Chapter Sixty Two

After dropping Princess at school and doing all the necessary things, Christopher and Rose left together to go to the new mall that Christopher wants to open for Rose.

"You know you don't have to always go to work. Right?" Christopher asked Rose

"Yes, I know. I also know that I can use the office at home to do all my work. This is just a formality." Rose answered.

"Wait, you have seen the office? That means you guessed the password!." Christopher said.

"Yes, I guessed it after the second trial. It looks just like my office in Benue but why do you have to make it identical?" Rose asked him.

"I wanted to create something you were familiar with. That's why the office is like that. Do you like it?" Christopher asked.

"Of course! I love it. You even put the same picture that I have in my table in Benue state also." Rose said.

"Yeah, I have the same picture on my table as well but, I will change it very soon. I now have a new favorite picture." He said with a smile.

"Ok, so we were talking about something before Mrs. Rita joined us at the dining. How do I get into the building without being seen by the press?" Rose asked.

"Don't worry about that. I told you that I have a media company. Right?" He asked and Rose nodded her head. "Ok, well. There is an underground garage in the mall and it's not open to everybody. You will enter through the back. There is a key card that belongs to only you. It's used to open the back gate and the garage. Once you enter the elevator, it would take you to your office floor which is the tenth floor." Christopher explained.

"Tenth floor!!!" Rose asked incredulously.

"Yes, the tenth floor. Is there a problem?" Christopher asked.

"Yes, there is a problem. How many floors are there?" Rose asked.

"Ten floors up. Your office is on the tenth floor." Christopher answered. He still did not understand why she was surprised.

"That would cost you a lot of money.! It's too much. I was expecting at least three floors." Rose said then she remembered what he said earlier. "Wait... Did you say, then floors up? That means there are more than ten floors in total. How many floors are there?" She asked.

"Calm down!! It didn't cost me as much as you are thinking besides, that's small compared to what you have given me!" He said and took one of her hands into his own. "This is just a drop in the ocean for me. I told you that my wealth exceeds that of my father's times ten and I am not exaggerating. I would have left that man alone without disturbing him but, he passed his boundaries. Just see it as a means of taking care of you." He added.

"Thank you. Thank you so much.!" Rose appreciated.

"You don't need to thank me. It's what I must do besides everything we do now is to make life easier for our children. Speaking of children, why don't you want to give Princess a phone?" Christopher asked.

"It's not that I don't want to get her a phone. It's just that's I don't want to give her just yet. I know she needs a phone and all that but, I can't just hand everything to her on a golden platter. Maybe, If if there is a way for her to make money she would know how we both struggle to make make it. I had nothing when I was growing up and I had to sell pure water. You also had to work even if your father had money to give you. That's because you know what you wanted in life. That's how I want our daughter our child to be." Rose explained.

"Now I understand you! I have an idea, there is a boutique in your mall and you sell children's clothes. How about you make her your model?" Christopher suggested.

"That's a great idea but we have to ask her. She Is still very young and I don't want anything that will distract her from her studies." Rose said.

"You were the one who wanted her to earn the money for her phone and you are complaining. Did working make you less brilliant? Did working and studying make me less brilliant?" Christopher asked her.

"No, it didn't." She answered.

"You see, it will not make her less brilliant! Let's talk to her when we get home." Christopher said.

They got to the mall and Christopher drove them in through the back and when they entered, Rose was wowed. The interior alone speaks of wealth. They went from the garage straight to the tenth floor. "This is so beautiful!! I am sure you spent millions upon millions. Thus place spells money." Rose said.

"It's nothing compared to what you have given to me. I love you Rose and I will do anything for you." Christopher said.

"Thank you for loving me," Rose answered. She still couldn't bring herself to say the love word yet. She still wasn't sure of her feeling yet.

Christopher took her on a tour around the mall and there were twelve floors in the mall. Ten floors above the ground and two floors above. There was a restaurant on the third floor, a boutique on the fifth floor, there was a movie cinema and anything one would need. Once a customer comes into the mall, they don't have to go back out to buy any other thing. Everything could be gotten inside the mall. "This is like the whole Oshodi market put together. It's so wonderful." Rose commented after the tour.

"If you like it then, I feel fulfilled," Christopher said happily. He looked at the time and it was a few minutes to 10. "It's time for the opening. Do you want to wait In your office while we open or what?" He asked her.

"I'd rather wait in my office. What will you be doing?" Rose asked.

"Well, today is a big day for me as well. Today, the whole world will hear about how wealthy I am. I am going public as the owner of some of my companies today. The people in charge will announce at 10 am. That's when it will also talk about you being my wife." Christopher explained.

"Before you tell the world eh, how about you give me an idea of what your net worth is?" Rose asked.

"That won't be a problem. My net worth should be in the trillions!" Christopher said.

"What!! Are you that rich?" Rose asked incredulously.

"Yes, I am that rich. Even I don't know how I became so lucky." Christopher explained.

"Hmmm, we will talk more later. I might even mingle with the customers later." Rose said.

"The workers all know you. I made sure to show them your picture and most of them are people who work for me. So, If you come out, they know who you are" Christopher explained.

"That means I'll have to meet them later. I want the mall to close by 3pm so that I can talk with the worker and meet them then, Still meet up with Princess." Rose said.

"That won't be a problem. I have everything arranged already. Just sit back in your office and watch what is happening around here. There Are cctv cameras everywhere and apart from the control room, you can see everything in your office." Christopher explained to her.

"Thank you so much Chris," Rose said and hugged him. "Thank you!" She mumbled hugging him tighter.

"You are welcome love!!" Christopher answered as he hugged her back.

They were still hugging each other when people started gathering outside the mall waiting for it's doors to be open. "I guess it's time." Rose said and Christopher nodded his head. "I'll see you later," she said, pecked him and ran away.

