd.

“This is a designer fur coat from our company,” Nicole added, nervously. “You can’t find it anywhere, I can guarantee you that.”

Caroline examined it and felt the fabric with her hands.

“Hmm….looks decent.”

“Stacey, give them their gifts as well.” She said, before turning back to talk to someone else.

Daisy and Nicole were handed two boxes of gifts.

“Nothing can satisfy this woman, can it?” Nicole murmured under his breath.

“Even so, you have to keep trying,” Daisy retorted, opening her gift, which was earrings with blue turquoise.

Nicole sighs, finding a pair of boots in his gift.

Diana was given a cheap scarf which she didn’t like at all. Reagan pats her on the back.

“Don’t feel depressed.”

Diana looked at the woman who sat across Caroline.

It is Ella Heartfillia, the youngest granddaughter of George Heartfillia. She’s sitting in a wheelchair. Her mother, Cassandra stood right behind her, holding the wheelchair in place. Her dad, Jade stood next to her mom.

But no one paid any attention to them, as if they were invisible.

Cassandra and Jade were given two gifts by Stacey, and gave one gift to Ella as well, which she kept in her lap, without opening it.

“The value of the gift describes, the value of the person she has for them,” Diana added, turning to Caroline.

Reagan narrowed his eyes. “You couldn’t say it better.”

A man was heading towards the living room filled with people. He walked past the crowd and arrived in front of Caroline.

“Merry Christmas, Grandma.” The man greeted me with a joyful tone.

All of a sudden, everyone’s attention turns to him only.

Caroline gave an irritated expression and rolled her eyes out of boredom.

“Merry Christmas.” She added in a sarcastic tone.

“And here I thought you wouldn’t show your face because you couldn’t afford to buy presents for me.”

“Guess that wasn’t true after all.” She chuckled.

Ella looked at the man who stood in front of Caroline. He’s Leonardo Reeds, her husband, who’s around the same age as her and is the live-in son-in-law of the Heartfillia family.

Leonardo has highlighted blond hair which reached up to his ears, and small locks which fell onto his face. With hazel green eyes, he has a sharp nose and jaw, with a neatly trimmed beard making him look just like a model with his features.

She adverted her eyes, clutching onto the hem of her dress tightly.

“Or maybe, he’s here for the lavish and exotic foods, aren’t you Leo?” retorted Jeremy with a smirk. “It’s not like you got to see this every day at the orphanage did you? You must be craving for some food.”

“You are right Dad,” Tom interrupted, staring at Leonardo as if he was a clown or something.

“He never got to see such a feast, nor had the chance to eat either.”

“Poor boy.”

“Here, I have a plate ready for you, come and get it,” Lucas added in a mocking tone, swinging the plate back and forth in his hands.

The entire hall filled with laughter, hearing them making fun of Leo.

Cassandra saw this and was about to interrupt, but her husband Jade, grabbed her by the hand stopping her from interfering.

He nodded his head sideways in disapproval.

Cassandra started feeling guilty because she couldn’t save him from their taunts.

Caroline smiled, seeing everyone laughing at him.

Leonardo lowered his eyes and then smiled, looking at Caroline.

“Yes, I never had seen a feast like the one here today.” He replied.

“Nor do I have the money to buy expensive presents like the one Lucas, Tom, and Nicole had given you.”

Caroline smirked. Jeremy stepped forward and remarked, “Don’t make us embarrassed by confessing about your poverty in front of everyone.”

“There are many renowned people in here.”

“Do that when no one’s here.”

“But people know he’s broke already,” Lucas retorted in a mocking tone.

“They won’t mind.”