A Second Chance - Billionaire: Troubled Heart of the Billionaire, #2

Chapter 1

Bella James was positioned face-up on an exam table while the doctor put some cold gel on her stomach for a sonogram to measure the growth and development of her baby. After explaining the procedure, he moved a small hand-held probe over her skin.

She stared up at the images on the small television screen. So how does an ultrasound work?

Ultrasound uses sound waves to create a picture. The transducer I’m holding sends the sound waves. The sound waves pass through your body tissues and send back echoes. And that’s how we get the images on the screen.

WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH.

There was a whooshing sound and a fast, steady heartbeat.

Bella looked up at the doctor. "I heard if the fetal heartbeat sounds like a washing machine, it’s a girl, and if it sounds like galloping horses, it’s a boy. I don’t hear clop, clop, clop, but whoosh, woosh, woosh. Am I having a girl?"

No answer.

The obstetrician glanced at the screen and squinted as if he was studying something really hard.

Whoa! I wasn’t expecting this, he said.

Those weren’t the words she wanted to hear!

Please let there be no complications!

He looked away from the screen and turned his attention toward her. Bella, you aren’t going to believe this.

Her heart started to race. Oh, please tell me my baby is healthy! That’s all I care about. I just want a healthy baby girl or a healthy baby boy.

How about possibly both?

She lifted her head from the silver exam table. Both?

His face gleamed. Yes, you’re having twins.

Twins? she gasped as he nodded to her.

Two heartbeats, yes. And they’re both very strong.

Oh my gosh! This is unbelievable! Bella said, tears brimming in her eyes.

Wow! I was having twins! It’s a double blessing!

Let’s check out baby number two, shall we? the doctor said, moving the ultrasound wand around her belly.

This wasn’t a joke. Bella had two beating hearts inside her belly.

The doctor pointed to the babies on the screen and Bella was floored.

After the exam, the doctor handed Bella a paper towel to wipe off all the goop on her stomach. Bella was in complete and utter shock as she pondered everything.

The obstetrician not only confirmed the pregnancy, but confirmed Bella was having twins. She was twenty-two years old, a former motel housekeeper and one-time maid for an Arizona billionaire—the only man she’d ever loved. Their brief, intense romance had left her heartbroken and secretly pregnant. She’d fled the lavish secure compound outside Phoenix and left Harvey Carlson in her past as soon as she found out she was carrying his child. About ten minutes afterward in fact, since she’d overheard him telling his disdainful, wealthy mother that if Bella turned up pregnant, he’d have no trouble paying her off to get the baby away from her forever.

She’d known she had to run, even if it meant raising her child on her own. Without a college degree, without a profession to support herself and her baby. All she had was a little sister in Tulsa that she’d never told Harvey about. So she’d gone to Tulsa and moved in with Madison. She had found a job for a janitorial company, cleaning office buildings and restaurants at night. The schedule had made her more nocturnal but, with a baby coming that was probably just as well.

During the days, she slept for a while, then worked on her courses at the nearby college to finish her business degree. With very careful budgeting, she and Madison had figured out a way for her to take off two months after the baby came. That is, until she found out they were having twice as many babies as they planned!

Twins would cost more, so she would get less time off. She wanted them both, loved them already. She’d dreamed for weeks of having a baby boy or baby girl to love, but now she wondered if she might have one of each. It might make the road harder, but it would also be doubly joyful.

One day, when checking her old email address, just curious to see if Harvey had tried to contact her, to apologize or declare his love or something, she found a message from Greta, his assistant.

Bella, per Harvey’s request, I have deposited the balance of what he owes you into your Paypal account linked to this address. I hope this message finds you well. I miss you. Greta

In disbelief, Bella logged into the Paypal account and found the balance wasn’t the one hundred dollars she usually kept in there for automatic payments for other bills. It was an amount in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Squealing aloud, to the displeasure of the librarians, Bella clapped a hand over her mouth. She could still have her two months off, or twice that.

Why would he put so much in there? Then she remembered, it wasn’t just housekeeping wages, it was the rest of what he owed her for the ‘fake girlfriend’ publicity stunt she had helped stage. He even remembered the bonus pay. If she was able to fool everyone, and get him back into good graces, she’d get a bonus. Harvey must be back in good graces with the press and his company. 

She smiled. A job well done, she said softly to herself.

Except that the job had turned into something more...

She had never planned to fall in love with the billionaire, but he captured her heart in a way no other man ever had. Bella wondered if he ever thought about her. She was sure he had moved on with his life. Six months ago, she saw a picture of him on the front page of the newspaper for a charity event. He looked so happy with a big smile on his face.

This money was going to help so much. She could be sure her medical bills for labor and delivery would be covered. She could get two good car seats and a dependable car to put them in. She’d hoarded the money from the Corvette he’d given her, the car she’d sold, just in case there were unexpected medical expenses. Now she could relax with this safety net in place and get a good used car and a few baby supplies.

