CHAPTER FIFTEEN

BRAN'S POV*

"Welcome back, sir." Mrs Reeves avoided the question I asked and greeted me instead.

"What is going on here?" I asked again and hoped for someone to explain.

"Bran, you're back," Henna commented.

She quickly came to my side and clasped her hands into mine, and I instinctively removed my hand.

"That is not what I asked."

"Well if you insist…..this old hag here refused to move my things from the guesthouse to the main house so I taught her a lesson" she said confidently.

"The main house? And who says you will be staying in the main house?"

"I did," she said and looked at me with eyes that threatened to spill secrets.

I turned to Mrs Reeves, who still stood there.

"I am sorry about this…..you can take her things into the main house"

"Okay, sir."

Mrs Reeves turned and left the scene to bring Henna's things, as I ignored Henna and went ahead into the main house while she followed.

Sophia was already downstairs in the living room, quite busy on her laptop when I walked in with Pierre and Henna, and shortly afterwards, Mrs Reeves came along with Henna's things.

"Where do I put them, sir?" Mrs Reeves asked.

"Take them up to..."

"To the third room by the right," Henna said and cut me short.

Mrs Reeves looked at me to confirm if she could go ahead.

"Take them there."

"Okay, sir."

She wheeled the bag up the stairs and to the third room before leaving the main house.

"Are you not going to say something?" I asked Sophia who was still buried deep into what she was doing and cared less.

Sophia stopped what she was doing and looked up at me.

"What do you want me to say? Tell her not to stay upstairs?"

"You know I was not talking about that…..you could have at least welcomed me first"

"Well, you were quite busy with your guest, and I was busy with my work."

"She is not my guest…..rather she is yours"

"But you just agreed to her room of choice, I did not."

Henna suddenly stepped forward.

"I am really sorry about all of this, I wouldn't want to cause a strain between you two. I only wanted to be in the main house to look over my sister, nothing else."

"Look over me?" Sophia said and laughed a bit.

"Okay," Sophia said, picked up her laptop and sketch pad, and went outside the main house.

Henna turned to me now.

"It was not my intention to make things this way for you both."

"You were never and can never be the reason for me to end things with Sophia, the earlier you remember that, the better for you, Henna," I said and walked away from her and up to the room while Pierre took his leave and retired to his own quarters.

Henna stood there, quite perplexed, fueled with anger.

*SOPHIA'S POV*

I was not interested in who stayed in the main house or the guest house at this point, I just needed to find my way out of here and continue with my life.

I found my way to the garden and took a seat, finally, away from the choking air and to where there is fresh air. I brought out my sketch pad and began to scribble some lines on it with a pencil, and before I knew it, I had already drafted a new design for baby's wear.

"That is impressive," a voice reviewed from behind where I sat.

I turned and saw that it was Ken.

"Ken….well, thank you. How are you here?" I asked, surprised to see him.

"I think I got lost and found my way here, why else would I be here?" he asked jokingly and took his seat opposite me.

"To relax and get away from certain things, isn't that why you are here?" he asked.

He was right, I was here to get away from certain things, and I guess he was too.

"Good guess," I said with a smile.

"I didn't know you could pull such drawing skills in a short time," Ken said as he pointed at the draft on the sketch pad.

"Oh, this? I've been at it for quite some time," I said and placed the sketch pad on the laptop.

"You must really love making these baby wears."

"Yeah, I do...they remind me of where I am supposed to be," I said with a smile.

"And where is that supposed to be if you don't mind me asking?"

"Anywhere but here," I said.

Ken found that answer quite intriguing, given the history between I and Bran.

"Hmmm, anywhere but here."

"Yeah.... aren't you supposed to be with Bran or something?"

"Bran is not so good at handling things, but I am sure he can handle himself."

I had no idea what he meant by that or what he was trying to say, but I went along with the vibe.

"Then I guess he is lucky to have you."

"Look, I don't mean to pry or interfere in you guys' issues at hand, but I think you both have to really sit and talk things out…..just my opinion though"

Ken said this and exited the garden, but I did not take to mind what he said, I was too determined to go forward than go back to the past.

*BRAN'S POV*

I came down the stairs when a notification came in on my phone, and as I checked, it was news about the death of Mr Brown.

Just then, Pierre came over to the main house to tell me of the news as well.

"Sir, the news"

"Yeah, I just saw it."

"Anything on the cause of death?" I asked.

"Just that he was found dead in front of his house, a supposed heart attack."

"This isn't right, Mr Brown was fine the last time I met with him and that was a day ago....Something is off."

"Is there a way you can check on what he did prior to his death?" I asked Pierre.

"I would see what I can do, sir."

"How far with the pharmaceutical company we have been trying to buy over?"

"He has been delaying honouring the meetings I have been arranging."

"If he is no longer interested in having a buy out then he can just say so and end these back and forths."

"I will reach out to him again, sir."

"Please do and keep me updated."

"Yes, sir."

Pierre left the main house back to his quarters while I took a seat. It is late, and Sophia is not back in the house.

I became worried, but I did not want to give off the idea that I was worried, so I sat back.

A couple of minutes passed, and she was not back in. Could she have lost her way? The residence is quite big.

I finally decided to go out there and look for her, and as I was about to turn the door knob, the door was opened before I could reach it.

It was Sophia, she stood right there, her right hand on the door knob and her laptop and sketchbook on her left hand.

"Care to move out of the way?" she said.

I quickly got out of the way and let her in.

"I was about to look for you," I let out.

Sophia turned back on her way up the stairs.

"Look for me? Since when did you start looking for me?"

"You were gone for long," I added.

"Yes, I was gone for long, I don't see how that is any of your business, Bran."

"Okay, I am sorry….I should not have bothered."

"Good"

Sophia turned back to head upstairs.

"How are you preparing to resume at your company on Monday?"

I could sense that she was already frustrated with the back-and-forth questions, but I was not bothered, just as she wanted.

"How I am preparing is not a concern, after all, I will just be a figurehead in my own company. Isn't that what you want? Making me a laughingstock," she said with a bit of pain in her voice.

"This was never about making you a laughingstock, Sophia. I know what I am doing."

"Are you sure you know what you are doing, Bran?"

"You know what? You don't have to answer that question…. I will pay off my father's debt, and when I do, I won't be here. I am sure you will be eager to continue business with my sister."

"Why do you want to leave so badly!!?" I finally asked, in a bit higher tone.

"I want to leave because there is absolutely nothing for me here, Bran! Nada!...And please don't feed me with your 'we could make things work' because it is too late for that!"

Sophia said this and stormed upstairs into the room, leaving me still wondering what exactly went wrong or what I was doing wrong to make her hate me this much.