The Russian Billionaire’s Secret(178)

Unlike the rest of his family, he was very unconfident and not the least into partying. Although physically he looked an awful lot like his mother, or even surpassed her in beauty, personality wise he was the complete opposite. He was down to earth, considerate, and serious. He looked at everything seriously, always considered people’s feelings, and never took advantage of the influence his family enjoyed.

Georgiana had insisted that Cory get into modeling. She knew her son would surpass all of them; after all, not everyone is born with such exquisite beauty.

Cory looked like he had been custom designed; his features were finely tailored, naturally. He was 5’10”, had a toned body from working out regularly, and his golden hair was silky, straight, and long, almost reaching his shoulders. His lips were pink, fresh, and always complimented his pearly white smile.

Every time he smiled, his upper lip would reveal a row of small, tiny, perfect teeth, kinda like Adam Levine’s smile. His skin was smooth, not hairy, and perfect for a model. And his eyes were absolutely beautiful. He got the best of both worlds from both of his parents, and, apparently, the perfect combo of genes that landed him with violet eyes. His mother was right; he would have been highly successful if he pursued modeling.

But, like he always said, it did not matter. What mattered was what he wanted, and what he wanted was a life far from politics and showbiz. A quiet, calm, content, and serene life.

Going to college, in that sense, might not have been the best idea, but Cory was passionate about learning. He wanted to be a writer, and although he already wrote very well, he insisted that he wanted to study writing to hone his skills. His plus point was that he didn’t really need the money, so it was all about learning, and he was privileged enough to pursue it without any financial strains. Living in a plastic world, a bubble of perfection, he wanted friends that were real. He was almost 20, but he could never really say for sure if any of his friends were real.

How many of them would stick to him and stay by his side if his family lost the wealth and influence? Cory was always questioning things. And while he was almost 20, he had never dated a single girl. He never wanted to go that far with anyone, at least not with people he didn’t deem original.

Cory shook his head and snapped out of his reverie. The sun had already set; the street lamps were on, the roads were bright with fast paced cars speeding in both directions, and the stars were beginning to appear. It looked like a time lapse, in slow motion. Cory sighed heavily, ready to bid farewell to this life.

“Goodbye,” he said to himself, and started walking home. On the way back, he called his father to make sure he made it home in time for dinner; he knew he needed someone to be on his side and support him.

“Coryyy,” said his mother delightedly as he entered the house.

“What’s up, mum,” he said without enthusiasm.

“Guess who’s coming for dinner tomorrow?”

“Who?”

“The editor of Vogue,” she squealed. “I think I can get your sister in, but what I want to do is introduce you to him. So, don’t miss the dinner!”

“About that…” Cory began, but Georgiana had already stopped listening and went on to oversee the dinner. She made a big deal out of Sunday dinner because that was when her ex-husband, Cory’s father, came home to eat with them. That was, as Georgiana put it, ‘quality family time.’

Chapter 2

The Dinner Debate

Cory sat at the dining table playing with his food, oblivious to the discussion going on and his mother’s chatter; the word ‘Vogue’ and ‘editor’ kept coming up over and again. But he was just waiting for an opportunity to break the news, but the timing just didn’t feel right. He didn’t want to ruin his mother’s happiness and excitement, although it was quite commonplace.

Cory looked at his father, who raised an eyebrow and gestured with his face to start talking to his mum. Cory shrugged, uncertain, so his father took the lead.

“Cory,” he said, “I believe there’s something you want to tell your mother about.”

“Is there, now?” said Georgiana. Then she looked at Cory and continued, “Good heavens, I don’t like the sound of this. What’s going on, Cory?”

“Dad…” Cory said, looking at his father, wishing he would tell his mother.

“Tell her, son, it’s okay.”

“Or you can tell me,” said Georgiana fixing her gaze on her ex-husband.

“I am going to college, mom.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I want to go. I want to study.”

“But, but, but… that doesn’t make any sense. People go to college to study so that they can get a job and make money. I can get you modeling jobs easily and you can make way more than you ever will by studying and those ordinary jobs. This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Mom, I want to study. I want to do this. It’s not about money or jobs; it’s about what I want. Please don’t make a big deal about it.”

Georgiana heavily dropped her fork and knife on the table.

“Don’t make a big deal about it? Don’t make a big deal about my son going away to college for no reason at all? Tell me what you need, what you want, is it a car? A computer? Just tell me.”

“For god’s sake, Georgiana, just listen to what he’s saying,” interrupted Cory’s dad.