Her Asian Billionaire’s Perfect Match

*****

It was two days before the wedding that she got a surprise visit. She had wrapped up what she had to do at the office and was handing everything over to Simoniel because she was planning to be out for a week when there was a knock on the door of the office.

Her friend came in looking very strange. “You look like you have seen a ghost,” Leonie said to her.

“I think I have.” Her friend said slowly. “I think your father is here.”

“What?” Leonie started to get up but she sat back down. “Don’t be silly Simoniel.”

“I am afraid I am not the one being silly girlfriend. I recognize him and he distinctly said he was Benjamin Williams, your father. Should I ask him to come in?”

“No,” Leonie said shaking her head. “I will be there in a little bit.”

Simoniel nodded and left the room.

There was no way her father was here! He had not been in touch with her; had not even called so how could he be here? Simoniel must be mistaken. There was only one way to find out. With a decisive movement she left the office and went to see for herself.

He was sitting hesitantly on one of the cheerfully patterned chairs in the reception area and apart from looking older than when she had last seen him he was definitely her father!

He turned just then and his eyes lit up as soon as he saw her and he stood up with a wide smile. Leonie stood there rooted to the floor. “My daughter!” he exclaimed coming over to her and reaching for her as if they had seen each other just yesterday.

She backed away from him, her look freezing him in his tracks. “I guess I should have called first.” He said quietly.
“I guess you should have,” She told him coldly. She searched his chocolate brown face for any signs indicating regret and saw none there. “What are you doing here?”

“Your fiancé called me.” He said his eyes downcast.

“John called you?” she looked at him incredulously and for one wild moment she wanted to reach for the phone and lash out at him but she remembered the conversation they had had just a few nights ago. He wanted her to have closure and she loved him for that.

“Can we talk somewhere private?” he asked her pleadingly and she looked around and realized that not only was there Julia and Simoniel looking on curiously but that they also had several clients sitting there.

“Of course,” she forced a smile on her lips and led him to her office, closing the door behind them.

“This is very nice,” he said looking around the office.

She did not answer but sat behind her desk waiting for him to get to the point.

“I suppose you have a lot of questions.” He looked at her and when she did not respond he continued. “I was a coward,” he admitted with a rueful laugh looking down at his hands.

“That much I gather,” she said coolly.

He nodded as if he had expected her to say just that. “Your mother and I had been having problems for a very long time and I was very unhappy at my job and the entire surroundings. It was as if my life had hit a dead end.”

“So you decided that the best way out is to leave your wife and daughter to fend for themselves.” Leonie supplied.

“I know it sounds bad and I am not trying to make excuses but I want you to know that I never stopped thinking about you.” He told her earnestly.

“You had a pretty funny way of showing it,” she said scathingly. To her surprise all the anger she had been harboring before for this man sitting in front of her had evaporated and all that was left was an emptiness and pity for a man who had not respected commitment and family enough to stay and fight.

“I wanted to call you so many times honey but I was afraid that you would hang up on me.” He was pleading with her.

“Where were you?” she forced herself to ask, not really caring much.

“I have been living in the Bahamas since I left here and I have started writing articles for the newspaper there.” He told her.

“Are you happy?”

“I am at peace.” He told her. “I live alone in a small apartment but I am at peace.”

“I suppose we all need to be.” She said softly. “Where are you staying?”

“Your fiancé put me up in this very fancy hotel that I find very intimidating,” he said with a small smile. “I am happy for you.”

“Thanks.” She said briefly. “Would you like to stay for the wedding?”

“I would like that very much.” He told her with a grateful smile.

He left shortly after and she knew he wanted to hug her but she was not there yet and wondered if she ever would be.

She called John as soon as he had left. “Are there going to be any more surprises I should look out for?”

“You are not mad?” he asked her cautiously.

“That my fiancé found the father who had deserted me for all those years and flew him here?” she asked teasingly. “How could I be?”

“As long as you are not mad.” He told her gently. “How did it go?”

“Pretty well considering,” she told him what they had talked about and that she had invited him to the wedding. “I don’t know if I deserve you.” She told him softly.
“Sure you do,” he chided her gently. “We deserve each other.”

*****

It snowed the night before and left the place as far as the eyes could see a sparkling white that was beautiful beyond description. They had the ceremony in a little nearby chapel and the papers called it the ‘Snow capped wedding’. Leonie looked stunning in her dress and as she walked up the aisle to meet her groom heads turned to look at her. She had not asked her father to walk with her and he had not offered, but she had made sure he was seated in the second row behind her mother and Lorenzo. She had been fearful that there would have been tension but her mother had greeted him politely and Lorenzo had shaken his hand and spoke to him in a friendly manner. They were secured in their love for each other, Leonie realized in surprise and she had relaxed at that moment.