Chapter 9

"Are you listening to me at all?"

Veronica started. She was lost in thoughts and she had no idea when she zoned out. Sandra had told her to talk to Adam as soon as possible but she felt ashamed to fix a meeting with him when she had spent days scorning him.

"What were you saying, dad?" She asked.

Matthew laughed. "I knew you were not listening. What have you got on your mind?"

She sighed. "A lot, dad."

"Care to shed some of them with me?" He asked, pushing away the files he had I'm front of him away and leaned towards her.

She shook her head. She couldn't tell him. "No, dad. Just some girl stuffs. I will be fine."

He cackled. "When have you stopped telling me things? You have always told me things, even the girl stuffs you feel reluctant to say now."

She giggled. "Can't tell you this, dad. It feels weird."

He nodded. "Okay."

"Thanks, dad."

"You can go back to your office." He said, staring at her. "You seem too distracted. We will have this meeting another time."

"Thanks, dad." She said and stood up before he could say anything more.

He stared at her as she made her way out of his office. He was sure there was something about her eagerness to leave his office and he pursed his lips, wondering what it could be.

She sighed, patting her forehead as she slumped into her chair at the office. She scrolled through the messages her father had sent to her. She smiled as she saw Adam's contact number.

She bit her lips, wondering if she was actually going to do it. Yeah, Veronica we are doing this. She nodded and blew out a breath, giving herself the courage she didn't feel.

What if he rejected her? She feared. No, he wouldn't. She shook her head. He needed the deal as much as she did. He would be happy she even was finally agreeing with the plan.

She squared her shoulders, reminding herself of what Sandra had told her. She shouldn't act like she was actually desperate for the marriage as she nkw felt.

Yeah, she could do this. She was Veronica. A smart business woman. She just needed to think of it as closing a deal with an unwanted client and closing deals was her niche.

She cleared her throat and dialed his number. She bit her lips as the phone rang, her resolve shaken by the delay in his picking up. She blew out a relieved sigh as he finally picked up the call.

"Veronica?" He asked, unsure he saw the contact display on his phone right.

"Yes." She nodded and then scowled at herself. He couldn't see her so why was she nodding to him? She was a nervous wreck.

"Such a surprise to see your call." He chuckled. "To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"

"I need to see you." She said.

"The two of us? Or another date with your father where you scowl at me all through the dinner like you would like to cut my head with your teeth."

She winced at the mental image he painted. She thoroughly deserved that. Seeing as she was the one to call him, she needed to endure every jibe he threw her way.

"Do you have to be like that?" She asked.

He chuckled. "Like what?"

"Rub it in that I called you?"

"Of course. It's not everytime you get called by the woman you are meant to marry who wants nothing to do with you."

She snorted. "Stop being annoying."

He laughed. "As much as this feels nice, I am not about to delude myself that you called just to banter with me."

"Yeah. Let's meet at the restaurant my father invited you to the other day."

"When?"

"Would it be possible for you to make it in the next thirty minutes?"

"Are you asking me out on a date? I am afraid I am not dressed for one."

She scoffed. "You wish."

"Okay, that I can do. I will see you at the restaurant."

"I will be there waiting."

He frowned. "Hope no problem? I must say I am freaked out by this impromptu call."

"Nothing much. I just want to tell you something concerning our marriage."

"Does this mean you are finally agreeing to the marriage because your opinions on the marriage is well known?"

"Let's meet and discuss, Adam. Our agreement is better off discussed in person."

"Okay." He agreed and ended the call.

Adam frowned as soon as the call was disconnected, wondering what she could be up to. He shrugged. It didn't matter what she was up to as long as she was cool with the marriage at last and he could save his crumbling business with her father's money.

He pressed the intercom for Bruce, packing the files he was working on into the cabinet on his desk. Bruce entered the office, his expression unreadable even though he wondered why Adam had called him unexpectedly.

"You sent for me?" He asked as he settled in the chair opposite Adam.

"Yes. Veronica just called me and she says she wants us to meet."

Hope filled Bruce's eyes and he swooned, his shoulders sagging in relief. He didn't have to watch Adam mope around about his family's business any longer. He knew the business meant a lot to him and his contract wife refusal to marry him a thorn in his flesh.

"Does this mean she is about to agree to the marriage?"

