Chapter four

“Work stress?” He asked, noting the worry etched on his friend’s face.

Kenneth smith has been Paul’s best friend and close confidante since childhood. He knew all about Paul’s problems and “sexcapades”.

Paul nodded his head in disagreement, and Kenneth chuckled lightly. “Ross?” He asked,knowing how Paul felt towards his intended marriage to Victoria.

“There is also that,” Paul said with a sigh,dropping his glass on the table.

“There’s nothing you can do about that one” Keneth said with a soft smile, “besides,i heard she’s good down there” he added again and that caused Paul to look at him with a murderous glare.

Victoria’s adventures weren’t a secret and apparently that did not bother his mother as she was hell bent on him marrying her and acquiring Ross incorporation.

“Thought you didn’t care about that,” Keneth said and raised his hands defensively.

“But really,why can’t we do anything about it?” Paul asked and Kenneth looked at him puzzled.

“Do what?” He questioned,looking confused.

“Marry a woman we love,without our parent’s interference. Why can’t we marry out of love?”

“You of all people shouldn’t be asking such question,or is there someone I don’t know about”? Kenneth asked and Paul raised a brow.

“Who?” He asked.

“Someone that tickles your fancy,” Kenneth said and Paul just drank wordlessly.

He had left his mother’s house after having dinner with her and Victoria. He couldn’t tell either of them about Stephanie as he realized that they’d not react well to the information and it could make him lose Victoria and her family’s company and lose Costa incorporations to Martins,that would make his mother disappointed in him and she wouldn’t take that.

He went shopping with Victoria the day before as promised and she clung to his side like a leech. She claimed to have seen one of the sales lady look at Paul with lustful eyes and made sure she was fired.

When Paul tried to stop it,she burst into tears,accusing Paul of humiliating her in front of everyone and cheating on her. She almost caused a huge scene before Paul let her have her way,although he later sent some money to the store to be sent to the lady.

The drive back was even worse as she kept on saying how much she loves him and couldn’t do without him and how she’d take her own life if he should ever be with another woman. She kept on ranting that he just zoned out and thought of other things.

The dinner had been horrible, his mother kept praising Victoria and even promised to give her a ring that apparently had been passed down to all wives in the family.

He scoffed inwardly at that,Victoria wasn’t worth any of that,he was just going to marry her, but he would never consider her a wife,he was secretly sorry for her as she was never going to have his heart.

“this person must be special to have got you lost in thought like this,” Kenneth exclaimed surprised.

Paul chuckled,” there’s no such person”

Kenneth nodded in disagreement,” okay who is this other problem if its not work or Victoria” he asked,raising his brows suggestively.

Pail thought about Stephanie for a moment and was about to say “someone i mistakenly gave my seed to” but he just chuckled and drank from his glass.

“This problem is a stubborn one,don’t worry” he wasn’t ready to tell his friend about Stephanie’s pregnancy. He would tell his friend when he figured out the best thing to do about her issue.

“Don’t let it eat you up” Kenneth said as he took a sip from his cup.

“You know as a 5th generation conglomerate,i expect you to be used to all these by now” Kenneth said and continued. “People like you and I,our fates are already sealed the day we were born. What we eat,where we go,our friends and the women we marry. Only few of us get to marry out of love. To is,love is a luxury we cannot afford,we can have fun with the women but that’s where it ends.” Kenneth said with finality and Paul sighed again.

“Wow,such a nice speech” He said and they both laughed.

They talked some more and drank before changing the conversation to talk about sports.

It was exactly seven am when Stephanie stepped into the familiar building,a place she has worked at for the past six years.

She sighed as she walked around the empty office. She trailed her fingers over the desk as she thought of all the memories she’s had in this place.

She had always wanted to be an accountant as she was very good with numbers. She however couldn’t get a job immediately and so when someone told her of an opening at Costa incorporation,she had gone for the interview without caring that it was just for a personal assistant,she hoped that one day Paul would recognize her skills and employ her as an accountant.

She smiled sadly as she thought,its been six years and all she had to show was a pregnancy.

That morning Paul Costa glanced at her as he strode to his office. She greeted him and he replied with a mumble that sounded like ‘morning’.

