● BROOKS RESIDENCE ~ EVENING ●

Teddy strode in to find Genova waiting in his study and Judging by the look on her face, Teddy could tell that something is wrong.

“What happen?” Teddy ask, taking his seat.

“We’ve got a problem. Xavier is getting married” Genova said.

“Really? Are you sure?”

“I heard him talking with his secretary, she’s the one he wants to get married to” Genova reveal, doing her best to hide the anger and jealousy she felt.

“If that is so then it’s going to ruin our plan” Teddy said wistfully.

“That’s right! Our plan will be ruin if he gets married to her, we need to do something” Genova said in a rush.

“I know that I have to do something to stop that boy marriage from taking place but you…you seem more unedge” Teddy said, giving her a suspicious look.

“Unedge? Am just worried about our plan”

“I hope so. I hope it’s our plan you are worried about and not Xavier. I made it clear to you that you can’t fall in love with him or have you?” Teddy ask.

“Of course not! Xavier Landon is an enemy and it will keep staying that way. I promise” Genova said, hating herself for the lie.

“Good then. Since Xavier is trying to do things that will ruin our plan, we need to be ahead of him” Teddy said, standing up to stare out through the window.

“Desiree Landon is the one am after but it will be fun messing with her grandson” Teddy said, turning to catch a glimpse of Pity on Genova’s face.

“Don’t feel sorry for the Landon family, thanks to them I also lost everything I love most in this world. You vow to help me Abigail, can I still trust you on that?” Teddy ask, using her real name.

“Like you said,I made a vow and I will stick to it till my last breath”

“Good. So for our plan, you will be paying someone a visit” Teddy began.

******
● CHIC & CLASSIC RESTAURANT●

“Cheers to our newest newbie for bringing in the best exclusive” Max, the director of TBC NEWS said, raising up his glass and everyone including May cheers to it.

“How did you manage to get that info about the president? I just can’t seem to get how you achieve it?” A colleague of May ask the newbie.

“Well, I kind of have a friend working in the white house and she got me the info I need” The girl said which earn her praise from everyone.

May sat still, sipping her drink without saying a word and that got her being notice by Max.

“Did you see that May? She’s just a newbie and yet she brought in the best exclusive there is meanwhile, you only bring to us news which aren’t worthwhile” Max said.

“Am actually working….”

“Oh save that crap! You say it all the time and still your news are terrible. Why don’t you get some lesson from the newbie here, she might have some advice to give to that head of yours” Max said making everyone laugh.

“Or the newbie can just take over her job while she takes the newbie place”

“That will be demoting her and that’s not bad” Max said, everyone laughing again.

As time went by, May got less attention from her colleague and so, she slip off to the restroom.

She stood for a while, starring at herself in the wall mirror while thinking of the things her colleague said.

Shaking off the feeling of self pity, she left the ladies room only to see James waiting for her.

“Thought you were crying in there” he said, moving away from the wall he was leaning on.

“What are you doing here? Did you follow me?” May ask, wondering if he had witness the ridicule from earlier.

“Why couldn’t you say a thing when those people you work with were bullying you. You don’t strike me as the type people bully or are you like that to me alone?” James ask.

“So you were eavesdropping?”

“I can hardly call it eavesdropping when that man has the voice of a hulk” James said and that got May smiling.

“That’s good. You shouldn’t let their words put you down and you look pretty when you smile” James said WHICH got May giving him a wary look.

“Seriously, what exactly do you want from me?” May ask.

“I already told you right. I want to know your secret, the one you and Sally share but that aside. Come with me” he said, taking hold of her hand.

“Where are we going? I have to go back to my….”

“If you want a piece of news that will get those colleague of yours shutting up then come with me” James said, taking hold of her hand again and pulling her to the vip section.

They got into a room and he pull her towards the back of a couch to hide behind it.

“What are you….”

“Shhh….very soon you will be getting a little exclusive, take out your phone and put it in recording”

May did as he said and a while later, Andrew walk in with two men.

“That’s the creep who dump Sally after she did everything for him” May said softly.

“Keep quiet and stay focus” James said grimly.

“Is there something I can smoke or better yet, did you bring the drug?” Andrew ask one of the men with him.

