Chapter 20

Julie James is known all over California city as the Madam of James Constructions and Companies and she and her husband have always been in the spotlight because of their philanthropic contributions to the society. Alicia and her siblings have always loved privacy so practically nobody in California neither the media nor the aristocrats know what they look like.

Justin and Alicia have been able to maintain that but Julius entered the spotlight when he took over as the CEO of their company three years ago and the news of how he has brought the company to greater heights ever since he took over has always been on the media's list of discussion all over the city and he is also crowned as California's Fourth most eligible bachelor, the list was updated recently and he was still in the position. A few minutes later the elevator reached the

fourth floor where the Salon was located.

"They are inside", the manager told them once they were in front of the huge salon.

"Thank you Manager", Julie said and entered the salon with Alicia

"Hi there Kisha, Hello aunt", Julie said smiling on entering the salon.

"You are here, Julie", Kisha said stopping her manicure.

"You can all leave", she told the salon attendants and they left, after they had gone Kisha noticed the beautiful young girl standing beside Julie.

"Hello aunt", Alicia said to Kisha

"Oo oh", Kisha went over to Alicia

"And this must be Alicia right, my sweet daughter", she said pulling Alicia into a tight hug.

"You look so beautiful, you were just a little girl the last time I saw you and now you are a grown woman. Let me say in advance, Welcome to the Collins family my dear", she added releasing her from the hug

"Thank you aunt", Alicia said with a smile.This mother in law of hers is really so sweet.

"Hey Kisha, Let me see my grand daughter in law too" Grandma Collins said and Alicia finally turned to look at the Matriarch of the Collins family, whom she hadn't notice before. She went towards her and greeted.

"Hello Madam",

"Come here, my dear let me see you properly" Grandma Collins said while pulling Alicia to sit beside her.

"Such a pretty child", she patted Alicia's head.

"Your mother told us you already agreed to the alliance", Grandma Collins said

"You must have been so shocked and confused right and to top it up you only had a week to think about it"

"We do not know why you agreed Alicia, but thank you so much for giving your consent. Thank you" Kisha said on the verge of tears.

"Come on Kisha, don't get so emotional now", Julie said patting Kisha's hand

"Come, we have to go check those things right", Julie said to Kisha.

"What things Julie", Grandma Collins asked eyeing the two women suspiciously

"Its nothing mum", Kisha quickly said and pulled Julie by the arm

"We will be right back", she added and the both of them ran out of the room.

Outside the door,

"Why did you run like that", Julie asked Kisha

"If we stay in there for a while longer Mom will keep asking questions until we reveal what we are going to do

"No, we can't reveal it" Julie said

"Thats why I ran out, come on quickly let's go" Misha added and they both entered the elevator

Back in the Salon room

Grandma Collins held Alicia's hand making her turn to look at her

"Yes Ma'am" Alicia said turning to the old lady beside her.

"My dear, Kisha said just now that she didn't know why you agreed, but I do", the old woman said making Alicia look at her in confusion.

"The relatonship between the Collins and James family started off with favors"

"You Great Grandmother saved the life of my grandmother in law and ever since then the Collins family have done all they can to repay that favor"

"But the favor your family is doing us now Alicia is one we would never be able to repay, no matter what we do"

"When we began searching for a girl for Nathan all the girls we had met didn't fit the criteria of what we were looking for in a wife and daughter in law. That was when I remembered the old promise Raymond and Jonathan had made as kids, and I told my husband to call your father to discuss it with him".

"Alicia it might have seemed like we were asking for a favor but deep down Raymond and I knew your parents wouldn't be able to reject the alliance because of how indebted they felt to the Collins family".

"Even though not directly or intentionally, your parents must have pressured you in one way or another to accept the alliance. I don't know how your life was before a week ago, but I am certain that you have most definitely never been as confused and uncertain in your life as you have been in the last one week",

Alicia looked at the old woman with misty eyes because everything she said happened to be her unspoken feelings.

"I can't promise you the best Alicia, but I can assure that the Collins family won't treat you unfairly from this day onwards, you are already doing my family a huge favor by agreeing to get married to my grand son so can you do this old woman one more favor my dear"

"Please help me bring back the lost smile on my beloved grandson's face, please bring back the lost Light and Joy in his world, help me fill up the void in his heart Alicia please. A woman took it all away from him so am certain only a woman can bring it back. Please Alicia, can you be the woman to bring it back" Grandma Collins begged Alicia with her hands folded.

