RYAN POV

I shook hands with Mrs. Samantha as we finalized our partnership. Her company will be providing us with construction materials, and so far so good, they have been the best for the past 30 years of existence. She happened to be the new CEO of the company, and seeing our partnership worked out would make things easy for our company.

“It was so nice doing business with you. We promise not to disappoint you,” She smiled warmly at me.

“Thank you for the partnership. I would like you to meet the other stakeholders, as they are yearning to meet you. And since you are one of us now, we will have our quarterly meeting today,” She nodded, as we walked side by side.

We proceeded to leave the meeting room to another meant for the company's quarterly meeting.

I walked into the meeting room as Mrs. Samantha entered after me. We greeted each other warmly, as I sat at the end of the table.

The meeting started with the progress of the company so far, and I was glad things were turning out really well. We only have one, or two lapses, to work on. It was a good way to start the new year.

Putting on a smile, I said: “I really appreciate everyone for their efforts so far. As we continue to work, may we continue to put in our earnest efforts in it. Mrs. Samantha, you are also welcome.”

We were about to call it a day, when I began hearing murmurings.

“Ahem. There is still something the board of stakeholders wants to talk to you about,” Mr. Ronald, one of our executive stakeholders, spoke.

I nodded, as I relaxed on the chair.

“Well, it is about the scandal recently,” My forehead creased into a frown, as it became obvious what it was all about.

It was about the gay propangada flying around recently.

I scanned the whole room, the scrutinizing look of every one of them towards me. It was as if they planned it together.

“The truth is, we stakeholders are in support that you should marry soon.” Mrs. Harrison, another esteemed stakeholder, spoke.

I simply nodded, acknowledging it all. I guess they want an answer.

“Thank you for your concern. I will get married soon. I already have a fiancée.” I announced, as they began staring at each other.

I lied, and I felt slightly guilty too. But there is a high possibility of getting a fiancee today.

They must probably be wondering if I was joking, but I wasn't. I will be getting engaged to Ariel Peterson then,' I concluded in my mind.

“We are so sorry. We didn't know,” Mrs. Harrison looked slightly guilty, as she spoke.

“No problem. If that is all, let's call it a day.”

I waited, as they all left, except Mrs. Samantha who stopped by the door. I stood up, meeting her gaze.

“Happy marriage life in advance, Mr. Ryan.” I smiled warmly at her words.

“I would have given you my daughter. She is just twenty-four. But since you are getting married soon, I guess that will pass.”

“Thank you ma. I am sure your daughter will find a more suitable man than me,”

She smiled, as we both walked out. Shaking our hands once again, we departed in opposite directions. At that moment, different thoughts about Ariel Peterson began clouding my mind.

I smiled, remembering how simple and beautiful she was. She reminded me of the love of my life, Evelyn Grande. I let out a sigh, trying to dissolve the sad notion as I continued walking.

My mind went back to Ariel, as the picture of her face clouded my imagination. She has a beautiful gene, with long flowing blonde hair with bright brown eyes, and pink lips that remind you of delicate flower petals. Not to talk of her light skin body, which complemented her slender self. She was a beauty to behold.

Ever since Evelyn had died, I never felt attracted to any lady as I had towards Ariel. I had never even held a second glance, talkless of thinking about the opposite sex. But Ariel seemed to be an exception.

'Maybe because she shared some attributes as that of Evelyn,' my subconscious came in, as I snickered at my thought.

She looked beautiful, no doubt, but I wasn't going to make her know that. And I am definitely not going to fall for her. She will grow confused with my personality with time.

I shook my head. I can't believe I was describing her in my head.

On the good side, she even looked decent and also like someone that could be tamed easily. We are just getting married, but my heart belonged to my beloved.

I gently touched my pocket, certain the small box I brought along with me this morning was still with me. Time to meet Ariel Peterson," I whispered.

I walked into my office, as she turned to look at me. She turned back to the book she was reading, drawing out my amazed look.

“Aren't you afraid that I will be angry for invading my space?”

She simply sighs, not sparing me a glance. I decided to sit beside her, as she peeked at me.

“If reading those novels on your desk is a sin, then I will likely die as a sinner,” I chuckled at her joke. It felt as if we had known each other for quite a long time. She is good with communicating,' I confessed inwardly.

I picked up one of the books I got, as I stared at it. She had her head buried in one of the books by Ellen Cover.

“I apologize for touching your stuff without your permission. I am just a freak for Romance, especially those written by Ellen Cover. Her novels are dope.” She stated, as her brown eyes met mine. I shook my head.

I guess we have something in common then. I love reading, especially novels.It was one of those ways to create a peaceful atmosphere for myself.