“You know as a famous model you aren’t meant to be doing drugs?” The man with him said.

“Who cares? The main point here is that people ask for me no matter what unlike that Landon guy, am still going to make him pay for kicking me into the pool” Andrew said.

“Don’t get on anyone bad side. Just keep being the sweet and cute model everyone rave about”

“Wh@??ver. Just give me the drug” Andrew said and as soon as they gave him, he poured some on the table and sniff it.

At that moment, a waitress walk in, bringing in their drinks.

While she sets it down, Andrew touch her @zz and immediately, the girl move away.

“Don’t you like it?” Andrew ask.

“I don’t sir and I hope you refrain from doing that” the girl said.

“What did you just say? Do you know who I am? Do you know how popular I am? I can ruin you in just a blink of an eye” Andrew said, getting up.

“I know who you are and that doesn’t give you the right to touch me” the waitress said only for him to slap her twice.

“?îtçh like you are meant to be beaten as f-__-k” Andrew said, completely high.

The waitress had to run out of the room when he launch for her again.

“Hope there’s no camera in here. I wouldn’t want my sweet, cute image tainted” Andrew said as they all laugh.

When they left sometime later, James and May quickly got out of the room.

“Did you record enough?” James ask.

“I did and it’s enough to ruin that bastard image. How did you know that he’s going to show up?”

“Am a regular. Happy to get an exclusive?” James ask.

“It’s not really an exclusive since Andrew isn’t that known but still, it’s something. Thanks” May said, smiling at him again.

“If you are grateful then invite me out to dinner tomorrow night” James suggest.

“But….”

“Just say yes and remember that I have to get close to you to know your secret, this will give me a chance to do that. See you tomorrow” James said, turning to leave while May watch him, a smile slowly forming on her lips.

******
● RESTAURANT●

“What are you doing here, Xavier?” Desiree ask, surprise to see her grandson.

Instead of replying, he strode towards Sally and handed her his car keys.

“Wait for me outside, I will join you soon” he said and walk her out of the room.

Sally was too worried about her earlier statement to be wondering what he had to say to his grandmother.

She found his car in the parking lot and stood against it, thinking of ways to tell him that she didn’t mean the marriage thing but when he showed up, she couldn’t even bring herself to say a thing since he look a bit sad and hurt.

“Get in ” he said, motioning her into his car.

“About what I said earlier, I didn’t mean it. I can’t marry you” Sally said as he drive out of the restaurant parking lot.

“I thought as much but the problem here is that you’ve made my grandmother believe we are getting married and I kind of made it clear to her that we will be getting married as soon as possible”

“Oh no! You shouldn’t have done that”

“I had to. Don’t you know that this thing between us began the moment you told her you are going to marry me? We can’t go back on our word” Xavier said.

Sally thought about what he said, this is her fault, she should never have spoken in anger, she should have just….

“That’s not the route to my house” Sally said when he made a turn.

“I know, am taking you to my apartment. We need to talk”

“About what?”

“If we are getting married then we have to know more about each other. We can’t keep being strangers ” Xavier reply.

They got to his apartment and while she tried to make herself comfortable in his home, he went to change.

“Here, you must be thirsty” Xavier showed up, handing her a fruit juice.

“Thanks” she said, wondering why he look different in plain clothes, it made him look more attractive.

Did she just consider him attractive? What the hell is wrong with her? She thought as she sip the juice.

“By the way, what’s going on between you and Adam Parker?” He ask.

“Nothing. I hardly even know the guy, why do you ask?”

“Cause for one, I don’t want him around you and two, I get extremely jealous” Xavier reply.

“I get the first one but I don’t with the second one. Why get jealous when you feel nothing for me?” Sally ask and that got him leaning over her, pinning her against the black leather sofa.

“Cause I plan on making our marriage work”

“And when I say work, I mean we will do everything a couple do, including sharing a bed, understand?” He said and that got Sally spilling the rest of the juice on herself.

******
● SNEAK PEEK TO THE FUTURE ●

“And so, to what do I owe this visit?” Desiree Landon ask as Genova sat on the sofa, crossing her legs before flashing Desiree a devious smile.

“I want you to help me get married to Xavier” Genova said……

TBC ❤️