Alicia was already in tears by the time Grandma Collins was done, she wiped her tears and held her folded hands

"Don't fold your hands in front of me ma'am, you are elder to me.

"I promise you, Ma'am I will try my best to make your grandson happy, my very best" Alicia said

"You trying your best is more than enough my dear. Thank you so much" Grandma Collins said and pulled Alicia into a hug.

At that moment Kisha and Julie came back and saw the two women in a tight hug with tears in the eyes

"What just happened here, why are you both crying", Kisha said standing beside her mother in law.

"Yes Alicia what happened my dear"

"Nothing happened", Alicia said wiping her tears

"But the both of you were crying" Kisha said again

"The both if you didn't tell us what you went to do why should we tell you what happened, uhun", Grandma Collins said looking at her daughter in law

"We were only having some grandmother- granddaughter bonding time, that's all aunt".

"If the both of you are ready shall we do what we came here for" Grandma Collins said looking at Julie and Kisha.

"Yes mom we are ready, let's go" Kisha said and the four women left to begin their shopping

DANO RESORT

Dano Resort was a franchise of Lance Inc hotels and it was tradition for Nathan and his friends to come play golf at the Resort every Saturday.

"Mike you guys continue, I have to use the restroom quickly", he told his friends and went to the restroom in his private room while thinking "why couldn't I sleep well last night just because I couldn't get my mind of Sarah and Susan cousin who I had met twice already I wasn't the kind of guy to pay attention to girls but that girl had the purest and innocent eyes I had ever seen and she was such a chatterbox too, I think I am going crazy.",

He entered the room and went to the restroom he came out after he was done with his business and met Ryan standing in the room right outside the rest room.

Nathan looked at him and said

"I know you can't live without me Ryan but you don't have to follow me everywhere you even followed me to the restroom", Ryan just rolled his eyesat his Narcissistic boss

"Wonder who told him that bullshit, can't live without you my foot" he thought in his mind

"I came to tell you that I have dropped off your sisters" Ryan said.

"Where were they in such a hurry to go so early in the morning. Ria wasn't even as early as that to her wedding", Nathan asked Ryan.

"Sir, Old madam and Madam had gone to the CC mall to meet with the young madam and her mother, your sisters went to join them", Ryan replied.

"Which young madam?", Nathan asked him confused

"Your soon to be wife sir, which other young madam could it be", He said

"Oh I see okay", Nathan said and went out of the room

"Sir why didn't you tell me that the young madam is Young Miss Sarah and Susan's Cousin whom we had met at the mall yesterday. No wonder she had dared to call you arrogant to your face and you still didn't do anything to her" Ryan said following Nathan out of the room

"But I didn't even greet her properly, what if she decides to get me fired for been rude to her, you should have informed me boss", he said about to cry a Nathan stopped in his tracks stunned when he heard what Ryan had just said.

"What did you say now Ryan" Nathan turned and asked him, Ryan looked at him for a while then replied

"That I didn't greet the Young madam properly and she might get me fired for been rude to her"

"No what you said before that" Nathan asked again

"That she dared to call you arrogant because she was your fiancee"

"No before that Ryan" Nathan said getting annoyed

"That young madam was the young misses paternal cousin whom we had met at the mall yesterday", he said

"You mean that bratty girl we had met at the mall yesterday, Justin and Julius's younger sister is my soon to be wife" Nathan asked not believing his ears

"Yes sir she is, but wait a minute how come you are saying this now".

"Does that mean you don't know her, you have never even met her before seeing her yesterday and you are getting married in two days, how crazy".Ryan said looking at his boss

"Ryan what's her name" Nathan asked ignoring his comment

"It's Alicia boss, Alicia James", Ryan replied

"Alicia James", Nathan repeated and curled his lips up in an indistinct smirk.

"That was the name on the handkerchief I had picked up at the airport two days ago, no wonder it sounded so familiar to me, mom told me the name before" he thought

Nathan looked up at Ryan

"Get me her full details Ryan and I want it ASAP" he commanded

"Okay boss I will gather it and send it to your email", Ryan said and left.

"Alicia James" "Interesting", he thought and went back to his friends at the Golf Club.