“Not a problem. But you seemed quite confident about the previous issue we were battling with,”

She raised her head, glancing at me.

“I have amnesia. What is it about Mr. Ryan?” She tilted her head, her eyes gazing at mine.

I could feel sarcasm in her voice. I smirked, as I leaned closer. Two can play a game,' I thought.

My eyes cut to hers and I found her watching me with a peculiar kind of focus, at least for some seconds, before turning her eyes away from mine.

“Interesting Ariel. But can you repeat that to my very face?”I whispered, as she was still, a smile crawled to her lips? Her bright round eyes twinkled above her sun kissed cheeks. It was difficult to put into words the charm and allure written over her face.

I shook my head, trying to break the trance I was slowly falling into.

She gently peeked at me and said: “Please remind me, Mr. Ryan,”

“Let me remind you then,”I drawled out, letting out a puff of air. It was time I changed my mood.

“Mother said you agreed to marry me,” I stared at her deeply in the eyes, as I took in her beautiful features.

“Yes, I did,” Her sultry voice replied.

“Good. We will get married, but only for a year,” Her face wore a confused look as she blinked.

Taking her wrist, I allowed my thumb to gently sweep up and down.

“Make me fall in love with you within a year, and we will live forever,” I let the words in my heart out

“What if I fail?” Her gaze met mine.

“Then we will end the marriage and part ways. Worse still, you will lose everything you have,”I replied icily, as her wrist slipped off. She looked at me with disdain.

“Do you agree, Ariel Peterson?”

ARIEL POV

To mention that my astonished look wasn't obvious to Ryan would be an understatement. We kept looking at each other, as my gaze was filled with anger, anxiety, and confusion at the words he spewed earlier.

A year of marriage, and that was all? Divorced if I do not make him fall in love with him. It was the most bizarre thing I have ever heard, especially from someone like him. He had this confused notion, which only piqued my interest about who he really was.

“Yes, I agree to your terms and conditions, Ryan Ackers.” He smiled as I gently let out those words.

His next course of action stunned me the most. He stood up, before getting down on one kneel. He brought out a small box, as he opened it.

Unable to sit still, I immediately stood up, wondering what this was turning to. He was going to propose, and for a split second, my heart skipped a bit.

“Ariel Peterson, will you marry me?”

“Yes, I will,” my voice came out small, as he chuckled.

Without further ado, I stretched my left hand, as he gently slid the ring into one of my fingers.

He stood up, as he stared at me deeply in the eyes. My breath caught in my throat, as I watched him lean forward and brush his lips against mine. It was a soft, gentle kiss. The sweet scent of his cologne wafted through my nostrils. When he pulled away, I thought he took my heart with him.

That was my first kiss.

I felt completely dazzled by this man. He raised a brow and grinned at me. I blushed as I tried to hide it with my hair.

“I hope you succeed in making me fall in love with you.” I simply nodded, as he went over to the side of the table, where he really belonged.

He had his head down, as he began working on the files in front of him, silence clouding the atmosphere in his office.

It felt weird. And I felt I was no longer needed around him. Are we engaged? Yes, but it isn't real. I still had a Herculean task ahead. And that was to make him fall in love with him.

I sat for a while, trying to capture the brief event that transpired in my head. I sat down, as I just kept staring at him for a while. As if noticing my gaze, he lifted his head, as our eyes met.

“Staring at me? I thought you would want to leave by now.”

I shook my head, before picking up one of the files on his table.

“Let me help you sort out these files. That's if you don't mind.” I requested, as his forehead creased slightly.

“I studied Business Administration. And if you do not mind, I would like to relieve my fiancé from stress.” He chuckled, as he leaned back on the seat.

“Go on. You will not just be getting paid.” He teased, wearing an amused smile.

“Nah. Not a problem.”

I helped with sorting out the files, as I attended to the simple ones. By the time we were through, I was feeling hungry. The work was done in no time, as relief flashed through Ryan's face. I think he should get a Personal Assistant.

“Thank you for the help.” He appreciated it.

“You're welcome.”

The knock on the door interrupted my next set of words, as the secretary walked in after Ryan requested for her to come in. She glanced at me for a while, before dropping three bags she brought along on the table. She looked tired, but did her best to hide it.

With a smiling face, she looked at Ryan. I could sense she was harboring feelings for her boss, by her countenance.

“Here is what you ordered. Some men dropped it and I thought of bringing them here.” Ryan simply nodded, before standing.

“Thanks Chloe. You can leave now.”

With a final glare toward my way, she left.

Turning to look at me, he said:”Ariel, try these clothes out. And I ordered some meal for you,”

“What is the occasion?” I quickly asked, as it was getting a little weird for me.

“You will be meeting my family by 7pm for dinner. They would like to meet you.”

