Beloved by You

by Sloan, Molly

  As Radhika and Janet made their way across the crowded room, she whispered into Janet’s ear, “Does Andrew know yet?”

  Janet stopped and looked at her friend. “Know what?”

  “About the baby.”

  “Wait, how did you...”

  Radhika just smiled and kept walking. “That glow on your skin isn’t just from love, my friend.”

  Chapter Twenty One: Graceful Exit

  “How are we doing?” Andrew looked at the clock on the wall and it said 7:05. He was in a back office of the Andaz, with a security team of people and a bank of computers monitoring YouTube.

  “Nothing yet, boss. Looks like he’s waiting until 8 as promised.”

  Or SHE is, Andrew thought bitterly.

  “Sounds good. Keep me posted. I need to get back down there so no one gets suspicious.”

  Slipping out the door, Andrew ran into Nicole in the hallway. She looked beautiful in a floor-length black gown, but Andrew didn’t even notice. His mind was on getting back to Janet.

  “What’s going on? Are we still okay?” Nicole looked worried.

  “We’re good. Mike is at the YouTube headquarters in California right now, with the head of the company. She is couple friends with his parents.”

  “Wow.”

  “Anyway, as soon as the video posts, Susan is going to pull it.”

  “Why do we need all these guys on this end, then?”

  “Because I’m not about to take a chance on our reputation. Mistakes happen. I don’t want ANYONE seeing that video. It would ruin lives. It would ruin Janet’s reputation if investors - and her mother - thought that someone disreputable had donated the land. I won’t risk it. If for some reason, the video plays, the security team here will kill the Internet at the hotel. That would buy us time to get it pulled in California.”

  “I, for one, am glad. Let’s head back down before anyone notices that we’re missing.”

  Dinner had already started when Nicole and Andrew walked up to their table.

  “Where have you two been?” Ryan was seated opposite from Winston and Radhika, and there were two empty spaces in between him and Janet.

  “Oh, just attending to last-minute gala stuff,” Andrew said as he pulled out Nicole’s chair, seating him next to Ryan. “Have you two met?”

  “No, I haven’t had the pleasure.” Ryan tried to stand and shake Nicole’s hand, but he winced in pain and had to sit back down. “I’m Ryan. The brains behind the BBC 2.”

  Nicole laughed as she sat down next to him. “I see. The brains, huh? Then what is Andrew?”

  “Andrew? Oh, he’s the brawn. If we ever need heavy stuff lifted, or someone to sprint really fast across a parking lot, he’s the one we call.”

  They were both chuckling. Nicole extended her hand, and said, “Well, I’m Nicole. It’s nice to meet you, Ryan. I’m neither the brains nor the brawn around here…”

  Ryan quipped, “Well, then you must be the beauty.”

  Nicole blushed as she leaned over and said softly, “I was really sorry to hear about your accident. You’re really fortunate to have such loyal and amazing friends. It speaks well of your character.”

  Just then, a woman came up to Nicole and whispered in her ear. Nicole stood up, and said to the group, “If you’ll excuse me, it’s almost time to premiere the documentary, “Amazing Grace.”

  * * *

  Radhika leaned across the table and whispered to Janet. “Where’s Fiona? I haven’t seen her tonight.”

  Janet realized that she hadn’t either. She was about to ask Andrew when she heard his name being announced on stage.

  “And now, ladies and gentlemen,” Nicole said to the well-dressed crowd, “let’s have a round of applause for the man who has made this night possible. Andrew Atherton.”

  He stood and made his way up to the stage. Standing in front of a large movie screen, he looked poised as he spoke to the crowd.

  “A few months ago, I was in Botswana on a business deal, when I met a group of people who would change my life.”

