Beneath The Billionaire's Silence

"Mom, the bills are here."

Those were not words that Alex was expecting to hear as she sat quietly in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee that had grown cold from neglect... She didn't bother to look up as the pile of envelopes landed on the table beside her.

"Thanks sweetheart," she managed to mumble.

Sophie didn't go away however, she stood there and watched her mother put the cup away, and reach for the envelopes with shaky fingers.

Alex took a deep breath as she tore open the envelope of the power company, glaring at it like an old enemy as she read through the message.

"Oh, come on." She hissed. "How's this even fair."

"Is it that bad mom?" Sophie asked nervously, she always hated seeing her mother in these kinds of situations.

Alex said nothing, instead she took the other envelopes one after the other, going through them and frowning even deeper... Water, gas, rent, car payment. Somehow, they were all higher than the previous month. She dropped her hands to her lap and smiled sadly at her daughter.

"Let's just say if we don't find a solution soon, we'll be cooking over open flames and depending on candlelight like it's the nineteenth century."

Sophie came to sit beside her and held her hand. "We'll be okay mom; you always figure these. things out."

Alex squeezed Sophie's hand gently, admiring the optimism of the 12year old girl. "I appreciate your faith baby, but it seems this time... only a miracle can..."

Boom!

The kitchen door burst open, rudely cutting her off and then making her spill the untouched coffee all over herself while Sophie jumped in fright.

"Alexandra Rose Reynolds, you better not be naked!" came a loud and voice.

"What the hell is wrong with you Lucy?!" she asked, trying to pull herself together after the initial shock.

Lucy wasn't to be silenced; she was busy running wildly around the kitchen with her phone in the air. "I did it! I freaking did it!"

"You broke my door, probably gave me a heart attack, and... did what exactly?" Alex asked. Lucy was dramatic, but something had clearly sent her over the edge today.

Lucy stopped running, and her eyes glowed with their usual mischievous sparkle as she grabbed Alex excitedly. "I just freaking got you a job babe, and not just any job... this is the job."

Alex didn't want to sound too enthusiastic. "Lucy, I swear if this is another one of your pyramid schemes..."

"No! This is real Alex, and trust me it's huge." Lucy dropped her phone on the table dramatically, and turned to Sophie who still looked stunned. "Tell your mom she's about to be rolling in cash."

"what kind of job are we talking about here Lucy?" Alex asked carefully, still not wanting to get her hopes up.

"Tutoring." Lucy announced proudly.

Alex looked at Lucy like she had completely lost her mind. "Tutoring?"

Lucy grinned like an evil clown and licked her lips. "Julian Blackwood's son."

There was complete silence in the kitchen, and then Sophie gasped. "Julian Blackwood? Like, Blackwood industries? The guy who owns nearly half the city?"

Alex shot her daughter a warning look before turning to glare at Lucy. "You want me to tutor his son? The Julian Blackwood? Have you gone completely insane?"

Lucy dropped into a chair, completely unbothered by Alex's reaction. "I may be a little insane, but that's not the point here babe. The point is that I sent in your info through Maya... you remember her right? My scrawny college roommate. She works at Blackwood's high-tech setup, and she gave me the news. They've been looking for someone discreet, competent, and flexible to be a private tutor to Blackwood's son... I told her you were perfect."

"You told her? When did you even do all this?"

"Last week."

Alex stood up. "Last week?! Lucy, you didn't even ask me!"

"Because I knew you'd say no, and you're doing it right now." Lucy said with concern in her voice. "But you're broke Alex, like real broke, and I know for sure that things are worse than you'll ever tell me."

Sophie turned her eyes away, and Alex threw her hands in the air. "You don't just sign someone up to work for one of the most intimidating men in the country without asking! Haven't you heard the stories about him? And besides, do you even know anything about his kid?"

"Yeah." Lucy replied confidently. "His name's Lucas, he's 13, and has apparently already scared off three tutors in the last two months. But guess what? You're not like the others."

Alex looked at her in surprise. "And how would you know that?"

"Because I've seen you drag Sophie through fractions and algebra while cooking dinner and negotiating with a plumber. You're a natural Alex, and they don't care about fancy degrees or stuff like that... all they want is someone firm and smart."

Alex sat down again, trying to wrap her head around the whole thing. "But... but... I haven't taught formally in years, and I don't even know if I have the patience for some spoiled little..."

"Hey!" Sophie interrupted, and they both turned to her. "Just because someone's rich doesn't mean their kid's a brat," she said firmly.

Alex opened her mouth to argue but paused when she saw the disappointment on her daughter's face. "I'm sorry honey."

Lucy leaned forward. "Look, I get it Alex... Blackwood's intimidating, cold, ruthless and every other nasty thing the media has said about him, but this job pays more per week than most people make in a month. You could pay off the rent and fix up the car."

"But Lucy, I can't just walk into a billionaire's home and act like I belong."

"You don't have to act." Lucy said quickly. "Just teach the kid, take the money, and leave... I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's a really good shot Alex, a real shot. And the driver's picking you up in less than an hour."

"A driver?" Alex couldn't believe her ears.

"Yep. I told Maya to keep it classy." Lucy said with a satisfied smile on her face.

Alex groaned. "This is already a disaster."

"For God's sake quit whining and get dressed!" Lucy snapped.

"Do you know what kind of man Mr. Blackwood is?" Sophie asked as her mother vanished to her room.

"Probably the kind that always makes Forbes headlines and surely hasn't smiled since 2008." Lucy said laughing.

But Sophie didn't quite find it funny...

Far away in his office on the other side of the city, Julian Blackwood closed a file and sat down slowly on his leather chair.

"So you found another one." he asked, without looking at the timid assistant before him.

"Yes...sir," the assistant confirmed.

Julian said nothing, he picked up a photo frame on his desk... a boy with beautiful eyes and a smile that looked forced.

"Let's hope she lasts longer than the last one," he said coldly.