The tasks he had asked for last night before going to bed were already taken care of and he got out of bed smiling as Bethany was the first person that appeared in his mind.
Duke got into the bathroom and took his bath so as to get down for breakfast before leaving for work.
After his bath, he came back into his room to chose a dress amongst his suits.
He was done with his attire and he sprayed himself with his expensive perfume looking at himself in his mirror and when he saw that everything was good on him, he left his room first to his mother’s room before going downstairs to have his breakfast.
He closed his door behind him and left for his mother’s room where he knocked on her door twice calling her name as a sign of waiting to hear her answer in order to know if she’s inside.
The fact that he did not get any response, made him to push the door to one side slightly open, and to send his head looking at her room to see if she was still sleeping or if she was not in her room at all.
His mom’s bed was well-arranged from what he could see, so he entered inside to be more certain whether she was not in the bathroom.
“Mom are you in the bathroom?”, he asked walking towards the bathroom calling her out.
The maid came in and saw him, almost turning to leave the room so she asked,
” Sir Duke, are you looking for your mother? if yes, she is downstairs at the dining table”, she told him walking in to keep the bedspread she was holding in her hands.
Duke thanked her and before leaving, he told her to make sure that his room is thoroughly cleaned up before he gets back as he did not like the way that it was cleaned the last time.
After instructing the maid, he left for the dining room as he had to discuss something with his mother.
He went down and before he could even be seen in the dining, his mother called out his name with a smile on her lips.
“Duke my son, I am happy that you are all set for work, come and have breakfast with me, I cooked your favorite dish”, she said with an energy that made him wonder what they were celebrating.
Duke was happy but knowing his mother, he was not too comfortable as he was spotting something fishy.
He was actually dumbfounded at his mergers efforts as it had been a while that they had a peaceful time and she suddenly does this in the morning.
” Am I really save with her actions?”, he asked himself as he walked slowly sitting down.
Mrs. Chase who had noticed the worried look on her son’s face, walked to the other side of the table holding his cheeks in her hands just like she will always do when they are in happiness.
“I know that you are wondering what this is all about, and why I had to do all these?”, she said told him that she did not want them to fight anymore.
Duke who was very attentive to anything that could happen on the table took a deep breath and relaxed himself while his mother served them food to eat.
His mother was trying to play her game well so as not to get him upset or push him to the brim.
Duke is his food diligently, feeling happy that his mother had finally decided to let him breathe for a while with marriage and baby’s issues.
” Do you love the food?”, she asked making sure that he was well relaxed before shooting her shot about what she wants.
Duke nodding in agreement as a child that had not tasted his mother’s meal for a long time, said that he was enjoying every bit of it and also used that medium to apologize to his mother for all the quarrels and fights as he does not want them to fight anymore.
His mother smiled with joy as her son was beginning to become soft and it was the perfect timing she was waiting for so that she could talk about the lady he had met yesterday.
Clearing her through and dropping her spoon as she reached for her some hand, she told him gently that she has something to discuss with him.
Duke hearing this, swallowed the last fractions of food that was left in his throat as he was already changing his mood.
“No you do not have to be in such a good son as what I want to discuss with you is not for us to quarrel but for us to live in harmony”.
Duke preparing his exit from the table, he asked his mother why they can not have a moment of peace between them without her ruining anything.
With a silence she looked at her son and tapping her hands on his she said,
” The lady you saw me with yesterday when you returned home, is the daughter to a friend of your late fathers and she just came back into the country and I ran into her at the supermarket the other day when she was with her mother”, she narrated the story taking her time.
Duke listened carefully to his mother, though his mind was already made up about his decision, he just wanted to give his mother that satisfaction of her thinking that he was going to fall for her schemes.
His mother went on narrating the whole story in detail to him so that he could understand her.
She was planning on using her most secret weapon if the situation had to come to the worst just so that she could convince her son to do what she wants.
Duke told her that he was not interested in what she wanted him to do and that he had some other things bothering his mind.
