Chapter 8

RONALD

Ronald was the only one left in the building. Even Gabriel, his best friend, had gone home. Well, except for the cleaners and security.

He was trying to finish some work concerning a contract with some foreign investors coming over in a few days.

Forty-three minutes later, Ronald decided to call it a day.

He found himself very eager to go home, not only because of his daughter but also because of Adrie and Raina.

A small smile crept to his lips at the thought of Raina. He had this weird feeling in his stomach whenever he was around her. He knew he was attracted to her, but he had no idea if she felt the same way.

Ronald stood from his chair, then arranged his table and put some important documents in his briefcase. He grabbed his phone and briefcase, exited his office, and shut the door behind him.

“Hey, Ronald,” a lady said, stopping Ronald in his tracks. He was close to stepping into the elevator.

“Not again,” he mumbled as he turned to the brown-haired woman who called him. He thought he was the only one left in the building. He wondered what she was doing in the office.

“It’s been a while, Ronald. Looks like you’ve been avoiding me lately,” she said with a small smile as she approached Ronnie.

One thing Ronald had known Loretta for was that she was a fashion freak, and she never ceased to amaze everyone with her fashion sense—classy and professional.

Right now, she was wearing slim-fitted dark pants trousers, which showed off her curves, and a white sleeveless shirt, which showed a little bit of her cleavage.

Her chocolate brown hair was down, and it fit her perfectly. Even though working hours had ended a long time ago, her makeup and attractive red lipstick were still perfect.

As usual, her outfit would never be complete without her jewelry.

She approached Ronald and hugged him.

LORETTA

This was the first time she was bumping into him this week, and it was already the end of the third day of the week. Perhaps, he had been avoiding her on purpose.

Loretta worked for Ronald, and that made Ronald her boss. She was the head of human resources and an important board member.

Apart from being obsessed with Ronald Gidwani, she was very good at her job. Her ideas were always brilliant; she was way too smart. “The beauty with brains” was what they called her in the office.

Almost everyone in the company admired her for her efficiency—most especially the female staff, who knew she was obsessed with the boss, so they dared not flirt with him as no one wanted to face her wrath.

Honestly, Loretta knew she was an attractive woman. Anytime she passed by one’s side, they would be tempted to look back and glance at her.

Except for Ronald.

As far as Loretta knew, it was not a crime to love someone. Ronald had hurt her feelings so many times, but she never gave up on him, and she never would.

RONALD

Ronald would agree with anyone that she was beautiful, but he never had any interest in her. He had made it known to her, but she kept telling him that as long as he was still single, she would never stop trying.

And that kept Ronald wondering. How would other women approach him when she was always all over him?

That was why he stopped taking her out to dinner with his clients because, with the way she was always being cozy around him, people assumed they were already a couple.

“Why are you just leaving the office? You should be home by now,” he said as he pulled away from the hug.

“I was just trying to finish up some work,” she replied as they walked side by side toward the elevator.

He pressed the button, and when it opened, he allowed her to go in first.

“So, do you mind if we hang out this weekend? You can come to my place, or I can come over to yours, and you can take me out if you like.” She smiled.

“I will be very busy this weekend; maybe some other time,” he said vaguely.

The smile on Loretta’s lips slowly faded away.

They said nothing to each other after that. They walked out of the elevator in silence and proceeded to their respective cars without saying anything to each other. Her expensive black car was parked beside his.

He watched as she unlocked her car and slid into the driver’s seat in a hurry, after which she slammed the door and drove away quickly. The tires of her vehicle screeched against the ground.

Ronald exhaled as he watched her drive out of the parking lot.

He got into the back passenger seat and shut the door. His driver started the car, and they were on their way to his mansion.

***

Ronald got to his home and let himself in.

Everything felt weird because he was used to being welcomed by Alexa.

He walked into the house and noticed no one was in the living room. He proceeded to the kitchen and saw Clarice cleaning the dishes.

