Chapter 6

"Hi, you must be the new hire." A girl sitting in the next cubicle greeted her. "I'm Jenny. We will be working mostly on the same projects."

The bubbly, cute woman slumped on the wall that divided their workspace so they could talk. Then, she reached her arm across, handing her a basket containing pens, a stapler, and other office materials.

"You will be needing that."

"Thanks," she guessed, finding it weird that everyone she met today was accommodating. "I'm Andriana."

In truth, she expected the opposite. She thought she would run errands, get them coffee, or something. But they had all been professional and cordial.

She guessed she should stop believing everything she read in novels and watched in movies. She was hopeful she might enjoy working for this company after all.

"If you need anything, just call my attention." Jenny knocked on the thin wall separating them. "Anyway, gotta go back to work."

She also returned to her task. It was not much since it was her first day, but she already found it challenging. She could not wait for Carter to assign her to a new project.

She thought it would be awkward to eat lunch with her Boss after seeing Lucas. But surprisingly, it had been fun. Nobody seemed to suspect her connection with him.

What was he doing in their company?

So far, she had not seen a sign of the man who proposed to marry her. Maybe she had just imagined him. Or he could have already left.

"Don't be delusional. Lucas was not here for you." She mumbled as she scribbled on her desk, trying to find another concept.

Then, her mind returned to their previous conversation.

"You have placed me in this position." Lucas seemed to put the blame all on her. But could I blame him after what she had done?

She remembered kissing him in the car. She wanted to show Jeremy she could also replace him.

But the rest of the night had been a blur, which led her to believe it was just a dream. But now, she could recall what happened vividly, realizing it was all real.

"I was just drunk." She claimed, using the oldest excuse in the book. "I didn't know what I was doing." But absurd as it might sound, it was the truth.

What a fucking mess?

The unfortunate events played in her brain, showing her sitting on Lucas's lap while she forced him to kiss her.

Damn! She was throwing herself at him.

However, her actions were not the most humiliating part.

It was his.

He did not take the bait this time as he tried to stop her. He fended her off as if he could not stand to kiss her. No wonder her brain chose to forget it.

"I'm sorry." She had no other words to say to him as she wished for the floor to open up and swallow her whole.

But again, that was just the alcohol, the heartbreak, and her entire crappy life that was the culprit. That was her only excuse.

"Dad thinks we have a relationship. Now, he is forcing me to marry you." He added.

"Why should I marry you?" She did not see what the fuss was all about. It was the 21st century. They did not need to marry him because he held her hand and kissed her lips.

"I'm not obligated to do such a thing." Besides, nothing happened between them except for the kiss in the car.

She had just caught him off guard when he kissed her. But as soon as he realized his mistake, he immediately stopped. Then, he made sure nothing else happened between them.

"Yeah! I can't force you, but you still have to consider it for the sake of Dad. He is sick. It is his last wish to see me married to his best friend's daughter." He informed her.

It appeared Franklin and her father, Austin, had reached an agreement while their kids were still young. They made a pact to merge their family through marriage.

But her father died before they could fulfill their plans. Daddy Frankie wished to pursue it by forcing Lucas to marry her.

"Daddy Frankie is sick." She was shocked. She was not expecting that. "What do you mean sick? Is it serious?" Of course, she was concerned and worried.

But he looked so healthy. Still, he could be faking it, acting very tough and robust. But in truth, he had been undergoing difficulty with his health.

"Still, that is not a reason to marry." She was not about to give up her newly found freedom. "I am sorry, but I will not do it."

She knew she owed this family a lot for helping her when her parents died. But should she force herself to marry a man she did not love just because she wanted to repay their generosity?

That did not sound fair to her and him.

"Excuse me, Andriana. Are you still there?" Jenny knocked on their wall, calling for her attention.

It appeared as if she had zoned out. But she quickly recovered, shoving the memories out. It was not the time to slack from her job. She needed to focus.

"Yeah! Sorry!" She lifted her head out of the gutter and stared at her workmate. "Do you need anything?"

"Me? No!" Jenny shook her hands. "But you are called to report at the top floor." She pointed to a professionally dressed lady standing a few feet from her table.

"I'm sorry, but the Boss likes to meet you," the woman informed her before she could leave. "Please hurry. He doesn't have all day to wait for you," she added before she exited their office.

Quickly, she followed the woman, catching her before the elevator closed. Then, silence enveloped the tiny confinement.

"Excuse me, what did the Boss need from me?" She asked, anxious to meet whoever this Boss was.

Was it customary for the Boss to meet new employees? What did he need from her? She had tried to research the company owner's name, but they did not release that information.

She guessed this was her chance to meet the big man as she finally entered his domain. Automatically, her eyes roamed around the room.

CEO, Lucas Preston

What the heck!

He's my Boss!