THE DIGNITY OF A MAN

Knowing there was no point in lying to Pei Fang, she told him the truth. And Pei Fang listened with a calm expression. Maybe she should have left out the part where she planned to lure him to bed and marry him. 

"I am so sorry." She apologised.

Pei Fang waved it off with a palm. "It is fine. And here I was thinking my cousin had abducted you. Glad to know it went fine." He said. There was a silent pause for a while before he started to laugh. Feeling eyes on them, Abena tapped him. 

"What is so funny?" 

"What isn't funny? So you thought he was who? My father? Haahhaah… I cant imagine the look on my cousins face when you said that. Wait…" he suddenly came to realise something. "You didnt call my name while doing that right…?" 

Abena could feel ants crawling on hw rface and neck. "I….I did." 

"What the… that is one way to ruin  a mans egoe no wonder I felt that cousin was more cold towards me. Sigh...but really how could you make such a mistake?" 

Abena took a sip of her drink and nods her head. Even she is surprised. "How could I? I almost felt like cutting my head off after i found out." 

"Hilarious. Sounds like it came right out of a webnovel." 

She squeezes her hands into balls. She did learn this trick of marrying rich from a webnovel but the author never told her that it would go wrong. She cant even curse the author. Should the author not have a detailed guideline or procedure to such things? 

"But this feels suspicious." Pei Fang mutters and drags Abena out of the main val hall. The sea of couples that were there to watch the exclusive 'Valentines Red Skirt' movie was more than he had imagined. It was as if most of the couples decided to come to this branch. 

"What feels suspicious?" She asks once they got to a place free of crowd. 

"Think about it. Your room is directly next to mine. Cousin and his assistant are the only ones on that floor. You will have to take an elevator before getting to his room. The possibility of you making a mistake and ending up in his room is technically zero." He rationally explains. "So...how? Could it be that your evil eyes were on my Cousin and not on me?" 

Abena waved his idea off with her hands. "No no..I swear you really were my target. And now that I think about it, there really is something suspicious about it. I dont even remember how I got to his room." 

"I checked the cctv footage early this morning and there was nothing of you even going to the upper floor." 

Abena didnt look that surprised. As if she had expected it from someone like him. Could it be that it was him who made her come to his room? It has to be only he would do something like that. 

But why? 

Even in the past they didnt have that sort of relationship. She had always thought of him as a big brother. 

"It must be my cousins work. No one but him can do something as sneaky and clean as this." 

"I...I am not sure about that. Is your cousin that scary?" 

Pei Fang gave her an evil smirk. "You have no idea. You need to be extra careful around my cousin. Infact it will better if you stayed away from him. He is not what he looks like. I mean he is what he looks like." He adds and they both chuckle. "Evil and emotionless and I know this might sound really strange but my cousin may not be completely human." 

Expecting a shock response from Abena who is always quick to get scared, he was surprised that she seemed calm. 

"I suspect that too. We grew up in the same orphanage." She informs and Pei Fang furrowed his brows. "You know that scar on his lips and arm, he got it from when he was protecting me back then." 

"I thought you have a biological mother. No offense." 

"She found me at the orphanage later. Back then he was also like this but he was nice to me. At least that was what I thought." 

Pei Fang flicked her forehead and shakes her shoulder. "Are you sure you are fine?" 

"Yes. Why?" 

"Because you are spouting nonsense. My cousin grew up with the family from the start  he didnt go to any orphanage." 

Now Abena was shocked. "What?" 

"Infact I have our childhood pictures." 

It cant be. They did grow up together. He is that evil older brother she knew back then. 

"I am serious. We did grow up together." 

Pei Fang patted her shoulders and began to walk away. "You must still be shocked. Or could it be that cousin has brainwashed you?" 

"Brainwash who?" Pei Shangdi questioned walking towards Pei Fang and Abena. 

Pei Fang quickly hid behind Abena and smiled sheepishly at his cousin who didnt been spare him a glance. 

"Cousin happy valentine. Then.. Abena I will leave you two to talk." He said and hurried away before Abena could even call him back. 

Now that it was just the two of them, Abena had to leave her confused thoughts aside. 

"Good morning Mr Pei...happy valntine."

"Good morning Miss Mosi. Happy valentine." He greeted in response. His tone was light and his face wasnt that hard looking. It was as if he was in a good mood. "Do you have a valentine, Miss Mosi?" 

"No...I mean yes. Yes I do of course i do." She quickly replied hoping to get away from the man 

"Who could that be?"

"My boyfriend!" She blurts again. 

"Hmm..good thinking. I thought as much. Shall we then?" He gestured for her to move.

"To where?"

"Didnt you just say I am your val?"

"I said my boyfriend." 

"So…?" He gave her a deadpan look. "If the boyfriend isnt me than is it safe to assume that you cheated on a man with me? Miss Mosi, just what do you take my dignity for?"