Billionaire's Solace

Helena woke up to the smell of fried bacon and egg; she was sure it was from her kitchen. Her blood was boiling at the thought that Arthur dared to touch her kitchen. Helena's kitchen is sacred to her since she loves cooking.

"You better prepare yourself, Arthur," she hissed. Arthur is the God-like stranger who asked for a one-night stay in her beach house after he explained he was lost.

She is still reeling if the man has an ill-intention for coming for help. It was strange to have someone knock on your door one night looking for a place to stay. But still, she gave the man the benefit of the doubt since he looked helpless.

It was hard for her to let the man stay as she intended to isolate herself from people, which is why she moved to her current small beach house in San Antonio. But she was the man's only salvation; her neighbor was miles away from her. It was raining hard, and he might die of hypothermia the next day if she didn't allow him to stay with her.

After the help I gave him, what did I get in return? Invading my kitchen? I don't deserve this.

Helena grabbed herself out of bed and hurried to the kitchen. She was fuming in anger only to be welcomed with two sunny-side-up eggs and fried bacon on the dining table, with a note beside the plate. And the note reads I cooked you breakfast. I hope you like it. My payment for a night's stay is at the center table.

She looked at the center table in the living room and saw a 100-dollar bill. She felt a little relieved that the man paid for his stay. Because why not? There's nothing free these days, especially since I'm an independent woman who has to buy my own place from my savings and to top that, I'm struggling financially. That's what she told herself to make her feel better.

Although she knew the man was helpless when he came and asked for a place to stay, Helena thinks he doesn't look like he couldn't pay a decent amount for an overnight stay. He even cooked her breakfast, which made her feel he had good judgment in letting him stay. Having a stranger guest in her beach house wasn't bad at all.

Helena checks the egg tray and counts the missing eggs and her bacon in the refrigerator. Four eggs were missing, and a pack of bacon. It did confirm that Arthur had his breakfast before leaving. Arthur did follow her instructions to leave first thing in the morning, but he touched her kitchen.

"If he didn't pay for the night's stay, he'd be in trouble," she muttered.

Helena then goes to the comfort room to do her morning business. There she discovers that Arthur had indeed taken a bath before leaving. The bathroom smells masculine, she's guessing probably from Arthur's body wash and shampoo. Helena couldn't deny that the man was clean and meticulously cared for his body.

Her mind recalled the scene the last night she saw Arthur sleeping, only wearing his underwear. It was a sight to look at. His masculine body, 6-pack abs, evident in his regular workout, was heavenly. Yet, she didn't like that he kept reminding her of her boyfriend, Israel, who passed away almost a year ago.

It feels like cheating Israel. I couldn't do it to him. She sighed as she shook her head and went to the kitchen again.

Helena starts her day by having brunch. Thanks to Arthur, who cooked her meal as she didn't have time to cook for herself. She praised Arthur's egg and bacon; the presentation was alright, and he cooked them well. She's even surprised he didn't overcook the egg and bacon like other men she knows. Even Israel needs to learn how to cook a fried egg. The man grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth.

The thought of Israel and Arthur again made Helena stop her meal. I shouldn't be comparing Israel to a stranger I met just recently. He is incomparable.

With that thought, she devoured that last piece of bacon on her plate and washed the dishes. Helena noticed Arthur washed the dishes he used since there were no used plates and a fork on the counter. She was indeed quite impressed by the man's cleanliness.

After her brunch, she cleans the house from her backyard, kitchen, and living room to her bedroom. She skips the second bedroom that she made a stock room. Helena sure had a productive day as she finished her cleaning before sunset. Which is a good time for her to walk outside, watching the sunset unfold before her eyes. It's her favorite thing to do before the wind gets cold in the evening.

Perfect place to collect her thoughts, especially remembering the love of her life, Israel. After losing Israel, Helena wanted to leave the city to avoid Israel's family and grieve alone. The only thing holding her back was her finances. When she had the chance, Helena sold everything she got and started looking for a beach house in her budget range. She left the city with no one knowing except her best friend, Gabby.

For Helena, her place is a piece of paradise, and she couldn't be happier anywhere else but in San Antonio. The house is undoubtedly made for her since it is alone on a beach, just like what she loved, where the neighbor is miles away.

They say people left San Antonio for a better life in the city, but Helena thinks the other way around. City life is a delusion. She hates the hustle and bustle of city life; one reason is that she's an introvert, and the second reason is losing the love of her life. Israel is no longer there, leaving her no reason to stay in a noisy place and, most of all, the threat from Israel's family.

