Elaine's POV;

I was in my own office. Working on the laptop and going through the details of the new project when my phone buzzed suddenly. I picked it up to see who was calling. It was my mother. I groaned as I knew what she was going to talk to about. But still I answered her call.

"Hello." I said

"Elaine, how are you? You aren't busy right now, are you?" She replied

"I'm fine, mom. I'm not busy. Is there something you want to talk about?" I asked. I knew she wanted me to shift back to the house. That's all she has ever been talking about to me since the last few days. I moved out of my parents house when I was 22. And I bought this amazing new apartment, that I just love living in it. But she feels that I'm lonely in that apartment and it will be better if I go back and live with them again. I've tried to explain her many times, that I'm happy. But for some reason she is convinced that I'm not happy.

"Actually, dear, It's something rather important and I wondered if it would be alright if we meet at someplace for lunch." She answered. From the tone of her voice I guessed that she wanted to talk to me about something important. What could it be? She wouldn't call me for lunch just to talk about me moving back.

"Sure. I'll be free in half an hour, so I'll see you at the usual place. Is that okay?" I said as I still kept reading the email I just received. Suddenly my eyes went wide. "What the hell!" I said as I again read the email closely.

"Is everything all right? What happened?" My mom said

"It's fine. I'll meet you at the restaurant in half n hour. Bye." I said as I put my phone back down and again started reading the email I just got. It said that our company was being shut down. As our owners didn't have money to continue. This must be a joke. We just signed a new project. Where did all the money go which they gave us? I was getting mad. I took my laptop and went outside. On the way I stopped by my best friends office. Her name was Claire. We both worked in the same company and had been friends since childhood. She was practically my sister.

"Have you seen this?!" We both said at once as she showed me her phone and I showed her my laptop.

"What do we do?" She said

"That damn Jackson! I knew something was wrong when he kept delaying our pay checks. He said that the money was all being used in the projects." I said

"But he was lying. He must be using it all for paying back the loan. How much loan did he took from the bank anyway?" Claire said as she kept on reading the article about Jackson. Our boss. Jackson was our ex boss's son. Our company was well known but after Jackson took over, he kept on loaning money from the bank in the name of the company. Until now, the bank has decided to take back the company. As he hadn't paid off his loan." Claire explained. We both knew why Jackson took all that loan. He needed it for his mother's surgery and treatment. But it got way out of hand when he started taking loan for renovating the building and everything. It was fine to take loan but it wasn't fine to not repay it back.
I've known Jackson since we were kids. Me, Claire, Jackson and Tyler had been friends since childhood. But right now, I was getting mad at him. We warned him so many times that to pay back the loan. But he wouldn't listen.

"Should we go and talk to him?" Claire asked

"Yeah. He must be in his office. Let's go." I said as we walked into his office. I opened the door and said, "What the hell is this! Why didn't you tell us about this before?" I showed him the article on Claire's phone.

"Err...Can we talk about this later? Right now I'm in a meeting. I promise I'll explain it to you guys later on." He said as he looked at the guy sitting in front of him.

I didn't notice that there was someone else here. I glanced at that guy and then looked back at Jackson and said, "Sorry. We'll talk later." I said as I went out with Claire following me.

"Who was that guy? I didn't know there was going to be any meeting today." I said to Claire

"I don't know." Claire replied as she looked at her phone and said, "I just got a message from him. He says that we will talk over at dinner."

"Dinner. Oh shit! That reminds me, I have to go meet my mother for lunch!" I said as I looked at the time and noticed that almost half an hour had passed.

"You should go now quick. I'll tell Jackson where you went later." Claire said, "oh and say hi to your mom for me." She added

"Yeah sure. Got to go. Bye." I said as I first went into my office. I turned off the laptop. Grabbed my phone and my purse and then went to the lift. When I reached the ground floor. I took a taxi and headed to the restaurant. I wasn't rich. My family was also not rich. We were just medium class family with my father having a huge social circle. He treated all his friends as family and had a set of rules. He was strict and always wanted me to be a proper lady. He hated the job I had, because to him he felt that it was less lady like. Well who cares. I love my job. That is, if the company stays. I am so worried about it. The bank is gonna take the company. And it's going be closed. The only other option we have is to sell the company. But if that were to happen where would all our hard work go. And if either of those things were to happen, We'd  have to finish all the projects we have because the payments been done already. And then Jackson still had to give our three months salary. We only accepted this situation because he was our friend. But that caused me to be late on giving the rent of my apartment. I still have to pay the rent. I sighed. I always hated situations like these. The taxi stopped and I got out of the car. I was now at the restaurant. I saw my mother from the window sitting inside. She saw me coming inside and waved at me. I smiled as I went up to her.