Immediately he got to his office,he called her to come up to his office. She entered without knocking and his eyebrows shot up to her in surprise.

“You certainly have no regards for your job anymore” he growled and she kept quiet and looked downwards as if the answer to all her problems was written on the marble floor.

“About my offer….” he began before the telephone rang.

“There is a Victoria Ross here to see you sir” came Natalie’s nervous voice from the other end of the line.

The woman had yelled at her when she told her that she must have an appointment to be able to see Paul and poor Natalie had no choice but to comply with the woman’s order, “tell him its Victoria…Victoria Ross”.

He glanced at Stephanie who was still looking downwards and muttered series of curses before replying her, “Let her in”.

Natalie sighed in relief and muttered a silent prayer,perhaps this Woman was an important person,she carried herself with an air of superiority. If she weren’t important,her boss would’ve probably yelled or even cursed at her

“You may leave now” Paul said to Stephanie after dropping the receiver.

He watched her leave,all the while thinking about how everything seemed like a horrible nightmare,his PA being pregnant with his child!.

Stephanie walked silently with a certain sadness etched on her face when a familiar looking woman walked past her and into Paul’s office.

Victoria got to Paul’s office and suddenly started gushing about how she’s missed Paul even if its only been a day and how someone else got a limited edition bag she’s been waiting to get for a long time. She kept on ranting about trivial annoying things that he got tired and stopped listening to her.

“Are you even listening to me?!” She huffed in annoyance and Paul stood up and went to her back,he wrapped his huge arms over her and she was surprised and kept quiet. Paul chuckled quietly and thought about how easy it was to shut her up.

He went back and sat down,easing himself onto his chair as he asked Victoria why she really was in his office.

“I just missed you too much” she said pouting and Paul huffed. So pathetic,he thought.

She stayed for about three hours as she watched him go over some files,reading them and signing and complimenting him occasionally,noting how handsome he looks while working. She felt like the luckiest woman on earth.

On her way out,she passed the Pa’s desk and stopped.

“You’re the Personal assistant right?” She asked and Stephanie looked at the woman in front of her. She looked familiar but she couldn’t place a name to the face.

“Yes” Stephanie replied stiffly,not liking the way the woman looked at her. she felt like the woman was accessing her,putting a price to her outfit. Of course it wasn’t designer,but it was decent so who was this woman to look at her with judgmental eyes.

Stephanie knew her type. Rich,spoilt and arrogant,they believed they were better than every other person.

She heard the woman chuckle and looked at her giving her an unpleasant once over, “i’m Victoria,Victoria Ross”.

Of course!,Stephanie realized why the woman looked familiar,it was Victoria Ross,the infamous heiress to Ross incorporations and spoilt socialite. The rumors about her exploits were much,she was a party hoe and there were rumors that she’s slept with half the men in new yourk. She wondered what the Woman came to discuss with Paul to have been in his office for so long and she felt a pang of jealousy.

“Nice to meet you too” Victoria said and Stephanie realized that the woman has been holding out her hand to her.

They shook hands and Victoria strode out of the building.

Stephanie was still thinking about Victoria and the purpose of her visit when the telephone rang,it was Paul inviting her to his office again

She sighed as she made her way to his office,hoping that he doesn’t bring up something ridiculous as an offer again.

“you called for me sir” she said as she entered the office.

“Sit” he beckoned at her to sit and she did wordlessly.

“What do i offer you?,coffee?” he asked and she glanced up at him in surprise.

“No..noth..nothing..” she stuttered surprised that her almighty boss was offering her something to drink. She was frightened,like a lamb being led to the slaughter.

“Have you thought about my offer” he asked snd Stephanie began to fiddle with her fingernails. She had thought about it hard and long and still was unable to make up her mind on what to do.

“I don’t want to accept your offer” she mumbled and he stared at her incredulously,he was wrong about her,She would be difficult to convince.

“Stop acting so tough when you have nothing” he said and that made her look at him squarely.

“I will do everything and anything i can to not let you have this child”

“I would love to see you try steph,but remember,should we take this matter to court,you’d end up wasting your time and losing what little money you have. He said firmly and with that Stephanie walked to the door,wiping tears and finally turned to face him.

“I’ll terminate this pregnancy if it means you not having custody of my child”.