The thought of the way Israel's family treats her made her quiver. Helena and Israel suffered under their hands for almost a year until Israel's passing.

Tears streamed down Helena's face as she stood on the beach in San Antonio. It had been nearly a year since Israel passed away, but still, his memory was as clear to her as if he were standing beside her. She remembered the sound of his laughter, shared jokes and secret language, gentle touch, and how he loved and accepted her despite their differences. He was the only love she had ever known and the only one she would ever need - yet he had left her.

"Why did you have to leave me, Israel? Why?" Helena muttered, her voice fading.

She wrapped her arms around her body to comfort herself as if Israel were still doing it for her, but the warmth from his embrace was gone forever. Her body shook as she gasped for air, overwhelmed with guilt that she couldn't stop him from leaving her. Pain pierced through her chest, and an endless wave of sadness crashed over her.

Darkness covered the clouds, and the cold was unbearable. Helena lost what time was on the clock until she felt growling in her stomach. It's time for her to cook dinner. She walks back home to cook dinner. As planned, she's cooking Israel's favorite recipe that she used to make for him.

It was supposed to be Israel's 30th birthday. For the first time, she is celebrating it alone.

Helena has been eating her dinner alone like she always does for a month. Israel was on her mind as she ate roast beef with peppers, garlic mashed potato, and raspberry cheesecake for dessert. If only he was with her, it would be a fun night, to begin with. She would be in Israel's lap while having dinner like they did on his 29th birthday.

Helena spent her night crying until she repeatedly heard a knock on her door, which pissed her off. She forced herself to get up and check who was at her door late in the evening. Helena remembers Arthur. "Lord, not him again, please," she begs, getting close to the door.

As she opened the door and exposed the presence of a man, the disappointment on her face was as clear as broad daylight.

"It's you again?" Helena had no intention of hiding her displeasure.

"Please, I need a safe place to sleep tonight," Arthur implored as he knocked on the door while rain poured down.

"You said that last night, and I thought you were just lost. But now, I don't think you have any good reason to stay with me."

Arthur had a feeling of dread at Helena's cold response; it seemed like she hated him for no reason. He recalled bumping into her at the farmer's market and apologizing profusely, but she refused to forgive him.

"Let me explain. My best friend Daniel was supposed to meet me at a motel miles from here, but my phone died before I could contact him. I only noticed this evening when I tried to call him."

"You could have charged that last night. I couldn't believe that's how neglectful you are. Come inside," Helena invited Arthur but with a trace of displeasure in her voice.

Arthur knew it was against Helena's will to let him come and stay for the night, but he had no choice besides he liked seeing the woman pissed off. She seems even more attractive in a way.

"Miss, can I have dinner? I'm hungry. I only had one meal today, the one I had in the morning before I left."

That melts Helena's heart, knowing he only had one meal. "Why didn't you have lunch?"

"Well, you know we're in the middle of nowhere, right? I was occupied capturing beautiful sceneries in this place, and besides, this is the only house in this area, and I was embarrassed to come to ask for lunch."

"That's very neglectful of you. You should have returned to the town to get your lunch if you're afraid of returning here."

"Now you're a little bit concerned," Arthur was pleased with how Helena reacted for the first time.

"Dream on," she said, glaring at Arthur.

"Can I have dinner now? I will pay for it, please."

"Of course, you have to pay," she said quickly. "By the way, you can call me by my name, Helena."

"Oh, Helena," his voice soft and gentle like he was calling a goddess.

It pissed Helena off as Arthur was trying to test her patience. "You can reheat my beef and mushroom with mashed potato in the microwave and stop talking like a freak," she glared as she left Arthur and went to her room.

When Helena returned, she brought the pillow and blanket Arthur used the first night he stayed. Arthur was already having his dinner alone.

"You are such a good cook. Are you a chef?"

"No," Helena's short answer. "Here's your pillow and blanket; these are the ones you used last night. Good thing I haven't washed it," she puts them on the sofa where Arthur slept.

"This is my favorite recipe right now."

"What?" Helena asked sternly.

"I'm sorry. I mean, this is so good. Can I have the recipe? If you don't mind. You know, I'm trying to co...

"No," Helena cuts him off. "Shut up and eat," she yelled.

Arthur was puzzled about how he upset the woman since he only praised her cooking skills. He shook his head in disbelief before he focused on his food instead and finished it.

