Chapter 5 On One Condition

• Jason replied with a "huh" still thinking about the content of the letter.
• "What did he mean, he would understand later. Was there something about this family he needed to know?" He lowered his gaze thinking and sank into his seat in a more relaxing posture.
• Mirenda and James looked at him surprised and Matilda left the living room with a straight face heading for her room.
• "Brother, why did you marry secretly?" asked Mirenda, trying to understand his reasons for such a silent marriage.
• "It wasn't planned, it just happened," Jason replied honestly.
• "What did you mean by it just happened, is she pregnant?" asked James curiously and he burst out laughing, knowing how distant Jason is when it comes to women due to an incident that happened when he was just a child.
• Mirenda looked at James wondering what was funny about the question he asked, and Jason only lifted his gaze to look at him and lowered them again without replying.
• "Wait, wait, I am sorry," he said trying to control his laughter. "Did she rape you?" he asked and started laughing again.
• "Cut it out James, that is not nice," scolded Mirenda, "Don't mind him, you know how he is," she consoled Jason.
• "You are a sneaky one bro. I almost thought you were gay. I didn't know you had a secret lover," he said smiling.
• "Anyway congratulations," he said smiling and Mirenda rolled her eyes at James.
• "You are just impossible," she said under her breath looking at James.
• "I will not believe it until I see the woman," came the voice of their mother standing in the doorway of the hall which links to her bedroom, which used to be her and Mr Haward's room.
• James and Mirenda turned their gaze in the direction of their mother's voice, Jason lifted his gaze briefly and lowered them again.
• "Mum, what is the big deal if he chose to marry secretly?" James queried.
• "This family has an image, and it needs to be protected. Imagine the media getting their hands on this news, it will create a scandal," retorted Mrs Haward.
• "Mum, you are exaggerating the situation. We can just have a press conference and introduce her. What is the big deal," Mirenda commented.
• Mrs Haward analyzed the whole situation before her. Jason was completely silent but he had James and Mirenda defending him. If she continues, they will become suspicious and she can't reveal anything to them in front of Jason, so she decided to let it go for now.
• "You are right. I supposed I didn't think of it that way. We don't have a problem then," she said with a smile.
• "I am going to rest for a while. Do call me when Jason's wife arrives," she said with a smile but the smile vanished from her face the moment her back was facing them as she walked away.
• James quickly moved from his seat and sat next to Jason.
• "So, tell me, bro, what is she like," he asked smiling.
• Jason turned to look at him, "She is off your menu list. So don't try to cook her," he replied sternly.
• "Calm down, I have a girlfriend already, forgotten," he replied and relaxed on the sofa.
• "Yes, you do, the question is how many and does that stop you?" Jason said and James frowned.
• Mirenda laughed at Jason's comment, "Bro, you need to find one girl and settle down with her. Trust me you will be happier," she said with a smile.
• "Why will I want to watch one channel when I have the remote in hand which gives me access to multiple channels with a variety of shows to watch," he replied leaning forward and looking at Mirenda.
• "Eww, gross," replied Mirenda making a face at him.
• "You are not a guy so you will never understand and anyway you don't have such privileges," James said.
• 'Sir, she is here," came the bodyguard's voice and James and Mirenda turned to look at the entrance to see who would enter except for Jason who remained in his position.
• They were both curious about the type of girl Jason would like, and which crazy girl overlooked his distant attitude and dared to marry him. James, who doesn't believe in love, already concluded the girl might be a gold digger.
• Mirenda was imagining how the lady would look like. A highly sophisticated person and extremely beautiful.
• Julia entered the private living room and felt like she would pass out. The place was too expensive. She had heard about expensive places and never had to walk into one. She stood rooted to her spot.
• The smile on Mirenda's face froze. Well, she is beautiful but she is nothing like she had imagined. Mirenda scanned Julia from her head down to her toes. She was wearing a simple white blouse and blue jeans. The only expensive thing on her was the ring on her finger. Her hair looked like it had never come into contact with water.
• "What is that," Mirenda thought making faces like she just saw something gross.
• James on the other hand did not hold back his laughter.
• "Make sense. Now I understand why you didn't want anyone to know about your marriage," he commented with a giggle.
• "Where did you find her; Did you pick her up from the trash can?" he said and got up and called their mother.
• "Mum, come quick, you are never going to believe it," James shouted.
• Jason sat in his seat. He didn't want her there either if not for his father's letter. He loved his father dearly and there was nothing he wouldn't do for him. It would have been easier if he was alive, he could discuss it with him but he was gone and only left him a letter. Rejecting her is like rejecting a dead man's last wish.
