Chapter 01

Chapter 01

(This book will mostly be in a third person's pov, but in some necessary situations, there will be a first-person pov)

*****

Staff members bowed as Christian strode into his company, exuding an air of elegance and confidence. His tailored suit accentuated his tall, well-built frame, and he moved with graceful authority down the hallway, his manager walking alongside him.

They entered the elevator, their synchronized steps reflecting the harmony of their working relationship. Damien, Christian's manager, received a discreet message on his phone, prompting a change in his demeanor. As the elevator ascended, he discreetly checked his phone, his expression shifting into a surprised "o."

"What's the matter?" Christian inquired, his gaze straight ahead, unyielding.

"Um... someone is waiting for you in your office, sir," Damien replied with a respectful bow.

"Who?" Christian asked, his attention still focused ahead.

"Miss Gracias," Damien answered. Christian's eyebrow arched slightly in response.

"Who?"

"Laura Gracias," Damien clarified, Christian's curiosity was piqued, and he inclined his head slightly.

"Why?" Christian's brows furrowed, seeking an explanation for this unexpected visit and Damien only shook his head in response. Christian scoffed lightly and turned his head forward with no further questions.

Christian Asher, 28 years old, with a chain of companies. He is one of the most influential men in the business world, 6' ft tall, with big brown eyes and dark straight hair. He is street-smart, business oriented, secretive, confident, and sporty, That nation's perfect man. Though he is well known, he keeps to himself a lot, and nothing much is known about him. Including the fact that he's happily married.

He owns Asher's Conglomerate, the biggest company in America, followed by Gracias Conglomerate, his rival company. They never go hand in hand, always against each other or it's just Gracias Conglomerate. The owner, Barry Gracias, has a strong jealousy and hatred for him since their company couldn't occupy the first position because of his company.

His daughter, Laura Gracias is the CEO now after he(Barry) had retired, being the only heir of his. And now, his enemy's daughter is waiting for him in his office, confusing.

He walked inside his office and as said, Laura was there seated, in a position that speaks *confident*She had her leg crossed with a book she must have picked from one of the shelves in Asher's office. Her manager was standing by a side, her hands crossed behind her back.

Christian walked in, his million-dollar leather shoe hitting the marbled floor silently as he made his way to his seat and Laura finally raised her head.

Laura Gracias, twenty-seven years old businesswoman. The CEO of one of the biggest companies in America, Gracias Conglomerate, is her dad's company passed on to her as the only heir. She also has her fashion industry, Laura's Beauty. Gracias Conglomerate and Asher's Conglomerate are well-known for their unending rivalry though Gracias Conglomerate is no match to Asher's Conglomerate but they're never on good terms.

And right now, she's sitting before him, her dad's enemy. She was never physically involved in the enmity, but since she handles the company whether or not she's interested in the enmity, she's a part of it somehow.

"To what do I owe the surprise, Miss Gracias?" Christian's cold and domineering voice echoed in the room.

Laura scoffed. "What a great way of greeting me you know," She said with a smirk on her lips. Christian only stared on uninterestedly and flatly.

"Alright then, since you're not the greeting type..."

"Why are you here?" Christian cut in flatly.

"Trust me, this is the last place I want to be.." She said with a scoff.

"As you know about the just in-rumors.." She continued. Christian only stared on flatly.

"The kids, they're yours" She dropped the bombshell.

******

*22 hours ago**

"What The fuck is this!?" Barry shouted angrily at his manager.

"I'm sorry sir" His manager bowed

"How the hell did this get out all of a sudden!?" He questioned, anger burning in his eyes.

"I'm sorry sir, I have no idea how.."

"Get Laura over here, now!" He said through gritted teeth.

"Now!" He shouted when his manager was hesitant.

** An hour later **

"I'm here" Laura yawned tiredly as she fell on the sofa.

Barry turned to look at her angrily.

"How the hell did the media find out after I told you it must never happen?" Barry yelled and started coughing incoherently and his manager rushed to him, trying to sit him down Barry pushed him aside and turned to Laura who was equally worried after her father started coughing.

Six years ago, Laura had a nightstand with a stranger she met at a club after she, or technically they both got drunk and it resulted in babies. She never bothered to find out about whom he was even after she had the babies because she wasn't ready for marriage to someone she knows nothing about and her parents had no problem with it, except her dad who warned that the media mustn't find out about it so as not to taint his reputation.

"You must find a solution to this! You must!" He shouted, a bit lower than before.

Laura sighed and got up from her seat. "Alright Dad, I know I promised to keep it a secret, but it's not my fault they found out and I don't even know how they did and I also don't know how to correct all this," She said, with a worried look.

Barry scoffed, "Well I do," He said, sitting up properly and Laura raised her brows ."You do?" Laura asked.

"Yeah, find that man who's responsible for those babies and wed him immediately!" He said and Laura's face heated up.

"What!?" She demanded.

