"Lucia, Lucia, are you walking out on us because we want the best for you?" The mother was calling but Lucia continued going.

She turned on her car, ordered the gatekeeper to open the gate.

"If you open that gate you will lose your job." Mr. Harcourt said

Hearing her father's voice, she stepped out of her car, took her keys, and moved out through the pedestrian gate.

The father asked her mother not to bother and proceed on her journey to her sister's place.

He insisted that Lucia cannot be bigger than them and she will come back to his senses.

She proceeded on her journey while her husband returned to the sitting room.

It was a big shock that Lucia left them in such a manner

She's a well-trained girl, very prudent and outstanding. She worked with her father and understood the best way to run their company.

The father was reflecting on what must have gone wrong with her only child. He was worried.

To him, Lucia should be in her husband's house and not his at her age.

All he was doing was to ensure she had a better life. Marriage of convenience is far from Lucia. She forbids it and wants to choose her own man by herself.

The nature of her job is very demanding and most times doesn't give her room to associate.

She meets only her business partners. Though she wants to marry into a multi-billionaire home. She doesn't want to settle for less

Most of these people don't come to her office, and she doesn't visit them in their offices.

Despite her father being retired, some of those he had built trust with call him directly whenever they want to transact with his company.

Lucia doesn't bother about it. All she wants is the sustainability of the company. Whenever the father gets such a demand, she sends a proposal and invoice to them via email.

She has been successfully transacting with those kinds of people. They pay, and she supplies them through her staff, who are in charge of delivery.

Lucia went back to her hotel room to get some rest. She had a stressful day. She had to take her bath and rest her body.

The news of the fire incident in her company hasn't gotten to her parents. No other person will deliver such a message except her

She was unable to go back to the company because of the worries her parents were giving her

After meeting with them, nothing was achieved. The father, her mother, and even she got angry and parted.

The father had returned to his garden where he usually takes fresh air and reads newspapers.

His domestic staff had provided him with the fruits she ordered. He decided to take things easy.

His driver travelled to see his wife and children, the wife travelled, and his daughter, who was supposed to be with him, is chilling in her hotel room.

Lucia knew she didn't do well by walking out on her parents. She started feeling bad about it.

There are better ways to handle the matter, but not the decision to walk away.

Her parents have given her all she wanted in life. She schooled when her mates schooled and attended one of the best schools.

She never lacked anything except the husband, who isn't forthcoming. So many guys have asked her for her hand in marriage, but they are not her spec.

Who could the one her parents are arranging be? She doesn't know him and they do not want to mention his name.

Why keep it a secret from me?

Why should I marry someone I know nothing about?

Her father is one of the prominent people in town. He has a lot of friends even before he married Monica.

Andrew Harcourt is a well-respected personality. He has contributed a lot to the betterment of many and society too

He once contested an election but stepped down to another along the line without grudges. That boosted the trust he earned.

Lucia went to work without her car. She told her workers she sent it for servicing to avoid many questions.

She went on an assessment of the part of the building that was damaged by fire

After the assessment, she approved repairs and wrote an appreciation letter to the firefighters' management for their quick response.

Her face couldn't be bright because what happened previously still bothers her.

She tried to put on a smile. She handed over the contract files she signed with Larry to the operations manager.

The news was all over and they were all happy they had a new contract.

Mrs. Douglas had called Mr. Harcourt to know the situation of Lucia and the proposal.

He was positive towards her. He told her not to worry, and soon they would hear from his family.

He immediately called his wife to know how they could handle the situation she told him to call Lucia to come over

He was reluctant to do so but had no option. He called Lucia immediately and asked her to come home.

Their wife had informed them she was on her way back.

Lucia picked up and told him that she wasn't sure about coming home that day.

That got the father angry. He was at the pharmacy where he picked up his drugs.

With the response of Lucia, he became furious and couldn't see the vehicle that was reversing, which knocked him down.

Lucia did not cut the call nor did he. Someone used the phone and spoke with Lucia about what happened.

She understands her father's health condition and needed to rush so she could explain to the doctor

She called twice, but no one picked up. She left the office and took a taxi to the family hospital but the father wasn't there

The mother got to the place before him. One of the nurses picked up her call and directed her to where the hospital is.

Lucia got to the place, trying to find out the situation. Her heart was panting, and she worried about what could have happened to her father.

Going to the room where her father was admitted, the mother ordered the security to block her and never let her in

Realizing herself, Lucia pleaded for forgiveness and agreed to join them to see the man in question. They forgave her and went home together.

