CHAPTER 5

"Mom..." Charles approaches his mother and hugs her. She smiles and says, "Charles... You haven't answered my question yet. I was waiting for you to return home so we can have dinner together as a family."

"Good evening, Mom," Charles greets her, hugging her shoulder, and walks with her toward the dining room.

He replies, "She's the one, Mom, and she's very pretty too."

"Hmm," First Lady Kira smiles, staying silent as she watches Charles pull out a dinner chair for her.

She sits elegantly in the first chair and continues to watch her handsome son. Charles sits in the chair beside her right at the dining table.

He adds, "Mom, Nancy is the one, and she's very cute. Where did you get her photo? I really like her."

"Mm," First Lady Kira smiles as she watches the maids step out of the kitchen and approach the dining table to serve dinner for her and Charles.

They serve the delicious meals since President Nolan Alejandro is not around—he is in a presidential meeting.

First Lady Kira smiles and replies to Charles, "Your father made it known to some of his cabinet members that he was looking for a bride for you and asked who among them had pretty daughters you might like and choose from."

"Hmm, thanks, Mom. I really like Nancy, but..." Charles's words trail off as he remembers how Nancy ran away from him.

His mother asks, "But what, Charles?"

First Lady Kira frowns as she watches her only son act nervously. She waits for the maids to finish serving and leave before asking again, "Charles... Do you want us to cancel the wedding? It's in two days, and you cannot embarrass your father and me in public, in front of all our prominent guests."

"I know, Mom, but the truth is that Nancy ran away from me when I went to welcome her home in her family house." Charles shakes his head in embarrassment, covering his face with both palms, remembering how she ran—but the way her hips swayed seductively.

Charles smiles, unaware that his mother stares at him angrily; she doesn't find his revelation funny.

She snaps, "What? Charles, how dare Nancy run away from you? We need to cancel the wedding right now. Didn't her parents inform her she's marrying you, with the wedding the day after tomorrow?"

"No, Mother. You cannot call off the wedding," Charles refutes, and his mother's jaw drops as she stares sadly at her son, who has fallen for a silly lady.

"Don't tell me you still want to marry that lady who doesn't love you, Charles. I cannot allow that." First Lady Kira adds.

"I know, Mother, but you and Father have always wanted me to marry, and now I cannot change my choice. I understand Nancy's fears—she's marrying the president's son, so she must be scared, Mom." Charles says, smiling sadly, but his mother shakes her head.

"No, Charles. She's supposed to be happy and glad you've chosen her. Any other lady would be excited and shower you with love. How dare Nancy run away, and you take it lightly? Where's my phone? I need to get her arrested and deal with her before throwing her behind bars."

"No, Mother!" Charles snaps, startling her. "You cannot do that. If I don't marry Nancy, I won't marry any other lady."

"What?" Mrs. Kira's jaw drops again; she turns speechless and stares at her son in shock.

She shakes her head. "No, Charles. This isn't happening. I'll find another bride—there are many pretty ladies, even more light-skinned than Nancy."

"No, Mother. I want Nancy Marlon. I really want her, and no one else. I want to feel her love and warmth, and I believe with time she'll love me too."

"Just give Nancy some time, Mom, and know that I'm truly in love now." Charles smiles, surprising his mother more.

Her jaw remains agape. She gulps as Charles says, "Let's have our dinner, Mom, before it gets cold."

"Okay, son." First Lady Kira subtly blames herself in her heart for choosing Nancy's photo first. She has seen many pretty young women's photos, as every family wants their daughter to marry her son, despite online ridicule. It didn't deter them from sending millions of photos to her assistant.

First Lady Kira personally selected Nancy's photo first when her eyes fell on it among others, knowing Charles wouldn't have time to go through them all.

Now she regrets it—the silly lady rejected her son, the most handsome and well-to-do young man in the city.

*If it weren't that Charles loves women and is rumored to be a male prostitute, what would give her the right to reject him?* First Lady Kira sighs heavily in her mind, and Charles asks, "Mom, is everything alright?"

"Yes, Charles." First Lady Kira replies and thinks to inform her assistant to place a monitoring team on Nancy. She won't let Nancy run away under her watch.

*I need a personal background check on Nancy to see if she has a secret lover—that's why she rejected Charles.* First Lady Kira thinks and sighs again. But Charles doesn't ask what's wrong; they eat dinner silently in the dining hall.

After dinner, Charles stands first from the chair and prepares to retire upstairs. He says to his mother, "Good night, Mom."

"Yeah, good night, Charles." First Lady Kira replies as Charles leans closer and pecks her right cheek, then walks toward the living room stairs and climbs them to his bedroom.

Charles uses the stairs to exercise his mind, thinking about Nancy and why she ran away.

Charles enters his sitting room first and walks to his bedroom. He picks up Nancy's photo from the headboard.

He kisses her photo on her pink lips, which he admires most, and says, "So pink and lovely. I cannot wait to have you as my wife and kiss these beautiful pink lips every day."

Charles smiles and kisses Nancy's photo again; his whole body wants her.

He asks himself, "But why did she run away? Am I ugly now?"

Charles frowns and walks to his bedroom mirror to examine his face. He has full short black hair, neatly shaped front hair and short beard—he's a tall, handsome Black man.

He murmurs, "Maybe she doesn't like guys with beards. Hmm... But she's so beautiful; I cannot reject her now. Maybe she has a boyfriend? I'm sure she does."

Charles frowns, thinking about Nancy having a boyfriend who made her run from him. He cusses, "Nonsense! Is her boyfriend finer than me? I cannot reject her, and Mother shouldn't hurt her. What am I ranting about?"

Charles walks back to his bed, picks up his telephone, and calls Stevo Brights, his head security man and trusted manager of his security affairs.

Charles needs Stevo to monitor Nancy's activities: phone calls, texts, and if she has a boyfriend she's calling.

Charles says coldly, "Hello, Stevo."

Stevo freezes and replies, "Hello, boss. Good evening." Stevo is in the security house inside the villa.

Charles says, "I want you to hire trained personnel in hacking to monitor and give me 24-hour reports on my chosen bride. I'll forward her details shortly. Find out what she does, who she calls and speaks with daily. Understood?"

"Yes, boss."

"Anything else you need?" Stevo asks.

"No, that's all." Charles replies, and the call ends.

Charles sighs and stares at Nancy's photo in his right hand. He says, "I cannot wait to have you as my wife. In just two days, you'll be on my bed, moaning sweetly to my deep thrusts. Damn it! I hope she doesn't run away from me before then."