"You heard me, Laura, I won't let you tarnish the reputation I have been building for a lifetime just because of that silly mistake of yours. Lots of rumors and news have been going on about how you slept with an unknown man, some even said the father of the kids rejected you or even ran, there's been lots of dirty rumors and they're tainting my image! So you dare not correct it!" Barry said angrily.

"Dad.." Laura said almost in the middle of tears but he turned and walked out of the scene.

Laura bent in tears. She knew what it meant not to do as he said, He was going to take the CEO position from her. It was not the first time he was threatening her with that.

How can she get married to a random man? She doesn't even remember his face! What if he's dead or married? And she can't even, she loves someone. Someone no one knows about, not even her parents. She had hidden him perfectly all these years. She loves him so much she was willing to wed him, and now her dad wants her to get married to someone else.

"Miss.." Her dad's manager hesitated but went on anyways.

"Should I look for him?" He asked and she sighed after some seconds, she raised her head, wiped her tears, and nodded.

She was hoping it would be someone easy to convince, and scheme a plot with, probably a commoner whom she would send off to another country and lie to her dad, proclaiming him dead.

"What!?" Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets after she heard who it was.

"Christian!?" She asked again in shock and he nodded.

"Like. Christian Asher? Asher Conglomerate? Like?.."

"Yes" Her manager cuts in.

"Riley(Her manager), are you sure?" She asked and Riley nodded, equally worried as she is. She turned to her dad's manager in utter disbelief and he also nodded, confirming it

"Alright, that's crazy. There's no way it's him and there's no way I'm getting married to him and there's no way he's getting married to me too. He hates our family, our companies are rivalry and. " Laura suddenly stopped when her brain arranged the puzzles together.

"Wait. " She suddenly turned to Mathew(her dad's manager) with a big smile plastered on her face.

"Christian Asher right? My dad's biggest enemy, we slept together and had babies and now I have to marry him, impossible, even dad himself would be against this" She said with a big smile and Riley nodded as it also occurred to her too.

"Alright, that's true" Riley burst into smiles and Matthew nodded in agreement.

"Very true" Laura licked her lips in smiles as she stared at the screen which had the CCTV footage of six years ago as Christian walked into the bar, up to them making out as they walked into a dark room. It was him, the perfect candidate that would be against their marriage.

That was what she thought, but here she was, sitting before the man her dad supposedly hates, telling about THEIR kids. Things didn't go as planned, her dad didn't mind that he was his greatest enemy and all he cared about was his reputation she was almost ruining.

** Back To The First Scene **

"The kids, they're yours" She dropped the bombshell. Christian only stared on, not even caring to ring the words in his ears.

"You don't seem fazed that you have two babies with me and we're about to get married right now?" Laura asked questioningly.

"Miss, what are you talking about?" Damien cuts in.

"You must have heard about the rumors which just got out a day ago right? About her having two kids for an unknown man?" Laura's manager (Riley) cuts in.

"Yeah?" Damien turned to her fully.

"The man, it's him. It's the father of the babies" She responded.

"Wait, I don't.."

"Are you going to keep mute and not say anything?" Laura was beginning to lose her cool but Christian only stared blankly. He looked like he wasn't listening but he was trying to comprehend what he heard.

"Excuse me?" He was finally able to form words. He did so without stuttering too, showing how perfect a man he is.

"I have your babies, six years ago, we had a nightstand. There's the footage clip if you want. News finally broke out after years of me hiding it and not trying to bother any man with my babies, and my dad is trying to protect his reputation so he wants us to get married" Laura said but Christian only stared on, his expression void but he was confused.

Somehow, Laura could see that tinge of confusedness in him.

"Show him the clip girl" She gestured with her fingers and Riley nodded. She placed a tab before him and played the footage clip of them six years ago, how he walked into the bar and got drunk, also how Laura happened to be drunk sitting two stools away from him, how they made eye contact and gave each other body signs to how they walked over to a corner and started making out.

Damien looked away immediately after that scene popped out and Christian did the same too with no expression on as he looked at Laura who had her left brow raised.

"So, you wanna get married or you wanna go meet my dad and negotiate? Which one?"

"Does this guarantee I am the father of those kids?" He asked, his voice still stoic and emotionless and Laura scoffed. "You are one weird guy for real, go through the rest of the clips to see us clearing doing it," She said.

"What do you want?" Christian asked and Laura smiled.

"Do what my dad wants or rather if you have a plan of convincing my dad, the. Okay, both will do" Laura responded.

"How sure am I that the kids are mine?" He asked and Laura smiled.

"Well, you were my first and last during that period since you took my v card, and the babies resulted from it, but if you don't believe it, let's do a test, what do you think? Or what? You don't wanna take responsibility?"

"He's not a man like that..." Damien cuts in at once. "Miss.." He completed in a soothing voice so as not to anger her.

Laura smiled and turned to Christian with a raised brow.

"If they turn out to be mine, I'll take full responsibility," He said simply and Laura smiled.