Maid To The Billionaire(35)

I was too far away to hear Alex’s response, but I could tell that Cassandra’s attitude hadn’t changed at all. As I was doing my work that day I thought about all of the times when I was a kid that I had seen a house like this one and thought about how happy all of the people inside must be. I was sure that with all of that wealth they couldn’t want for anything, but it was obvious when I watched Alex and his wife together that they both wanted for a lot. Neither of them was happy and I couldn’t understand why someone would choose to live that way, simply because of the money.



My days fell back into a routine easily. I knew the layout of the mansion like the back of my hand and I knew how both Alex and Cassandra liked things done. Cassandra seemed to be around all of the time to tell me in case I didn’t. In spite of that, I was still glad to be back. It was good to see my old friends again too. Manny found out that I was having a boy and started a campaign for me to name the baby after him. Every time I saw him, he’d present me with a different version of the name that I could call my son.



“What about Manuel?” he said.



“Too ethnic for a blonde haired, blue eyed boy,” I told him. I honestly hadn’t thought about names yet. I’d been too preoccupied with other things.



He laughed and the next time I saw him he said, “Manly.”



I cracked up and just said, “Um...no.”



A few days later I was cleaning the banister and he walked by in the foyer below and said, “Man.”



Laughing I said, “Too old for a baby.”



“Little man,” he said with a grin.



“I’ll consider it.” I had almost worked my way to the bottom when I saw Karen letting three men into the front door. They looked like construction workers and were armed with tools and cans of paint. They smiled at me as they passed me on the stairs and I watched as Karen led them up to the room at the end of the hall from the master suite. On her way back down I asked, “Who are they?”



“They’re designing a nursery,” she said with a smile.



“Really? I thought he was only joking.”



Karen took my hand and said, “Let’s sit for a minute.” I’m not sure if she knew what she was asking of a woman who was almost eight months pregnant. I had to squat and spread my legs wide and kind of fall back onto the stairs. “I’ve worked for Alexander since he was twenty-two years old. This will be my eighth year here. Before that, I worked for his parents for fifteen years so I’ve known him for most of his life.”



“Wow, that’s great,” I said.



“I’ve noticed something about him lately, Victoria.”



“What’s that?” I asked.



I was assuming that she was going to say something about the baby but I was surprised when she said, “In all of those years, I’ve never seen him look even a tenth as happy as he looks when you’re around.”



“Um…” I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say to that. It made me feel good and bad at the same time. Karen wasn’t looking for a response though.



Karen smiled. “Alexander is a brilliant man. His IQ is beyond genius level, did you know that?”



“No. I mean I knew he was smart, that’s obvious. I had no idea how smart I guess.”



“That kind of intelligence comes with a price. He’s been taught social skills. He was raised to be a perfect gentleman, but when it comes to relating to real, live human beings on any kind of intimate level, he really hasn’t ever had much practice at that. He worked to build his company for years. When he turned twenty-five and had his trust fund at his disposal, he could have easily used that to live on for the rest of his life. He chose only to use enough of it to expand his company and the rest of what you see was all Alex’s hard work. Throughout all of that he didn’t have time to date or maybe it was a shy thing, but either way, he just didn’t. I wasn’t surprised when the announcement came that he and Cassandra were engaged. I honestly think he married Cassandra just because he’s known her since he was a kid and it was easy. He lost his mind for a while when she left because he’d been too busy in school to sow his wild oats before he met her. I could tell though that even that didn’t make him happy.



What I am trying to say is what happened between you and him… he didn’t know how to handle that. That’s why he turned to his attorneys. They only have an interest in his money. It’s their job and they do it well. He even took Cassandra back, based on their recommendations. It’s obvious when you see them together that it’s not where they belong. He was miserable when she first came back but then suddenly you were back and he was designing a room for your baby. He’s happier doing that than I’ve ever seen him. I would be willing to bet that he has no idea how to express any of that to you.”