“I am not asking you to do anything with her son, I just want you to get to know her better and you both can hang out when you are free”, she said shedding tears as she left his hand.
Duke could not resist his mother’s tears for anything in the world, and who was also aware that she was just always using that to blackmail him emotionally but what could he do as his mother was the only family he has left.
Drinking water to push down his heart from exploding with the scheme that she was putting up, he touched her hands saying he was going to be friends with her as long as that will make her happy.
On hearing that the son was going to do what she wanted, she jumped out of her chair and hugged him, screaming all over the house that she was going to become a grandmother in no distant time.
Duke could not believe what his ears were hearing but he got up and walked out of the house wishing her a splendid day as he left for the office.
His mother was so happy that she picked up her phone and called Sylvia telling her that the job was done and that it was left for her to play her part.
Sylvia was glad to hear that and she asked Mrs. Chase for his office address as she will like to pay him a surprise visit.
Duke’s mother gave her the address without any stress as she desire for them both to bond as soon as possible.
Sylvia hung up the phone and looking at the mirror, she said to herself,
” Duke chase, you are going to be mine and no one else”.
Sylvia had already pictured her life as Duke’s wife without even getting to know him better.
All she was interested in was the title, money, and the fame that attracted most of the ladies that Duke had met in his life as well.
Bethany had arrived at the company and she walked into the establishment heading to the receptionist desk to inquire about the requirements for the interview.
She was warmly welcomed and a badge was handed over to her as she ad asked to wait in the hall with the other candidates.
“Thank you Ms.”, she said as she turned to meet the other candidates that were also waiting for the interview to start.
She spotted out Eva who was so deep on her phone and she went and sat closer to her teasing her that she was going to be thrown out if she does not keep her phone aside.
When she saw her friend, she was happy and she asked Bethany how her min was doing that morning and she responded with a smile,
” She is better today than yesterday friend”.
Eva held her hand assuring her that everything was going to be very fine.
As they were trying to suppress their nervousness, a car stopped in front of the building, and the guards rushed to line up as the other security men waited in order.
Bethany and Eva did not know what was happening but they had a feeling that an important personality was coming in.
Henry made his apparition as he always does every morning and he was cordially welcomed as always too.
He walked into the structure with a straight face as everyone greeted him, but when he turned by the side and saw Eva and Bethany, sitting down at the corner, he let a smile slip off his right lip as he continued walking with his Assistant walking behind him as she had to always be at work before he appears.
“Good morning sir”, his personnel channeled their salutations as he walked through to his office.
He nodded while walking through the crowd as they made way for him.
Henry entered his office and took out his coat hanging it on the cost stand that was standing by the side of his bureau.
” Clarice, do I have any serious appointments and meetings today?”, he inquired from his P. A while sitting down in his chair behind his table.
“You have some few meetings today sir and some appointments”, she said looking at the dashboard on her tablet that he was holding.
Henry, instructing her to select just a few important ones so that he could attend them, the rest were to be rescheduled for some other time.
She nodded in agreement wanting to leave his office but she was called back.
” Clarice, tell the receptionist to send the two candidates with the names Eva Craig and Bethany Marvin, I will be the one to interview them”, he let out going through the files on his desk.
She nodded as she left his office for the reception.
Clarice was at the reception desk and she told the receptionist to call out those two persons as the boss will like to interview them himself.
The lady at the reception did just that as he called both Bethany and Eva to the desk.
Bethany was confused as to what had happened that they were being called out of the crowd same with Eva as well.
When they got up and went to hear why they were being called out from the rest of the candidates, they tried as much as possible to keep their calm.
Eva reached the desk and before she could ask why they were being called out, the receptionist told them to go to the boss’s office directing the office to them.
Eva showing appreciation to the Lady looked at Bethany and they both left for Henry’s office.
Duke was already at his office and his friend had called him to ask how things were going on his side and to tell him that Bethany and Eva were at his company and he was going to interview them himself.
Duke was happy that his friend was helping out while he was looking for a possible solution to their problems.
