The billionaire's only desire-Chapter 35: Tripped

Maya’s phone rang just as she turned the doorknob. She reached into her bag to retrieve it. A smile spread across her face when she saw the caller ID. She answered the call and brought the phone to her ear.

"Dalton," she softly called his name through the phone.

"How are you doing tonight, Maya?" Dalton’s calm, soothing voice resonated in her head, providing a comforting presence despite the miles that separated them.

Maya shut the door behind her before answering, "I’m good, and I miss you." Her voice dropped to a lower tone.

"I miss you too," Dalton replied, making warmth rush through her.

"Hope you don’t forget to eat," Dalton said as Maya navigated her way through the living room, heading toward the basement.

"Don’t worry, I’m not starving myself," Maya responded, a hint of annoyance in her tone. She felt tempted to roll her eyes. Dalton always asked her this, and it was getting annoying.

"You don’t like eating, even though you’re a chef," Dalton complained from the other end of the line.

Maya hummed in response. "I love cooking, not eating," she said.

Dalton grunted.

Maya laughed. "Don’t over-stress. I’ve been eating three square meals a day."

"Hope you are. Send me pictures of you eating from now on," Dalton requested.

Maya thought to herself, "Why is he so overbearing."

"Did you get to visit any exciting places?" Maya asked eagerly.

"No, I’ve been busy with work," he replied.

"Oh, really?" Maya said, sounding disappointed. She was hoping he could send her pictures of the beautiful places he visited in London. Suddenly, Maya saw Soraya coming from the direction of the basement. Maya paused, frowning. Did she go into the basement? When Soraya spotted her, she quickly hid her hand behind her back and hurried past her.

Maya squinted her eyes, trying to figure out what Soraya was hiding, but Dalton spoke, drawing her attention away. "I received the cookies. I love them. Thank you."

Maya grinned from ear to ear. "I’m glad you liked them." She took a careful step on the wooden staircase leading to the basement.

"On my next trip to London, I ’ll bring you along, and we will explore all the interesting places," Dalton promised.

Maya’s eyes sparkled with. "I will—" Abruptly, her foot sank on the next step she took. Time seemed to slow down as she tipped forward; her phone slipped from her ear as her arms flailed in a desperate attempt to regain her balance. The world around her blurred, and before she could react, she tumbled down the staircase, the rough wood scraping against her skin.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Each impact sent jolts of pain radiating through her body, but it was the final landing that brought everything to a standstill. She collapsed onto the floor, breathless and disoriented.

As she lay there, the sharp sting in her ankle became painfully evident. She attempted to move it, but a wave of agony shot through her, forcing a gasp from her lips. The room spun slightly, and she lost consciousness.

A moment later, she regained consciousness. She experienced a flashback as she vividly remembered being pushed down the stairs by her stepfather, which resulted in a traumatic brain injury.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran her fingers around her head to check for injuries.

She let out a sigh of relief. She wasn’t injured; she had only twisted her ankle. She glanced down at her ankle, which was already beginning to swell and was causing her unbearable pain.

Taking a deep breath, she collected herself and pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing as she shifted her weight. The pain was sharp, but she focused on getting up. She began to crawl, each movement a reminder of her aching ankle

She spotted her phone and picked it up from the floor. The screen has cracked. She tried turning it on to call Dalton back, but the screen was pitched black

She managed to crawl to the couch and lift herself onto it despite the pain in her ankle and elevated her foot on the coffee table.

Her ankle needs ice, but she feels too weak to go fetch it.

She sighed. She couldn’t believe she had fallen down the stairs. She had always been careful when walking down the staircase, especially after nearly dying from that fall two years ago.

"Maya," a voice called out from above the basement. "It’s your brother-in-law," the person said.

She recognized the voice. "River?"

"Are you okay?" another voice asked in a worried tone. It was Oliver.

"Yes, I’m fine," Maya replied.

"Thank God," River exclaimed. "Big bro, she is fine... yeah, we’re going in." She heard him tell Dalton, as it seemed he was on the phone with him.

"Be careful; one of the wooden stairs is broken," Maya cautioned them. She remembered a step she took on a broken staircase was the cause of her fall. River, Oliver, and Aiden came into view beneath the glowing light hovering over the stairs.

