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"Leave us alone first." Alfonso commanded his wife and his first daughter.
"Honey, don't agree to—"
"Margaret, this is a serious matter!" Alfonso stopped his wife from speaking.
Margaret could not control her husband when he just said her name. She left furiously along with her daughter.
Chrismith is just calm and let Nica give him a look of analysation. He secretly smiled when he saw how her reaction changed to a calm one when Janice and her mother went out.
"Are you really sure with your decision?" Alfonso asked his daughter.
Nica did not know what to answer. She suddenly felt scared for herself because she is not ready to have a more complicated and messy life yet. Her mother came to her mind. She does not want to become like her mother, the legal wife, but she was never loved by her father.
"This marriage is just on paper." Chris explained when he felt that the woman will refuse to their agreement. "We can set agreements in accordance to everything that you want."
"I don't want you to have any affair, especially with my sister, while we are still married." Nica suddenly thought of that to be their first agreement. "We are just married on paper and I don't have an obligation to you specially on—" she hesitated to tell what is on her mind. She felt embarrassed and weird when the things that married couples do at nighttime came to her mind.
"But the two of you need to be in just one house. You have to make everyone believe that you two got married because you love each other and not because of the company." Alfonso said with clarification for their situation as a couple soon.
"You're my daughter and I don't want to hear and let them say that I am just using you as my instrument for our losing company once they find out that we are really close to bankruptcy." He stated. He does not want his daughter to have the bad idea about this.
Nica threw a look full of doubt at her father. She expected him to be mad because she became a rival of her sister again.
"But we will have a problem with Mom," Chris said to Nica's father. "Dad does not care about who of your daughters I am going to marry, but Mom…"
Alfonso just nodded at Chris at that thought. That came to his mind already. His mom wants Janice as her daughter-in-law.
Nica understood what the man was trying to say. She was informed that her stepmother and his mom were best friends.
"I can handle her until our agreement end." Nica said with a confident voice for them to stop thinking about the problems that may happen. Their marriage will only last for a year, after all.
Chris agreed to her. "One year is enough to make you mine." He whispered to himself while staring at Nica's face.
"So," Alfonso stood up. "I will call your dad now to talk about your wedding."
"Can you stay a little bit?" Chrismith held her wrist when she attempted to go out before her father.
"Do we still have anything to talk about?" she impatiently asked when her father went out.
"Let's make do's and don't's list together."
Nica silently went back to her seat and took a ballpen on Chris' desk. Just like him, Nica wrote what she wants as their setups.
"Separate rooms?" Chris read Nica's one statement.
"Do you expect me to lay on bed beside you?" she sarcastically answered the man.
"This one depends on our situation, I'm sure that you still remember and understood what your father said earlier, right? No one must know that we are only in an arranged marriage."
Nica suddenly felt embarrassed because of her advanced thinking. He is right, particularly, when they will be having visitors or even on having a business trip that they must be together. She took the papers to reverse her attention.
"You are not allowed to talk to any men neither accept courtships while we are still married." Nica read the first page.
"You just imitated me." Nica said in a low voice to make sure that he would not hear her.
"I don't want you to be with other guys, even if it's Philip." He said in a serious tone.
"They are the one who approached and befriended me!" She corrected him, irritated. If this man is just a random person, she would never bother to fix his misunderstanding of her. "I don't care if you only hear bad things that they are talking about me." She added because she sounded defensive.
"That is not what I meant," he explained. "Let's proceed to the next plan." He changed the topic.
"We will stay in another country for a week for our wedding, then we will move to our house." Nica said what she wants after the wedding again.
Chrismith stared at the woman. He did not expect her to still want to be with her parents even though her relationship with them is not good.
A smile was developed on her lips as she imagined how her life with her husband will happen. "If you don't violate my rules, then I promise that you will get my shares in this company." She offered to him. Money is not really that valuable for her anymore. She just wants to have revenge to every villains in her life.
"I have my own money—"
"I know, but I don't have the courage to lead this company. I am more grateful to let you handle this business instead of my sister."
Chrismith just agreed, he did not want her to cancel their agreements. He still wants to talk to Nica, but she seems so distant. He just continued to read the papers after she leaves in front of him.
Nica went to her favorite place before going home.
"Thank you for coming again, Ma'am!" The guard welcomed her.
Nica just smiled at him then continue walking inside. The place opened just a minute ago that is why it is not that crowdy.
"They said that you're looking for me, Miss?" Larry asked Nica when she came closer to his seat.
"Yes. Thank you for helping me last night." She said.
"Welcome, Miss. If it's you and the boss' order, why not?" he teased her.
"Boss?" Nica felt confused.
Larry scratched his nape and thinks of a way to explain his previous statement. "That boss that I have mentioned earlier was the person that ordered me last night to bring you in a hotel and take care of you."
"Is he the man that sang with you guys before?" Nica could not stop her smile from showing when she remembered that man.
"Yes, he is a private person just like you." Larry winked at the woman and did not mind his joke.
"Just message him a 'thank you' for me!"
"Don't you want to thank him personally so you could know him as well?" Larry felt a little disappointed.
"That was not the reason why I am here talking to you," she frankly said. She does not want to know the person she admires because of his singing talent, she is afraid to completely fall in love with him. Nica had promised to herself that she will never let her fragile heart to be hurt by anyone again.
Larry cleared his throat then leaned his back to the chair and stares at the woman seriously.
"I want to offer your cousin a work."
"You mean, Bheng?" Larry asked, he is not sure if he is right.
Nica tried to recall the name of the person that took care of her first before nodding at the man in front of her.
"She offered me a service if I want to."
"Ahm yes, she doesn't have a work right now because she didn't went back to where she used to work," Larry said while nodding. "Boss will be really happy if he knew this."
"Don't mention him again in front of me. My life doesn't have any relations to everyone." She said, irritated.
"That's aloof. Now I know why he doesn't want to go near her." Larry mumbled before apologizing to the lady.
"When do you want to talk to my cousin?" he gently changed the topic.
"Tomorrow, if she's free. This place will also be our meeting place, in the same time."
"There is no problem with her time, Miss. She's free anytime, specially if it's for you."
Nica stood up when she felt that the man will say something about his boss again. It is not that she does not like the person that Larry keeps on mentioning. It is just because of the feelings that she keeps on having whenever she remembers his voice and his lips.
She went home early because she wants to see the mad face of those mother-and-daughter. Nica heard her dad and stepmother arguing in their room as she entered her house. She wanted to celebrate because they are fighting because of her.
"You know that OUR daughter must be the one who will marry Chrismith and not that bastard daughter of yours and THAT bitch!"
Nica clenched her fist as she heard her stepmother badmouth her mother. The thought of attacking them drawn back when she heard the voice of her dad.
"Stop saying your shits! Nica is also my daughter and she has more rights to handle the company!" Alfonso's voice became louder.
"But Janice and Chris do love each other and don't forget that my daughter was the one who helped you to make your company grow!" Her stepmother trembled as she said that furiously.
Nica laughed quietly to not disturb the two from arguing. She stopped when she saw Janice walking towards her.