Sounds of loud coughs filled the restaurant as Joshua rushed to fill her cup with water and pushed it to her face. "Here drink this," he said. She collected the cup from him and glared at him. "What?" she whispered as she dropped the glass from her mouth to the table. "I said you should.." "I did not ask you to repeat it" she continued in a low whisper. "So what do you say?" "No," she said without thinking about it. "Why?" "I will only answer that if you answer my question," she said and he nodded. He wanted to know why she would turn him down after confessing to him and calling him the nation's boyfriend. Her relaxed attitude in front of him also suggested she might be open to the idea. Was that not the reason she confessed? "Why are you asking me out?" he did not expect that to be her question. He did not know what he was expecting but it was not that. "Because..... Because" "See you don't even know why you are asking me out. I am in no position to be your partner. I am y
Aletta felt her breath hitch in her throat. Why was he being so hung up on the fact she confessed to him? "What do you mean by propose to me?" she asked silently without turning to face him. "I have a proposal," he said going to stand before her. "What proposal?" she asked slowly. "A contract, we draw up a contract and then we can date" "You do not have a reason to date me or do you?" she knew him well and that he did not have a reason to date anyone. His father was not pressuring him to have a wife and he did not need to impress partners. "I want to experience what it feels like," he said simply with a shrug. "In that case then I suggest you go out more often and meet new people then I am sure you would meet someone who will willingly date you," she said with a sigh. "Why don't you want to date me?" he asked crossing his hands over his chest. "Because..." she began and trailed off. She did not have a valid reason for turning him. Even if she wanted to end up as a spinster she
Joshua waited for the hired driver he had requested. As he got into the car, his phone buzzed with a text message from his friend, Anette. Despite their differences, they had been friends since childhood because their parents were best friends.Anette had just returned after studying abroad for three years and wanted to see Joshua urgently. He put the phone in his pocket, knowing that spending time with her could be overwhelming. Although he loved her, he was aware of her tendency to dominate conversations.As they drove towards his father's mansion, Joshua contemplated his relationship with Aletta. He knew that if he pursued a relationship with her, he would have to move out of his family home. He wondered how his mother would react to the idea.As they entered the gate of the house, Joshua received a call from Anette's twin brother, Andrew."Anette is back," Andrew said."I got her message," Joshua replied, annoyed that Andrew had given him away."Why didn't you respond?" Anette's vo
Happy New Year,May this year bring laughter, joy, and blessings to all of my readers.This is a formal apology for the irregular updates. I had a situation that was beyond my control but now it is all resolved and there would be regular updates.I promise to be good this year. Aletta lay in bed and all her mind could do was think about what her boss had said to her. A proposal? "Come on girl, you should know better than this" she whispered to herself. Relationship problems and the likes were the least of her problems. She wanted it to be that way."What are you mumbling about?" Alethea said as she pushed the door open and stood with her hands on her waist."Oh shit, you scared me" Aletta screamed sitting up in a rush."I did?" Alethea said sarcastically with a sly smile. "So what are you mumbling about?" she asked as she closed the door and walked towards the bed, her legs sinking into the purple fluffy rug that was used to line the floor."Nothing" Aletta responded running her han
"What do you mean by that?" Aletta asked as she blinked multiple times wondering what her sister meant."This is an opportunity for you to have a little fun and love in your life and you said no?""Alethea," Aletta said in a low-pitched voice."What is wrong with him? He is handsome and he is the only eligible bachelor in the whole of Chiachester and also he has money""So what does this all have to do with him asking me out ?" "I think I have made my point well already," she said with a raised eyebrow. How could she be oblivious to all the opportunities that might come with her dating him?"He thinks it is a business deal" Aletta added."Is it not so for everyone chaebol?" Alethea asked as she tilted her head sideways."Alethea I am not interested in him anyways, he is not my type" she murmured."Oh my god, don't tell me this is because of Paul?" Alethea gasped as her hand covered her open mouth."Paul?" Aletta asked trying her best to feign ignorance."Oh, you very much know who I
"Come on brother who else can I ask if not you?" Jeanne asked as she followed her brother to the closet as he walked back in."I won't help you," Joshua said stopping abruptly and turning to face her."You have not even heard what I need from you, you are already saying no" Jeanne said crossing her hand across her chest and blinking multiple times. "I don't need to hear what you need, I already know you have gotten yourself into trouble and I do not want to be a part of all that," he said before turning back and walking further."Please, pretty please" she replied trying her best to pull off a cute face."Stop that," he said with a cringe expression on his face. "Are you going to go with me there?" he said pointing towards the bathroom door. "No," she said shaking her head and taking a step back. "But I will be waiting there for you so do not take too long," she said walking back towards the main bedroom to wait. Joshua shook his head in annoyance and walked into the bathroom to ta
