Everyone gathered in the living room including Joana. He sat on one of the couches in the living room while everyone was on their feet.
"As you all have noticed, this girl was brought to the house today. Treat her like your boss, respect her and don't disobey her. She is going to be acting like my fiance and when my family comes to visit, address her as Mrs Anderson as a matter of fact, start calling her Mrs Joana Mayor or just Mrs Mayor. Do I make myself clear?" His voice thundered throughout the entire building.
"Yes, sir Ace." The helpers yelled.
"That's all I have to say, go back to your duty post." He turned to Joana and said, "You, follow me"
Joana followed him to the room, she has accepted her faith. There's nothing she can do about it, she doesn't have any money to pay for a breach of contract and can't afford to sleep in a prison cell.
"You are going to sleep in this room with me, and you are going to perform your duty as my fiance. After I have proved to my dad that I'm responsible enough to become the CEO of the company, you shall leave this house and my life. Do I make myself clear?"
"And how do you intern to prove that to him? By having me as a girlfriend?" She asked
"Who says you are my girlfriend? You are going to pose as my fiance and after we meet my family, you and I will get married. And about the question you asked, don't bother yourself with that, you have no business with it."
"Choose your side of the bed. I'm sure Martha has shown you the closet, you are expected to dress in the clothes in the closet." He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the bathroom.
She winced but didn't dare to confront him. The stories she has been hearing about Ace Mayor are true, he is indeed a ruthless and heartless man. He is causing her so much pain but he careless about it, he is forcing her into a contract marriage.
"The pink and purple towel belongs to you, same with the bathrobes. The purple toothbrush is yours, open the cupboard at the left side and you'll find your body lotion, the same as the one you used to use in your previous house." He let go of her hand.
"How did you know my favourite colours and how did you know the type of body lotion I use?" She questioned mouth wide open.
"Are you too dumb not to know that you were investigated? I forgot, if you could sign a contract without reading then you can't understand simple things." He mocked.
"If you were in my shoes you'll probably do the same. Why did you choose me if I may ask?" She decided to change the topic, she could feel her cheeks burning with anger.
"Because you are fit, that's all you should know for now." He walked out of the bathroom, she had no choice but to follow him.
The next day, just like he said they went to visit his family. They are in the car heading there. Joana was fidgeting with her fingers, she never thought this was going to be the way she would be introduced to her in-laws, she had imagined it to be a happy occasion but right now she is anything but happy.
The car drive through a red gate, the compound was large, and the house itself looked like a palace. Golden statues were built on each side of the porch, pillars with lions carved on them, the house was painted royal blue, and not even a spec of dust could be found on the walls of the house.
The gigantic double doors were opened by two bodyguards, Joana was too stunned to speak, she feasted her eyes with the interior deco. A blue wool carpet with flower markings was on the entire floor of the living room, chairs made of gold circled the living room, a wine bar stood beside the fireplace four chandeliers on the four corners of the house portraits of the family members hung on the wall. Two flights of stairs, one on the far end of the right-hand side and the other on the far end of the left-hand side.
"Am I in a fairytale?" Joana muttered lips agape, eyes wide open.
"Close your mouth before you drool, it's disgusting," Ace said with a frown.
He held her hands and intertwine their fingers, they both forced smiles on their faces. "Good morning Grandma Flora," Ace let go of her hand and went to the side of an elderly woman who seems to be in her mid-sixties.
Some of her hair is turning grey, her face is slightly rickled, and she has beautiful black eyes, thin lips, and a long neck.
"Good morning Ace," Flora replied, she hugged her grandson and kissed his forehead.
"Good morning Dad," he greeted an elderly man who was sitting on the other side of the living room with a newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other hand, he seemed to be in his early fifties. He had black eyes like Flora, thin lips, a long neck, a pointy nose and sharp jawlines.
"Good morning Ace."
Everyone turned to the girl who was standing like a lost sheep in a corner of the room, she had her head down and was fidgeting with her fingers and nibbling on her bottom lip.
"Joana, meet my dad and grandma, everyone, meet Joana Anderson, my fiance." He went back to her side, and held her hand like a dotting boyfriend would.
"Good morning," she managed to say. She felt nervous, although the Aircon was on, she could feel sweat slide down her back and a sheen of sweat had formed on her forehead.