  The crowd gave Andrew their rapt attention, as he continued. “ It's been almost thirty-five years since the Live Aid concert that benefited the people of Africa. And, while massive strides have been made, there is still a crisis there. The AIDS epidemic has affected, probably, every person in this room in one way or another. But we are the lucky few. The chosen ones, if you will, with the resources to afford this thousand-dollars-a-plate dinner. Right now, in another part of the world, there are hundreds of families who can’t afford basic medical treatment. Families whose loved ones are dying, leaving children orphaned. But there is a group of people - tireless workers - dedicated to helping ease the crisis. And, tonight, I want to introduce you to one of them. Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to introduce the woman who is the real reason we are here tonight. Ms. Janet Girard.”

  Andrew stepped down from the stage and gave Janet a polite kiss as she made her way past him. He wanted more, but not with a thousand watching eyes from the audience.

  The bright lights blinded Janet as she took the mic. “Thank you so much, Andrew, for the kind words. But I’m not the real reason we are here tonight. The real reason we are here is because of the kids. And my dear friend Nicole was kind enough to create this documentary that shows what my organization, A Place of Grace, is all about. I know we’re all excited to see the movie, but let me just take a couple of minutes to give you the backstory of how A Place of Grace came to be.”

  As Andrew headed back to the table, he placed another sealed note on Janet’s chair. He then patted Winston on the back, and made a graceful exit out a side door, unnoticed by Janet. He heard the sound of applause as he headed back up to the offices.

  Chapter Twenty Two: Dropped

  Andrew made his way down the hallway to the back offices of the Andaz Hotel. Behind him, he could hear the laughter and applause of the audience as Janet and Nicole were hosting the gala. A quick glance at his watch told him he’d better hurry. It was almost 8:00.

  Turning around a corner in the brightly lit hallway, Andrew literally crashed into someone going the opposite way.

  “Andrew! I didn’t expect to see you here…why aren’t you out at the gala?” It was Fiona.

  Seething, Andrew put on his best poker face and smiled. “Fiona! I was looking for you! No one had seen you at the gala, and we wondered where you might be. I opened this door, and it led me down this hallway. What a coincidence that you’re here. Let me just text the others and let them know I found you.”

  Looking down at his phone and texting, Andrew thought, I should have been an actor. Looks like she bought it. The text was really to Winston. “Call the police. Have them meet me in the back office at the Andaz.”

  “I think we need to go this way,” Andrew said, as he took Fiona’s arm and led her toward the offices. Glancing at his watch again, he picked up the pace a little. It was 7:54 pm.

  * * *

  “Who are you texting, Winston?” Radhika whispered. “The movie is about to start.”

  “I’ll explain later,” he whispered back. It was six minutes until the movie was to be released on YouTube, and six minutes until every person in this room would receive an email, text, or push notification that the expose telling the “real story” had been dropped at the same time. Reputations and careers were on the line.

  Winston kissed Radhika on the cheek as he stepped out of the room for a moment to call the police. From the other room, he heard Nicole on stage, talking.

  “So when Janet invited me to A Place for Grace to volunteer, of course I said yes. What you are about to see is the footage from that day. It captures the life and feel of the orphanage. The heartbreaking story of a little boy who was losing his mother. And the courageous woman who fought to build a home for the hundreds of children displaced…”

  * * *

  As Nicole was introducing the film, Janet ducked her head and headed back to her seat at the table. Instantly, she noticed that Andr
ew was not there. Where was he? The movie is about to start.

  It was then that she saw the note at her seat. It was the same size and handwriting as the one that was on her bed. Andrew.

  Quietly tearing open the envelope, she held the notecard below the edge of the table so that no one could see that she was reading. The note said:

  Something has come up and I need to go. Meet me at the base of the London Eye at midnight. We need to talk.

  Janet’s heart sunk. Did he know about the baby? Is that why he left? She knew that she had planned to end things with him tonight, anyway. But, she’d hoped that they would have at least one evening together before it happened.

  Oh well, little princess. Fairy tales don’t always come true, do they?

