Who said I can't marry a billionaire?

"Can I see that?" Céline asked, stretching out her hand. Her aunt closed the newspaper and handed it over to her. Céline took it from her aunt and flipped the pages looking for the news on Damien. It was not hard to find. On the top of the page where it was, boldly written. "DAMIEN CULHANE, IN SEARCH OF A WIFE!"

She chuckled, amused by such a title. She quickly read through, getting more interested with every word she read. Céline finished scanning the page and handed the magazine to her aunt with newfound excitement.

"Well, basically, I think his mom that put that in the news," Céline spoke up.

"Why would she do that?" Her aunt asked, confused by the conclusion she made.

"She is probably anxious to get her son a wife, seeing that she is not getting any younger. So she is going to whatever extent she can, including using the media."

"Hmm, you have a point, but I doubt it." Her aunt said with a frown staring straight at Céline. "Why do you seem excited?"

"Well, I could be the bride she is looking for," Céline said, grinning from ear to ear.

"What did you just say!" her aunt exclaimed.

Céline was starting to appreciate that her aunt loved to read the newspapers. She was getting information on things she now found quite helpful. She was in desperate need of money. There is a mother of some dumb rich guy in search of a bride for her son. It all clicked into place so perfectly?

Céline had not been able to think of a decent plan to get the sum of money John wanted. She did not bother trying because she knew there was no way she could not get that money legally. Not with her job as a daycare teacher. She had majored in Statistics when she was in college and had had an office job as a market researcher but she had quit not too long when she realized she found her job way too boring. She much preferred her current job.

But now, reading this newspaper, she realized that there could be a plan after all. A legit way she could get the money. She would marry a billionaire.

"Céline, forget it. You cannot marry that man." Her aunt stated flatly.

"Why? Is anything wrong with him?" Céline asked, confused.

"Yes! He is rich!"

"What is wrong with that?"

"No! There is nothing wrong with being simply rich but he is not just rich, he is a famous business mogul." Her aunt exclaimed.

"Which makes it all the better," Céline stated.

"No! Can you not see? He would be too busy for family. I want you to marry someone who will have time for you, Céline, someone who will have time to come out here with you to visit me once in a while, you know, a family man."

Céline laughed out. "Is that what you are bothered about?"

"I mean, he does not even have time to look for a wife himself. What makes you think he would be interested in you?" Her aunt added, shooting her hands up. She looked frustrated and desperate for the topic to die, the idea which made Céline laugh all the more.

"Why would you want to marry him?" Her aunt asked, losing her patience.

"Well, I am not getting any younger. I will have to settle down someday, even better if it is a really rich man. He can take good care of me." She replied smiling.

"I appreciate the fact that you are talking about settling down. I mean, it is high time you started talking about that. But I expect you to be talking about someone you have met, someone you love. You know, someone you are seeing." She said so fast, Céline almost missed the words.

"Not some rich guy in a newspaper, whom you know nothing about!" She slowed down, making sure to emphasize that point.

"Probably, but love is not for me, I am seeing no one. It does not look like that will change anytime soon, so..." she did not finish her sentence allowing her aunt to reason out the rest of what she was to say.

"So you better step up your game and start looking." Her aunt completed it. That was far from what she had in mind.

"Well, that is what I am doing." Céline replied, smiling again.

Her aunt facepalmed and glared at her. "You know that is not what I meant." She hissed.

"Aunt, would it be so bad if I could marry someone like Damien?"

Her aunt sighed and remained silent. She was probably thinking. "I just want you to marry someone you love, Céline." Her aunt finally spoke up. "And I mean it when I say I want you to marry someone who will have time for you, someone who cares for you, not some money lover."

"You are judging him too quickly, aunt. Just because he is rich does not mean he loves money and will not be a good husband. He could be a nice person. And who knows, we could fall in love with each other."

"Pfft, you will probably not even see him until the wedding day." Her aunt said, chuckling. "You just read that," she added, pointing to the newspaper. "He has not even met any of the women his mom has offered. He is probably too busy for that. He has only seen their pictures."

Céline laughed. "I know."

"So what do you want to do? Email them asking to marry him? Because he is probably even too busy to see you? Don't you see how absurd and old-fashioned this is?"

"That's what I'm planning on doing. My friends are already getting married so should I. This situation isn't as bad as you make it seem."

