CHAPTER THREE
1703 Words
“Mom?” Ryan was shocked, to say the least.
“Baby, this is Anna, not Mom”
“Mom” Adele insisted, not letting Anna's hand go.
“I'm not your mom, ok, Cherub? I'll be leaving now” Anna said. Adele still didn't let her hand go, if anything, her grip got tighter. Anna was getting uncomfortable now.
“I would like to leave now, please?”
“Rick?”
“Yes, boss?”
“Take Miss Bliss home”
“Yes, boss”
“Thank you” Anna gently removed the young girl's hand from hers.
“Good night Ryan. Thank you for everything”
“No problem Anna, have a good night”
After Ryan was sure Anna had left, he gently knelt down in front of Adele.
“Baby, why are you calling her your mother?”
“I just feel it” Adele pouted.
“Do you see your mother's face in her?”
“She is my mother!!!”
“But she isn't” Ryan said, gently, trying not to upset her.
“She is my mom” Adele screamed in his face before she marched off to her room. Ryan followed. Adele had always been a good little girl. Even after Cathy, her real mother died, she never troubled him, so, this attitude came as a surprise to him.
“Baby”
“I'm sorry, daddy” Adele said, with tears in her eyes. “I didn't mean to scream”
She was so cute he couldn't resist bringing her in for a hug.
“I know you're sorry, baby”
“Promise me something daddy?”
“Anything for you, baby”
“Ok dad, even if she isn't my mom, make her my mom. I want a mother”
“Give me time baby, I can't just marry a random stranger to be your mother”
“I know daddy, I want her” Adele said, with finality. Ryan didn't know what to say to that.
“Good night, baby” He hoped that this Anna issue would be gone by morning. She must have been confused since she just woke up plus this was the first time she was seeing a stranger in their house.
The next morning…
“Where is Adele?” Ryan asked the maid setting the table.
“I haven't seen her this morning, sir!”
“Call Mrs. Wright for me”
“Yes, boss”
“Good morning, sir”
“Good morning, Mrs. Wright, have you seen Adele this morning?”
“Yes, boss”
“How come she isn't at breakfast?”
“I don't know, sir, she said she'd be down soon”
“And you believed her?”
“Sir”
“Sir, what, you can't take care of a 5 year old? She's giving you orders?”
“I'll get her right away sir”
Moments later.
“She's refusing to come downstairs, sir” The maid was terrified at this point. She didn't want to be caught in a battle of wills between the boss and his daughter. She had never seen Adele like that. She was always so cheerful and sweet.
“I'll get her”
“Yes, sir”
“Adele” Ryan thundered! “Come here, this instant”
When he didn't hear her door open, he bounded upstairs.
“Did you not hear me?”
“I did” She replied, in a nonchalant way.
“Why are you acting up this morning?”
“I'm not acting anyway, daddy”
“Do you want to be late for school?”
“I don't want to go to school”
“Why? Is anyone bothering you in school?”
“No, daddy”
“What then is the problem?”
“I want my mommy” She suddenly burst into tears. All the rage in Ryan immediately dissipated.
“Come here, baby” He crouched in front of her to hug her “You must miss your mother so much. I miss her too, everyday”
“Then, bring her home” She sobbed “I want my mommy”
“Baby, we talked about this, your mother is in a very faraway place from us”
“I want Anna” Adele said abruptly before releasing herself from her father's hug.
“Adele…” he trailed off. What was with her sudden obsession with Anna?.
“Adele, Anna is just a girl I met yesterday. There's no way you are that attached to her already”
“But I like her” she whined.
“I can have her visit often, deal?”
“No daddy, I want you to marry her”
“I can't do that”
“Then I don't want to see you, daddy” she screamed so loudly he felt for her lungs.
“Just come down and eat, ok?”
“Nooo” she screamed again.
“I'll see you when I get back from the office, baby”
“I hate you”
“No, you don't” Ryan sighed, rubbing his forehead. He suddenly was exhausted and it was just morning for goodness's sake.
