Not the Wife He Wants

CHAPTER 3: Rick

Rick's POV

If I had an easier option, I might let go of that naive girl named Angela. Honestly, I admit she's pretty, an aspiring doctor which suggests she's quite smart, and from the way she greets people when entering a house even if no one responds, she's quite polite. But there's one thing that makes me a bit puzzled, why doesn't she seem as bad as Zia described.

Judging from her education, her way of dressing, and her manner of speaking as well as her expression that doesn't seem very friendly when meeting me, it seems unlikely that she enjoys going out and spending money with men. As for being a mischief-maker, I think that's a bit unlikely because she seems very headstrong and hard to manage. But for the other negative stories that Zia and her parents told me after our meeting, for some reason, I doubt them.

“Boss, here's the data you requested yesterday.” Deena said while handing over the file to me.

“Okay, oh right, hasn't Sean arrived yet?” I asked. Sean is my trusted person. His job is to gather detailed information, spy on my enemies, and of course, handle chaos without being seen, heard, or even detected. He can always be relied upon and has never let me down. Two days ago, I asked him to find out about Angela because I wanted detailed information about her that Zia and her family didn't provide.

“It seems like after lunch as usual, or would you like me to ask him to come now?” Deena offered.

“Sure, call him to come immediately.” I finally decided after considering it for a moment. For some reason, my curiosity was so great that I wanted to get answers as soon as possible.

“Alright boss, I will contact him immediately.” Deena said then excused herself. Not long after, Sean entered my office and handed me an information file.

“I didn't find any misbehavior in that girl,” Sean said as soon as I finished reading the information he provided. “Her daily routine is rather straightforward, she goes to college, then after college, she sits in the campus canteen with her friends, all of whom are female. On holidays, she often goes to the orphanage near her campus to play and study with the children until evening.” He added.

“What about men?” I asked.

“She's quite popular on her campus because of her pretty face, there are a few men rumored to be close to her and like her, one of them is the grandson of Hendrik Hudson.” Sean's answer made me raise my eyebrows because this turned out to be interesting.

“Ahhh, they're in the same campus, right? What's his name, I forgot?”

“Aaron boss, Aaron Hudson. And the other one is the son of your rival too.” Sean said again, making me smile wryly because this is interesting, very interesting.

“Who else?”

“Bruno Walker, the son of Julio Walker.” Sean's answer surprised me.

“Is this like competing for a contract? Why do I feel that if I get Angela, it's like defeating both of my enemies by breaking their sons' hearts?” I said, laughing.

“And regarding her relationship with Miss Zia, it hasn't been harmonious since she was born, Boss.”

“You mean they have issues?”

“From the information I obtained, Miss Angela's mother had an affair and got pregnant, then died while giving birth to Miss Angela. So indeed, since she was born, Miss Anggia has been a problem in that family because she's considered an illegitimate child. Her father and brother also seem not to care much about her.” Sean explained, making me pause for a moment. To me, the birth of a child, no matter how it happens, is not the child's fault because they didn't ask to be born. If the child is then hated because of their parents' mistakes, it feels very unfair. Is that why the girl looks so gloomy?

“Then does she enjoy going out at night as Zia said?”

“No, boss, it seems Miss Angela is more of a homebody. However, there's some unclear information suggesting that Miss Angela once worked part-time at a café and had a night shift. I can't confirm its accuracy because the café has closed down, so I didn't include it in the report.”

“Part-time work? She's Stephen Ryder's daughter and short on money?”

“As I mentioned earlier, it seems Mr. Stephen doesn't really care about Miss Angela, which might mean she can't ask for money as she pleases. You can tell by the way she dresses, boss.”

“True, compared to Zia's always expensive clothes, Angela looks quite ordinary, even though her face still shows she's from a wealthy family.” I commented.

“That's right, Boss, and according to the information, if you want Mr. Stephen's approval for the marriage, you could offer a partnership with him, as he's launching a smart bracelet product that would pair well with your company's product. That product doesn't seem to be getting much support. If you offer strong backing, I think it could be a way to get the daughter he doesn't want.” Sean explained his opinion. I nodded, considering. Sean's suggestion seems plausible.

“Good idea, but I'm somewhat worried about Angela's mental state. She threatened to commit suicide if I proceed with this plan. Do you think she needs supervision to prevent that? From this information, she seems like the type who might actually do it.” I said, slightly worried. Not that I'm a good person, but I still don't want to be the cause of someone's death.

“That can be arranged, boss. I'll make sure it never happens.”

***

Two days passed after my conversation with Sean, and this afternoon, despite the scorching sun, I was already standing, leaning against my expensive car, waiting for that snotty girl to come out of campus. According to the information I got today, she only had classes until one in the afternoon, and I wanted to negotiate with her, hoping she would agree and make everything easier.

Not long after, the girl came out of campus, looking tired and a bit pale. Then, when her eyes met mine, she sighed and stopped walking. I waved at her indifferently, without expression. I thought she would run away and avoid me, but to my surprise, she walked towards me instead.

“Was our conversation yesterday not clear, Uncle?” She asked, surprising me. What did she just call me? Uncle? I'm not that old yet.

“Uncle? My name is Rick, and I'm not an uncle.” I clarified. Then I saw her expression turn bewildered.

She then reached into her bag, pulled out a mirror, and handed it to me.

“What?” I said.

“Uncle, look in the mirror to see that a face like that is very fitting to be called 'uncle' by a girl my age.” She said, increasingly annoying. It's the first time someone insulted my handsome face, because before, even high school girls would look at me with interest. But I held back my anger for the sake of realizing all my plans. For now, I'll comply with all her wishes first so she doesn't commit suicide like she talked about yesterday, and I'll offer her a mutually beneficial agreement. After getting her later, it will be her turn to comply with all my wishes.

“Okay, whatever, just get in the car!” I said still expressionless. Then suddenly, her face turned into a lazy expression, making me quite annoyed with her hateful look.

“I want to go home, Uncle.” She said, then turned away without caring about me, who had already opened the door. Annoyed, I chased after her and grabbed her arm.

“What the heck!” She said, trying to free herself from my grip.

“I said get in the car, that means you have to get in! Be a good little girl so I don't have to force you.” I said emphatically.

"NO WAY." She replied with equal emphasis.

"Angela? Is there a problem?" A man's voice diverted my attention from this stubborn girl.

"Bruno, this uncle hmmmppff."

"Young man, you'd better not interfere; this is a family matter." I said after covering Angela's mouth, preventing her from saying anything inappropriate. The man named Bruno paused for a moment and seemed to think.

"What's going on here? Are you trying to kidnap Angela?" Another man arrived, making me annoyed because they were interrupting me.

"Ouch.." I immediately released my hand because that naughty girl bit my hand without hesitation, leaving it slightly bleeding.

"Bruno, Aaron, this uncle is trying to kidnap me." She said, panting. Now I agree that this girl named Angela is indeed a troublemaker, she's hard to conquer, stubborn, annoying, and maybe a bit of a vampire because her bite hurts a lot.

"Kidnap? Darling, don't say that if you're still angry. I've already explained that the girl is not my girlfriend." I said offhandedly.

"Huh?" The three of them said almost simultaneously. I saw Angela gaping, and the two men in front of me turned to her with questioning looks.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Rick, Angela's fiancé. We just happen to have a small problem." I said, trying to be sweet. I glanced at Angela, and her face was very red, her expression was terrible, and of course, the two men, whom I could confirm were the sons of my rivals, were utterly shocked. I told you, no one can beat Rick. In the end, they'll lose. So don't even try!

***