I stared at him, bewildered. Oh! no! My heart didn't just flip. It pined. It was as if cold water were poured on me, as I felt goosebumps.

“What? It is too sudden. Can't you shift it to a day or two?We just got engaged.” His lips curled into a smirk.

I felt my heart beat rise, as I was getting frustrated already.

“You got yourself into this mess in the first place, Ariel. We are now engaged. We are meeting my family today and that is final.” He stated curtly, as my mouth went dry.

My palms suddenly got sweaty, as I gently rubbed them on my gown. I felt a fluttering nervous stomach feeling.

“You….” I felt words stuck in my throat. I felt furious. It was too sudden.

He leaned towards me, his eyes twinkling with mischief. I could tell he was doing this on purpose.

“Those bags contain everything you will be needing for tonight. There is a bathroom at the right end of the office. Get ready before 6: 30 pm. I hate tardiness.”

This man had successfully pissed me off. I picked up a pen and threw it at him, which he dodged.

“You're so inconsiderate and annoying.” I huffed, folding my arms.

“Are you done?” He lifted his eyebrow, looking bored. I ignored him, looking sideway.

He left his side as he moved to where I was.

“If you really want to make me fall for you, you might start pleasing me. I hate lateness. I will be back to pick you up before 7pm.” Our eyes met again, his blue eyes pierced into mine,as his words registered into my brain.

I shouldn't have been angry with him. I should really work on being gentle towards him.

He opened his drawer as he brought out a phone. Opening my hands, as I allowed him, he placed the phone into my hand.

“You are my fiancée now, and we should start acting like a couple. See you soon, Ariel Peterson.”

Saying those words, he left the office . I felt speechless, nervous and anxious. 'This is not good," I mumbled, resting my head on the table.

A lot was going on my mind the moment he stepped out. I simply sat on the chair, my whole mind going to and fro. Everything seemed so sudden. The engagement, the kiss….

I felt my face flushed at the thought of the kiss. It felt good. I shook my head, discarding the thought. I still found Ryan unreadable, and he was constantly changing like a chameleon. From being sweet to cold. If not that we had only met for today, I would have considered him to be having alter personalities, but I reserved my thought until further notice.

My eyes wandered to the shopping bags in front of me, as I decided to open it. My mouth slightly open at the sight of what I saw. I kept checking without picking anything in particular. A small makeup kit, comb, pair of shoe, clothes, just to mention a few. It was no doubt everything I would be needing for that evening.

The first thing I craved for was food, as I gently opened the last bag containing a plastic container which has in it Bacon and eggs. I scoffed at the choice of food, as I termed it as breakfast food. Within a short time, I ate.

I took a bath and decided to dress up. It was 5 pm already, and I wouldn't like to keep grumpy Ryan waiting.

I picked one of the bags, as I pulled out the clothes. It was a simple peach silk dress. It had long sleeves and was a knee-length dress, with a bit of glitter around the waist.

Furthermore, it fitted me perfectly. Most importantly, it was simple, and I liked it. It wasn't flashy, and looked decent enough. I brought out the pair of black open toed wedge shoe. I put it on, and it was my perfect size. Likewise, I packed my hair into a bun, as I applied a simple makeup on my face.

I breathe in a sigh of relief as I looked at myself in the mirror. 'Ryan will definitely fall for me' I giggled at my thought, as I continued with my reading. It was almost time.

My new phone flashed, indicating a message as I checked it. It was from Ryan. I unlocked the phone as I read out his message. “Kindly meet me outside the building.”

I picked up my handbag stucking the phone inside. It was a few minutes passed 6 pm. I walked out of the office hastingly, before stumbling on the secretary. She looked icily at me, as we both entered the elevator. I simply breathe in and out, hoping I get out of here soon.

“You seemed to piqued up my boss interest. But mind you that you are nothing but a pawn, that will be used and discarded." She gave out a chuckle after her words, staring at me.

My hands formed into a fist, as we began our staring competition. A wicked grin crept to my lips, as I raised my left hand, hoping to show off the ring in my hand.

“Oh! Really? Then explain the ring in my finger.” I mocked, showing it to her face.

She looked shocked, and so far so good, I loved the look on her face. It was priceless under the elevator light.

“We will be getting married soon. I will remember to invite you. Meanwhile, you should get a grip on your feelings toward my Ryan boo.” The elevator dings open, as I walked out victoriously, leaving her behind.

It felt so good to put her in her place. It was her sheer audacity for me. I walked out, the cold air hitting my body slightly. The long sleeved dress did help in reducing the coldness.

I stopped, as my eyes met with that of Ryan posture. My eyes scanned him under the dark night, thanks to the streetlight. He was putting on a checkered blue shirt and jeans, with a pair of blue shoes. His look complimented his blue eyes.

