CHAPTER 5

Lerisa finished having dinner with her parents in the dining room. None of her siblings were at home, so she stood up, locked the house entrance door, and returned to her bedroom to sleep.

Lerisa went into her bedroom, picked up her phone, and saw that it was after 10 p.m. She was surprised to see several missed calls from Anthony and immediately called him back to find out why he had called.

The phone call connected, and she spoke first: "Hello, Anthony."

Anthony was still standing in his bedroom, preparing to sleep. He saw his phone ringing, picked it up, and saw that Lerisa was calling him.

Anthony answered and asked, "Hey, Lerisa. I was calling you earlier to know if you got home safely and if you're alright now."

"Yeah, I'm fine now. Thanks for calling to check," Lerisa replied. She knew that Anthony cared for her like an older brother. But he wasn't her brother, as she had a big brother named James Jonah.

Lerisa wished Anthony could see her beyond the sibling bond or their family closeness, as she loved him too.

Anthony said, "Okay then. Goodnight. I will still visit you tomorrow morning to check up on you again."

"Okay," Lerisa didn't want to refuse Anthony's visit to her family home. She agreed, knowing it wasn't Anthony's first time visiting her family house, as her mother liked him a lot.

Lerisa replied, "Goodnight too."

The phone call with Anthony ended, and Lerisa stared at her phone screen in silence for a while.

She had saved Anthony's photos on her phone and even used his photo as her screen wallpaper.

Lerisa smiled and kissed Anthony's photo on her phone screen, feeling her innocent heart shudder and thud in her chest for Anthony. If only he could hear her heart beating.

Lerisa finally plugged her phone in to charge, then went to her bathroom, before returning to her pink bed to sleep.

****

The following Saturday morning, after Anthony finished his early morning exercise and fitness training, he jogged for a while.

Despite being a billionaire, Anthony didn't neglect exercise, as mostly wealthy people occupied the town they lived in.

Anthony wore a white sports outfit that morning - a white singlet top, white shorts, white socks, and white canvas shoes.

Anthony looked breathtakingly handsome, and many young ladies along the way stole glances at him as he jogged in the early morning hours.

Anthony's family home was only two streets away from Lerisa's family home. He decided to visit Lerisa to find out how she was doing, as he saw her as his junior sister and best friend.

Anthony approached Lerisa's family gate and knocked, waiting for someone to open it.

The huge black gate was locked from within, and Anthony didn't have his phone to call Lerisa and inform her he was there.

Anthony checked his wristwatch and saw it was already after 8 a.m. The sun was rising gradually above the clouds. He knocked again before Lerisa, who was sweeping the front of her father's compound, went to open the gate.

Lerisa gasped in surprise to see Anthony standing there, looking breathtakingly handsome and covered in sweat.

Her breath caught as she saw Anthony in a white singlet that revealed his masculine abs. She imagine what those toned abs would feel like if she ever touched him.

Lerisa gulped hard as she finally looked up at Anthony's handsome, dark face. She met his eyes and greeted him shyly, "Good morning, sir."

Anthony smiled, happy to see Lerisa's blushing face. She was very light-skinned, and he liked seeing her pretty face.

Anthony replied, "Good morning, Lerisa. How was your night?"

Anthony took the water bottle he was holding in his right hand up to his lips. After opening the bottle, he drank from it, with water dripping down the side of his lips.

Lerisa swallowed again, watching Anthony drink. She looked down as he removed the bottle from his lips and asked her, "I came to see you. How are you feeling now?"

"Lerisa! Who's there at the gate?" Lerisa heard her mother call from inside the house. She looked back toward the house and replied, "Anthony is here, mom."

Anthony walked closer to the gate, standing near Lerisa. He told her, "Move away from the gate; let me say hello to your parents first."

Lerisa wasn't wearing a bra underneath her ash-colored nightgown. She felt her body radiate heat due to Anthony's proximity.

She immediately moved aside from the gate to let Anthony enter her parents' compound, as he was standing very close to her.

Anthony smiled at Lerisa while his eyes traveled downward, briefly lingering on her full bosom. He gulped and quickly looked away, as he noticed her pointed nipples showing through her light blue nightgown.

Lerisa stepped aside, and Anthony walked into the compound to greet her mother, who was smiling at him.

Mrs. Antonia stepped outside, as she saw Anthony approaching, realizing he was the one speaking to Lerisa at the gate.

Mrs. Antonia smiled at Anthony and greeted him first: "Our CEO, good morning, sir."

Anthony smiled and replied, "Good morning, ma. How are you doing this morning?"

"I'm fine, Anthony, and you? What a pleasant surprise to see you here! You hardly visit us anymore since you took over as the new CEO. Did we do anything to offend you?" Mrs. Antonia inquired.

Anthony replied, "No, ma. Not at all."

Anthony offered a friendly smile, which relieved Mrs. Antonia. She smiled back and said, "You're welcome to our house anytime. Come inside, as I'm about to prepare breakfast. You can join us too."

"No, ma. Thank you. I only came to find out how Lerisa is doing, as she looked sad yesterday," Anthony said, looking at Lerisa, who had walked up to join them, smiling bashfully with a blushing face.

"Lerisa? Oh! She came home yesterday looking sad too, and I wondered what was wrong. I hope there's no problem between you two at the office," Mrs. Antonia asked.

"No, ma. I don't have any problem with Lerisa, and I can see that she's fine now. I have to be on my way home, as that's why I came - to check on her," Anthony politely said, preparing to leave.

"Okay then. Thank you for visiting us and checking on my daughter. Your mother invited me to your birthday celebration tonight. I hope you also invited my daughter," Mrs. Antonia said, smiling brightly, as she wanted Anthony as her son-in-law.

Anthony smiled handsomely and said, "Yes, ma. I did."

"Okay then. We'll see you later this evening. I have to go inside now and prepare what I was going to make for breakfast before you arrived. Goodbye, Anthony," Mrs. Antonia said.

Anthony answered, "Okay, ma."

Lerisa stood aside, listening to her mother's conversation with Anthony. Her mother finally left them and went back into the bungalow house, leaving her and Anthony alone.