Her mom is good at appreciating handsome guys. Most times the young men she acknowledges are nothing to write home about when you come across them. "I am shocked at you, my parents."

"Listen very attentively my lovely daughter, without being told, you know that we love you so much and want the best for you. We have done our checks and the odds are not against you. You will be well taken care of, you will lack nothing." Andrew stated.

"I don't lack anything now, Dad," she interjected.

"Without being told, we know you are capable of taking good care of yourself, and we are proud of you for taking the company to another level, but we need a man in your life. Meanwhile, this is an awesome privilege to rise higher. You don't even know the person in question."

"Who please?" She asked.

Monica smiled, "You will know when you see him," and Lucia rolled her eyes. He is even a mystery guy.

"Sweetheart listen to me, do you know that Lemon Group contract you have been eyeing for months?" Andrew asked, and Lucia's eyes brightened at the mention of the contract: "They will get you that and more."

What the hell? Shocked and wondered which family would get her that contract. "Dad, don't play games with me."

Andrew chuckled, "Will I deceive you, my daughter? I'm telling you the honest truth."

Lucia wrinkled her brows. "If they can get me that and more, why did they choose me to be their wife?"

"Well, according to the mother, she said they had arranged three marriages for the son, and he rejected them, but immediately they brought yours to him, and he accepted." Monica smiled that her daughter was chosen above all else.

He chose her at first glance?

Did he know her? Or perhaps it could be an old associate? She thought.

"So, what do you say? Think about the worthy part, sweetheart," Andrew insisted.

Lucia sighed. She had always been against marriage of convenience, and this here now, what is it? "First of all, I need to meet this enigmatic guy. If I will be ok with him, then I will accept, and if I don't, you'd better forget about it."

Monica smiled, "And I tell you, you will like him."

Two weeks have passed; the day both families are to meet has come. The long-awaited day. Inquisitive, disordered, thrilled, and a little bit concerned. Those feelings kept Lucia throughout the weeks.

In a ride with her parents, she has a nice and frightening sensation about this gathering. What if he turns out to be one of her exes who wanted to get back to her for dumping him?

What if he is an old acquaintance she had refused to sleep with? Just who is he that had to accept the proposal to marry her with just a glance? She kept worrying.

Getting into the country home, her eyes broadened, damn, she is getting married into a rich family. A serene environment, per se.

They had already passed the gate but were still driving past a lot of trees, flowers, painted artworks, designs on the wall, and various molded statues.

Everywhere was green and wow, captivating. After a ten to sixteen-minute' drive, they pulled over in front of a mansion with fountains every hundred meters from the first and a lot of statues, the house looked like a fairytale palace, surrounded by a lot of green and flowers, it's beautiful and amazing

Lucia wowed in her mind; she was already in love with the buildings. A few house servants came to meet them with smiles.

Monica accepted their greetings, beaming a smile. They were led into the house, and a tall, beautiful woman walked up to them in a gracious movement. She looked astonishing.

Her height is amazing like she is the tallest amongst the females. Lucia couldn't remove her face from her. She almost cut her, looking at her keenly. She had forgotten that they had yet to get inside until her mother touched her.

"Welcome, welcome," she smiled at them, and there was something about her that looked so familiar; her crystal blue eyes really reminded her of someone, someone she doubted she would ever meet in her life again.

"Thank you," Monica smiled, and so did Andrew.

The woman intensely looked at her and smiled, "This must be Lucia, then. She is more beautiful than I expected."

Lucia was amazed. She smiled at the woman, what a flattering tongue, she thought, "It's nice to meet you too."

The woman smiled before leading them into the sitting room, where Lucia believed she would get lost if left alone in the house.

The house was huge, she meant huge, her eyes broadened as she admired the decoration of the sitting room, with a chandelier that had eight to ten steps, shining brightly in the room.

A spacious place you could call heaven on earth. A place everyone would wish to live

Four huge portraits were hanging in the hall. One was of the woman and another of a man with dark blue eyes, a brunette who she believed must be her husband. Wealth smelled from him. Their portraits were bewilderingly stunning.

The third and last of the portraits were of a young man who should be at least two years older than her age, he has a pitch black hair that was relaxed on his head, shiny and wet like as if he had just stepped out of the shower, his crystal blue eyes seems to burning into hers as if the portrait was alive and he was looking at her.

He had a chiseled jaw, and his nose was perfectly pointed; there was a thin, sexy pink line where his lips should have been.

He looked so familiar, and when it finally dawned on her, she gasped; after all, one never forgets one's first love, while the other was another. She lost control of her emotions and made a request." I want to use the restroom."

