Page 50 of The Damaged Billionaire's Obsession
I just couldn't. I couldn’t take money from a man without feeling like the prostitute my father accused me of being for those three months of hell after he’d found me on the porch broken and bleeding.
Twiggy had no choice but to teach me how to hack. He loaned me one of his computers to start. It was only when I started making money that I agreed to move to Dublin and share his flat.
I finally left Dublin after I’d made enough money. I’d always wanted to get out of Ireland, so I moved to the States and rebuilt myself, learning to carefully mask my accent.
I went back to Ireland to see Nan as often as I could, but since starting work in Acercraft, I haven’t been able to go back yet.
“Bonnie, love, don’t even feel guilty," Twiggy says. "She didn't tell anyone, not even me. I just happened to be around and popped in.”
“How’s the drug shelter doing?” Twiggy heads a charity that has built a string of refuge homes for recovering addicts across Ireland, but he’s particularly attached to the one in Clonmel and goes there a lot, which is understandable since he was in those same streets a decade ago.
If only his addiction to danger and the rush of adrenaline could be cured, though. He’s still hacking, and he’s wanted in a few countries. The charity is a front for who he really is.
“It’s doin’ marvelously well, Bonnie. Gainin’ more traction and branchin’ out into Belfast. We might even make our mark in Scotland if all goes well.”
“Aw, that’s sick, Twiggy,” I say.
“Hold tight, here’s yer nan.” A moment later, Nan’s merry voice comes on.
“Siobhán, me love!”
“Nan, what’s this I hear about you having the flu? Didn’t you get your flu jab?”
“I took the jab last year, and I still got the flu, so figured, why bother this year? But I’m fine now, so don't be worryin’.”
“Nan, you know it protects you against the most serious strains, the type that could land you in hospital. You know you can’t take that chance,” I admonish her.
“Aye, I know, I got well told off by the young doctor on discharge. Quite the looker he was, too, but probably a tad young for ya.”
I can't believe she’s still checking out men back home for me.
“Not too young for me,” I hear Twiggy quip, to which Nan shushes him.
“Ye don’t need any more eye candies, Silas, else ye’ll get diabetes.”
To me, she says, “Y’need to have a word with him. He’s not gettin' any younger, and he needs to pick one out of the hundred nice lads swarmin' around him.”
“That’s the thing, Nan. Twiggy has always been shit at making choices. Don’t worry, I’ll choose for him when I come visit again.”
“Oh, can’t wait to see ya, love! I’ve missed ya so much Siobhán. But no rush, I know yer busy,” she reassures.
“I’ll come as soon as I can. I’ve just started a new project, so I’m likely going to be swamped in the next few months, but I’ll come and see you soon,” I promise.
“Are ye likin’ it so far? Workin’ in that office?” she asks.
“Oh, Nan, it’s really a great place to work.” In spite of having a boss who avoids me. Although I did come on to him, so maybe that’s my fault. “But, Nan, you must be careful.”
“Alright, darlin’, and don’t be worryin' about me, ya hear?”
We click off the phone, and I think of getting Nan set up for video calls. I’ll also see if I can manage some time off in the next couple of months.
The Los Angeles Gaming Expo is in a few weeks’ time, and since I’ve been promoted to associate and confirmed as the head of the newly launched Dreadlite, I’ll be taking my team out there for a presentation.
Ethan prepared it as a basic trailer, but I’ve decided to present the Dreadlite catalog in the form of a virtual reality demo, which is one of the hardest things to pull off. If properly done, however, it could blow the competition out of the water.
Everything is going well with the project, except that there’s been a lot of back and forth with the organizing team in LA, asking about the driver I’ve used.
Ethan and I still hardly see each other face to face, but not for my lack of trying. My last discussion with Jordan only served to pique my interest in him more than ever.