After Rose had taken the elevator, Christopher rubbed his hands together and whispered to himself, "it's time." He went back out through the back door, drove to the front where everyone will see him drive-in and, came out of his car. Immediately he stepped out, his bodyguards who had been hanging around surrounded him. As he got to the front of the mall, reporters and the people who had been waiting for the opening crowded around him. Due to the tight security around him, they couldn't get close to him. The reporters could only fire their questions from afar. "Mr. Christopher, is it through this Mall belongs to you?" A report asked.

"Mr. Christopher, is it true that you opened this mall because you want to stop working with your father?" Another one asked.

"Who was the lady that was seen together with you over the weekend?" Another one asked.

They kept asking a series of questions but Christopher didn't answer any of them. In his mind, he was having a count down. Just as he got to the front of the door and turned to face everyone who had come, his people released the news that he wanted them to. The people who were present got the news and they were all shocked. There was silence for a few minutes and after the trance was broken different questions were fired at once. "Is this news true?"

"Mr. Christopher, is it true that you own C. Technologies?"

"Is the news that we are getting true?" Questions like that were what they were throwing at him.

He waited for them to ask their questions and then, lifted his hand to signal them to be quiet. As if being controlled, they all kept quiet and waited for him to say what he wanted to say. "Today, we have all come out to celebrate the opening of C.R.P malls and I thank you all for showing up.!"

"Are you that owner!?" Someone in the crowd shouted.

"Well, I am not the owner but I am very close to the owner. The person who owns this mall doesn't want to be known yet that's why I am here before you all!." Christopher answered. Rose was watching it live on her phone.

"So, is the news that is spreading about you true? That you are the owner of all C corporations?" Another person asked.

"Yes, they are all true! I am the owner but I have had people run it for me. Today, I stand before you all as the owner of all C.coperations! In and outside the country and, I have an important announcement to make. The lady that was seen together with me over the weekend is my legal wife and the child is mine!" Christopher announced. His announcement caused a stir among the people watch and the one present.

"What about your engagement to miss Cindy?" Someone in the crowd shouted.

Christopher was quiet for a moment without saying anything. Everyone present became anxious to know the answer. He made them all curious before he started. "I have never had any relationship whatsoever with Cindy. The engagement was just a ploy by my father and her. How can someone get engaged without the other party being present?" He said and even threw a question at them.

His answer was a shock to everyone. Different questions started flying around.

"Why would you say you don't have any relationship whatsoever You two have been seen together more than one occasion.!" Somebody shouted.

"Are you trying to say miss Cindy is just a third party in your marriage?" Another person shouted.

At that point, the crowd that was present had increased in number. When the statement was released, more reported who were not aware of what was supposed to happen had rushed down to get the information firsthand. "Mr. Christopher, what is the name of your wife and how long have you two been married?" Another person asked.

"If you didn't have any relationship with miss Cindy then why did your father come out to say you two are engaged?"

"Tell us!! We need to know what exactly is happening!! Are you trying to get out of your engagement by bringing in an outsider to pose as your wife?" Another person asked.

Christopher who had been quiet all along finally answered. "Let me ask the public a very important question. In this generation and age, will any of you allow your parents to force you into a marriage that lacks love? Would you be willing to get married to please your parent when you have someone you love?" Christopher asked.

Many people who were present started to murmur. "Are you trying to say you were being forced to marry Miss Cindy?" A reporter asked.

"What I am trying to say is that I have a woman who was with my child and I was being asked to get married to another. We met when I first got back to Nigeria and somehow, we lost contact. I never stopped looking for her and when I found her, she had given birth to a child for me. I waited for years before going back to the woman I truly love!" Christopher said.

"How are you so sure that the child is yours? What if it's just a ploy to destroy your engagement to miss Cindy? What if she only came to you because of your wealth?" Someone in the crowd asked.

"Just like I said earlier, I love her!! She didn't come looking for me!! I went looking for her. If she wanted my money then, she would have come to me a long time ago. She didn't come to me. I went to her. If she is with me because of my money then, I am willing to give everything to her. She is the only woman I am willing to spend the rest of my life with.!" Christopher said.

Rose who was watching it live couldn't help the smile from spreading across her face. Cindy and Mr. Allen who were watching it in their various houses felt like dying. "Does that mean Miss Cindy was only being a third party in your relationship?" Someone asked.

"I have a daughter who will be six years old very soon and I have spent bare seven years in this country since my return. Think about that. Anyways, that would be all for now. I will now open this mall and be the first customer to buy something!" Christopher said. He turned to the door, cut the ribbon on the door, and opened the door. The crowd outside poured in after Christopher. In less than a few minutes after it was opened, celebrities started pouring in. They wanted to use that opportunity to curry favor with Christopher. People kept pouring into the mall every minute. After entering inside, Christopher managed to sneak away from the crowd. He took the elevator all the way to the tenth floor and went to Rose's office. "What do you think?" He asked as he went to sit beside her.

"This is more than I expected. Can you see how people keep coming in?" Rose asked as she pointed to the huge tv that she was looking at.

"Yes, I can see it. You deserve this and more. How was the reply I gave to all the questions that they asked me?" Christopher asked her.

Rose smiled as when she heard the question. She turned in her chair so that she would be facing him and said, "you did well. I especially like the part where you said I could take all your wealth and you wouldn't mind. Do you mean that my dear husband?"

"Yes, I meant every word I said today! You have my heart so, what my money that you can't have? Besides, you are also a very wealthy woman. You are worth billions as we speak. I can also take your money while you take mine!" Christopher answered with a smile. While they were talking and wasn't watching the CCTV, they failed to notice Cindy who just walked into the mall.