Does he think he's funny? He loves testing my patience, and I don't have that much.

There was nothing wrong with what Arthur said. Helena remembers how Israel used to say that it was one of his favorite recipes from Helena. Arthur said the same, and again it reminded her of throwing Arthur out of her house. She doesn't want anything to do with people anymore. She was so done after losing Israel.

Helena sat at the edge of her bed, contemplating how to completely get rid of Arthur the next day. It suddenly came to her that the man might have a dark plan and even planned the thing from the beginning as he bumped into her in the farmer's market and followed her to the beach house.

"You won't get away from this," she muttered.

Helen returned to the kitchen, where Arthur was washing his used dishes.

"Did you not recognize me the first time I opened the door last night?"

Arthur jolted at Helena's sudden reappearance in the kitchen. He wasn't expecting her to be back since she was furious when she left. "Sorry," he stopped washing the dishes. "What is this all about?"

"Just answer my question. Last night, you acted like you did not recognize me at first."

Arthur had a slight laugh playing in the corner of his mouth. Helena knows what that means and doesn't take it lightly.

"So you lied. You knew me at first but chose to act like you don't."

"I just thought you're cuter when you're pissed off."

"Stop making excuses. Let me tell you, if you are up for a bad plan, you're going to miss the point. Not with me."

Helena's words came in shock to Arthur. The lady was acting weird and was overthinking again. All her thoughts about Arthur are dark and evil. She had painted him as a bad guy when he didn't do anything except bump into her.

"Look, if I was planning something bad, last night was the best night to do it. Why would a criminal wait a little longer to execute his dark plan?"

"I don't know. Maybe you're planning to gain my trust."

"I don't think I'm going to get it anytime soon. And for a criminal mind, gaining someone's trust isn't necessary, especially if you don't have a neighbor who can testify about a crime. There are too many loopholes for me to be a criminal. Helena, I'm only here to cover the place and show it to the world. That's it," he narrated calmly.

The twitch in Helena's eyebrows disappeared, which was a little relief to Arthur. "By the way, I'm planning to stay for two weeks. Can I stay in your second bedroom? I'll pay you for it."

Helena's eyes widened. "Did you enter my second room?" she said, crossing her arms.

"No. I'll never do that without your permission. I just saw there's a second room. That's why I am asking about renting it. Please, I need it so badly."

"Good. I don't like people touching anything I own."

"So, would you let me stay here while doing my job?"

Helena looked at him, narrowing her eyes. "Let me think about it," she said finally.

"Well, that's good enough. At least I have something to look forward to tomorrow. Maybe you'll realize I wasn't that bad by then."

Arthur's gaze was intense yet gentle as he looked hopefully at Helena. His eyes were bright, and his expression was open and confident. He looked at her like he had in the farmer's market, with a slight hint of unmistakable admiration even in the dim light of the living room.

Helena avoided his gaze as it was drawing her in. She found it difficult to trust people, especially after Israel's death. She didn't want to be vulnerable again, and she certainly didn't want to be drawn to someone like Arthur. But there was something about him that piqued her interest.

"I'm not giving you too much hope," she said before returning to her bedroom.

3 days ago...

Helena pulled out of the driveway and drove down the windy coastal road. She thought of the road that led to the highway, the winding drive-through trees with their leaves waving goodbye. When she reached the main road, she felt tears begin to well in her eyes but forced them back before they could escape.

She is leaving behind her two-bedroom beach house in a secluded setting where she intends to isolate herself from people and hopefully forget her traumatic past. Although she hadn't fully recovered yet, she had vowed to herself that she would never let anyone invade her peace again.

As Helena drove to the farmer's market, where she loves to buy fresh organic food, she felt safe and secure in a big town with only over 10,000 people. The town has few grocery stores and only one farmer's market for fresh fruits and vegetables, so a crowd would be expected every weekend.

It was already crowded when Helena arrived at the market, just like the first month. It was her second time, so she knew a little about the market. She buys her food once a month to save for her gasoline as she has to travel a few miles to get them.

Helena has her way of getting the best price from the local farmers by being nice to them, and her little trick never fails. Farmers give her generous amounts of all fruits and vegetables. Most of the time, she gets a lot of compliments from the old farmers for being cute and polite, especially since she's new to their town.

Helena is an attractive woman with plump lips and long red hair that falls below her shoulders. She has a glowing fair complexion, and her eyes are deep and mysterious, hinting at the pain she's hiding. Her presence effortlessly commands attention, with a specific energy that lights up around her.

