President Denver's Twisted Romance

I Don't Understand

LAZARUS HOPE

Nicholas Denver is playing with fire.

So, after sending those photos to him, he still does not get the message behind them, right?

He is still actively involved with Elizei. In fact, he appears to be more involved with her.

The man must have a fetish for females who have already been used.

Maybe I should treat him the way I treated my brother and his wife.

Maybe I should make him disappear because he is the person who wants to give Elizei the power to come after me later.

I won't let it happen.

''Sir...'' I hear someone calling my attention as I am sitting in the CEO's office of Hope Ventures.

My brother's pictures are still littered on every wall in the company, and it irks me.

I have to get rid of them, but I want some time to pass before I do so, so that nobody will suspect anything.

''Denver is still very much invested in Ms. Hope. He was spotted buying her groceries and even helping her out in her new rented apartment in Maxil, which, as a matter of fact, belongs to the Denver family, though that part was a coincidence.''

Ruler, the lead spy of the company I hired to keep an eye on Elizei, is giving me a rundown of what has been going on lately.

I nod.

''The pictures that we sent to Denver appear not to have any effect on him. I wonder why,'' Ruler adds.

''I wonder why too.'' I am staring at Ruler with meaning as I speak.

''Do you want us to do anything else? Maybe we should be more intense. The young man is just head over heels for a beautiful woman, that's all. My team and I can come up with more intense ways to make him back out,'' Ruler suggests.

''Do that. Do whatever you can to ensure that Ms. Hope does not trace anything back to me. I'll triple your payment.'' All the money I am spending on hiring these spies and hit men is coming from the purse of Hope Ventures.

I am afraid at the back of my mind because I know the type of person Elizei is, even though she does not know herself yet.

I know her strengths. For crying out loud, I used to be her favorite uncle. I watched her grow up, so I know exactly what she is capable of.

If she finds out that I am the person behind her parent's death, there will be no hiding place for me.

I am thinking about eliminating her completely just like I did to her parents, but that will be too much blood on my hands.

Besides, my brother's demise already haunts me like the devil.

Especially those damn pictures I have to look at every day in this company.

ELIZEI

I will soon directly ask President Denver, or Nicholas, what he wants from me.

What's up with the niceness?

In fact, this is beyond niceness, because why would my boss take me shopping just because I said I am pregnant?

I am thinking about that when he snatches my phone from my hand. Is that part of my job description?

Why is he intruding into my life?

I was about to rudely reach for my phone, but I was too late because he had already seen my screen saver.

Mom, Dad, and I.

His reaction says it all.

I have been spotted as the daughter of Vincent Hope.

Should I lie and say that he is my uncle?

That would make Uncle Lazarus my father, because there are only two Hope sons, Vincent and Lazarus.

If Lazarus was my father, then what would I be doing here?

There is no hiding place for me, and my tear glands give in because I start crying at the thought of my parents.

I can see the unease in President Denver's eyes.

Wait a minute!

What sort of president is this?

He cares too much about me. Is that how he is?

I will soon confront him because I am getting very disturbed at his unending care towards me.

The next thing, he leaves and Marcus, his assistant, comes to console me.

Obviously, there is something fishy going on.

Marcus and President Denver know something about me that I don't, and I cannot place a finger on it just yet.

I can only wonder.

Marcus just tells me to take heart and worry about my pregnancy more than anything, and then he leaves.

I am all alone in my apartment, sobbing, but I can see that President Denver's car is still outside.

Before I could understand what was happening, President Denver stepped out of his car again, looking stressed.

He had taken off his jacket and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows.

His black, silky hair is ruffled as he combs his fingers through them, walking tiredly to my apartment.

Oh my God, what does this man want from me?

I watch him walk up to me until he reaches my door, and then he rings the bell.

Of course, I can see him through the window, but I deliberately waste some time, and at the third ring, I go to answer the door.

''President...''

I am about to make the same mistake, but President Denver shuts me up.

''I can't leave you here alone. Come and stay at the guest house on my personal estate.'' I laughed inside my head. Is this man serious?

I am staring at him, wondering if he is out of his mind.

''Sorry?'' I ask.

My voice is clear as day at this point, and there is no iota of sorrow or strain in it.

''It is an order from your boss, Ms. Hope. You are pregnant and stressed. You shouldn't be here by yourself. Come around so that if you need to be attended to, you can reach out to someone easily.'' President Denver seems to have made up his mind.

''President... Nicholas, if there is an emergency, I can easily call an ambulance,'' I reminded him.

President Denver walks away from my apartment while he announces;

''You have thirty minutes tops.''