'Oh God pretty please! This looks too good to be true.' Mia thought as she pushed her lips forward with her eyes closed to be kissed. Rey's breath got labored, he had to fight against getting a hard-on just looking at her this way. 'What is she doing to me?' He saw the way her eyes closed in earnest, trying to get a kiss from him. He almost gave in but held himself back at the last minute, what was wrong with him!? This is against the contract; she said it herself, 'no strings attached.' This, this whole thing was breaching the contract. "What do you think you are doing?" Rey chuckled loudly making Mia's eyes open abruptly. "What." She looked at his mocking gaze and felt the air being squeezed out of her lungs. "Do you have what it takes to kiss me?" The question rang over and again in her head, and her eyes blurred with tears. Looking down to avoid him seeing her hurt which he already noticed by the way, she shook her head in response. "You must be delusional." Rey avoided looking at Mia after seeing the initial hurt in her eyes. He knew his words were hurtful, but he had to say them to cut any unnecessary bond between them; this was purely a business transaction and nothing else. 'Delusional' repeated itself in Mia's head and whatever romantic thought she had about him died instantly. "What was it you wanted to do? Kiss me even when I pay you. ****** Mia who had sat down on the pile of her clothes with her now dried body, looked about distraught. "I shouldn't have allowed him anywhere close to me." Her eyes were reddened, and her lips pouted as she was about to cry. In such an intense moment, she forgot there were to be no strings attached, and everything was to be transactional. Holding onto the pain and embarrassment of the night, she vowed never to allow herself to fall too cheap for his deliberate deception. ******* "Reynaldo Davies, the first and only son of The Davies, finds himself in a constricted situation of choosing a wife, a command made clear by his Father, Mr Davies, on turning sixty, otherwise, young Davies would forfeit his inheritance to his younger sister. He makes a business proposal with Mia, his cook, who has no expectation of any kind, coming from the fling Reynaldo. In desperation, she agrees but only on the condition that certain lines are drawn and rules are kept. All is fair and clear until Celine, Reynaldo's high school friend, comes into the picture. His mother had arranged an engagement for them against Reynaldo's persistence in dating his cook, "acting as his girlfriend". Would this act bloom into something beautiful? What would be the fate of Mia? Would Celine succeed in her quest for love? Will he gain his inheritance?
Chapter 1 The dinner invitation
The electronic door hummed from the porch, followed by the sound of thick footsteps of loafers, thudding against the marble floor. It was Reynaldo. Mr. Davies had invited him over for dinner, but he had arrived earlier than expected.
"Rey, is that you?" His mum's voice echoed warmly from the top floor.
"Hey, Mum!" Reynaldo responded, tilting his head to see his mum's figure descending the stairs.
"Come on in, son." She smiled, heading towards the large brown dining table. He joined her, following suit. They were seated when the cook began serving dinner, neatly arranged for a table of four. Sabrina soon joined them, coming
down the stairs.
"Good evening, family." She said.
"Good evening, Sabrina. How are you doing today?" Her mum asked.
"I'm good, Mom. Hmm... dinner looks so yummy!" Sabrina exclaimed, breathing in the savory aroma.
"How have you been, bro?" She asked, looking at Reynaldo, whose eyes were fixed on the meal in front of him. Although Rey and Sabrina were siblings, two years apart, they rarely spoke. They spent most of their time apart, from high school
to college days, attending different schools.
"I'm good, Sis," Rey responded, digging into his appetizer.
They all ate silently and slowly, with just the sound of their cutlery clinking, breaking the silence until they were full.
Sabrina was the first to leave the dining table. She received a call about a package she had ordered yesterday.
"Okay, I'll be on my way! Yes... yes." She said this into the phone, pushing her seat back and signaling to her parents with one finger.
"I'll be right back!" She whispered before leaving.
Mrs. Davies was the next to leave.
"I have to go take a warm bath." She said, smiling. The comfort of her Jacuzzi was the one thing she looked forward to at the end of each day. She left, calling the cook to clear the dishes.
Soon enough, Rey realized he was left alone with his Dad at the table. His father was staring at him intensely, and he knew there had to be more to it. Rey dropped the phone into the pocket of his blue jeans and waited.
He knew there was something behind the dinner invitation, it was unusual.
"Reynaldo, son." He called.
"Yes, Mr. Davies," Rey responded.
"How have you been, son?"
"I have been well, Mr. Da..."