“You would rather not keep me waiting, right?” Ryan's voice broke me out of my trance. We were a few feet away as I reflexively moved closer to me. He opened the car door for me, as I sat.

He was in the car in no time, as he put on the light in his car. He reached closer to me, as I felt my breath hitch. I closed my eyes, thinking he wanted to kiss me, but only felt his hand on my hair. He loosened the rubber band, as my hair fell freely.

I peeked at him, my gaze shifting downward. I really needed a grip on my thought.

“You look more beautiful when your hair falls.” He complimented, making me blush.

“Thank you. I appreciate what you brought for me today.”

He smiled, starting the car, without a response. The car was silent- a comfortable silence with each of us lost in thoughts, that I thought.

I didn't like the silence a bit. I began counting numbers to calm myself. That was the fastest way to get rid of my anxiousness.

“You are feeling nervous. My family do not bite.” He reassured, his face fixed on the road.

“Yeah. I am a nervous freak.” That earned a chuckle from him, which sounded like short music to my ears.

“What if your family ask about us. Shouldn't we rehearse or something.”

His eyes darted towards my side, before looking at the road again.

“Don't worry too much about the questions. I will answer the one pertaining to both of us. You should answer the one pertaining to you.” He simply stated.

I heaved a sigh, before staring outside through the car window. In no time, we got to his family house.

“Look who we have here.My dearest son and beautiful daughter-in-law.”

No doubt the voice of Mrs. Selina. She hugged us, before proceeding to the dining.

I met with each one of the family, their nature quite welcoming. Ryan is the eldest followed by a younger brother, Aidan who is three years older than me. Her sister, Kathleen who is a year older than me and the last daughter of the Ackers, Eva whom was two years younger than I was.

I greeted Ryan father, who stared at me for a while, before giving me a smile and a curt nod. Ryan is a splitting image of his father, Sir Bryan. They looked alike, except for the age difference and the little gray hair on his father's head.

The dining table was already filled with sumptuous meal, as we began eating in no time.

“You finally brought home a fiancée.” Ryan's dad asked, as Ryan simply nodded.

I could not help but feel the indifference between them. I simply ignored, my eyes meeting with that of Kathleen, who wore a frown looking at me.' She doesn't seem to like me,' I thought, before taking in a bite of the streaked meat.

“Wow. I never knew my elder brother had a taste when it comes to beautiful lady and the ring- It looks beautiful.Who possessed my brother.” We all burst into laughter at Eva's comment.

Ryan looked up, with a smile on his lips.

“I guess I have been taking my lessons seriously then. You deserve a raise.” Ryan said.

Eva giggled, winking at me.

“You should stop spoiling Eva. She is 23 and can work.” Mrs Selina commented, making Eva whine.

“Mum, seriously? Ryan, please don't mind her. I'm your baby sister and I deserve it.” Eva counter her mom words, making everyone look at Ryan for his next course of action.

He took a napkin, gently cleaning his lips.

“I know what to do. Mother and daughter deserve a raise from me then.”

Everyone was elated at Ryan's words. There was no doubt he loved Eva and his mum so much. We continued discussing through the night. It was heartwarming and there were no personal questions, which surprised me.

I still needed to thank Mrs. Selina for saving my life and counting me worthy to be his son better half. I hope to work my way into the heart of Ryan. A Herculean task ahead me.

I stared at the ring for a while. It doesn't look flashy, but one look at it, was enough to drown one into how beautiful it looked. It was a dainty, natural white marquise diamond center stone with tiny cut diamond accents with a yellow gold band. It looked beautiful.

It was almost 10 pm when Ryan decided to say goodbye.

“Will it be okay if your fiancée stay with us here?” Ryan's mother requested.

Ryan looked at me, our eyes gazing at each other intently. It was as if he was asking for my approval on it.

“Ahem. I want to fall in love too.” Eva's whining tone broke us out of our staring competition.

I turned to face them, my face turning red instantly.

"I will stay here if it is okay with my boo.''I stated, referring to Ryan as my boo. I really needed to work on my pet name.

"You need to work on your pet name. I will help you out on that."Eva commented, earning a small slap on her head from Aidan.

I nodded, as I felt glued to my position.

"She can stay here then. But we still need to say our goodbyes."He said,out of the blues, startling me and making me turn red when I thought of what he meant by goodbyes.

Was he going to kiss me?

He turned me to face him, as he leaned closer, engulfing me in his embrace.

"Goodnight Ariel."His gentle voice suddenly made my body tingle.

Everyone was watching and that made me flustered.

I went to bed that very night with Ryan's moment with me clouding my mind. I think I am beginning to like him.