“Hello, Clarice,” he greeted her as he walked toward the fridge and reached for a bottle of water.

“Welcome,” she replied.

Before opening the bottled water, he walked closer to her and gave her a pat on the back.

“How was work?” she asked.

“Stressful, but fine,” he replied, which caused her to chuckle.

“Sorry, we had dinner without you. The food was just so yummy that we couldn’t wait to have it in our mouths,” she said, and he smiled back at her.

“But we left some for you. I can warm it up when you’re ready to eat,” she offered.

“Thanks, Clarice. Don’t worry. I’ll do that myself. Where’s Raina and the girls? Have they gone to bed already?”

“Raina is in the girls’ room. She’s putting them to bed.”

“I assume she bought all that she needed at the mall?” he questioned after he gulped down the water.

“Yes, although she was a little shy as she kept on looking at the price tag of everything before she bought them.”

“Let me go check up on them, and then I will head for a shower.”

“Okay,” she replied.

Ronald opened the door to the girls’ room and smiled at what he saw. Raina was seated in the middle of the bed. Her head was against the headboard, with a bedtime story in her hand.

Alexa was lying down to her right, and Adrie to her left. The girls had fallen asleep.

Raina felt someone looking at her, and she traced the stare to the entrance. Her gaze met a smiling Ronald. He was leaning against the door with his arms folded.

Raina returned the smile, after which she looked at the girls beside her. It was then she noticed they had fallen asleep.

She climbed out of bed as quietly as possible, covering the girls properly with the duvet and kissing their foreheads.

Ronald, who was by the door, walked toward the girls and gave them a goodnight kiss, after which he and Raina exited the room.

“You know, she never goes to bed without seeing me,” he said as Raina shut the door behind her and turned to face him. He was standing opposite her with his hands in his pocket.

“Alexa?” she asked, and he nodded.

“We were all waiting for you since Alexa said she wanted to see you before bed,” Raina said. “I was reading a bedtime story to them to while away time, but they fell asleep. I guess she was too tired to stay awake today.”

As Raina spoke, he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked.

The makeover enhanced her beauty all the more. The bruises on her face were no longer there. Her hair was in a bun, and she had put on a knee-length silk nightdress.

“You look different, so beautiful,” he whispered, and she blushed.

She seemed flustered at his compliment, so she changed the topic. “Should I warm up dinner for you while you take a shower?” she offered.

“You don’t have to,” he said.

“Allow me. Besides, I don’t feel sleepy now,” she said, leaving no room for argument, and he nodded.

“What is it?” Ronald frowned when he saw Raina looking at something behind him.

“No… Nothing,” she mumbled. “I will be waiting for you downstairs,” she said and walked down the stairs.

Ronnie frowned as he watched her walk away, having a feeling that there was something wrong. He shrugged and proceeded to his room for a shower.

Ronald was taking off his clothes when he noticed a red lipstick stain on the back of his collar.

“Damn,” he cursed softly. No wonder Raina was looking at him that way.

He went into his bathroom, took the fastest shower he could, changed into his usual sweatpants and shirt, and went downstairs.

“Raina, it’s not what you think,” he said as she pulled a plate of spaghetti with meatballs out from the microwave.

“What do you mean?” She sounded confused.

“The lipstick stain on my shirt,” he clarified.

She chuckled. “What lipstick stain?”

“C’mon Raina, I know you saw it.”

“And?” she said as she placed his dinner on the kitchen counter.

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” he said.

“I’m not thinking about anything, Ronald,” she said as she walked toward the fridge and got a bottle of water, which she poured into a glass cup.

Ronald sighed and ran his hands through his almost dry hair.

He wished he knew what was going on in her head. The truth was that he liked Raina and was still figuring out if she felt the same for him. Seeing the lipstick stain on him was not a good thing.

Ronald took a seat on the stool behind the counter, and Raina placed a glass of water before him, after which she took a seat on the stool opposite him.