"Céline, do you want to marry him because of his money?" The words hit her. When she puts it that way, it makes her seem like an immoral person, but that was the exact truth. She wanted to marry Damien because of his money. Her aunt got the answer to her question from her face.

"Why?" her aunt just asked.

"Why what?" Céline asked innocently.

"Why do you want to marry Damien for his money?"

"I did not say that," Céline replied, laughing.

"It is obvious. The Céline I know would not make such a decision out of the blue. Now spill."

There was no point lying to her aunt. She could trust her with the truth, just not all of it. She would tell her half-truth, leaving out the part about John.

"Yeah, I want to marry him because of his money."

"I already know that. The question is why."

"I want to find out who killed my parents, and I need money to do that." She said anxiously, hoping that her aunt would not ask her why she needed money to do that.

"That is new. All of a sudden?" Her aunt asked, surprised by her reply.

"No, it is not, I have always wanted to, but I never voiced it out."

"Why?"

"Because I never had it in mind as a real set goal."

"And now you do?" Her aunt asked, looking at her intently with interest.

"Yes." She said simply, not going any further and hoping her aunt does the same. Luck was not on her side.

"Why is it a goal now and how does it involve money?"

Shoot.

She had asked the one question she was dreading.

"Do not bother about it, aunt." She pleaded

"Oh, hell no, Céline. I am bothered about it. Do you have any idea how dangerous it could be to dig into the past? I need to know how you plan on doing that and why it involves money."

"I do not want to get you involved Aunt, can you just drop it?"

"No, I cannot. Whatever this plan of yours is. It is only going to go up in flames. Do you even know what marriage is and what you are setting yourself up to do? Marriage is a serious issue, and I cannot get involved."

It was clear her aunt was not buying her story, so she would need to come up with a lie.

"What do you mean it is dangerous to dig into the past?" She asked her aunt, hoping it would distract her and buy her enough time to think up a lie.

"For all you know, your people who murdered your parents could still be alive and trying to find them could put you in danger. Why do you even want to find them?"

"I want to avenge their death." It slipped from her mouth suddenly. Her aunt became silenced completely, staring at her like she was trying to figure out if that was a joke she just cracked.

"You are not serious, are you?" her aunt was frowning slightly.

"I am." Her frown intensified.

"Céline, will you just do me a favour and forget this whole thing? What has come over you? You are trying to make regrettable decisions." Her aunt pleaded.

"I have made up my mind, aunt." Her voice was firm. It made her aunt realize that there was no point in arguing further.

"What do you need money for?" her aunt asked instead. Fortunately, she has been able to come up with a lie.

"I need to hire a private investigator, and that needs money." She said. "Filing a report would make it too public, and as you said, their murderers could be out there alive." She added immediately, not wanting her aunt to ask further questions on why she chose private. That was not her reason. She knew her reasons but her aunt did not need to know.

Her aunt just stared at her for a long time, then sighed. "You have made up your mind, right?" her aunt asked, a note of sadness in her voice.

"I have."

"And nothing I say right now will change your mind?"

"Yeah. Do not worry about it, aunt."

"How can I not? You are putting your heart and life on the line for this. Do you think your parents would want that?"

Céline laughed and stretched her hands to pick the magazine again. "It might not be too bad if I got married to Damien."

"You do not know that."

"We will find out," Céline said, smiling. "I just need one favour from you."

"What?"

"I need to find out more about this offer. I think I will send an email to the address tomorrow. But I need to borrow your laptop, can I do that?"

"From the look of things, you are not giving me a choice, are you?" her aunt asked, sighing.

Céline just smiled at her.

"I will let you send in the inquiry." Her aunt said. A little part of her has always wanted vengeance for her sister. She did not want it to be Céline doing it. She would be sacrificing her peace and happiness. But since she could not convince Céline otherwise, she grudgingly had to accept, doing the little she could sense it was for her sister. "I am doing this against my will. I am not in support of you pursuing this Damien or wanting to avenge your parents ."

"I know, aunt." Céline said, pouting. "You must be hungry. I will go make dinner." She added, pleased that her aunt was playing along. She stood up from the couch and headed for the kitchen to make dinner.

She could only hope that this plan worked. The next time she meets John, she wants to be throwing money to his face and not begging for a rethink.