"I've already ordered coffee for us." She said as I sat in front of her

"Great." I replied. We both loved to drink coffee. There was no specific coffee time for us. We drank coffee whenever we felt like it.

"So how are you doing? How's office going?" She asked

"It's going good." I replied as our orders came and I took a sip of my coffee. Ah! Coffee. My one and only love aside from chocolate, pizza and french fries.

"You know you should call your father. He is always asking about you." She said

"I will." I replied as I was reading the menu

"So umm...." she said as she looked like she wanted to say something.

"What is it?" I asked as I put the menu down

"You know your cousin Mary just got engaged. The marriage is gonna be held in December." She said

"Good for her." I replied. I didn't understand. Why was she telling me that? I already knew it as I got the invitation.

"Umm actually your father talked to me yesterday." She said

"What's new about that? He knows how to talk and he always talks to you. What are you trying to say?" I said

"Your father believes it is now time for you to get married." She blurted out

"What? Why now? I got marriage proposals before and I rejected all of them. And he supported me on that. What happened now?" I said

"I don't know. Anyhow, have you talked with John recently?" She asked changing the topic. John is one of my friends. He is the only son of my fathers best friend. Same age as mine. We used to play and talk during all the parties and dinners.

"I talked to him last Sunday. He was talking about something like planning on opening up another business. But aside from that, tell me why father suddenly wants that. You are trying to change the topic." I said as I was more curious about the fact with what mom said earlier

"Actually your father wants you to get married. And not to someone else but to John. Because yesterday, John sent a marriage proposal for you." My mother said quickly. She knew what my reaction was going to be so she quickly changed the topic by opening up the menu and said, "Now what do you want for lunch?"

What the hell. Get married to John! Gross! I think of John as my brother friend. I've always thought of him like that. How did he even agree to this! I'm sure he must've been pressurised by his parents. Suddenly I felt angry. I'm gonna have a talk with him. Father will never let this chance go. He loves John as his son and he is best friends with his dad since school. I'm trapped.

"Elaine. Are you alright? I asked what do you want to eat?" My mother said

"I'm not hungry." I replied. My mood was suddenly off.

Please vote and comment! I hope you liked the chapter! And if you enjoy reading this story, you can read my other similar book which is somewhat like a sequel because both the books are connected and these characters appear in that book too;

Aylin Abbott is the only daughter of the billionaire businessman Brendon Abbott, the owner of Abbott Corporation. She lives a very private life despite her infamous father. What little is known about her is that her father dotes upon her and is quite protective of her which is why she is a spoiled rich kid. But no one has ever confirmed these rumours thanks to her not being active in their social circle.

After the death of his parents, at the age of 26, Axel Duncan became a billionaire and the head of the Duncan Corporation. He is the most sought-after bachelor with his looks, personality, and wealth. However, all he cares about is finding the truth behind the death of his parents. While it is declared that his parents died in a car crash, only he and a few others know that his parents' death might have been a murder. But who killed them?

Abbott Corporation and Duncan Corporation are the two leading companies in the world. Known as the tycoons of business these two corporations have an unmatched rivalry which is quite famous. So it comes as a shock when Axel Duncan proposes to Aylin Abbot and she agrees. Who knew that these two people would end up getting married despite the history of rivalry between their groups? Was it due to love? Or is this marriage a lie? Maybe it is just a peace treaty. But one thing is for sure, both are hiding something. But what secrets are they both hiding?

Read to find out more.

LINK:
https://www.wattpad.com/1273034922?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=link&utm_content=share_reading&wp_page=reading_part_end&wp_uname=Melody_Alyward&wp_originator=lPRgWI8jcTcEdJsgEoxfCn0PDionEz3wpJO%2BE8jnmgXgcGACWvlF9ufxzvDQa26hELKQo6pswKF3lURDQ2iXjWsaVasZqagexUzoiOqxfYl1yT6N0o2xzg4Cyd7jCYfv