"I'd prefer Dad if you don't mind." Mr. Davies interrupted.
"Okay, Dad." Rey answered, with a hint of sarcasm.
Mr. Davies sighed and continued, "You know, I invited you over for a reason, of which I'm very much certain you do not care to know, but I will say it anyway. I'm turning sixty soon. I'm growing old and so are you. Time waits for
no one, son. I'm growing too old to manage business projects, and I need to rest. I have built this fortune for you. You and I both understand that."
"I need to hand over the company to able hands - hands that would be able to handle the value I have placed in time and hard work. I know you have been doing pretty well, son, but there's more to life than just making money. You need a partner through the ups and downs of life, you know." Mr. Davies paused, watching Reynaldo's stern expression.
"Reynaldo, you're my first son. You are my successor and heir. And to be honest, I can see
you did a good job working yourself into a better man. I'd commend you for that. But I want just one thing from you before my sixtieth birthday in a few months."
Rey knew where this was heading, and he absolutely hated it when his father brought
up the topic of marriage. It made him distant from his father. It angered him
and boiled his patience away.
"I want you to get married," Mr. Davies said. "You can only take over the company and its assets if you find yourself an eligible bride before then." He finished, letting his words delve into the tension filling the room.
"What?" Rey's voice thundered.
His nostrils flared as he fumed; his eyes darkened, holding his father's gaze, unblinkingly. He clenched his jaws and gnashed his teeth.
"Is this some kind of blackmail? And why do you think you can decide that for my life? What makes you think, Mr Davies, that you can dictate the terms on which I should live?"
"And right now, I think you should mind the manner of your speech, Reynaldo Davies!" Mr Davies's voice grew annoyed and his eyes grew cold.
"Oh please drop that childish longing from the past! I know you loved Vanessa but that doesn't mean you'd remain a bachelor. I need a generation that can carry on my legacy." He continued.
"Did you just call it childish?" Rey asked, his eyes narrowing.
"What else is it called when you can't simply move on from a relationship that ended seven years ago?" Mr. Davies's words cut deeply. They were like acid, burning down Rey's throat.
Mrs. Davies, who had been listening from afar, was teary-eyed but refused to intervene.
"Father, There is no need to bug me like this. Besides, I'm not even thirty-five yet. Your threats won't change my feelings about women. Except for mum, all they care about is money and that is exactly what Vanessa did. So, you won't determine or teach me how to live my life, Mr. Davies!" Rey retorted.
"If that is what you want, then, so be it." He paused searchingly.
"But be ready to watch your sister become the next successor."
Rey felt a chill run down his spine at the ultimatum. He looked away fighting the urge to lash out further.
"This isn't fair." He muttered under his breath.
"Life isn't fair, Rey," Mr. Davies replied his voice a little softer now. "But it is the reality we all must face."
Rey's breath labored with the urge to hit something. In a swift movement, he bumped
his fist into the mirror beside the dining table; Its pieces splattering, sinking into the skin of his tight fist.
"Rey!" Mr. Davies shook in horror and just
then, the doorbell rang interrupting them. Who could it have been?
Chapter 1 The dinner invitation
29/08/2024
Chapter 2 Shards and crimson
30/08/2024
Chapter 3 Zipped scars
30/08/2024
Chapter 4 Something fishy
30/08/2024
Chapter 5 A marriage proposal
30/08/2024
Chapter 6 Cause it's You
06/09/2024
Chapter 7 My Boss is a nut job!
06/09/2024
Chapter 8 What is wrong with Reynaldo Davies
06/09/2024
Chapter 9 No strings attached
06/09/2024
Chapter 10 Make you mine
06/09/2024
Chapter 11 Imaginary Chemistry
15/10/2024
Chapter 12 If you were mine
15/10/2024
Chapter 13 The past never really dies
10/11/2024
Chapter 14 His darkness
11/11/2024
Chapter 15 Let's go where darkness tastes sweet
12/11/2024
Chapter 16 Dramatic
13/11/2024
Chapter 17 Failed restraint
13/11/2024
Chapter 18 The termination clause
14/11/2024
Chapter 19 He wasn't alone
14/11/2024
Chapter 20 How about a Blondie from Flux
15/11/2024
Chapter 21 She will never be yours
17/11/2024
Chapter 22 Stupid Reynaldo!
17/11/2024
Chapter 23 So what if I am shameless
19/11/2024
Chapter 24 Guess who's back
19/11/2024
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