"I think so." Adam nodded, grinning. His excitement was evident and contagious that Bruce smiled back at him.

"Should I say congratulations now or chill till you get back from the meeting?"

Adam grinned. "Whichever you want to do."

"I guess I will wait for you to get back."

"Maybe. I need you to cancel my plans for the rest of the day, Bruce."

"Done." He nodded.

"Thank you. I will give you the feedback of what the meeting is all about once we are done."

Bruce frowned as an idea came to him. "Don't you wonder why she is suddenly agreeing to the marriage when she had spent a lot of time refusing to be married to you?"

Adam shook his head. "I think it is because she finally realized that her father would not let her take control of the company as she wants if she isn't married as she wants."

Bruce stroked his chin in a contemplative manner. "I just feel like this is sounding too good to be true. She knows all this before and yet she didn't want to get married."

Adam laughed, shaking with the efforts. "Stop being a detective, Bruce. You don't have to analyze everything." He checked his watch. "I need to be on my way now. It would be bad to keep her waiting."

Veronica sat in the restaurant, watching the entrance to know when Adam would come in. Her heart banged in her chest, slamming hard against her ribcage. She swallowed, her nerves going haywire. She took a sip of the juice she had ordered, swirled it round her mouth and gulped.

She scowled, wondering what was keeping him waiting. Her heart raced in panic as she scared herself with the thought that he might not be interested in the marriage again. She scoffed at her errant thoughts. If nothing at all, she knew he wanted the marriage as much as she did, if not more.

She had been annoyed at her father for putting conditions on Adam before he could help him and on herself before he could give her the position she wanted in the company but now, she was overjoyed at his manipulative act. Who knew she was going to end up pregnant and need a man to avoid a scandal?

Her phone rang and she jumped. She smiled at the caller ID. "Hey, Sandra."

"Have you called him?"

"Not at all."

"Why?"

"I just called him today. He will be here shortly."

"Damn it, Vee. You are just telling him for the past three days we have discussed about this?"

"Chill, Sandra. It's not that easy."

Sandra snorted. "It doesn't make it any easy if you stay too long to approach the manner."

"I am trying." She moaned. She cleared her throat as she saw Adam walk in. "Let me call you back, Sandra. He just walked right in."

"Cool. Good luck, babe."

She ended the call, placed her phone in her purse and cleared her throat. She smiled as he settled in the seat opposite hers.

"Hey." He grinned.

"Hi." She replied warmly. "You can make your order."

He nodded, made a signal to the waitress and had his order. He took a sip of his drink and folded his arms as he looked at her and leaned back in his seat.

"Can we get to what this is about?" He asked.

She gulped, feeling nervous now that she was with him. "Are you allergic to sitting with me even without any business to talk about?" She asked, stalling.

He arched his eyebrows, staring at her. He couldn't believe she was making humor at him. "I never pegged you for a lady with a sense of humour."

She snorted. "I never pegged you as one without. You are meant to laugh if you think what I said was humorous."

He scoffed. "I don't think you would have appreciated it if I did."

"You could have. How would you know what I would react to if you didn't laugh?"

"Are you already lecturing me for marriage?"

She chuckled. "That eager to talk about marriage, uhn?"

He nodded. "I doubt we have any other things to talk about if not for our marriage deal."

She shook her head. He was impossibly blunt. She wondered how she was going to live with him when she couldn't stand him at the moment.

"Are you sure we can live together?" She snorted.

He stared at her. "Does this mean we are getting married?"

"Yes. Let's tell my father we are getting married. We can set the date."

"No problem. Let's get married in the next two months then."

"Don't you need to save your business?" Her eyes widened in horror. She couldn't wait for two months. She would already be showing.

He shook his head. "No. As long as you agree to the marriage, your father would sign the contract I need to get my business on track."

She croaked, her voice shaking as she spoke. "I can't stay till the next two months. We need to get married as soon as possible. If possible, in the next two weeks."

He frowned, staring at her as he pondered on what she meant. "What are you not telling me, Veronica? I am having a hard time going from you not wanting to marry me to wanting to get married to me in the next two weeks."

She fidgeted, wriggling her hands together. She had hoped he wouldn't ask but just be happy she agreed to the marriage.

"I am pregnant." She blurted out.

He coughed, dropping the glass in his hands. "What?"