Henry, who had heard his secretary telling Eva and Bethany to wait while she goes in to tell Mr. Henry that they were already in front of his office, told Duke that he was going to call him later after attending to them.
He hung up and as he saw his secretary entering his office, he told her to ask them to get into his office.
The secretary went out and said to them that they may go inside as Mr. Henry, is waiting to receive them.
Mrs. Marvin heard a knock on her door and she got up from the sofa where she was watching her series walking to the door to open it.
She was stunned by the person she saw standing outside her house after so many years.
“Carl Max is this you my boy?”, she asked opening her door more so that he could come in.
” Yes it is me, aunt, I am back”, he said walking into the house looking around as it has not changed.
Bryan who was coming out of his room as he had to go meet his friends to play football, saw Carl and had the same reaction as the mother.
Carl who had left the country when Bryan was still a kid, was surprised at how tall he had grown up to be.
Bryan jumped on him with so much happiness as he asked Carl how he has been and when he returned to the country.
Mrs. Marvin told him to have a seat so that they could talk about how things have been with him.
Carl was Bethany’s friend from childhood and he was also her schoolmate. They did practically everything together before his parents decided that they should relocate abroad, as his mother seriously fell sick and needed pressing medical attention.
He kept looking at every corner of the house hoping that Bethany was inside the house but he saw no one coming out so he asked,
“Where is my friend aunty”, he asked lifting his head to search some more.
Mrs. Marvin shaking her head, responded to his question with a negative answer saying that she had gone out for a job interview and will be back only later during the day.
Looking at the wall and seeing the picture of Bethany’s dad, he asked with a smile about the whereabouts of Mr. Marvin as he was a great source of inspiration to them while he was growing up.
Mrs. Marvin looked at her husband’s portrait again on the wall and with a sad look said that he was no more amongst them as he had died of a lungs disease some years back.
Carl on hearing this, felt so emotional as words went missing in his mouth as he was faced with the situation he found himself in.
Bryan who had already noticed that his mother was in a bad movie, walked to her and sitting on her couch, comforted her in the best way that he could.
” I am so sorry for opening old wounds aunt, I had no idea about the situation back at home”, he explained himself with much difficulty as he wished he had not asked that question in the first place.
Mrs. Marvin wiping off her eyes told Carl not to be sad as it is not his fault that he did not know about her husband’s death.
The moment was paused when a car suddenly horned outside and Bryan told his mother that he will go and check who was outside.
He checked and saw a man who came down from his car but he could not make out his face as he had never seen him again.
The car Parked outside their home was a luxurious car that most have cost a fortune.
The man walked to him asking if that was Marvin’s residence and Bryan said yes he was in the right house.
He introduced himself as Mr Matt Chatham, and he was the driver sent to pick up Mrs Marvin.
Bryan asked him who had sent him and for what reasons, but the man responded politely that he had no idea but that his boss is Mr. Duke Chase.
He said that he was sent by Mr. Duke to take Mrs. Marvin somewhere.
Bryan had remembered that Duke had told his mother that he was going to send someone to come take her.
He told the man to come inside with him and he gladly followed Bryan inside.
Bryan entering the house, told his mother that the driver that Sir Duke had to send to come to pick her up was here.
The driver greeted Mrs. Marvin and said that she was there to take her somewhere.
We were already dressed and were waiting for him as Duke had instructed her to so she told Carl to feel at home and wait for his friend to return or better still, he could go home and back later to see her.
She instructed Bryan to offer him something and to keep him company but Carl said that he was going to pass by the house later in the evening so that he could see her in person.
Mrs. Marvin hugged him and left with the driver not knowing where she was being taken to but she had absolute trust in Duke.
The driver opened the back door of the car helping her to get in while she entered and sat down comfortably in the car and the driver entered too and put on his seat belt.
Henry was happy to see Eva again and it was very obvious that he could not stop staring at her.
He welcomed them and called on his secretary to bring two cups of coffee to his office.
Bethany thanked Henry for making it possible for them to be in his company and for allowing them to work there as she needs it so much.