Chapter 1: The ring

On the third floor of L.H. Group, Lerisa Jonah stood up from her office chair as she was through with her office work for the day.

She works as Anthony Gregson's secretary, so she stepped out of her office seat and picked up her black handbag that was on her office desk as she was already going home.

Lerisa's a fair-complexioned young lady, 24 years old, and she was wearing a yellow shirt, black pencil skirt, and black shoes. She wondered why she hadn't seen Anthony stepping out of his office.

She knew that Anthony usually closes by 5 pm and leaves the company before 6 pm, which was the company's normal closing hour.

She made her way toward Anthony's office door to find out what was still delaying her boss. As the time was already after 6 pm, and most of the staff were already going home.

Approaching Anthony's office door, Lerisa knocked, and she heard him respond, "Come in."

She pushed Anthony's office door slightly open and stepped into his office, where she saw him seated on his executive office chair and staring at a red ring box in his hands.

Lerisa's heart dropped the moment she saw the beautiful, sparkling diamond ring in Anthony's hand.

She knew at that moment that Anthony was in a very serious relationship with Clara Harry, and Anthony would soon propose to Clara.

She felt like crying out as she was also secretly in love with Anthony, but she couldn't tell him the truth as she wasn't brave enough to do so.

Her yellow face immediately turned red in sadness, and she stared downward to hide the saddened look on her face.

Anthony was busy admiring the diamond ring in the box that he was holding, and he didn't shift his gaze to stare at Lerisa.

They were childhood best friends, due to their fathers' closeness in the past. In working together, Lerisa's father was Anthony's father's former assistant. He supported Anthony's father in building the shoe company, which was now Anthony's own.

Lerisa knew that Clara Harry was a cheat and not deserving of a man like Anthony. She had seen Clara several times behind Anthony's back, flirting with different men, but she couldn't advise Anthony to stop dating Clara.

Lerisa witnessed Clara visiting Anthony in his office and caught them kissing too, which made her heart sink in her chest, knowing that Anthony was seriously in love with Clara.

Anthony was a 30-year-old black man. He wore a black suit with an inner red shirt and black shoes, which made him look handsome.

He has a short mustache and beard that enhances his looks and makes him look charming as a man.

Anthony finally stared at Lerisa's face, and he saw her staring downward in his office. He wondered what she wanted, as he had seen her for the day.

He forgot that his company had closed, as he was busy admiring the ring which he had bought. He intended to propose to Clara to marry him the following day.

Anthony asked, "What do you want, Lerisa?"

"I... I..." Lerisa spluttered and was unable to say why she was in his office, as she sounded heartbroken on seeing that lovely ring.

She came to tell Anthony that she was already going home, but Anthony didn't stare up at her face again. He was busy admiring the diamond ring and wondering if Clara would like it.

Anthony asked, "How do you see this ring, Lerisa? Remember that I invited you and the rest of our staff to attend my birthday party tomorrow, at my family's house? Well, I want to propose to Clara tomorrow. But I don't know if she will accept this beautiful diamond ring that I have bought for her and ordered from abroad. I do love Clara. What do you think, Lerisa? Do you think that Clara will love this ring and accept it? I bought it to prove my love to her?"

Lerisa's heart broke even more by Anthony's stupid question to her.

She saw him smiling sweetly at the ring. As Anthony continued looking downward at the ring, she replied, "I thought you had closed, Sir. That's why I'm here to collect the office key from your hands. But it seemed like you're not yet ready to go home."

Anthony immediately noticed the sadness in Lerisa's voice.

He shut the red ring box in his hands and stood up from his office seat. As he walked out to meet her, he asked, "What's wrong, Lerisa?"

Lerisa turned her back on Anthony, as hot tears freely streamed down from her eyes.

She couldn't tell Anthony the truth, that she was in love with him. Anthony only saw her as a sister to him, even though they were unrelated.

"What's wrong, Lerisa?" Anthony finally approached Lerisa and swirled her around to face him.

Lerisa felt the sparks, but Anthony ignored the sparks and looked intently at her face.

"Tell me, what's wrong with you?" he asked again in a stern voice, and Lerisa shuddered in his hold, but shook her head to indicate nothing.

She lied to him, "Nothing, Sir. I only came here to tell you that I'm going home. The company has closed for the day, and to collect the office key from you."

"Sir?" Anthony asked again as he continued to stare at Lerisa's face coldly. His eyes squinted in pain at her.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me sir, Lerisa? You're like a sister to me, and not just a staff here," Anthony said, and Lerisa shuddered as she hated for Anthony to always remind her that she was like a sister to him.

Anthony's office door opened, and his assistant Mark Terry stepped into his office to see him.

Mark looked surprised on seeing Anthony holding Lerisa's arms firmly and closely to his chest. Anthony didn't stare at him and was busy staring at Lerisa's face.

*Do they want to kiss?* Mark wondered in his mind, but he quickly composed his surprised look on his face and apologized to them, "I'm sorry, boss."