Chapter Four

“What did you just say?” I inquired, arching my brows.

"I understand it's overwhelming, and it may seem absurd, but we're mutually beneficial. Your company needs a revival, and my family is relentless about me finding a wife. No strings attached." He said

“Now, that's just crazy"

“Maybe I'm crazy for you. Your attempt to deter my interest with that 'ugly' attire failed, Ms. Helen. I must admit, I find myself intrigued."

I sighed, feeling a bit embarrassed that he caught up with the attempts to hide behind the unflattering jacket I had put on.

He grinned and leaned closer "Come on, don't be so hard on yourself. If anything, that jacket can't hide the fact that there's something intriguing about you, Ms. Helen."

"What! You must be crazy!" I exclaimed.

He grinned mischievously and leaned closer, his breath lingering in the air. 

"What are you doing?" I asked, suddenly feeling a warmth creeping up.

"Doing what craziness means—showing you  how crazy people behave," he replied, smirking with a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

He moved closer, and his breath touched my skin. Without thinking, I moved back until I sat on the couch. His cologne smells nice and distracts me. Looking down at me, he brushed my hair aside, making things feel even closer. There was a feeling of something about to happen as I closed my eyes, almost like I wanted him to kiss me.

No! I shouldn't want a kiss from this guy. I don't understand why my body feels like this. Maybe it just misses being touched by a man after so long.

"Do you want me to kiss you, Ms. Helen?" he asked, breaking the tense quietness, ruining what my body seemed to want.

I opened my eyes and realized he had moved away. Feeling embarrassed, I replied, "Why would I?"

"You seemed to want my kiss; you even closed your eyes. I know I'm attractive; I admire myself in the mirror every morning, appreciating how God made me. Ms. Helen, I understand how you feel; it's common for women to feel this way after meeting me," Richard said confidently.

Mr. Richard, do you always act so full of yourself? Maybe you should come down from your high horse. Honestly, upon closer look, you're not as charming as you think. Let me clarify – I don't swoon over someone just because they're nearby. Sorry if that bursts your bubble, Mr. Richard, but you're simply not my type," I said, slightly amused.

"If I'm not your type, why were you expecting my kiss? If I hadn't stopped, you would have kissed me yourself; that's how much I affected you," he said, winking.

Defensively, I shot back, "Maybe I was disgusted by what I saw and closed my eyes to avoid more." I scoffed, muttering 'arrogant bastard.'

"Are you sure about that? Should we try that again?" he teased, his amusement clear in his tone.

Remembering how my heart raced just from smelling his cologne, I firmly replied, 'No,' suppressing the unexpected flutter in my heart.

Just then, his phone rang. Thank goodness!

The phone saved me from more embarrassment.

“I would have loved to continue this, Ms. Helen, but duty calls. The contract is with my secretary; you can get it on your way out.”

“We are getting married in three days; so make sure you sign the contract. Nice to meet you my wife” he added and smiled, his smile could melt anyone's hearts.

Gosh, what am I thinking?

I jolted the thought out of my mind and  rolled my eyes and left his office. Who is marrying who? His secretary stopped me, offering the contract file.I rejected it and left in annoyance. Who does he think he is? There's no way I'm getting married to that cocky guy. I left the company, got into my car, and zoomed off.

Rose arched her eyebrows, clearly taken aback. "What? He said that?" she exclaimed after I narrated my ordeal with Mr. Richard.

I nodded solemnly. 'Yes, he did. I couldn't believe it myself."

“Hold on, that name rings a bell!” Rose said

“Of course it will, we both searched his company's name on internet a week ago” 

"No, I don't mean his company's name. I mean his full name. Richard Alfred," Rose ran to her room and brought out her laptop  and typed Richard's name. His pictures popped up, articles about his Playboy acts can also been seen coupled with pictures of actresses and celebrities involved in a romantic scandal with him

Rose's eyes widened as she read through the articles, her disbelief growing with each scandalous revelation. Pictures of Richard, the man she thought she knew, intertwined with celebrities and surrounded by controversy, filled her screen.

Muttering to myself "Richard Alfred... this is so you"

I quickly glanced at the photos, a mix of glamor and scandal, wondering how much of it was reality and how much was sensationalism. As I delved deeper into the articles, conflicting emotions surged within me – a cocktail of surprise, disappointment, and amusement

Rose raised an eyebrow "Is it credible though? Sometimes these articles exaggerate things."

Nodding "I don't know, but everything can't be a lie. Considering how he behaved at his office today, he's definitely a play boy”

She leaned in, a mix of disbelief and concern on her face. "Maybe he's a psychopath? I mean, I can't imagine someone like Mr. Richard ‘a playboy’ proposing marriage."

I chuckled nervously. "Well, he did mention it's a contractual marriage. Apparently, his parents have been pressuring him to settle down."

Rose raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Even so, why you? I'm sure, everyone knows your history and he would have checked before proposing marriage"

What Rose said is true, I can't seem to wrap my head around what's going on, what will make him propose to a woman that have murdering scandal. I shrugged, still trying to wrap my head around the bizarre situation but I have to give Rose a response..

"That's what he said . He claims it's a mutual benefit, but I can't shake off the feeling that there's more to his story though"

Rose sighed, a resigned expression on her face. "Well, I don't think we have much of a choice here. If he says it's a mutual benefit, let's just think about the company, hmm?" She suggested.

I hesitated, still uneasy about the whole situation." What if he's a psychopath?" I muttered.

Rose chuckled, dismissing the idea. "Hey, c'mon, he can't be a psychopath. He's too handsome for that" She said, trying to lighten my mood still i couldn't shake off the sense of uncertainty. 

Remembering my encounter with him at his office today shows everything we read about him is true. “He is definitely a playboy considering how he flirted and his way of approach”

Rose sighed, as if confirming my suspicions. "I don't know, that's for us to find out. Wait, he flirted with you? What am I missing here?"

Remembering my encounter with him, I blushed before I could control it.

“Is that a blush I'm seeing?” Rose inquired by arching a brow

“No! Thinking about it, I'm sure there are ladies lining up to be his wife. Why me? An ex-convict!"

Rose shook her head, reasoning with me."I've told you not to call yourself that again! Calm down, we will find out what's going on"

“'There's nothing to find out, I'm not interested in his little games.'

Rose shook her head, frustration bubbling up. "What if it's not a game? Do you want us to lose the company just because of your pride?"

My temper flared. "What do you mean, my pride'? Have you forgotten what I went through in my last marriage? Do you want me to remind you how I was betrayed? You were there, you saw it. You saw how broken I was. And you want me to go back into that hell? Really?"

Rose signed, eyes glittered with tears. ‘I'm sorry, Helen. I didn't mean to remind of you the past like that’

“It's fine. I'm sorry I flared up. Let's just find another investors, I can't deal with him