☆☆☆

*** 16 years ago ***

A boy who was around 8 years sat down alone on a bench, crying and then a girl of 6 years approached him.

“Let’s play together.”, she said bringing out her toys.

“I don’t want to play with you.”, he said pushing her away.

“But my parents said I should play with you.”, she said.

“I don’t want to play with you, I want to go home.”, he said.

“Are you crying?”, she asked and he wiped his tears.

“I can give you any of my toys if you want.”, she offered.

“I said you should leave me alone, I don’t want to play with you.”, he said pushing her.

**** Harrison McCall’s company ****

Lisa, Harrison McCall’s secretary telephone rang.

She didn’t waste time picking it up, she knew the call must be very important and she doesn’t want to get on the bad side of her boss's mother.

Mrs Evelyn is a very strict woman who doesn’t take nonsense.

“My son has a date at 5 pm, Ensure that he attends and he doesn’t keep the lady waiting like the last time.”, Mrs Evelyn, Harrison’s mom said and hung up before Lisa could reply.

Lisa sighed in frustration, looking at the time. It was already half passed 4.

She remembers vividly that she was reminding her boss severally on his last date but he paid no attention to her and ended up being late for the date.

Not only did he go late, he spoke rudely to the lady which led the lady to leave.

Lisa knocked on his door but there was no reply.

She continued knocking until his voice was heard, well this isn’t the first time that Harrison wouldn’t reply and the funniest part is that she will have to wait until he replies.

“Are you that dumb? Can’t you just enter and say what you want to say? Must I reply all the time?”, he asked abruptly.

His voice alone could send cold shivers to one’s body. Whenever Harrison isn’t in a good mood, Lisa is always the victim of his aggression.

“Am sorry.”, she apologized not knowing why she was in the first place.

“Mrs Evelyn wants you to arrive at your date early and it’s almost time already.”, she said but still no reply from him as he just continue working on his laptop.

“You can leave now.”, he said after making her wait for his reply.

“Boss Harrison your mom …

Lisa started to say because she assumed he didn’t hear her but she was wrong.

“I said you can leave now”, he said sternly and Lisa left without a word.

Harrison got pissed thinking about the useless date he was having. This would be his fifth date now.

He wonders sometimes why his mom can’t just give up arranging dates for him.

He still doesn’t know why his parents allow arrange dates for him, he doesn’t need a girl in his life…... . at least not now.

His phone started ringing and seeing that it was his mother, he reluctantly picked it up.

“I will assume that you are on your date right?”, Mrs Evelyn said but more like a question.

“Mom…… we already talked about it, you and I both know that my dates don’t go well and I don’t care.”, he said.

“Harrison this will be your last date if only you promise to behave yourself, it is my wish to see you married.”, Mrs Evelyn said and Harrison rolled his eyes.

“OK I will try to behave but I am not promising.”, he said and the line went dead.

5:45 pm

Starwishers restaurant

Elena Morgan is the only daughter of her parents who are business tycoons.

She sat down waiting for someone who doesn’t seem like he was coming.

She removed her sunglasses and checked her wristwatch several times.

Her outfit drew people’s attention and everyone admired her.

She blamed herself for agreeing to come on a blind date but she just can’t tell her parents that she has a boyfriend already.

When she saw Harrison McCall entering the restaurant, then it occurred to her that he is the one she has been waiting for.

Harrison’s parents and Elena’s parents have been friends for over 24 years now but Elena and Harrison didn’t get along when they were kids.

Harrison didn’t like Elena because she was lousy and so annoying and Elena doesn’t like Harrison because he was too quiet, he keeps things to himself.

She didn’t forget the incident that happened 16 years back when he pushed her away, she had only offered to play with him.

The two of them stared at each other, no one saying a word.

“I see that you are the one am meeting today”, Harrison said and Elena arched her brow.

“So he didn’t know who he was meeting too”, she wondered.

“Me too.”, she said and faked a smile.

She stared at Harrison. He has changed a lot, he has become very tall and handsome but still has an innocent face, it is only that a smile is absent.

A smile has always been absent from his face since he was a child, he never learnt how to smile and probably never.

The silence that came after was so awkward and odd.

No one said a word and then Harrison started operating on his phone but Elena found that very insulting.

It’s not that she wanted a conversation but still, it was so irresponsible of him to start pressing his phone even saying a word.

Harrison received a message and his expression changed immediately.

His eyes were very cold and dark.

He called the waiter and paid for whatever Elena would order and left.

“Torture him and I want his face disfigured before I get there”, he threatened furiously on the phone when he got out of the restaurant.

Elena fussed in anger and left, not only did he keep her waiting in the restaurant, he abandoned her in the restaurant.

secret mansion

It was an old huge mansion that no one can enter without being caught.

It requires a password and face unlock. No one caught trying to invade will surely be tortured before being killed.

Harrison pressed the password and the door opened immediately.

“Boss Good evening”, the guards greeted.

“Where’s Tony?”, he asked icily.

“In the torture room”, they replied.

Torture room

It is a very very dark place but a little light.

Any person that enters there doesn’t survive.

“Where the hell is he?”, Harrison questioned.

He checked around the room and saw where Rex was being tortured

“You bastard! Why did you get caught? You were just given work to do and you messed it up”, Harrison said picking him on his face and causing more blood to drip from his mouth.

“Boss……. Please forgive me….I made a mistake”, he said coughing out blood.

“You want forgiveness? Y’all should forgive him once he goes to hell”, Harrison said.

