AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey… em, I gotta go. I won’t make it tonight. Talk to you later…”
“Ben… I am sorry if—”
Ben hung up and stared at his phone. Was the tragedy of his grandfather’s cancer spreading into every aspect of his life? Even his so-called friends?
Mr. Radcliff heard a soft voice whisper though his door, “Hello?”
“Yes, come in.”
The door opened and Juliana, one of the maids, carefully stepped inside. Her feet moved over the carpet as if it was made of thin ice. “Your grandfather said he is ready and waiting for you in his study.”
“Thank you, Juliana. I will be out in a minute.”
She nodded and left again. Ben stood up and straightened his jacket. Things were tough right now, but there was nothing he could do about it. And if it made his grandfather happy to see him at this daunting charity event, then he would do it. But this would be the last charity event the Radcliff’s will ever hold, he swore to himself. At least until the tax cuts and loopholes improved enough to write them completely off, Ben thought to himself with a smirk before he too left and joined his grandfather downstairs.
One of the perks of being rich—insanely rich—was that you never had to worry about matters related to money. Charity events like Elijah’s would barely make a dent into a rich donor’s bank accounts while at the same time make them look incredibly good in front of the public. So, it was no wonder that everything with money and a name was fighting over an invitation to one of the biggest events of the year. People already speculated how much the dying billionaire would give away. A million? Tens of millions? ALL his wealth?
Hundreds of cars were parked inside the huge compound; a lucky few were admitted to the underground garage, while most others had to park outside the gate and take a shuttle.
Walking around the place, gave the familiar feeling of attending the Oscars. Stars mingled with the faceless wealthy, camera lights flashing into people’s faces for interviews, and wild chatter mixed with music from the gardens.
The main event was being held in the large event hall on the estate that was built for seminars and events just like this one.
The night was cool and the temperature perfect. It would been a peaceful summer evening if it weren’t for the hundreds of guests making the estate’s grounds their personal playground. Ben had barely made it out the door and had already been hit on by several ladies. Some of them he already knew, while others were complete strangers trying to leave a lasting impression with the famous Radcliff grandson—who was even more handsome than he was rich.
He found his mother outside the hall. The chatter rose around them, soft music and a fresh scent filling the air.
"I should wear a tux more often," he joked as he placed a business card from a young, pretty model into the pocket of his coat.
"You look amazing, sweetie," she said waving over at the governor’s wife, “but stop that nonsense with the women. This is not a dating retreat! It’s a charity event.”
Ben grinned. "Gosh, I had no idea. Does that mean I won’t get to go through a catalog of mail-order brides tonight?"
His mother rolled her eyes.
"We have seats in the front and there seems to be an interview on the red carpet before we go in. How do I look?"
She brushed her hair with her fingers and clutched her dazzling silver purse, which of course matched her silver gown perfectly. Her brown hair and her skin were evenly toned. When the light hit her from a certain angle, she sparkled a bit like a disco ball but she still looked pretty good for her age – granted, countless plastic surgeries had helped with that. Lucy Radcliff wasn't as tall as her son nor was she quite as attractive as he was, but standing side by side one could easily identify them as mother and son.
"There's going to be a lot of people in there," Benjamin noted with agony in his voice. His mother agreed, touching his shoulder.
"I know… I honestly dread it too," she whispered to him, in a tone that almost sounded sincere. “I just hope he won’t give away too much of our fortune,” she added with a weak smile.
"What?" he said out loud in an amused tone causing a few heads to turn their way. “You don’t want to give to the poor?”
“Shhh!” Lucy pinched him savagely before she turned and rushed away with a big, fake smile. Benjamin chuckled as he braced himself for the horde of cameramen, already priming their cameras, sending flashes his way.
Elijah Radcliffe felt much better; at least he looked like he did. He wore a black, well-tailored suit, his wrist adorned with his favorite Rolex and his index finger with a gold signet ring—an old family heirloom.
He scanned the crowd, sitting calmly as he waited for his speech. It felt good seeing so many people around, and it felt even better when he saw his daughter-in-law walk in with his grandson. He chuckled when he saw Lucy pushing Ben out of the way to get more camera time. People around the hall had already taken their seats. A man walked up to Elijah and handed him a printed page. “The program, Sir.”
“Thank you,” he muttered and glanced at it. “What the hell do we need a program for? I just want to give away my money, it’s as simple as that.” The man chuckled, unsure if the billionaire was joking or not.
The hall was arranged with white circular tables and chairs, decorated with flowers and wine bottles. Elijah didn’t worry himself about all those tiny details; he preferred to leave them in the hands of his capable staff. He had to admit that the place looked fantastic.
He leaned back in his honorary chair and watched speakers go on and off the stage, the crowd listening eagerly nodding. These charity organizations would have hundreds of millions pumped into their non-profit accounts in a matter of hours, maybe minutes. People were already speculating that the money raised might even break a world record.
“My legacy,” he said under his breath and shifted his gaze to his grandson. Their eyes met and he got a small smile from the young man. He looks like a proper gentleman for once. His attention shifted back to the podium.
