Chapter 6

Anthony stared at Lerisa and said, "I have to go home now, Lerisa. I hope you're truly feeling fine."

He drank from the bottle of water in his hand and looked directly at her. She replied, "Yes, I'm fine. See you this evening."

Lerisa's pretty, fair face grew sad again as she remembered that Anthony would probably propose to Clara that evening, since Anthony and Clara had been dating for three years or more.

Anthony noticed the change in Lerisa's mood when her face flushed. He immediately asked, "What's wrong with you now?"

Lerisa snapped out of her trance and replied, "Nothing. I'm fine."

"Hmm. You keep telling me you're fine when you're not. Tell me the truth, Lerisa. What's bothering you? You can share it with me. You know I care about you, and I know you don't have any other friends besides me," Anthony said.

"You don't have a boyfriend—well, maybe you do and I just don't know him yet. But that's not a reason to look so sad," he added.

"I don't have any boyfriends, Anthony," Lerisa admitted. Anthony looked at her face and asked, "Why don't you have one? You're very beautiful, Lerisa. I want the best man for you. What about my friend Ben? He's been pestering me about you. Why not consider dating him?"

"No. I'm not interested in Ben," Lerisa replied, rejecting the idea immediately.

Anthony's eyes narrowed with suspicion. He smiled and asked, "Then who are you interested in? I don't know anyone who's your boyfriend or love interest who could have made you look so sad."

Lerisa met Anthony's blue eyes. Her lips parted, but no words came out; she couldn't tell him the truth—that she was in love with him. She swallowed and looked down.

Anthony sighed. "It's okay, Lerisa. If you don't want to tell me about the man you like, that's fine. But you should know I care about you very much and see you as more than a friend."

"I have to go home now," Anthony said. "I promised my mother I'd be back early for breakfast after my exercise. If not, I could have joined you and your mom for breakfast. How about your dad?" He asked.

"He's gone out for a weekend meeting," Lerisa replied. Anthony sighed and said, "Be good, okay? Take care of yourself."

Lerisa escorted Anthony to the gate, pulled it open for him, and locked the house gate from inside after he left the compound. Unknown to her, her mother had been standing by the kitchen window and eavesdropping on their conversation.

Lerisa wiped away her tears and turned to walk into the house, not knowing her mother was secretly hoping she and Anthony would marry.

When Lerisa entered the living room, her mother immediately came out of the kitchen and asked, "Lerisa, what's going on between you and Anthony?"

Mrs. Antonia was carrying a tray of fried eggs as she approached the dining table and placed the tray on it.

Lerisa walked to the dining room and replied, "Nothing, Mom."

She sat down, her face still flushed, and she continued to think about the diamond engagement ring she had seen with Anthony the previous day.

"You keep saying 'nothing, Mom' when you look as red as a tomato. Didn't you look at yourself in the mirror?" her mother asked.

Lerisa sighed. "I'm fine, Mom."

"Okay, if you say so. But you should know I like Anthony, and I don't want you to chase him away with that face," Mrs. Antonia teased.

Lerisa only shook her head and picked up a piece of fried egg from her plate.

"Go wash your hands first, then let's have breakfast since your dad isn't home yet. Have you chosen the clothes you'll wear to Anthony's birthday party tonight? Your father and I will also be attending. You know I like Anthony very much and want him to marry you—when he's ready to settle down. It would seal the bond between our families," her mother said.

"Mom, Anthony has a girlfriend. You and Dad should stop thinking about me becoming his wife. Anthony will only remain my boss and a family friend," Lerisa said sadly. She stood and went to the kitchen to wash her hands.

Mrs. Antonia frowned and followed her daughter into the kitchen. "Why would you say that, Lerisa? Anthony can't marry just anyone he's dating. His parents won't support him marrying someone they don't approve of. His dad and your father are best friends, and the same goes for his mother and me."

Lerisa finished washing her hands under the running tap, picked up her teacup, and said, "Mom, I'm hungry, and I still need to go out to shop for the new gown I'll wear tonight."

"Okay," Mrs. Antonia sighed and let Lerisa go.

Lerisa returned to the dining table to eat breakfast. Her mother joined her, and they ate together.

Lerisa didn't tell her mother the truth—that she had seen Anthony with an engagement ring and suspected he would propose to Clara in the event hall that evening. She knew her parents would be heartbroken if they witnessed him proposing to another woman.

Lerisa sighed and continued eating her bread and eggs while her mother ate in silence.

After breakfast, Lerisa cleared her cup, washed it, and went to her bedroom to freshen up because she planned to shop for a new gown for Anthony's birthday party.

Her phone rang, startling her. She kept few numbers in her phone, so she wondered who was calling.

Lerisa retrieved her phone from the drawer and saw an unknown number.

She answered, sat on her bed, and said, "Hello? Who is this?"

"Hi, Lerisa. How are you this morning?" a deep, masculine voice asked.

"I'm fine. Who is this?" Lerisa replied, then immediately recognized the voice as Ben's.

She frowned, wondering how he had gotten her number.

"Ben, how did you get my mobile number?" she asked him.