CHAPTER 20 : HER DADDY'S DEAD

Caren was graduated from high school that year and she told her father she wanted to learn about art, but his father forbid her, he wanted Caren to study Business management. She finally agreed to him with by forced. Danny continued to chased her, he followed her to study business in the same university. Caren actually not interested with him, but his patient pitied her, they finally dated to each other for two years. Caren was a smart girl, she could finished her bachelor degree in three and a half years only. Caren still had passion on art, she told her father she wanted to study art after finished her business school. He finally agreed with her but with one condition, she had to start help her to work on his office, but Caren wasn't interested on company matters. She worked there by forced also, but everything which on forced never ended up in good results.

Doug had felt Brian's bad deed toward him, he found his cheating by mistakes, but he had been suspicious since Josh case before. Doug never expect for his betrayal since he had been working for him for more than 15 years. One day Brian at the point of his greed, he threatened Doug with gun, Doug was very shock with his action, he turned on the alarm and Brian on his panic shot Doug on his head in the short distance. Doug dead on the spot , his blood were flowing down on his chair. The secretary got shock also and screamt out loud. Since the alarm turned on everybody on that building got chaos. Police came in fifteen minutes, Brian had got away, he ran away in the middle of the human chaos of that building. The security couldn't hold everybody to go out, so they couldn't scan everybody before they went out the building. Policemen were rushing to the chairman room, and they found Doug's body in there. They called ambulance, then asked the security about their surveillance or cctv recording. They investigated the secretary also about who was the last person together with Doug, Hailie told them that his assistant Brian was the last person entered his room, and she heard a gun shot also before he got out. The police had recorded her confessions and they made Brian as their suspect and he was on hunting now.

Caren was about to apply for art school when she heard about the incidents in his father's company, his secretary Hailie called her cellphone and told her about his daddy's dead, and he was in the hospital now. She got shock, she held her application form and rushing to the hospital. She cried all night as she lost her only family member. Hailie tried to calm her down and told her to go home that night, since she was there all day and got tired, but Caren refused her. She said she wanted to be with his daddy that night before they coffined him tomorrow. She then held funeral for two days in the funeral house. After two days she cremated his body and buried the ashes in his hometown together with his mom. Josh heard that news but he was in Europe for a month, he couldn't pay his respect to Doug for the last time.

Caren was very exhausted after she held the funeral, she got help with Hailie. Now she lived alone in that big house. She knew nothing about the company matters, she didn't even start to work there yet. She was very guilty to her daddy for not obeying him while he still alive. Now, the company was in chaos since Brian got away and he took the company's money together with him. The company in bad terms now. Danny and Caren had broke up for a year since Caren didn't love him, but he still had feeling for her. He came to her daddy's funeral and he came again on her office that day, he offered her some help, but Caren refused him, she wanted to struggle by herself.

In six months Caren had sold almost all of their ships to cover up the company's cost. Now she had to sold her house also because the debt was too big. She rent an apartment near the office, she shared the room with Hailie her only loyal worker.

She tried to survive with only two ships they only have. Actually Josh had been told by Hawk about her company's condition, and Josh told Hawk to help her without her knowing. But she finally lost another ship after six months, now she only had one ship left and it was broken. Hawk couldn't help her any longer, he reported to Josh about it.

Danny came again that day, she proposed Caren to marry her, but Caren refused him again. Danny didn't give up easily, he tried again and again the next week, he just wanted to make her happy and he said to her to give up the company and just marry him.

Caren was about to give up but she didn't want to marry Danny, Hailie told her to see Josh. Caren did it. That day she went back from Josh office, she took a bus to go to his daddy's hometown. She went to see his grave "Dad, you used to banned me to see Josh in the future, he was abandoned me either in the past, but now he asked me to marry him, what should I do dad ?"

She sat under the tree in front of his father's grave, her eyes were seeing the fields blankly, her phone rang few times but she didn't pick it up. She was confusing now, and she decided to stay at the guesthouse near the place since the sky was getting dark. She got back the next day, and Hailie was very curious to ask her about what had happened to her since she wasn't come home last night.

She told her about everything also about Josh proposal. Hailie was surprise to hear it "But if I were you, I'll marry him !"

Caren :"Why do you say that ?"

Hailie :"Because I knew his sincerity since long time ago, I wasn't sure about his cheating before also. I think it was Brian who framed him."

Caren :"Really, do you think so ?"

Hailie :"Yes, I'm very sure !"

Caren hadn't made up her mind yet, she needed some time to consider it again. She was afraid of loosing her freedom once she got married to Josh, and she still unsure about Josh would really help her or not. She called Hawk the other day and made appointment with him, she wanted to asked him about Josh.

Caren :"How are you Hawk ?"

Hawk :"Fine, how are you Caren ?"

Caren :"Not good, you knew it right, since you've helped me few months ago, I knew it Hawk you don't have to tell me !"

Hawk :"It was by Josh order."

Caren :"Really ? Does he still care about me that much ?"

Hawk :"Yes indeed, you are the only one in his heart since long time ago ! Though some girls approached him, he never care about them. No one could touch him till now."

Caren :"Are you telling me the truth ?"

Hawk :"If you don't believe me you can see by yourself !"

Caren :"What do you think about my dad's company now ? Can he help me restore it ?"

Hawk :"Maybe he can, I believe he can but maybe it will the same like before. He has different style."

Caren :"I'll consider his offer then. Thank you Hawk for your time."

Hawk :"No problem, but what was his offer ?"

Caren :"He asked me to marry him."

Hawk :"Wow nice move ! You'd better grab that opportunity fast ! There is a woman very close to him now, you'd better take him first if you want to win his heart !"

Caren :"Ouw I see. Thanks for your info Hawk. Bye."

Caren felt her sense of urgent now, she went home and she had decided her mind. She planned to meet Josh the next day, she had his cell phone number. She was about to call josh, her phone rang and it was Josh.