He eventually left her alone.
“Did anything happen while I was at the office, yesterday?” He asked when he got downstairs.
“No, boss”
“Did you follow the driver to pick her from school?”
“Yes, boss, I always do”
“Did anything seem off about her?”
“No, boss, I'd have reported it to you if anything happened to her”
“Just make sure she eats. She doesn't want to go to school”
“Yes, boss”
“And call me if anything happens”
“Ok, boss”
“You still have the emergency contact, right?”
“Yes, boss” with that, he left for his office.
Adele's insistence on Anna bothered him so much that he couldn't finalize the deal he had been working on for months, properly. He had to settle for a lesser profit than usual. He wondered what Adele was doing at home. After some minutes of hesitation, he called Mrs. Wright.
“The Miller's Phone, who am I speaking with?” Mrs. Wright's voice flowed through after a few rings.
“Mrs. Wright, it's me”
“Good afternoon, boss, do you need anything?”
“No, is Adele still refusing to eat?”
“Yes, boss”
“Any new development?”
“For the last two hours now, she has been throwing things in her room”
“She better not hurt herself, Mrs. Wright, or you will have me to deal with”
“I'm sorry, boss”
“Get her on the phone right now”
“Just a minute, boss”
“I want my mommy” Was the first thing Adele screamed.
“Baby, why are you throwing things?”
“I want my mommy”
“Do you want to hurt yourself?”
No response
“Give it back to Mrs. Wright”
“Make sure she doesn't hurt herself, ok?
“Ok, boss”
Ryan didn't know what to do now, it didn't seem reasonable for him to marry an high school student just because his daughter says so. She was just 19! What exactly does his daughter see in that girl? Adele was the reason why he didn't date casually. So she wouldn't get attached to gold diggers. He sighed. He should at least, try.
He didn't take any bodyguards so as to avoid suspicions.
“Mr. Miller, what a pleasant surprise” The principal welcomed him. He was truly surprised.
“Principal Henry, how are you?”
“I'm fine sir, how are you doing? How's the princess?”
“She's fine. I'm fine. I need a favour” he went straight to the point.
“Anything, Mr. Miller”
“I believe you have a student that goes by Anna Bliss in this school”
“Yes sir, she's one of our finest” Principal Henry beamed proudly.
“What year is she in?”
“3rd, sir, she only has a year to go”
“I guess she isn't that young, eh” he mused to himself.
“I want to talk to her”
“I'll get her, sir” He called his secretary to personally get Anna Bliss from whatever class she is in.
Minutes later, Anna knocked and entered the office.
“You asked for me, Principal”
“Yes, Anna, there is someone that that wants to see you” She finally looked at the man sitting across Principal Henry.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Ryan” she greeted when she realized that it was him that requested her attention.
"I'll excuse you now”
Anna wondered what he wanted without Principal Henry. She was suddenly nervous. It's not everyday a rich handsome man wants to talk to you alone. Even she was a little out of it that fateful day, she still noticed his handsome features.
He was even more handsome today. His black suit made his grey eyes pop. His midnight dark hair was slicked back to perfection and he was tall. She guessed he was probably 6”4.
“How have you been, Anna?“ His deep voice cut her scanning short
“Fine sir, thank you”
“That's good”
“I didn't have a phone or even a number to call. I'm very grateful for that day. If not for you, I would have gone blind or worse, dead”
Her voice started shaking as she remembered what she went through with Bella and her gang.
“Anybody could have done that, don't sweat it”
“Thank you sir, How is your daughter, sir?“
“Ahem” He cleared his throat, feeling awkward. He should have talked to Leonard about it.
“I'm actually here about her”
“Oh, is she here?”
“No” Suddenly, Anna saw Ryan's tall and slender figure kneel before her.
“What are you doing?”
“Please marry me”
“What?”
- Writer
