Chapter 12

Alicia went to her study and started her designs while thinking to herself

"I really can't wait to see my cousins, the last time I saw them was during thier elder sister's wedding I wonder how they have been".

Susan and Sarah are twins and they are the daughter's of Julie's elder brother. Julie parents are very wealthy and influential people in Germany, they own the biggest sweets and toy manufacturing company over there and they also have lots of investments. Julie and her elder brother are the only children of their parents. Her parents were very much against Julie marrying Andrew because of his background which Alicia and her siblings didn't know before but just found out, Julie's father been a military man, the last thing he would ever tolerate was his daughter marrying the descendants of a criminal.

Julie had tried her best to convince her parents but they never listened to her. In order to make sure Julie wasn't separated from her parents Andrew had decided to break up with her but Julie was madly in love with him so she ran away from home and came to meet him in California, after she spent a lot of time and efforts to convince Andrew that they could do the wedding without her parents, they both finally got married in a church.

Julie's parents tried their best to separate her and her husband but her older brother realized just how much his sister loved her husband and tried to convince his parents to let them be but they wouldn't listen hence he tried his best to protect both Julie and Andrew but he really couldn't meet his sister and her family when he wanted to since his father made him promise he wouldn't, she couldn't even attend his wedding.

Julie's parents broke all ties with her since then and they didn't try to find out anything about her for those eighteen years until when her father passed away ten years ago and his last wish was for his daughter to be brought back home. It was then that her brother and mother contacted her. When Julie and her family went to Germany that was when they found out that her elder brother was married with four kids, his first child Miranda was three years older than Julius meaning she was born the very year she left home, his second child Michael was three months younger to Julius and their last children who are identical twin girls are two years older than Alicia and a year younger than Justin.

Ever since the reunion back then where Alicia and her siblings met their cousins during their grandfather's funeral, they automatically loved each other and they have been close buddies ever since then. They would always spend their holidays together but as they grew older it became less frequent, despite that they still contacted each other often. The last time Alicia saw them was during thier elder sister Miranda's wedding three years ago and she has missed those two so much she couldn't wait to see them.

After made her designs till two pm in the afternoon before she went to get lunch, once she finished eating. She went back to her room and got dressed and headed to the airport to pick them up since the girls would be landing anytime soon.

In a hotel room in Paris

"Sir I have arranged everything with the residents and all their complaints have been addressed, I have also spoken to the company's interim CEO they will begin the reconstruction of the factory in a months time. The whole fiasco with the residents has caused a fall in Lance Inc stocks within the last two days but it will definitely normalise once we launch our new hotel in London", Ryan, Nathan's secretary reported to him while he was busy arranging his things,

"Okay Ryan you should handle the rest then, Is the Jet ready? seeing as we have handled everything we will be going back to California now and be sure to ask the Interim CEO to update us with the status of things here once we go back", Nathan told him.

"Sure sir I will inform him and the Jet is ready we will be leaving for the airport once you are ready to go", Ryan said

"I will be ready in five minutes so go get the car ready and did I tell you earlier that I won't be coming to the office tomorrow so if there is anything just leave it till Monday. You can also take the day off tomorrow, but ask Miss Dallas to send all the reports about the new project to my email, I will check them when I am free", Nathan informed him.

"Sure sir,.....uhmm actually your mom called when you were in the bathroom and she had said that hope you haven't forgotten the signing of your wedding certificates on Monday", Ryan told him.

"Seems like the only thing the Collins family elders are discussing is my wedding, Nathan murmured.

"I haven't forgotten don't worry", Nathan said to Ryan, "But sir I think you should take the day off on Monday too, I mean you would want to spend the day with your new wife", He said and Nathan gazed fiercely at him and said

"Thank you Ryan but am not interested in doing that, pick me up from my house on Monday, we will go to the Civil Bureau's office to sign the papers and after that we will be going to the office", Nathan told him packing up his suitcase.

"But sir you are getting married now and I think some of your habits have to change you can't behave like you used to before", Ryan said

"And exactly what are those habits uhh", Nathan asked crossing his arms on his chest and,facing Ryan.

"Many sir examples are Poker face you are always expressionless like a statue, you are a very ruthless man too, your uncaring nature, workaholic attitude, overworking employees, not spending holidays and not letting his secretaries do so too, not spending time with family and..." he was saying when he noticed how fierce Nathan's gaze was and kept quiet.

Nathan glared at him and Ryan murmured

"I am dead today" he hung his head low and Nathan looked at him saying

"I didn't know you had such high regards of me Ryan, what a good Secretary. Uncaring nature,overworking employees right. You know what your day off for tomorrow is canceled and no leave or holidays for you for the next six months, also no month end bonuses for you this month now get out of my room and go get the car ready Ryan",

"Sir I didnt mean anything I said, I promise please if I do not get any holidays I am going to be in trouble with my wife sir. She already complains about how i hardly ever spend time with her. You are getting married but i will most definitely be getting divorced". He cried almost on his knees,

"That's good I guess she finally realized the mistake she made by marrying you and you will even be able to completely focus on the office if you do not have a wife anymore, I mean your productivity has decreased ever since you got married, so your divorce actually benefits me", Nathan said to him.

"Sir please don't do this" he begged

"Get out of my room Ryan", Nathan said in a low voice

"Your wife wants you to spend time with her right then I will just fire you so you can have enough time to spend with her", he threatened

"Noo sir what will we eat if you fire me. Okay sir I will go get the car ready", he said and left Nathan's room almost in tears.

"Was I really such a bad boss he is definitely lying", Nathan ssid to himself. Once he left, Nathan went back to packing his things then lodged out of the hotel after he was done.

He went outside the hotel and saw Ryan sitting behind the wheels, it was obvious he wasn't planning to open the car door for him. Nathan opened the door for himself and got in and Ryan drove off almost immediately.

"At least allow me to use my seatbelts, Ryan are you trying to kill me", Nathan yelled,

"Sorry sir, I didn't know you haven't used your seatbelts why will I try to kill you I am going to lose my job if you die" he said.

Nathan looked at him from the rear view mirror for a while and thought "he definitely did that on purpose, I just entered the car how could I have fixed my seatbelts, he didn't even sound sorry". He fixed his seatbelts and looked at his watch, "It was just 11:30 am, we will probably be getting to California around 3:00pm" he thought to himself and started working on his laptop, about twenty minutes later Ryan notified him that they had reached the airport.

Ryan handed the car keys to their escorts from the company and they both went straight to the tarmac and boarded Nathan's private Jet, a few minutes later the Jet took off, Nathan had already finished the work he was doing on his laptop so he tried to get some sleep before they land.