Purple Romance

Mirabel was helping Paige in the kitchen. They were preparing the dinner for the official meeting between the two families. Paige was nervous and Mirabel tried to calm her down.

Because Jordan knew she would be nervous, he had asked Joel and Mirabel to be with her and help her in the preparation as he left to pick up his father and Jessi.

Joel had gone out with Mr. Payin Thomas to get him a suit since the latter had stopped wearing those after the incident years ago. He had discarded all his suits, so Joel had taken him to the company to get a tailored suit that fitted him. There was no rush since the dinner was until that evening and it was still late morning.

''Hey, relax, okay? Is just an introduction dinner'' Mirabel tried to assure her.

''I know but I can't help been nervous and scared''

''Mr. Attoh is a good man. He won't give you a tough time, especially when he knows Jordan adores you so much''

''Is going to be okay, right?'' Paige clasped her hands together and Mirabel sighed, pulling her into a hug.

''Yes, it is going to be just fine. No need to be worry or anxious. Everything will turn out just fine''

''Let's hurry with the food, then. We don't have much time left''

''En'' Mirabel's phone buzzed and she hurried to take it, ''it's Joel'' she said with a smile before answering, ''hello babe. alright, I will go over and get it from aunt, en, bye'' she hung up and looked at Paige.

''What did Joel say?''

''He wants me to pick up wine from his mother. Paige, I will be back''

''En, hurry up. I don't want to be alone in this house''

''I will be back in no time'' Mirabel kissed Paige's cheek before going out.

Paige went back to cooking until a few minutes later, she heard the doorbell ringing.

''Oh, did Mirabel mistakenly lock the door after going out?'' Paige wiped her hands with a napkin before going to the door. When she opened the door, she didn't see Paige but a strange man instead.

''You are…?'' Paige asked him and the man removed his shades revealing his black eyes. He looked at Paige and asked.

''You must be Paige Payin, right?''

''Yes, I am and you are…?''

''I have a message for you from Yvonne. She said I should make sure you see this before you take a step forward with what you are about to do tonight''

''Yvonne?'' Paige looked at the man sceptically. She suddenly remembered that day when Yvonne told her that she was going to send her a surprise soon. Paige had an ominous feeling.

The man smirked looking at the mixed emotions displayed from Paige's eyes, ''you are wavering. You are wondering whether to take that envelope or not, right?'' he chuckled, ''you are just as beautiful as I heard. Even I am curious as to what kind of decision that you will make after seeing what I have in this envelope. You should hurry up; time is not on your side. Everyone will be here soon. You need to make a decision quickly'' the man urged her on.

Seeing that Paige's hands were clutched against her dressed, almost wrinkling it, he looked at his wrist watch and placed the brown envelope on the door porch. "I will see you around, Miss Payin'' he said and turned away leaving. He stopped at the main gate and turned, ''by the way, you are beautiful. It breaks my heart that I am the one to send you this piece of information''

Paige watched the man leave before she stared at the envelope for a while before deciding to take it. Her hands quivered as she lifted the envelope to her side and looked at it. She opened it and took a deep breath before digging her hand inside. There was only a storage device inside. It was a small black drive.

Paige turned to go inside and saw Mirabel returning with two bottles of wine. She kept the device into her side pocket and crumbled the paper.

''What's that?'' Mirabel asked looking at the paper she had squeezed.

''Nothing, let's go'' Paige said to her and opened the door.

''Wait'' Mirabel touched Paige's face and furrowed her brows.

''What is it?'' Paige asked her.

''Your face is pale and you seem to be running a fever. You are also acting weird. Are you sick?''

''No, I'm fine. Must be the weather. You know it's been hot and cold lately. My body is quite sensitive to the changing weather. Let's go inside''

''Okay'' Mirabel went inside first, followed by Paige.

''I'm going to my room to take a few vitamins and a jacket, I will be out soon'' Paige said to Mirabel.