They jumped over the stairs one after the other, avoiding the hazardous step.

"Yeah, we’re in. I’m giving it to her," River handed her his phone.

Dalton’s voice was filled with panic as he bombarded her with questions. "What happened? The call abruptly ended, and when I called back, your phone was off. Did something happen to you?"

"I fell down the stairs, but I’m okay. I just sprained my ankle," Maya said, taking a deep breath. "I wanted to call you back, but my phone is broken."

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Dalton asked, sounding uncertain.

"Yes, I’m fine. Don’t worry," Maya assured him, but he remained unconvinced.

"Give the phone to Oliver," he demands.

Oliver takes the phone. "Examine her and call me back," Dalton says to him before hanging up.

Oliver retrieves his stethoscope and doctor’s penlight from the case he brought along with him.

He conducted a thorough examination and found no injuries on Maya. He used his stethoscope to check her pulse and heart, and she was completely fine except for her twisted ankle. Oliver called Dalton to inform him that she was healthy, alleviating his concerns.

Oliver wrapped ice in one of her towels and pressed it against Maya’s injured ankle to reduce swelling and numb the pain.

"Keep your injured ankle elevated above the level of your heart as much as possible while you are lying in bed. This will help it heal more quickly. I have prescribed ibuprofen and naproxen for you. You can take either of them; they will help manage pain and reduce inflammation," Oliver advised.

Maya nodded in response. "Okay."

"After a few days, once the swelling has decreased, you can begin gentle range-of-motion exercises to prevent stiffness. However, avoid any movements that cause pain," he added. "You won’t be able to work until your ankle is completely healed," Oliver stated firmly.

Maya groans. She hates missing work and sitting at home doing nothing. Who knows how long it will take for her ankle to heal? She hopes it will only take a few days, but if it takes weeks, she might die of boredom.

"You’re kind of like Harry Potter; you live in a basement. That’s cool," River remarks as he stares down.

Maya burst out laughing.

"But you turned it into a cosy apartment. It looks great," he winked at her.

Maya’s lips tugged with a smile of pride. "Thanks." She loves how everyone gets in awe of her apartment when they lay their eyes on it for the first time.

River opened the fridge and looked inside. "Whoa, you have a lot of different flavours of ice cream here."

"Did you make them yourself?" he asked.

"Yes," Maya replied. She has a sweet tooth, so she makes ice cream every day."

"You can help yourself to some," Maya offered.

"Really?" River flashed Maya a boyish smile, and she almost blushed.

"I want some," Oliver chimed in.

"Me too," Aiden added. The hold ice cream had on everyone; no one could resist it.

They sounded like overjoyed little kids in a candy shop.

Their giddiness made Maya want to squeeze their cheeks. They looked like cute little boys to her.

River checked the cabinets and pulled out four glass ice cream bowls along with spoons.

River chose vanilla ice cream, Oliver chose strawberry, and Aiden and Maya chose chocolate.

"Can we keep you company, Maya?" Oliver asked.

"Sure, I don’t mind," she replied.

Oliver sat beside her on the couch, while River sat cross-legged on the carpet and Aiden perched on the arm of the couch.

Because of River’s joke, they decided to watch a rerun of the Harry Potter movies while eating ice cream until they got brain freeze. Laughter erupted from Maya between every scene they watched, as the three brothers couldn’t stop making funny comments about the characters, creating a joyful atmosphere.

They all kept asking if she was okay or if she was in pain, making sure she was comfortable, including Aiden. Oliver knelt beside the couch, adjusting the ice pack resting on her ankle, which was propped up on a pillow, while River and Aiden were fetching things she requested from the fridge.

Maya’s heart lightened as she realized how much she loved their company. She is forming a bond with them that she truly cherishes.

She has always wondered what it would be like to have a caring brother since Terrence is a terrible brother. Dalton’s brothers are giving her a glimpse of that experience.

She has just adopted three caring brothers. They made her night great, even though she sprained her ankle. She can’t stop thinking about her fall and how suspicious Soraya looked when she saw her. There seems to be something off about it.

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