12 months......

Benjamin was in the living room, waiting patiently for Pearl to come downstairs. He declined the maids' offer of varieties of mouth watering snacks, glancing at his watch now and then.

5:00pm

Pearl comes down stairs.

"Benjamin" She rubbed her eyes with one hand, evident that she was sleeping. "What are you doing here"

"I've come to remind you that you have less than two weeks before we permanently take the properties"

"Two weeks" She shouted holding up two fingers to her own face. She sits down on the couch facing him. "How could time have flown that fast"

"But I had a talk with the lawyers controlling the laws that your late father had stated concerning the Will"

"And.....?"

"I tried to persuade them that finding your Sister's corpse would be impossible with little amount of time".

"O....kay. What did they say"

"They decided to go for the other option"

"What's that"

"Mr. Pueterico died at a young age of 51 years...So...."

"Young age????"

Benjamin frowned. "If you would let me finish"

Pearl rolled her eyes

"Your father died a sudden death and because of that, the lawyers want to make sure that the same does not happen to his children" He cleared his throat. "....his Child"

"Because if that was to happen, no one would be able to control the Pueterico Empire.....it will be history"

"Cut the long story short...What am I supposed to do"

"They want an heir from you"

"What?"

"With a 𝑳𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒔𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅"

"You mean....I have to get married" She starts counting her fingers with a frown on her face. " .....Get pregnant for my husband and bear an heir....? And this in the space of how many months, a month?" She inquired dryly.

"12 months" He said simply.

Pearl gaped at him.

"They're patient enough to give you a year to do this and if you don't, not only will Sophia's properties be taken from you but yours too"

.....

Pearl was on her bed deep in thought.

...12 months. 12 months to find a man....not just any man...seeing as she would have to marry him legitimately and have a child with him...a man of her dreams. A man she would have to fall in love with. Not just any man. A man she would feel comfortable having sex with, without protection. A man, she would get pregnant for. A man She would bear a child for...

She turned around to face the ceiling.

...All In 12 months...