  Janet’s thoughts were interrupted by Nicole’s voice from the stage. “And now, the moment we have all been waiting for. I present to you, Straw Barn Publishing’s first-ever documentary, “Amazing Grace.”

  The crowd applauded. The lights dimmed. The screen lit up.

  * * *

  It was go-time. 7:59 pm. Andrew had Fiona by the arm as he was hustling down the hall to the office. He wanted her to see that her plan wasn’t going to work. And he wanted to see her face when she realized it.

  “Andrew! You’re hurting my arm! Why are we walking so fast? I think this is the wrong direction!” Fiona was struggling to keep up with Andrew’s pace.

  “No, Fiona. This is exactly right where you need to be.”

  Andrew opened the doors to the office and could see YouTube up on several screens.

  “Hey, boss. Nothing yet. We have several channels on screen, from a bunch of different influencers. If something goes wrong, this is gonna drop worldwide. In about sixty seconds.”

  Fiona looked completely confused. “Where are we? Who are these people?” She turned to Andrew and demanded, “What is going on?”

  Finally, Andrew let his anger show. “Why don’t you tell me?”

  “I don’t know what you mean?” Fiona looked at him innocently.

  “Don’t bullshit me. You have been planning this behind my back for weeks. You got footage from A Place for Grace, footage of me at the cemetery, images of Ryan’s accident…” He was getting so mad that he was afraid he might lose it.

  Taking a deep breath, he calmed and continued. “You sent that stuff to a producer and had a video made. You had Nicole’s phone stolen, and then had a hacker send a message to everyone in her contact list. And you did ALL of it, while looking me straight in the eye and pretending to be a loyal employee.”

  Fiona just looked down at the ground. Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at him.

  “Do you know why I did it, Andrew? Do you know why?”

  “No, and I don’t care.”

  “I did it because I love you. I have always loved you. From the time we were together until now, I knew that I was the right one for you. But, you had to go and run into Janet again. Fall in love with her. I knew that if I could get her out of the picture, you’d come back to me.”

  “That makes no sense. You hurt me and my friends so that I would fall in love with you?” Andrew stared at Fiona in disbelief. “Are you really that demented?”

  Bitterness swept across Fiona’s face. “You don’t get it, do you? You and your friends are BILLIONAIRES. You have everything. You always land on your feet. My stupid documentary might dent your image for a few weeks. But, you’ll always still be rich. You’ll always still have the power to get what you want. That’s what money does.”

  “Guys. Look.” One of the security team pointed to the computer monitor. Music began to play, and some video footage from a drone started. “What you are about to see is the REAL story behind The BBC 2. These four college friends, Andrew Atherton, Cole Bennett, Ryan Cummings, and Michael Davis, are all billionaires. Their image is that of philanthropy… but the real story is one of rich men who think they are above the law…”

  * * *

  Janet wished that Andrew were here to see this. The documentary was magnificent. Images of Andrew and Oba, working together to build the bunk beds. Wide, expansive scenes of A Place for Grace. Elyse in her office. Radhika and Winston, laughing. Coral having a pillow fight with one of the kids. Even Janet, in her cottage. Although it was strange to see herself up on a movie screen, she knew it was for a good cause. But, it really did make her miss home…

  I’ll be home soon, little king, Janet thought. And we can start our life as a family...

  Looking around the room, everyone else seemed to be riveted to the screen. Janet could see Angelina and her kids, Oprah and Stedman, and on the other side, Madonna and her kids, with an entourage of admirers. The room was filled with government officials, dignitaries, celebrities, humanitarians, and other people of influence. Five hundred people who could all make a difference in the lives of the African people. Not to mention five hundred people who paid one thousand dollars a plate to be here. That money meant that Janet wouldn’t need the Girard Foundation money for a very long time.

  How had Andrew managed to pull this off in two weeks? And, where was he? He should be here to see the fruits of his labor.