''En, do that'' Mirabel turned towards the kitchen and smelt some burning scent coming from there. She screamed and ran over. She frowned after opening the pot. All the steamed vegetables that were supposed to be used as side dishes were burnt to black.

''Paige, what happened to you. You burnt the vegetables'' she said and Paige walked closer.

''Sorry, I forgot about it'' Paige said apologetically.

''Paige, you are really acting strange. Did something happen to you while I was away? Or did someone come to visit you?''

''No, no one came here'' Paige was flustered by her right guess. She turned towards her room saying, ''I will come down and help you with the work after taking my meds''

As she walked away, Mirabel frowned. She couldn't stop having the feeling that Paige was acting strange. She was suddenly lost. Mirabel turned back to the pot. She turned the gas off and lifted the pot into the sink. She rolled her sleeves and started cutting fresh vegetables again. Luckily, they had bought a lot of vegetables during the shopping if not they would have needed to go back to the mall for fresh vegetables.

She busied herself with the work but after sometime, she looked towards Paige's door and sensed a weird feeling. She put water into the rice cooker and connected it before deciding to go up and look for Paige but just as she was about to enter, she heard the sound of a car outside.

''That must be Joel'' she went towards Paige's room to inform her but when she was about to knock the door, Paige had come out.

''Paige, I almost thought you had fallen asleep in that room. Do you know that you are acting strange today, Paige? Is everything alright?''

''En, everything is fine. Who came in with the car?'' her voice sounded normal but her eyes were red, like someone who had just finished crying.

Since she said she was fine, Mirabel didn't want to make an issue out of it. after all, today was a good day. They could just talk about it the next day.

''I think it's Joel and uncle. Let's go out and see'' Mirabel held Paige's hand and they went outside together.

When Mirabel opened the door, she saw Joel adjusting the tie for Mr. Thomas Payin. ''Whoa, uncle, you look especially dashing today. The suit fits you so well'' Mirabel said walking up to them.

''This girl really had a sweet tongue'' Mr. Thomas Payin said.

''Dad…'' Paige went forth to hug her father tightly, ''dad, I missed you'' she said and everyone looked at her puzzled. She was acting strange.

''I just left you two hours ago to go get a suit. Why are you being so nostalgic?'' Mr. Thomas Payin asked but Paige tightened her grip on him.

''Dad, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry'' her voice quivered as she said those words. They were filled with agony and heartache. She was clearly sad.

''Paige, what's wrong?'' Mr. Thomas Payin asked and pulled Paige away from his embrace. Her eyes were suddenly swollen and red and she was sniffing.

''Paige, what's wrong?'' Joel also became alarmed as everyone else. He turned to Mirabel and asked, ''Mira, did something happen while we were away?''

''No'' Mirabel shook her head.

Paige held her father's hands tightly and looked at him with tears streaming down her face. Her voice was shaken even as she spoke and her body tensed up.

''Dad, you know I love you so much right? You know I would do anything for you, right?''

''Off course I know that. now stop crying and tell me what's going on. Did Jordan break up with you? I will go to find him right away and teach him a lesson''

''No, he did not break up with me''

''Then, why are you crying. Don't you know it's breaking my heart to see you this way?''

''Dad, the dinner won't come off again'' she finally said and everyone looked surprised.

''What do you mean, Paige?'' Joel turned her to face him.

''I broke up with Jordan a few minutes ago'' she said.

''What?''

''What?''

''What?'' the three people by her side all had the same reaction of shock in their response.

''Paige, you are kidding, right?'' Mirabel asked and Paige should her head.

''I am not joking. I told Jordan to not bring his family here anymore''

''Paige, this is a serious matter, can you explain what you mean by that?'' Mr. Thomas Payin asked.

''Why did you suddenly break up with Jordan? Say something for us to at least understand you, Paige'' Joel added his voice.

''Because his father is Damien Attoh'' she finally said and looked at her father.

''Damien Attoh… that Damien Attoh. Paige are you sure of what you are saying?''