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"Good morning." Gina greeted her employees as soon as she walked into her boutique, taking all of them by surpise... She had a smile on her face as she walked past them... she was in a good mood, and it was definitely a really rare sight for them...
"Did something good happen to her... I can't remember the last time she looked so happy," one of her employees muttered to the other...
"Get back to work," Clara said to them, and they immediately scrurried away...
Gina hummed a song as she sat down in her office, a lingering smile still on her face... the way Charles held her in his arms kept replaying in her mind, and she couldn't stop smiling... that giddy feeling was still there even though she wasn't with him... and it was wonderful, just wonderful... She never knew someone could feel such type of happiness and it was an happiness she wanted to last, but at the back of her mind Gina was sad and scared that her new found happiness wasn't going to last long....
The smile on her face dwindled, and she sighed deeply...
Her phone suddenly rang and she immediately cleared her throat and answered the call when she it was from Charles.... "Good morning." She heard his voice, and the smile on Gina's face immediately returned automatically... she faced palmed herself and tried her best to stop herself from squeaking because of the jolt of happiness passing through her... "Gina, are you there?" Charles said, and Gina realised she hadn't responded to him...
"Good morning," She replied in a low voice and stood up from her chair... she started to walk around her office as he asked her about breakfast and it she wanted to have lunch with him... "Yes, I'm free for lunch," She accepted, and a smile appeared on Charles face...
"it's a date then," He said... their first date...
Gina ended the call feeling beyond elated, but that was paused by a knock on her door... "Come in," She said and went back to take a seat...
Clara walked into the office and expecting to see Gina's grumpy or upset about something, but it was the opposite... Gina had a lingering smile on her face and was looking at something on her face...
She raised her eyes to look at Clara, who was taking in Gina's new side, and had forgotten to state why she was in her office... "Ma'am someone is here to see you," Clara finally said, and a slight frown immediately settled on Gina's face...
The last few times that someone had come to see her, it didn't end well... "Who is it?" She asked, and before Clara, someone walked into her office, and Gina stood up from her chair, her heart dropping...
it was her father! "Dad," She said out in disbelief... it was the first time her father was coming to her office, and she knew it wasn't going to be a good visit... she could fear slipping into her slowly as Charles eyes started to scan her office...
"You can leave us," Charles said to Clara, who immediately scurried out of the she had escape... she could feel the tension as soon as he walked it... she was so shocked when he walked into the boutique and immediately recognised who he was... She had seen him only once when she had followed Gina to a family event... she could tell as soon as she saw him that that was where Gina got her attitude from....
"Dad... this is such a surpise, please have a seat!" Gina said, but Charles raised his hand, gesturing for her to stop talking, and Gina's swallowed... she knew immediately that he was freaking mad... That was what had always frightened her about him... he tends to look calm when he is fuming mad...
"I'm just going to cut to the chase... I'm giving you just a month, Gina... settle all your business here..." Gina heart dropped even more, and she felt her stomach churn...
"But dad..." She started, but Charles cut her off... "I don't want to hear it, I know all about Alex and your lies... you should have done a better job if you were going to lie to me... did you really think I wouldn't find out about Alex and that girl!" Charles raised his voice, and Gina flinched....
"I tried my best with you, I didn't want you to end up like your mother... I don't even know what to do with you anymore...." Charles sighed deeply and glared at Gina, who was too shocked to say a word against her father...
"Do you really want my company... I worked too so hard for it, and I don't care if you are my daughter. I won't leave it to you if you try to defile me again... Joan didn't stress her parents out like you stressed me out... she made the right choice with unlike you, " Charles said and turned to leave, but Gina stopped him before he could... she immediately rushed to his front and blocked his way...
Her body trembling... she couldn't let him take away her boutique she had worked just too hard for it.... it felt like her heart was being squeezed, and she said the only thing she could think of was hoping to appease him....
"What about his cousin! his mother Caroline wants me to marry him... she wants to set up a date for both of us, " Gina blurted out and stopped her father...
"His cousin..." Charles said and almost scoffed... "Frederick's son?" and Gina swallowed..
did her father know who he was... "I heard their company isn't doing well lately, it hasn't been the same after fredrick passed, rest his soul" He continued and the way her father spoke about Caroline's late husband made Gina relax a bit, it seemed they were on good terms when he was alive...
"What about Dalton... isn't he a better choice than him" Gina immediately shook her head, she was ready to do anything to make sure she didn't have to be engaged to Dalton, the thought of them being together almost made her puke...
"Like I said, you have a month, it's either you convince me about this...what's his name!" Charles asked, and Gina had no idea what his name was, but Charles thankfully continued talking...
"I'm going to give you a chance because of his father fredrick, do not disappoint me again, gina." Charles left Gina's office after and Gina could finally breathe well again...
Feeling more conflicted than she had ever been in her life