A special gift for Mrs. Markinson

Pamela:

Royal kissed me breathlessly in front of a few of my family and friends, most notably my foe Liam. With a smirk on his face, he pulled away. He handed me the flower and planted a kiss on my cheeks, instantly making them flush.

I was still speechless, my jaw agape, when he got down on one knee and pulled out a blue box that glittered beneath the hall's lighting. My heart was pounding faster than ever, so I swallowed hard and nibbled on my lower lips.

What on earth did he think he was doing? I know he was trying to help me, but this was ridiculous.?

"Royal…st…" I couldn't even form a sentence before he said the words

"Will you marry me, Pamela Riles?" He inquired, opening the box to reveal the finest diamond ring I had ever seen.

When I saw it, my eyes widened because I knew it had to be expensive. I was taken aback, not because of the drama he displayed, but because he could afford it.

Who was this man? As I looked at him, I wondered.

"Say it!" Everyone was chanting.

I returned my gaze to my mother, who had a tear in her eye, the corner of her lips raised, and her hands clasped to her chest. My gaze returned to Liam, who had a scrunched face and clenched jaw. The anger which his presence made me feel spoke for me.

"Yes, I will marry you," I said, my gaze fixed on Liam's.

Liam started walking away the moment Royal put the ring on my finger. His wife pursued him, but he threw her hands away in rage.

Royal lifted me up in bridal style and everyone cheered for us, but my mind was absent. I was engrossed in Liam's drama.

"Let's parttay!" The M.C. yelled, and everyone immediately got into the groove.

I glowered at Royal, and he immediately put me down on my feet. My mother then approached us with a big smile on her face.

"Oh, my lovely, lovely daughter. "She said this while kissing my cheeks.

Then she took Royals' hands in hers "You almost had me back then; I could have sworn that the young man that left looked exactly like the one in the pictures he sent. I was on the verge of going into a coma. I'm glad it was all a ruse, "I forced a grin up my lips as she spoke.

"You even look better in person," she said, immersing Royal in a hug.

Royal still had some explaining to do, and I'm curious how long he intended to keep this up. In reality, he had only elongated my problems. If my mother were to go into a coma knowing I wouldn't be marrying, she would die instantly if she knew it was all fake.

My family members quickly surrounded me, and when I looked around for Royal, he was nowhere to be found. I pushed through the crowd in a bid to track him down and put an end to his insanity.

I immediately ran outside the hall to look for him. I had to look all over the compound before I found him near the pool with a cigar in his house. There were other people all over the place, but I didn't care.

"Ms. Pamela," he said as he took a puff from his stick, smiling.

I kept a straight face as I approached him, but his smile didn't fade.

"What do you think you're doing?" I barked, but he didn't move. "I thought I made it clear that you were fired; there were no employees here, let alone new ones who had sex with their bosses while drunk!" I kept yelling while he stood there with a half-smile on his lips.

Did he find this amusing? He'd just made my life more difficult. I was hoping that tonight would relieve some of the pressure so that I could concentrate on my contract with the Markinsons.

I was enraged because he stood still without saying anything. "I swear to God, Royal, I'm going to..." I smacked his face before I could say the word.

I heard guns corking everywhere as my hand landed on his face, and my eyes widened, causing me to freeze in time as I was surrounded by about five heavily armed men.

"Easy boys," Royal said, waving their guns down, and I swallowed hard as I took a step back.

"Who... who... who... are you?" My heart was pounding in my chest as I stuttered.

He then let out a short cackle, snapped his finger, and one of the men dashed over to get his cigar. He approached me after handing it over to the man and said.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself to you. My name is Royal Markinson. The Markinson empire's first heir,"

When I heard those words, my eyes blinked continuously and my heart began to race. This had been a crazy week and I would be damned glad if this were a dream. I looked at him wondering if the slap had jeopardized the contract.

"Don't be short on words, my dear, when I want something, I go the extra mile for it," he said in a croaky tone, taking a few steps forward.

He lifted my chin and looked me in the eyes.

"But why did you?" I asked, my mouth agape.

"Enjoy your party, my dear, and you'll find out when the night is done," he said as he kissed my chin.

After that, he snapped his hands, and his men surrounded him. Then they walked away.

*******

I was disoriented and unable to concentrate throughout the party. I pretended to be fine, but deep down I was curious about what Royal was up to. Why did he disguise himself in order to gain access to my company? He stated that he desired something, so what was it? How could I possibly have something that he desires? Did he want one of my models?

The party was over, and the guests had drained the entire hall. My drunk mother, Mia, and a few aunts were the only ones there. My phone rang just as I was about to assist my mother into her room.

When I saw that the message was from Royal, I swallowed hard.

"Meet me at the docks, I've got something for you..." it said.

"Could you please get Mum to..."

"Sure thing, ma," she replied. "But please could you sign here?" she says presenting some documents.

I signed at the required places without going through the document, then I bolted out the door.

I was intrigued, and I needed to silence the voices in my head because they were driving me insane. When I arrived at the dock, I paused for a moment before driving into the compound with a large number of containers. A part of me kept telling me I shouldn't be here, but I needed answers.

Finally, I arrived near the sea, where I noticed a black Bentley parked. The door opened as soon as I stopped my car, and Royal stepped out with his hands in his pockets.

"Ms. Pamela, thank you for joining me," Royal said.

I approached him with a fake smile on my face.

"Come with me," he said, taking my hands in his. Then he led me to the warehouse, which was just a short white structure spread across many acres.

"Why are you..." I was about to finish when he opened the door and revealed a candle-lit dinner.

"Happy birthday, Pamela," he said, his hands slipping around my waist.

I was perplexed for a while because I couldn't understand any of these.

"I've got you something special," he said quietly, and I gasped as his breath touched my neck.

I was about to say that there would be no more surprises, but he dragged me along in one thug. Then he snapped his fingers, and a truck backed up on us. My heartbeat quickened as I wondered what was inside. Could it possibly be money? A new vehicle? No, I was insane.

The truck came to a halt, and the back door was opened to reveal Liam's almost lifeless body, missing a finger….