"Good morning" Anette's voice was bright and chirpy and it was barely past seven am. Joshua groaned as he heard his friend walk toward his door with her high-pitched voice."Oh Joshua" she added in a singsong voice as she pushed his door open. Joshua pulled up the covers to his head and muttered silent prayers. he needed help from a special force to help him handle this girl all day. he would not be able to be grumpy around her but he had to follow her around all day."Are you hiding from me?" she asked as she pulled the covers off his face. He opened his eyes and rubbed them gently. He stared at her and she stared back at him. it was like she was waiting for him to make the first move."You look chubbier" Before he could think about what he wanted to say those words left his mouth."Oh I'm glad you noticed," she said letting go of the covers and fitting herself beside him on the bed."Welcome home" he muttered with his eyes closed."I am also very glad to see you too," she said tapp
"Be quiet" Joshua said putting his hand over her mouth to shush her."Are you blowing me off to spend the day with a girl?" she asked taking a step backward and crossing her hand across her chest as if she was vexed with him."Yes," he said tilting his head a bit."Oh my gosh, my baby is finally grown," Anette said running her hand through his hair as if he was a dog who earned a treat."Can I ask you for a favor then?""Is it to surprise your girlfriend?" she asked. she felt this kind of joy that she couldn't explain."Well she is not my girlfriend yet, I want to make her mine so what do I do?" he asked walking towards the coffee chair in the middle of the room."So you just like her? You are yet to be in a relationship?" she asked following him and taking the chair beside his."I am not yet sure if my feelings but I have a good feeling about it""Joshua this is not a business deal where you have a good feeling and then decide to go ahead. You have to be sure of your feelings because
Hello Guys this is the final chapter. I want to first appreciate everyone who has read this book, who had supported, commented, voted and called me order when I did not update for such a long time. Thank you so much for being such a support in these times. As this work comes to an end I hope you support me in upcoming works. This free Chapter is for you."Joshua we would be late" Aletta screamed from the bottom of the stairs. "Honey are we using our government names now?" Joshua screamed back at her. "Joshua you know I do not like being late for any of these events" Aletta screamed back at him. Altetta paced back and forth at the bottom of the stairs. "You know you should not be screaming while you are this pregnant"Joshua said as he came down the stairs with his daughter in his hands. "If you had come down earlier then I would have had no reason to scream that much" she retorted and he smiled. "It was my little pumpkin here who kept me waiting" Joshua replied as he got to stand b
"I am so happy for you, this is finally happening," Aletta said holding the arms of Jeanne excited."I am excited but also nervous very nervous does anyone have calming pills?" Jeanne said slipping her hands off Aletta's hand and feeling the sweat on her palm."Calm down, it's just you and Thiago, everyone else is just like a rock. I promise you once you get on that altar every of that nervousness would be gone" Aletta continued. "Thank you," Jeanne said sarcastically."Are you nervous because its mu brother? I can help you run away from this right now" Nichole suggested and Alethea rolled her eyes. "Are all sisters this way? This was the same advice you gave Aletta the other day" Alethea said and Jeanne shook her head. "How can I leave, I have been dreaming of this day" Jeanne replied. "Then calm down even though I don't know why you would dream of marrying my brother but we all choose our battles I guess" Nichole shrugged as she sat down."Nichole" Aletta chastised because she k
"You have to get to work" Aletta said rubbing the hand of Joshua gently. They had arrived back from their honeymoon over the weekend and this Monday morning was the first time Joshua was going back to work after the wedding."Can't I just lay down here with you all day?" he said taking out her hand and pulling her down to his level."You kept saying that and prolonged the honeymoon by two weeks,""Call me a criminal for wanting to spend time with my wife, I am getting the feeling that you do not want to spend any time with me" Joshua said opening one eye and giving her a judging look. "Joshua, you know that is not true, so get up now""You are no longer my assistant, you are supposed to be begging me to stay a bit more with you""What makes you think I don't want to do that?" Aletta asked taking his dishevelled morning hair back from his face."Because you keep urging me to get back to work so quickly, it's like you can't wait to get rid of me" Joshua took his head back to the pillow
