Bankruptcy.

Maxwell's P.O.V 

I stared at my mom for a few minutes without uttering a word. 

"Max, you don't have a choice right now. I wished I had a way to make this easier," she said. I looked at my mom and smiled, then glanced at the photo of the lady given to me by her. She looked hot and harmless at the same time. 

"Everything you need to know about her is well-detailed there," She said and handed an envelope to me. 

"Her name is Amihan Jude, the only daughter of Mr. Angelo Jude, Although he has a son who is an autism patient. Making her the only heir of her father's wealth,"  she added while I gave a disapproved look. 

"Max, my darling, This is the only way to save our company. We are almost bankrupt and need the support of a multinational company. This is your dad's only legacy he left for us. We can't let it go down without trying to save it." 

"What if she is married or Even in a relationship?" A grin appeared on my face, but a questioning one. 

"No, she isn't married. She is single. Go through that file for all the details you need about her; she is pretty decent, and I haven't seen you bring home any female in a long while.," she said defensively. 

"You have all it takes to make a lady of her caliber fall deeply in love with you, Max," 

Taking a long breath, I let the document fall to the table in front of me. 

"So how do I get through to her? Where does she stay?" I asked inquisitively. 

"The Philippines. " 

"The Philippines?" I repeated and gave my mom a surprised look and chuckled. 

"How on earth would I make someone that far fall deeply in love with me? We are in New York, Mom. I thought you said they owned the Retribution company here in New York, and that was why you needed them?" 

"She moved to the Philippines a few months ago. She is the one heading the company's branch over there."

"Mom, it's impossible to date a lady of her caliber through social media messages. Except she comes over or the other way round," I said, holding my mom's hands. I could tell she already had a plan with the way she smiled. 

"Don't tell me you want me to go to the Philippines?" I raised a brow, and she nodded. 

"You just have to do it for us, Maxwell,"

"Oh No, Mom, can't we look for an alternative to get back on our feet?" I asked. 

"If there was, do you think I would want my only son to leave my sight and go to another country?" she gave a pitiful countenance that broke my heart. 

"Your visa is inside that envelope, Max. Your flight has been scheduled for tonight," 

I was dumbfounded as I stared at her. 

"We've been given three months to revive the company or lose it permanently to the bank. Sorry I didn't inform you beforehand; there's no time, max." 

The last thing I wanted was to make my mom unhappy. 

Dad had a heart attack six months back that led to his death after a business he invested billions of dollars in was defrauded. He had used the company as a bank collateral to collect loans for the business, and the thought of losing the company he had struggled to build from scratch led to his untimely death. Since then, my mom has struggled to pay them the monthly allocated amount, leading the company to bankruptcy.

 

"What if we don't fall in love?" I looked her in the face; I was sure she wasn't expecting my question. 

"You are irresistible Max, and I have faith in you," with Assurance she patted my back. 

"Uncle Sam will be going with you. He has made all the necessary arrangements for your arrival. Don't worry, he isn't staying with you. I want you to be free while at its max.," I nodded. 

I picked up the document and headed for my room, threw myself on the bed, and sighed. 

My mom was right; the last I brought a lady home was over six months ago. Dad's death made me realize how much I wanted to make my mom happy. She never approved of my ex-girlfriend Sonia, who was too clingy and melancholy. Mom wasn't the type who interfered in my love affairs, but for some reason, she never liked Sonia and was happy when I informed her about our separation. 

I picked up the lady's photo and looked at it for a while. She was beautiful and looked calm, but photos can be deceptive. I had made up my mind to go into a committed relationship after my break-up with Sonia.

"I'll do this for my family," I sighed and dropped the photo on my table, picked the envelope to check the time for my flight,I had less than five hours to go. 

I stood up from the bed and packed some essential belongings inside my box, awaiting my flight. 

***************************************

Annabel's P.O.V. 

We had another round of sex. Karl's skills improved with each round. Although I made sure he pulled out before splashing his sperm. 

"I'll get us two glasses of strong liquor," I offered and walked to the bar. 

He had booked a private apartment for us in the heart of Manila. 

As I returned to the room,  I saw him going through the document. 

"With the simple way you look, one would never tell you are wealthy." He said, and I laughed. I handed him the liquor glass and gulped down all the liquor in my glass. 

I dozed off immediately and woke up with an intense migraine the following day.  There was no trace of Karl. He had left a note on the table informing me he had to leave early for work and didn't want to disturb my beauty sleep. 

I smiled and walked into the bathroom to freshen up before taking my leave.