• Their mother entered the living room with a frown because of how James was shouting. As soon as her gaze fell on Julia she shrieked.
• "What is that, how did it get here?" she questioned.
• "Well, that is what the cat dragged in," James said throwing his hands in the air and Jason shot him a warning look.
• "James cut it out," Mirenda scolded and turned to Mrs Haward. "That is Jason's supposed wife," she said.
• "You are joking right," said Mrs Haward.
• "No, she is not, look at her finger," James said pointing to Julia's finger and she covered the ring with her hand.
• Since she entered, it's been one humiliating comment after the other and Jason was just sitting there on the sofa like he is part of the house furnishing while she stood rooted to the place the guard had left her.
• "Jason, this is not acceptable. How can you do this to us?" asked Mrs Haward. "How can we present that to the public?" she said pointing to Julia.
• Julia left the living room. Outside, the guards saw her coming out the front door and they stopped her before she could leave.
• "And where do you think you are going?" questioned the guard who had stopped her.
• "To the place, I belong," she replied almost in tears.
• "No, you can't go," he said.
• "Why?" she asked. "I don't belong here so why can't I go back home? My mum doesn't even know I am not at home," she complained.
• "Just wait in the car," he suggested.
• That was Jason's most trusted guard, Peter. He knew how harsh the family can be when it comes to people who don't meet their standards. They will address you like you are a dirty thing.
• Two minutes later, he saw Jason coming out the front door. He stood there for a while as if in deep thought. He was so angry you can feel his anger miles away but it did not take away his handsome irresistible looks. The shirt he was wearing was hugging his broad chest and made his biceps visible. He runs his hand through his jet-black hair and stared straight ahead making his blue eyes so visible under the bright shining sun. He took strides towards this packed car.
• Peter quickly opened the back door for him and he sat inside next to Julia. Seeing him, Julia pushed to the other side pressing her back against the door.
• "Please I want to go home," she pleaded.
• "For now, you can't," he replied coldly.
• "Please, my mum doesn't know I am not at home. She would be worried sick. At least let me go tell her I am going to be away for a while. I beg you," she pleaded.
• Jason looked at her sad pleading face and he felt sorry for her.
• "Okay, I would let you go home on one condition: you will return the very next day by 6 am. You know I can find you if you run away," he threatened.
• "Yes please," she nodded.
• They have already abducted her twice and no one did anything because everyone was afraid of them. They are rich and powerful and hence can make you go missing without a trace. She didn't know who this man was yet, it’s like he controls everything in the city.
• "Go drop her at her mother's and come for me later," he said and got out of the car.
• She was relieved as soon as he got out of the car. She felt his very presence was going to suffocate her to death. The guard took her back to her home and dropped her off.
• "I will be here tomorrow at 5 am to pick you up, be ready then," he told her and she nodded in response.
• She entered the house, wishing with all her might she could run away from this rich family but where could she possibly go?
• Her friend Michael is still recovering from the beating. Tilly won't talk to her again when she found out she gave their contacts and names out.
• Julia stood on the porch worried and not sure what to do. She was going to leave her own home, and her mother, to leave under the same roof with a man whose family humiliated her.
• She had been taken away while in town twice already and none of the people passing by came to her rescue. It was like they were blind to the whole scene of her abduction. Her screams attracted no rescue from anyone. She recalled what the man and his guards had all said to her.
• ‘Scream, as someone will come.’
• It was obvious people were afraid of this guy and his people and hence they would not interfere with anything that has to do with them. She sighed and wondered how her mother would feel if she goes missing for days, just because she decides to ignore him and he sends his people to abduct her. She exhaled deeply and made a conclusive decision in her mind.
• "For now, she will just obey him and figure out a way to come back home later. She would inform her mother she was going to be away for a couple of days. She will say she found a new job outside the town," she thought and entered the house.
• When she entered the living room, she was expecting to see her mother, sitting on the sofa reading her book but she was not there. Her gaze quickly moved towards the bedroom.
• "Mum, where are you?" she called out to her and walked towards her bedroom.
• "Mum?" she called her again knocking gently on the door.
• She kept calling her and knocking on the door but there was no response. She turned the knob and it was open so she entered but froze in place at the sight that greeted her. Her mind went blank and the ground began to slip from beneath her feet.
• She took two more steps inside and darkness engulfed her followed by an airy feel around her which lasted for a while and she could not feel anything again.