"What do you mean by Fiance?" His dad questioned with a frown.
"I Know this is so sudden but Joana and I have been in a relationship for months now but we decided to keep it a secret because she was scared of being in the spotlight since she is my girlfriend, she also didn't want to meet my family because she was scared."
Joana was impressed by the way he answered his dad, it looked like he had prepared himself for this, he had crafted and carved his plan perfectly.
"Now I know how that feels, that's how I felt when I was in a relationship with your dad." A lady spoke from behind. Everyone turned to her, she had blue eyes, a sharp nose, a perfect jawline, a plump bottom lip, and long and thick eyelashes. She looked a little bit pale but she was still beautiful.
It looks like Ace took after his mother, from the blue eyes to plump bottom lip, the jawline and nose, everything was the same.
"Good morning son," she spread her hands for a hug, Ace hugged her, and she kissed his forehead.
"Good morning suppose daughter-in-law," she smiled and hugged Joana.
"Marie, you shouldn't be up and you know that, you just recovered and the doctor said you should rest." Flora scolded.
"Mother I'm tired of the bed, my back aches." She sat down next to her mother-in-law and placed her head on her shoulder.
Joana admired the bond they share, she had wished for her life with her future mother-in-law to be like this. "Ace, are you going to let her stand the entire day? Offer her a seat and let's talk." Flora said.
"Of course grandma Flora." He placed his hand on her waist and guided her to a seat, her movement was a little bit stiff because of his hand placement.
"how long did you say you two have been in a relationship?" Flora asked.
"For some months now," Ace replied, unlike Joana who looked nervous, he was calm and even had a smile on his face as he spoke to his grandmother.
"When do you plan on getting married? You said you two are engaged?" Flora continues.
"We are not in a hurry Grandma Flora, I want her to get to know you all and vice versa. She has been dying to meet you but just didn't have the heart to approach you."
"Why were you scared of us?" His father asked.
"She was scared because of what you guys might think of her.."
"I didn't ask you, Ace, let the young lady speak for herself.." his father said with a frown. He doesn't believe what Ace said and the only way to find out is to ask the girl in the room.
"Just as he said, I was scared to meet all of you. I didn't know what you would think of me because I'm from a poor background, and I don't have a job yet. I don't want to be looked down upon or to be seen like a gold digger." She just followed Ace's style of answering the question, she internally curse him for not briefing her on what she was going to say Incase they ask her any questions.
"Why would you think that?" His dad asked...
"Because I have the notion that wealthy people only want to associate themselves with their class, I've had my share of embarrassment from the upper class and so I just come up with this theory.."
"Then how did you and Ace meet when you have such a theory?"
"It wasn't easy for the both of us. All my life I've always wanted an average man, someone who was just conformable. So when Ace and I met, it wasn't a bed of roses, I had built a wall between us. He would try to talk to me on different accounts but I'll push him away."
"But he was persistent, I decided to observe him from a distant and that's when I realized that he wasn't like the others, he was charming, sweet, romantic and he knew how to sweep a lady off her feet."
Ace was impressed with the way she handled the questions, he secretly smile, he had to give it to her.
"Darling leave the poor girl alone, question your son and not her. Can't you see how tense she is? I've been staring at her, she is going to peel her skin off with her nails if you don't stop." Ace's mother said. She could relate to Joana because she had felt that way before when Ace's father took an interest in her.
The day she met her in-laws, she almost peed her pants but they were nice to her, they welcomed her.
"Dad, mom is right, Joana easily gets uncomfortable and I don't want her to feel that way on the first time of meeting you guys." Ace spoke, he didn't want her to be questioned too much, she might get scared and spill the beans.
"You know I didn't question Marie too much when you first brought her here, I didn't want her to be nervous. Let the poor girl be and focus on your son who has been in a relationship for months and has engaged the girl but didn't tell us about it."
"Ace I want to talk to you in private." His father stood up and went to his office, Ace followed him.
"Don't worry about him Joana, tell me is my son romantic? I thought he was going to be a bad boyfriend but what you just said is telling me something else." Marie whispered, she left her seat and went to sit next to Joana.
"He is sometimes, but most of the time he is mean and bossy." They chuckled.
