Chapter 0005

Lerisa finished having dinner with her parents in the dining room. None of her siblings were at home, so she stood up, locked the front door, and returned to her bedroom to sleep.

She went into her bedroom, picked up her phone, and saw that it was 10 p.m.

Lerisa was surprised to see seven missed calls from Anthony and wasted no time calling him back to find out why he had called.

The phone call connected, and Lerisa spoke first: “Hello, Anthony.”

Anthony was still in his bedroom, preparing to sleep. He saw his phone ringing, picked it up, and saw that Lerisa was calling.

He answered, “Hey, Lerisa. I was calling earlier to see if you got home safely and if you’re alright now.”

“Yeah, I’m fine now. Thanks for checking on me,” Lerisa replied. She knew Anthony cared for her like an older brother, but he wasn’t her brother—she had an elder brother named James Jonah.

Lerisa wished Anthony could see her beyond the sibling bond or their families’ closeness, because she loved him.

Anthony said, “Okay then. Goodnight. I’ll still visit you tomorrow morning to check on you again.”

“Okay,” Lerisa replied. She didn’t want to refuse Anthony’s visit to her family home. She agreed, knowing it wasn’t his first time visiting, especially since her mother liked him a lot. She said, “Goodnight too.”

The call ended, and Lerisa stared at her phone screen in silence for a while. She had saved Anthony’s photos on her phone and even used one as her screen wallpaper.

Lerisa smiled and kissed Anthony's photo on the screen, feeling her innocent heart flutter and thudding in her chest for Anthony.

"If only he could hear my heart beating for him," Lerisa muttered. She plugged her phone in to charge, then went into her bathroom to relieve herself, before coming out and climbing on her pink bed to sleep.

--------------

The following Saturday morning, after Anthony finished his early exercise and fitness training, he jogged for a while and ran as well.

Anthony was a billionaire, but that didn’t stop him from exercising; since most of the wealthy residents in their town stayed active.

Anthony was wearing a white sports jersey that morning—a white singlet top, white shorts, white socks, and white canvas shoes.

He looked breathtakingly handsome, and plenty of young ladies along the way stole glances as they watched him jog in the early morning.

Anthony’s family home was not far from Lerisa’s—only two streets away. He decided to visit Lerisa at her family mansion to see how she was doing, since he saw her as a younger sister and his best friend.

Finally, Anthony approached Lerisa’s family gate and knocked on the huge black gate, waiting for someone to open it.

The large black gate was locked from the inside, and Anthony didn’t have his phone with him to call Lerisa and let her know he was there.

Anthony checked his wristwatch and saw it was after 8 a.m. The sun was rising gradually above the clouds. He knocked again before Lerisa, who was sweeping the front of her father’s compound, came to open the gate.

Lerisa gasped, surprised to see Anthony standing there looking breathtakingly handsome and sweaty.

Her breath caught at the sight of Anthony in a white singlet top that hugged his masculine abs. She wondered what those toned abs would feel like if she ever touched him.

She gulped hard as her brown eyes looked up at Anthony’s handsome, dark face. Meeting his eyes, she greeted him shyly, “Good morning, sir.”

Anthony smiled, happy to see Lerisa’s blushing face, as she often did around him. She was very light-skinned, and he liked seeing her pretty face.

Anthony replied, “Good morning, Lerisa. How was your night?” He lifted the water bottle in his right hand to his lips. After twisting it open, he drank, water dripping from the side of his mouth.

Lerisa swallowed again, watching Anthony drink. She looked downward as he pulled the bottle away and asked her, “I came to see you this morning. How are you feeling now?”

“Lerisa! Who’s at the gate?” Lerisa heard her mother call from the front of the house.

She glanced back into the compound toward her mother before replying, “Anthony is here, Mom.”

Anthony walked closer to the gate, near Lerisa. He told her, “Move away from the gate; let me say hello to your parents first.”

Lerisa wasn’t wearing a bra under her blue nightgown. She felt her body radiate heat from Anthony’s close proximity.

She quickly stepped aside from the gate to let Anthony enter her parents’ compound, since he was standing very close in front of her.

Anthony smiled at Lerisa, his eyes drifting down and lingering on her full brẹasts. He gulped and quickly looked away as his gaze fell on her hard, pointed nipples, already visible through the light fabric.

Lerisa quickly stepped aside, and Anthony walked into the compound to greet her mother, who was smiling at him.

Mrs. Antonia stepped outside from the front door as she saw Anthony approaching. She realised he was the man who had been speaking with Lerisa at the gate.

Antonia smiled at Anthony and greeted him first: “Our CEO, good morning, sir.”

Anthony smiled and replied, “Good morning, Ma. How are you doing this morning?”

“I’m fine, and you? What a pleasant surprise to see you here! You hardly visit us since you took over as the new CEO. Did we do anything to offend you in any way?” Antonia inquired.

Anthony smiled and replied, “No, Ma. Not at all.”

Anthony offered a friendly smile, which relieved Antonia. She smiled back and said, “You’re welcome to our house anytime. Come inside; I’m about to prepare breakfast. You can join us.”

“No, Ma. Thank you. I only came to see how Lerisa is doing—she looked so sad yesterday,” Anthony said, his eyes moving to where Lerisa stood. She walked up to them, smiling shyly and hiding her blushing face in her palms.

“Lerisa? Oh, she came home looking sad yesterday, and I wondered what was wrong. I hope there’s no problem between you two at the office,” Antonia said.

“No, Ma. I don’t have any problem with Lerisa, and I can see she’s fine now. I should be on my way home—that’s why I came to check on her,” Anthony replied politely, wanting to leave.

“Okay then. Thank you for visiting and checking on my daughter. Your mother invited me to your birthday celebration tonight. I hope you invited my daughter as well,” Antonia said, smiling warmly, as she wanted Anthony as her son-in-law.

Anthony smiled handsomely and replied, “Yes, Ma. I did.”

“Okay then. We’ll see you later this evening. I should go inside now and finish preparing what I was going to fry for breakfast before you arrived. Goodbye, Anthony,” Antonia said, to which Anthony replied, “Okay, Ma.”

Lerisa stood aside, listening to her mother’s conversation with Anthony. Her mother went back into the bungalow, leaving them alone.