“No boss please ……”

“Get rid of him…… I don’t need loses in my group, keep a close watch in hell cos people like you will be joining you soon”, he said and the guards took him away.

“No please ……. ,,,, he kept shouting.

“Harrison am sorry about that……. We won’t get caught again”, Tony said.

Tony is Harrison’s friend though they are not that close.

“Make sure of that because I am willing to kill anyone just to get more power and keep this group growing”, he said to Tony.

“I am willing to do anything also”, he assured Harrison.

Harrison’s phone rang and it was his mother.

“Harrison we need to talk, I will be expecting you tomorrow”, she said and Harrison knew what she wanted to talk about.

“Mom I will be busy tomorrow…. I am serious.”, he said pissed.

“You either come or I come”, she said and cut the call angrily.

“Take care of this place …… inform Paul that we will meet at his bar tomorrow”, he ordered Tony and left.

Next day

“Why did you dump Elena yesterday?”, Mrs Evelyn asked Harrison.

“Something urgent came up and it was more important”, he replied nonchalantly.

“Something more important? More important than Elena? That was the last date, you are getting married”, she said and Harrison stared at his mom speechless.

“Are you being serious now? Because I am going to take it as a joke.”, he said.

“I ain’t joking here. I am serious, you are getting married soon.”

“I am not getting married and you can’t force me to do anything you want, I am not the same kid you forced to Greece years back.”, he said getting angry but Mrs Evelyn didn’t care.

“You are marrying Elena Morgan and that’s it.”, she said firmly.

“I am not marrying Harrison, he’s not the type of person I’d like to marry”, Elena fired.

“Je is no different from other guys and he is hardworking and gently.”, her dad replied.

“Elena we know what’s good for you, we are your parents. We won’t force you to marry someone that is not good for you.”, her mom added.

“I am not marrying him”, Elena repeated.

“You will.”, her dad replied.

☆

midnight kiss bar

“So you are getting married very soon?”, Mia asked.

“You will be the only married woman here, I think you should start looking for married friends”, Trisha said.

“Trisha!”, Mia cautioned but she rolled her eyes.

“What will happen to josh?”, Gracie spoke up.

Josh is Elena’s boyfriend, they have been dating since high school but Gracie never liked Elena for josh. Maybe because she likes him also and they have something going on.

She has always been jealous of Elena from the beginning but pretends to be her friend.

Trisha is an attention seeker, she is no different from Gracie but Mia is the only one who is happy for both josh and Elena.

“I don’t know, what do you suggest I do?”, Elena asked confused.

She is being forced to marry Harrison and she has a boyfriend she loves.

“If I were you I would break up with josh immediately and marry Harrison”, Trisha advised.

“Yes because Harrison is your childhood friend and he’s rich and handsome according to you”, Gracie added.

“You suggest I go for Harrison? I am quite sure that he doesn’t even recognize me again, during the date he treated me like a stranger”, she said.

“I think you should try convincing your parents, they might agree”, Mia said and Gracie eyed her.

“It’s too late already, the date of the wedding would soon be fixed”, Elena said.

After Elena and her friends left the bar, the next day she went to meet josh to explain the situation she is in but she received a surprise instead.

She caught Gracie and josh making out. She was too shocked to speak.

“How long has been this going on?”, she asked trying to be calm.

“Since you started dating him”, Gracie replied nonchalantly and Elena closed her eyes trying to understand what was happening.

“You were cheating on me with my friend?”, Elena asked facing josh who couldn’t even look at her face.

“Actually it’s friends not friends “, Gracie corrected.

“What do you mean by friends?”

“He made out with Trisha first”, Gracie replied.

“What?”

“Yes”, she replied.

“How could you do this to your friend?”, Elena asked heartbrokenly.

“You don’t consider me as your friend to start with because if you did, you would have realized that I liked Josh first. He was mine from the beginning”, she said.

“What? If you liked him first, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well I didn’t want to spoil your relationship since you were all over him”

“You are free to have him since you like him, I was going to break up with him anyway”, she said and left.

“Mom…… dad am ready to marry Harrison McCall”, Elena told her parents who were a little surprised by her quick change of mind.

“I will call the McCall to inform them”, her dad said happily.

“Dear you won’t regret marrying him, he’s an angel”, her mom said and Elena nodded her head but deep inside she was hurting.

She closed her eyes for a moment and the memories of josh and Gracie flashed back and she fought back her tears.

“Am marrying someone better than josh”, she said to herself.

“She has agreed to marry you, so get ready for your marriage”, Mr McCall said to Harrison.

He was giving an order, he wasn’t requesting.

“I don’t understand why I am being forced to get married?”, Harrison replied.

“That’s how marriage works, love is not needed to have a successful marriage. It’s just power and money”, he said.

“We are not talking about a stranger here, we are talking about your childhood friend, Elena”, his mom said.

“She wasn’t my friend”, he replied.

“That’s because you never treated her like one even when she was very nice to you, I'm sure you guys would work things out”, his mom added.

“I can’t marry her”, he stated.

“Do you plan on getting married at 50? You have to continue our name”, his mom said.

“If you want her to be safe, Advice her to stay away from me, I might not be what kind of man she wants”, Harrison said.

“I trust you to keep her safe and there can’t be a danger, I see you are already worried about her”, she replied and Harrison sighed in frustration.

Only he knows that once she’s married to him, her life will be in danger. She will be considered his weakness and so everyone will be after her.