Lucia found herself watching attentively at the portrait. Could it really be him, or had she wished so much to see him again that she thinks this person is him?

She keeps staring at the man in the portrait and remembers she sees that face a lot, especially in the news, he looks so much like Livy Douglas, she looks at the woman in the portrait, if he is Livy Douglas, then she is Evelyn Douglas and that will make him, she looks at the young man's portrait before her, Teddy Douglas.

She had a sharp intake of breath and looked around her. Does this mean she is in the household of the Douglases? Undoubtedly, a multi-billionaire family?

A well-known family in the state that owns so many companies, including Oil and gas, Marine, and other sectors that are needed in developing the economy and improving human capital development.

She thought about it, of course, only Douglass can get her the Lemon group contract.

She turned to face the woman who was chatting so freely with her parents. Is she getting married to Teddy?

Teddy of all people, the heir apparent and next in command after his father

She felt her heart beating faster, she found herself dying to meet this man. Can he really be the one?

But, it was known then in school that he was a misogynist, which was also the reason she never went after him. He hardly gives attention to any of the male folk talk of women; it seems he hates having something to do with them.

Her friend once told her that he made an obnoxious statement about the female gender. In his remark, he called them "time wasters and full of distraction."

That statement angered a female teacher and some others who were present when he said it.

"Livy will be here any moment now, he is just going through some documents in his study room," the woman, whom she had realized as Evelyn, told her parents.

Lucia's heart was beating faster and faster; she really wanted to ask about him, and she wanted to be sure he was the one. It will be heartbreaking to have her hope rise for nothing.

Her curiosity keeps rising, and her state of mind is getting off balance.

The mother tapped her again to come back to her senses so she could discuss a little with her but she wasn't interested.

"That's okay, we can wait," her mother was saying, "what about Teddy?"

"Oh, he will be here soon, don't worry. I'm pretty sure he is looking forward to seeing his fiancée"

Evelyn looked at Lucia with a smile, "Now I see why he chose her at first glance, she is a beauty."

"Oh, please, don't flatter us," Monica said, but with a proud smile evident on her face as she looked at her daughter.

Teddy, she said Teddy, Lucia's mind kept repeating, can it be a different Teddy? Is it the same Teddy I know? Is she mistaken?

She can't believe how they were so busy chatting casually when she was about to have a breakdown.

Why didn't her parents tell her so that she could mentally prepare herself? She had already concluded within herself that she would never meet him again in this lifetime of hers, and here she is, about to marry him? A dream comes through or something else?

Her legs went weak and she sat on the available sofa closest to her, she needed to get her emotions under control, she always denied it but she knew he was the reason she hadn't settled with anybody because she always expected to see his qualities in them and when they didn't have it, she got angry and broke up with them.

She wants him, she can't forget him, badly, but there is always something chasing her away, the fact that he is a misogynist. That was an issue for her.

Notwithstanding she crushes him and believes in him. He was very brilliant back in school and was very progressive in all her wanted to do including sports activities.

A man greeting her father brought her back from her thoughts; she looked up to see the exact same man she had seen in the portrait, and nothing was out of place. "Welcome," he said.

Andrew shook hands with him, and he turned to look at her. "You must be Lucia." She nodded before smiling, "Yes, nice meeting you." She stood up and greeted him, signifying humility and respect.

The man smiled, "You are welcome to my home, Lucia; I hope you will enjoy us as we hope to enjoy you." That question made Lucia happy. She feels accepted and given attention.

What an easy-going man, she thought, despite his wealth. "I hope so too."

Livy smiled before sitting beside his wife and started a discussion with her parents, which she was oblivious to; she couldn't get her mind to stop thinking about her possible soon-to-be fiancé.

The father's statement was so remarkable, and it signifies that she is protected.

After an hour of chatting with Douglas, a tall man stepped into the sitting room, he was wearing a navy blue suit that matched his eyes, a light pink shirt with three or four buttons open.

His hair was plastered on his head and shiny. His chest was broad and he walked elegantly to his parents.

Lucia's mind went outright promptly, and she opened her mouth uncontrollably. Nothing she could do but just stare at him.

She couldn't get her eyes off him. She wanted to stand up like she did to his father but managed to control herself.

He was just as he was, cool and handsome. Nothing had changed apart from he has added a little weight.

His calmness and style of walking didn't change an inch. His red lips still remained the same.

Meditating about her gave her the impression that she is not making a mistake or that her parents are.

He greeted her parents with a nod and only glanced at her briefly as he usually does; it was just as if he didn't see her there