  * * *

  Andrew sent Winston a text. “What’s going on? Are people’s phones going off?” Andrew could imagine five hundred phones buzzing and beeping at the same time, as the hacker sent out an alert that the exposé had dropped. While not everyone would stop and watch it right then, enough of them would. Even if one person does, it will spread like wildfire…

  The security room was silent as the images on the screen continued. Were Mike and Susan going to pull the video in time? Onscreen, Andrew saw his face, and photos of Michael, Ryan, and Cole. Closed captioning had their names right there, in print.

  Andrew looked at Fiona, who was watching the monitors with a smug grin.

  Come on, Mike. This is going to destroy us.

  All at once, the room let out a sigh of relief. The images of the movie were replaced with a black screen that said, “This video is no longer available on YouTube.”

  Fiona became indignant. “Wait? What? How did you...” Just then, the doors burst open. “Fiona Durant. You are under arrest.”

  “On what charges?” she demanded. “It’s not illegal to release a YouTube video?”

  “No, but defamation of character is. And slander, libel, and arranging for theft and phone hacking.”

  “But the video was pulled before it aired.”

  “Enough of it ran, and we have evidence that at least a few people saw it. I’d get yourself a good barrister, Ms. Durant. Now, please, come with us.”

  Fiona turned and glared at Andrew as she was being escorted out the door. “See what I mean? You rich folks always land on your feet.”

  Andrew just smiled at her and said, “Fiona. You’re fired.”

  Chapter Twenty Three: The Eyes Have It

  The line of cars outside the Andaz was impressive - not only for how many cars there were, but for the opulence. Rolls Royces jockeyed for position with Porsches, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, and of course hundreds of limos. There were headlights and tail lights as far as the eye could see. A light mist was falling, and everything glistened in the light of the full moon.

  It would have been a perfect night for romance, except…

  Janet stood next to Nicole, Winston, and Radhika watching as the crowd trickled out into the street, looking for their cars and drivers. They could overhear comments about the evening, as the guests passed by.

  “I was crying at the end! It was so beautiful.”

  “I just hope I can make a difference in the world like that.”

  “That little boy Oba is so cute. I want him!”

  “That Andrew Atherton is sure easy on the eyes…”

  Andrew. Somehow Janet needed to get to the London Eye by midnight. It was less than three miles away, but with this traffic, she had no idea how she would ever make it.

  “Miss Girard?” Janet turned to see a man wearing a chauffeur
's uniform standing behind her.

  “Yes?”

  “Mr. Atherton asked that you come this way.”

  The others in her small group had overheard, and all smiled, hugging her goodbye. “Have fun!” “You deserve it!”

  But Radhika leaned over, and as she kissed Janet’s cheek, whispered. “Listen to the man. Listen to what he tells you. Look in his eyes and you will see the truth.”

  Janet nodded weakly. I already know the truth. I have to tell him goodbye.

  Winding down a maze of brightly-lit hallways and what appeared to be secret doors, Janet was sure they were going the wrong way.

  “Just a few more minutes, Madam. I assure you. This is the fastest route.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “This door will take us to Alderman’s Walk. It’s a passageway that leads to the large house and gardens of Sir Francis Dashwood.”

  “I have somewhere to be. I need to get to...”

  “I know, Madam. Just trust me. You’ll see.”

  A few minutes later, Janet was surprised to see a sleek black helicopter waiting on the lawn. “A helicopter? You expect me to get into that?”

  “Mr. Atherton sent it for you. It’s the fastest transportation at the moment.”

  Unsure, as she ducked her head under the spinning blades of the copter, she got inside. It was deafeningly loud. The pilot handed her some headphones and shouted, “Here, put these on.”

  As Janet placed them over her cold ears, the helicopter started to rise. She could see the London Wall below her, as the body of the copter tipped and flew off. The city lights of London floated below her like fireflies. The River Thames glittered under the full moon.

  Janet’s stomach started fluttering. Is that you, little princess? I can’t wait to show you the world…