"I knew it, just like his father. They don't know that a woman has to be treated with care always."
Joana suddenly felt relaxed while talking to Marie and Flora, they were easy to talk to and made the air a little easy, she wasn't tensed like before.
Meanwhile inside the office, Ace sat opposite his father, his father doesn't seem to buy the lie that came out of his mouth. "Are you doing this because you want to become the CEO of the company?" He asked.
"Did you pay that poor girl to be your pretend girlfriend? I can tell she is a good girl and can not accept being a pretend girlfriend. But I know the son I raised, you must have forced her into this."
"Dad come on, why will you think such about me? You told me to prove myself to you by getting a girlfriend, I've presented my girlfriend to you and here you are not believing me."
"I remember last week, you were pressuring me to get a girlfriend, I told you there's no reason for that and that was because I already had Joana in my life but couldn't talk about her because she was scared of meeting you guys."
"I'm going to be watching you, Ace, I'm going to make sure she is truly your girlfriend or not and if she truly is, I just hope you've let go of the past."
"She truly is my girlfriend and about the past, I'm over it. I wouldn't be here with you inside this room if I wasn't."
"His dad nodded. Does your sister know about her?" His father asked he was slowly buying the story but not completely, he knows Ace.
"Allison doesn't know about her, speaking of her where is she? Why isn't she here?" Allison is his twin sister, she is the opposite of Ace. She is kind, easy to talk to just like her mother and a carefree lady.
"I don't know, she didn't come home last night, I've been trying to reach her but to no avail..."
"And you didn't tell me? Dad!" He stood up and went to the living room.
"Mom I've you been able to reach Allison? Dad told me she hasn't been home since last night." He asked his mom.
"There's no need for that, I'm home." A lady said walking in, she had black eyes, thin lips, a long neck, a pointy nose and sharp jawlines. She took after her father.
"Sorry about last night mom, Dorine wasn't feeling well so I couldn't come, my battery died that's why you couldn't reach me." She said, she walked to her grandmother's side and placed her head on her thigh. Dorine is her best friend and partner in crime.
"Grandma good morning." She blinked her eyes and batted her eyelashes.
"Allison, I've known you for twenty-six years, you can't fool me, I know you didn't spend the night at Dorine's, where were you?" Marie asked, she sounded and looked furious. Her hands were on her hips, she was tapping her right leg while talking to her.
"Mom, okay fine... I went out with my friends for a few drinks and got wasted, Dorine and I crashed in the penthouse, my phone battery was dead so I couldn't call you to inform you." She finally spilt the beans.
"Allison you are twenty-six, when are you going to stop living such a life? You should be married by now and you know that." Marie's lowered her tone, her face suddenly changed from being angry to looking pitiful.
"Mom, marriage is not for everybody, I just want to live a carefree life. If you are worried about grandchildren, fine I'll get you one and I believe Ace will give you one or more as well. I don't just see myself getting married."
"That's enough, let her go in and get change, she smells of alcohol," Flora said this was the reason she went to Flora the moment she entered the house because she knew that with flora by her side, they won't be able to do her anything.
"I'll be back, Ace prepare to tell me who this beautiful girl is, I want to know every detail." She ran upstairs, "Good morning Daddy." She greeted her father and continued running.
"She seems interesting," Joana thought out loud, she quickly covered her mouth.
"There's no reason to cover your mouth and don't follow her footstep. Ace keep her away from Allison, I have one troublesome daughter, I don't need another."
"Of course Mom, I'm going to make sure they never meet, come and have a seat, you know you shouldn't be worried, your health is not in the best state right now," Ace said.
Joana smiled at their relationship, it seems like their family is very simple and nice, the only person who is wicked and mean is Ace, and everyone else looks cool and easy to go with.
"Where did she say she was from?" His father asked.
"Why don't you ask her Hector? You and your mother have spoiled that girl a lot. Do you know she went out to drink last night and was wasted so she had to pass the night in her penthouse?"
"Allison is a grown-up, she knows what she wants, let's not force her into anything. Let her be Marie, she is going to stop all this madness when she finds love or has a child." Hector sat next to her and began massaging her shoulder.
"Are you okay with her having a child outside marriage?" Marie asked.
"Why not? As long my children are happy, I am happy."...
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