“I don’t have a choice, do I?” she asked herself, looking at her reflection in the mirror.
She had her face made up giving her a gothic look, her hair in a high tight bun, she is wearing a silver necklace and a black halter neck top that is tucked in blue jean trouser, her black boot is sitting by her bed inside her room.
She sighs remembering what her Dad told her the previous week.
…
She came out of her car in a rush, determined to reach where she was going. She is just coming from Bernad Tech and wants to confirm what she found out.
Her heels clicked on the tiled floor as she made her way into the house through the front door.
“Dad! Dad!” she called when she got into her parent's mansion, she saw a maid pass by with a tray in her hand on the tray was an empty glass cup.
“Hey, please where is my Dad?”
“In his study” she replied and was about going but Audriana asked again.
“How about my Mum?”
“She isn’t back from work yet”
“Okay, thank you”
She made her way to her Dad’s study when the maid asked
“Do you need anything to eat or drink?”
“No, I am fine” she gave her a small smile and made her way to the hallway that leads to her Dad’s study.
When she got there she knocked and entered when she heard ‘come in’
“Dad”
Kingsley lifts his eyes from what he was doing to meet his daughter’s eyes.
“Audri, how are you doing?” he asked and put down his glasses “Come sit my dear”
She walked forward and took the chair in front of him.
“Thank you,” she said when she was seated already.
“Audri, what’s going on? What ha--”
“Is it true Dad?” she cuts him off.
He looked quite confused, he furrowed his brows
“Is what true?” he asked her.
“What I heard, I went to Bernard Tech to go check up on the issues we are facing and in the process talk to our engineers so when I was about to leave I overheard some workers saying of the probability of our company going bankrupt” she explains “Is it true? Are we going bankrupt?”
When those words left Audriana’s mouth he winced at the fact his daughter had to hear that outside, he did want to tell her but could not bring himself to do so even after what his friend offered… he felt too ashamed to bring that up to his daughter.
He promised himself never to offend the two most important women in his life and he feels like he was about to do so. He can’t bring that upon his daughter, yes they are facing financial issues with the company he can’t just let his daughter be collateral for the success of Benard Tech.
He sighs “Yes it’s true”
Hearing it from her father nearly brought tears to her eyes. The fact that her Dad didn’t tell was not the major reason she felt like crying, but Benard Tech going bankrupt because of a stupid unreliable idea, and to make things worse she was the cause.
Yes. she feels she caused it all, had she not brought up the idea and encouraged them to spend so much on the model without training and testing properly before use, it wouldn’t have gotten to this stage, they would lose some money but not to the level of bankruptcy.
“Oh, Audria dear” her Dad took her hands that were on the table and gave her a comforting squeeze “Please don’t cry, I know I should have told you but I didn’t wa--” she cut him off.
“That is not the reason for my tears” a tear slipped from her eye down to her cheek “I am the cause of it all, if I had not suggested and encouraged our team to invest more in that project… all this won’t have happened” she sobs
“Oh baby girl” he stood from his chair and came around to sit on the second chair beside where she was sitting, he turned her chair so she now faced him.
“It wasn’t and would never be your fault Audriana, I know very much the company’s success is your interest and you wanted to help since it was the largest project we’ve ever worked on” he takes her hand against and puts his hand under her chin so she can look at him.
“Don’t ever think it’s your fault, okay?” she nods in response and he wipes the tears that freshly came out, he kissed her forehead and stood to his feet, taking slow but grateful steps to the window.
“We do have another option though, but…”
She stood up to her feet upon hearing that “What option?” She cleaned her face.
Her Dad turned to her and sighs “Remember my friend Donald?”
“I don’t think I can recall his face”
“Yeah, you were little then,”
“He really offered to help? That’s nice of him” she states feeling a little hope in her heart.
“Yes he did, but…”
The smile that graced her face dropped a little “But what?”
“There is a condition”
Her heart dropped and didn’t know when her hands started to shake, “What’s the condition?” she asked although knowing she would not like whatever her dad would say.
“A marriage has to be established between you and his second son Dimitri”
***
She did feel like crying at the moment when her Dad told her, she felt numb for a while. She thought friends do things for each other without asking anything in return, but it was otherwise in this case.
She thought it would be fine when she finally meets him, but it turned out to be a disaster. They weren’t compatible, they were fire and ice. He was so rude, arrogant, made snarky comments, proud stupid a fool anything she could call him. He thinks so highly of himself.
Although she enjoyed the date she and Philip went on but it was to distract her from her reality she didn’t want to cancel on him since he seemed happy that they would be going out after much persuasion.
She is doing it for the family business and for the people who could go homeless if it closes down.
She wasn’t going to let him intimidate her, she was strong and took nonsense from no one and she would show that to him
***
“So, you sign here,” he pointed at a blank space located at the bottom right of the contract paper “And here,” he turned the page and she signed.
He kept stealing glances when she wasn't looking.
“Now it is all done” he arranged the papers and put them in the backpack he brought along.
“Yeah, can I go now?” she asked him.
“Not yet Love”
“Don’t call me that”
“Isn’t that your name?” he said and leaned on the table a bit “Love” he deepened his voice when he said her name.
She could feel her face flush at how he called her name… no one has called it the way he did, so deep and sensual...it’s not like anyone calls her Love or Loveth ‘except her Mum’.
“Just don’t call me that” she states
“Sure Love” he gave her a playful look, she rolled her eyes and was about to stand when he held her hand to stop her. “Not too fast Love”
She looked from his face to his hand holding hers then back to his face before yanking her hand from his hold.
“Don’t be like that, people are watching, sit” the playfulness was no longer on his face.
Reluctantly she sat down.
“Since we already agreed to this union, we need to make it look real so no one suspect”
“Yeah I know, can I go now?” she asked again.
“Why the rush Love? You know every girl out there wishes to be in your position” he states with a smirk.
“Too bad I am not every girl out there” she retorts and folds her hands under her boobs making it pop a little.
His eyes went there for a while before looking back up at her face.
“We will be having our date tomorrow night at Belle de’ amor restaurant, it’s located two buildings from here,” he tells her “Don’t expect me to come to pick you up darling”
“I wasn’t expecting anything manly from you anyways” she shrugged.
He glared at her and rolled his eyes away.
‘Why does she have to be pretty?’
“So are you done? I need to leave”
“To where?”
“None of your business” she snapped, she took her purse and phone and was about to stand up when he said
“We should at least practice how our kisses would be, spoiler alert” he leaned in a bit “I am a very good kisser” he completes with a wink.
She stares at him with a disgusted look “Pig Prick” she grits before standing and leaving him in the restaurant.
He watches the sway of her hips as she walks away from her backside ‘on point’ but he doesn’t like any word she says to him. Her last word to him tonight did make him a bit vexed but he just let it slide.