Chapter 5~ An invitation

Henry Ford's assistant, Diego Montero, pushed Henry's wheelchair. Diego used to work for Henry while he was abroad and when Henry came back to the Country, he was transferred back to continue working for him. He was an outspoken but kind man with curly dark brown hair and wore gold-rimmed glasses.

When Roxanne got into the elevator with Henry Ford and his assistant, she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

The place felt so small.

Her heart was racing the entire time. Henry Ford’s powerful aura surged around them and she felt so small in his presence. How could a man still look so powerful despite his physical condition? Henry carried himself with an air of confidence that no one would dare look down on him.

The moment the elevator doors opened, Roxanne let go of the breath she didn't realise she was holding.

"Follow me," she told Diego and strode down the hallway confidently with her head and chin raised. 

When they arrived in her office, Roxanne pushed away the chair in front of her desk to accommodate Henry’s wheelchair. Without realising, she was being considerate of his condition. 

“Would you like some tea? Juice?” She offered but Henry politely declined as he observed her quietly.

She was a strange one this one.

Why was she being nice to him? Was it because of his status? Or perhaps she was pitying him for being disabled? The thought of being pitied caused a sliver of irritation to rush through him. 

Henry was in the clothing store earlier and happened to witness Roxanne’s exchange with her stepsister.

From what he saw, Roxanne wasn’t the weak and meek woman everyone said she was. She faced her enemies with confidence and fearlessness.

She didn't look like someone who would easily get bullied and would do nothing about it. What he saw was a strong woman who could hold her own.

The sparkle in her eyes as she stood up to her sister shone brighter than a diamond. He could sense the relief that Roxanne got from that. It was as if she had been waiting for a long time to put her sister in her place.

Henry had done a background check and found out that Roxanne wasn’t favoured at home. She was rumoured to be weak and someone who never went up against her sister.

However, the woman he saw was totally different. She was smart, business-minded and knew how to deal with her enemies.

Who was the real Roxanne Smith?

Henry actually preferred the feisty Queen he had seen earlier. 

What shocked him was how she didn’t discriminate against him because of his disability. Instead, she was very kind and considerate. 

In the past months, although several women tried to get closer to him because of his money, he could see the disgust that they hid in their eyes. They didn’t want to be with him because they genuinely liked him. His status was what they were attracted to.

He came especially that day to observe Roxanne’s reaction to him. Her kindness surprised him but he kept a poker face as he continued to observe her. 

On the other hand, the way Henry kept looking at Roxanne made her feel like he wasn’t pleased with the bride exchange.

‘Does he also prefer Maya?’ Her heart lurched at that thought. Everyone preferred Maya anyway. It wouldn't be the first time. 

She cleared her throat and said, “I know you were supposed to marry Maya according to the earlier arrangement. However, I had no choice but to accept the new arrangement because she’s in love with someone else and doesn't want to marry you. If switching the brides annoys you, please feel free to reject it.”

Glancing at Henry, she added, “Whatever you choose to do is fine by me.”

Due to Henry Ford’s accident, his grandfather had become anxious and wished for him to quickly get married and have children. The old man kept urging him to fulfil the marriage agreement that his father had made with Kenneth Smith.

To ease his grandfather’s worries, Henry agreed to get married. At first, he was ok with marrying anyone but seeing Roxanne who was seated opposite him, his curiosity about her increased.

She was an interesting woman. One who had piqued his interest. He wanted to know more about her. 

Nevertheless, he didn’t respond to her statement. He didn’t agree or reject the arrangement. All he did was stare at her for a few minutes before a small smirk curled at the corner of his lips. 

"Looking forward to our next meeting, Miss Smith." After Henry said this in his deep baritone voice, he let his assistant push him away, leaving Roxanne standing in confusion.

Did he agree to the bride switch or not?

…

Roxanne was in her office when she received a golden envelope which was sealed with the Ford family crest.

 When she opened it, she discovered it was an invitation to a banquet to celebrate the inauguration of Henry Ford as CEO of Ford Corporation.  

She was invited as Henry Ford's plus one. Looking at the card, Roxanne's eyes squinted. 

'What does this mean?' She thought. 

The last time she talked to Henry, he didn't give her his stance on the marriage issue so she had no idea whether he was ok with the switch or not. 

Did he still want to go through with the marriage? He never said anything. 

A week had passed when he suddenly sent her an invitation to his private banquet. Roxanne didn't know what to make of his actions. 

Regardless, she decided to go since she was invited by Henry himself.

When it was time, she dressed up in an ivory gown and styled her blonde hair into an elegant updo. 

She quickly found her way to the Ford's mansion after following the address on the invitation card. The backyard was decorated elegantly and many businessmen and women could be seen chatting and making new business connections.

Roxanne was about to look for Henry when an irritating voice reached her ears. 

"Oh, look who's here. If it isn't my dear sister, Roxanne."