“Thank you,” he muttered before digging into his food.

“You’re welcome. So how was work?” she asked.

“Raina, the stain on my collar…” he started without knowing what to say to her.

“A friend hugged me,” he said. “I had no idea she kissed my collar. There’s nothing between us, I promise you.” He tried to sound as convincing as possible.

Raina smiled at him. “Okay,” she said, then added, “I think she likes you.”

Ronnie put down his cutlery and replied, “Maybe. But I don’t feel the same way about her.”

RAINA

Raina did not know why, but she felt happy and relieved when Ronald made that statement.

“Clarice accompanied me to the mall today, and I was able to get what Adrie and I needed,” she said. “Thank you!”

Ronald groaned with food in his mouth, apparently not used to people thanking him often.

“I should go get your card. It’s in my room,” Raina said. She was about to stand up when his voice came through.

“Don’t worry. You can keep it for now till I get yours for you,” he said, and she frowned.

“You’ve done so much for us, Ronald. It’s as if I’m taking advantage of you. You don’t need to get me a card.

“Look, I’m grateful for all you’ve done for me and my daughter. But please, allow me to work and earn my own money too,” she pleaded, and he nodded in understanding.

“So what kind of work do you plan on doing after your bedrest?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Anything will do.”

“Would you like to work for me in my company?” he asked.

“No way,” she replied almost immediately.

“Why?” he frowned.

“Working in an office can be very tiring, and to me, it’s not fun.”

“Okay, then perhaps I will talk to a friend of mine who owns a restaurant.”

“Really? You’ll do that for me?” A small smile crept to the corner of her lips.

“Yes, I will get in touch with him tomorrow.

“That reminds me, my friend Gabriel wants me to introduce you to his wife. Her name is Jemma, and she’s pregnant—about six months. I told him I was going to ask you. Maybe if you need a friend or something.”

“Sure. That will be nice.” She leaned closer. “So, tell me about your company,” she asked, eager to know what exactly he did for a living.

Ronald explained to her as he ate, and she listened intently. She also asked questions about certain things. Raina was not only beautiful, but she was also smart.

He finished his food and did the dishes. Raina offered to help, but he declined.

After that, they proceeded to the sofa.

Raina was seated on the upper end with her legs on the sofa and a glass of wine in her hand, and she faced Ronald, who was seated at the other end of the sofa.

“How was life for you and Adrie before I met you two?” he asked.

“It was okay until Frank turned wild and started hitting me,” she answered, looking at nothing in particular.

“Do you think he’s out there looking for you guys?”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“What if he comes back for you? Begging to forgive him that he has changed?” he asked.

Raina chuckled. “Frank doesn’t apologize, and I don’t think he will ever be sorry for what he did to us. I may forgive him, but I will never accept him back. What I feel for him is hatred and nothing more.”

“I have to tell you something, and I hope you don’t get mad at me,” he said.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I hired a private investigator to track him down.”

“Why? How did you even do that when you don’t know his name?” she asked.

“I have my ways, Ray, and the person in charge is a professional.”

“Why?” she asked again.

“I just want him to pay for what he did to you and Adrie. I had wanted to deal with him, then hand him over to the police,” he said.

Raina smiled sadly. “I appreciate it, but you don’t have to do that. Just leave him alone. He will get what’s coming to him.”

Ronald nodded slowly.

“I should go to bed.” She rose to her feet with her now empty glass cup.

“Me too, or else I’ll be late for work tomorrow.” He collected the glass cup from her and took it to the kitchen.

“I had a wonderful evening chatting with you,” Ronald said with a genuine smile.

“I had fun too. Goodnight,” she replied to him with a small smile, after which she went to her room.

RONALD

Ronald smiled as he watched her go to her room. Everything she did affected him.

He sighed as he turned off the lights in the living room, after which he proceeded to his bedroom. He plopped down on his bed and fell asleep with a smile.