"Mom don't cry again, you might get a serious headache at this rate," Aletta said rubbing the back of her mother while in a hug. The entire wedding was over already and the whole family was seeing the couple off as they were going directly to the airport for their honeymoon. "Come on, at this rate they might miss their flight" Leon said trying to pull Eunice off her daughter. She had been bawling the entire ceremony, if someone saw her they would think it was a sad occasion. "My daughter," Eunice said as she finally pulled away and took a step back. "I am so happy and so proud of you because you managed or find love for yourself even after everything" Eunice sniffled and smiled. "Thank you, Mom," Aletta said with a smile. "You better get going now" Jessica said stepping forward."We are on our way now" Joshua said pulling open the door and gesturing for Aletta to get in."Call us when you get there" Jessica called after the shut door."Do not call us" Xavier said as if he was giv
"I was always unsure about how I felt about you, You were always around me, taking care of me and I felt anxious whenever you were out of sight. A little secret that was the reason I always made you work overtime even when it was not necessary" Joshua said and there was a burst of small laughter across the room.They were both standing in from of the priest and altar but they had decided to take their custom written vows there. Joshua cleared his throat and looked up from his paper to stare at Aletta whose eyes never left his face. He flashed a small warm mile to her and she returned it."I never realized my feelings for you until you made that drunken confession that night that caused us to go into a relationship. I had always thought about marriage but for me, it was the only way for me to make children that would take over the company one day, being with you makes me so excited to think of waking up every morning with you by my side, I think of planting kisses on your lips and spend
"Are you feeling nervous?" Alethea asked Aletta who was sitting in the waiting room with her shaky hands. "Yes I am, who wouldn't be?" Aletta asked as she closed her eyes to steady her breath. "I mean you are very right, who would like to marry my annoying brother, as much as I would like to call you my sister in law I can help you escape if you wish to" Jeanne chimed in. "Thank you so much for the suggestion, I am nervous about this and not rethinking my decision. I can't wait to be married to him" Aletta said as her eyes shot open. "Ew" Jeanne said as she gaged. " What do you see in him?" she added as she picked at her nails. "Everything I want to see" Aletta added. "Jeanne stop trying to put ideas in her head" Jessica cautioned coming towards them. "What did I do?" Jeanne whined."I heard what you said" Jessica replied giving Jeanne a warning look. Jesica knew that her daughter was playing around but she did not want Aletta taking any of the words to heart. "I know I have s
"Mom's boyfriend would be here soon," Alethea said as she dropped the dish in her hand to the table. "I can not believe that I am being made to meet my mom's boyfriend at her age" "What I can not believe is that she can't order out but is making us to make food for him"Alethea whined as she moved back to the kitchen."What is even more crazy is that she is in a relationship again" Aletta exclaimed as she moved behind Alethea. "Don't get me wrong I guess I am glad she is finding love again" "Same here, if she is happy then there is no issue. Love is in the air" Aleteha added coming back to the table "So why don't you have anyone to share the love with?" Aletta asked. They were making the last trip from the kitchen to the table. "Says you? Who told you that I do not have someone to share this love with?" Alethea said dragging out her sentence and a weird smile climbing her face."Alethea you are hiding something from me" Aletta said going to clutch her sister's hand. "Spill now" sh
Aletta and Joshua tried to reach Anette and Richard but it was as if they had fallen off the radar. "At least we tried" Aletta said as she set down the phone to the table. "Happy now?" Joshua asked and she nodded. "I guess I have to get going now" she said taking up her phone from the table."Where to? You just got here" Joshua was sad because they had finalized her resignation and she had not been around him like he wanted her to be. He was happy regardless that she was doing what she loved. "I have to go finalize things with HR on hiring your new assistant and then I have to go shopping with your mom and sister" Aletta explained. "Can we at least have dinner together?" Joshua asked and started expressing shock when he saw the expression on her face. "We can not? I barely see you anymore these days" he whined like a child who was cheated of having any ice cream. "I am having dinner with my family, mom is introducing her boyfriend to us today and honestly, I love spending time wi
"Did you hear about Anette?" Aletta asked as she pushed the jar of pickles into the hands of Joshua. They had picked a date for the wedding and it was in three weeks. They were having one of the date nights where they stayed back home and cooked for each other. "What happened to her?" Joshua asked. Anette shook her head in bewilderment, how could this man be so oblivious to everything happening around him?"Have you seen her in a while?" Aletta asked. She wanted to know how much he did not know. "Well, since that day she came to our house, I did not think much of it when I did not see her again," Joshua said truthfully before taking off the lid of the jar. "But you know she called off her wedding and left the country so abruptly with Richard?" Aletta asked hoping that he at least knew about that fact. Yes, Anette did hurt them all but it would be too mean to not care about her when she had sincerely apologized."Maybe they did not want the wedding again?" Joshua asked shrugging. Al