The money, in fact, had lasted longer than she expected it to because she was careful with it. Caden and Corinne were born blond and healthy with blue eyes like their father’s. She cherished them and did everything possible to build them a good life. The twins were beautiful, healthy, headstrong, funny, adorable, and the two best miracles of Bella’s entire life. She couldn’t imagine one without the other. Diving into parenting was hard work, but worth the reward.

Bella finally finished up her classes. Madison watched her twins while she did her capstone course at the university. A capstone course was required of all bachelor degree candidates. It was the last class in her program of study.

She got an entry-level job in marketing at a company with a day care. Her heart might have been broken, and she might have still dreamed of Harvey from time to time, but her broken heart was also full of love for her twins.

Her life was coming along nicely, and her babies were growing up.

Chapter 2

Five years later...

Bella initialed the contract triumphantly. Having finalized the details on her new job, she was signing her first lease. She finally had the job she’d been longing for, as a marketing executive in a top flight corporation in San Francisco. Their brand was built on sustainability and environmental stewardship and she couldn’t wait to put her expertise to good use for such a good cause. It would also be grand to move her rambunctious five- year-olds out of the hotel they’d stayed at for the last week and into a proper house where they could run around. They hated apartment living, especially when the lady downstairs kept complaining about the thuds from the kids running around. Now she had a small yard and even a porch to sit on. Being cooped up in the summertime in a tiny apartment with no balcony wasn’t fun. 

She’d found a townhome with a LEED certification that used rooftop solar and rainwater collection. Since becoming a mother, Bella had little patience for chemicals in her children’s environment. Dedicated to giving them the healthiest possible atmosphere to play and grow, she’d invested a little extra money from her hiring bonus into securing this safer housing. They’d have a deck to play on, access to the community garden, and a huge park next door.  Someplace to get some energy out, besides running up and down the hallway at the hotel while the already long-suffering nanny (who’d been with them for all of two weeks) tried to herd them back to the room.

This was the start of their real life, she thought. The life she’d been working toward since that day she’d stood in the bathroom and looked at a row of positive pregnancy tests and known she had to run away. Now, she had secured a good home for her babies—the babies who were starting kindergarten on Monday. It was bittersweet—sweet because they were healthy and happy and ready to learn, bitter because so much of their early childhood had been spent juggling part-time jobs and coursework and making ends meet. She would have time to sit back and really appreciate them just as they were ready to embark on extracurricular activities and the round of birthday parties.

She messaged the movers, who delivered her new furniture.

Having new furniture felt like a dream. Sometimes, she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t really dreaming.

After a few hours at the new house, she had the refrigerator stocked and the essentials unpacked. The kids would have their own rooms, and she made sure they were perfect. Corinne’s had a pink quilt on the bed, posters of her favorite princesses on the wall, and a special rack for all her dance tutus and leotards to hang on. Caden’s room was done in a dinosaur theme, with a play table to hold all his T-rexes and apatosauruses. Proud of the life she’d made for them, Bella drove to the hotel and collected her twins and their nanny, along with the last two suitcases.

Are you guys ready? she asked, excitement flooding her voice.

Yes! the twins shouted.

Yes, Maria said. Thank you for hiring me. I promise, you do not regret it. I be the best and take good care of your kids. I’m glad you have your dream job. Because I have gotten mine too.

Bella couldn’t stop grinning and gave them all a big hug as more excitement flooded through her.

Maria was the perfect nanny. She was so loving, kind, humble, and had a wonderful disposition. She had just gotten her green card and was taking classes on how to speak English more fluently.

Bella started the vehicle as tears welled up in her eyes. They finally had a home to go to! Nothing was more exciting than this.

They stepped inside their new home and glanced around in awe. When she saw their happy faces, heard their squeals, all the years of working for this was worth it. She’d finally given them a real home. Bella told Maria to take the night off. She’d order a pizza, some salad, and watch a movie with the kids. It was exactly what they needed—a little time together as a family.

I want Cinderella, Mommy! Corinne said.

No! We’ve seen that one a million times! Caden said. And it’s girly, Mommy.

Bella picked up a DVD. Okay, How about Toy Story? I just bought it a few days ago.

Caden’s eyes lit up. Yes!

I want to see it! Corinne shouted.

Okay, how about after dinner?

She pumped her fist high into the air. Yes! 

After a pepperoni pizza and a Disney flick, she gave them baths and read them a story. She kissed Corinne good night, ushered Caden to his room, and kissed him too. Caden fell asleep as soon as she tucked him in.

Read me another story, Mommy, Corinne said. Please!

Bella peeked into the room. All right. One more, and then it’s time for bed, honey.

Okay.

After the story, Bella kissed her daughter goodnight.

I love our new house, her daughter said.

Bella smiled. I’m so glad. We’re going to have a good life here.

I love it here!

Bella smiled again. She was so happy to see her children so happy.

She went to her room and started to get ready for bed. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps.

Corinne came in, confused because she’d never slept