She has Israel's favorite food in mind, which she likes to cook the following day because it is memorable for him. She picked the fresh green and red bell peppers, which are ingredients of her recipe.

"Damn it," Helena shouted as she dropped her basket of fruits and vegetables. Her food was scattered on the floor when a man hard-bumped her, causing her to drop the basket. She hurries and picks them up one by one.

"Miss, let me help you," a man said as he picked a carrot.

"Don't bother," Helena grabbed the carrot from the man's hand and slid them into her basket. She glared at the man, who was dumbfounded by her reaction.

"You could have been more careful as you walked through these hefty people in the market, and this could have been prevented."

"I know, but it happened. By the way, my name is Arthur, and you are?"

"Do you think presenting yourself in this situation is good?"

"No. Yes. I know I am at fault, but I didn't intend to bump into you. As you can see, there are plenty of people, and it's tight in here. When I tried to squeeze through people, I accidentally hit you," the man said gently.

"So you think you can just avoid taking responsibility and point the finger at others for your mistake?" Helena said as she locked eyes with Arthur.

His mesmerizing blue irises were like a magnet, drawing her in. It's one of man's best features; his eyes spoke in a language all their own when he looked at someone.

"How can you judge someone simply by one accident? Ma'am, that's not logical."

Helena looked away as Arthur's gaze intensified. "I beg to differ. Your choice of words right now is rather illuminating. You could have apologized instead of accusing other people of what happened."

People started looking at them; some glared, upset for making the market even tighter, as they argued.

"Alright, I don't blame people for what happened; I was just explaining. Okay?"

"Do you think I'm blind?" Helena raised her voice.

"Calm down; I'm sorry."

"Too late," Helena said, raising her eyebrows. She picked the last carrot, leaving the man in shock.

Arthur shook his head in disbelief at how the young woman treated her with disrespect. Although he knew he was wrong, he thought it was too much. "Do I deserve so much disrespect and humiliation in front of people?" Arthur muttered.

Helena's second stop in the town was the grocery store, where she would get the toiletries she needed for a month, milk, bread flour, spices, and things that weren't available in the farmer's market. It took her two hours to get all she needed.

She was pushing two carts filled with food, enough for a month's supply, heading to the counter with a shorter line. She recognized the last guy at the counter, who kicked her basket in the farmer's market.

She had a reasonable estimate of the man's body build standing. He was 6 feet tall at most, with a masculine body build, but she didn't care about how good his physique was. Her first impression of him was already bad for scattering her vegetables the first time they ran into each other in the farmer's market, where he accidentally knocked over all of her vegetables.

Just when Arthur flashed his smile and opened his mouth to greet her, Helena gave him a stern stare and turned her back toward him. She preferred waiting in line instead of conversing with someone who ruined her day.

The man standing beside Arthur flinches like he was hit by a flyswatter. It was Daniel, Arthur's best friend. "Arthur, is that her? She's beautiful."

Helena ignored them. They don't deserve her time and attention. Her day was ruined entirely by the commotion in the farmer's market.

The sunset comes down when Helena arrives at her beach house. She had a long trip back and forth to the town center and then went home, exhausted. After restocking her food in the pantry, she cooks her dinner and stares at the lovely sky at night until it gets cold.

Helena prepared her laptop to start working on her novel. She has not produced a novel for over a year, and her fans insist on getting their hands on her new book. Helena couldn't disappoint them as she loved her fans dearly. They were the ones who were with her in her joyous and dark times. Helena's fans are like family to her.

She has a hard time brainstorming an idea for a new book when she remembers the annoying face of the man in the farmer's market. A naughty smirk creeps on her lips.

"I'll make sure to torture you before you get your victory," she vows to herself as she continues writing the character of her story. Arthur was the male lead of her new novel.

She was proud when she wrote the complete male character of her new book. She did it fast, and the commotion in the farmer's market inspired her to write a new novel.

She writes all the story's characters and structure until she hears a knock on her door. She was concerned since her only neighbor was miles away.

The second knock on the door is even louder than the first.

"Someone might be lost at night," she muttered.

She strolled to the door to check who might be her guest and peeked at the window first. Her eyes bulged as she recognized the man on her door. "No. How come?"

Helena opened the door to confirm, and she was right. The man met her sour face with a smile. He acted like he didn't know Helena, which made her even mad.