The Royal Contract

She finally hung up the phone after probably almost half an hour of just talking to him. Somehow, she felt different this time. She realized she could trust him compared to their previous relationship.

Evan was right. She could sense a changed man in him. He was not the Marcus that she first met who did not care about her feelings. This man today might not be in love with her yet. But he truly cared about her.

"Love?" She mouthed in a breathless whisper. Yes, she guessed that she had been in love with him. 

She was unsure when it happened, but she only realized it at some point in their relationship. It was an unfamiliar feeling but a scary one. She was afraid it would not be reciprocated. 

That was probably the reason why she had worked hard to make her relationship with him work. But during that time, he did not feel the same way as her. Now, she was unsure if that was what he felt for her. He never did actually say the word love.

"I love you." She said out loud, but only the space in front of her heard it. Her heart knew that it was real. She truly loved that man with all her heart.

She guessed she always knew that she would never love anyone else. So, no matter how much she tried to replace Marcus inside her heart, to cut him off, out of her life. She could not.

He had left a mark so deep that she could not erase her feelings for him. But she did not regret it one bit, getting back with him. She could feel this would be different.

She thought that maybe this incident was just a minor bump in their relationship. It would be up to her to make it work by doing something about it or ruin it by jumping to her silly conclusions.

"I think it is time that I take matters into my own hands than wait for him to do so." She mumbled to herself as she stared at the food in front of her, still untouched.

She quickly stood up from her seat and grabbed some things in the cabinet. She started packing up the food she had prepared and put it in a bag. 

She believed it was time for a late dinner picnic with his man. She should go to him if he could not visit her. It was what good girlfriends did. Take care of their men.

"Yes, I am his girlfriend." She told herself as she changed into something suitable for a late-night dinner date. 

He might not have labeled their relationship. But if he wanted this to work. Then he should start realizing he was now in a committed affair. 

She was not taking any other options from him. Either he took what she was offering, or he could kiss his ass goodbye. She would not have a second thought of saying sayonara to him. This time for good.

After almost an hour, she stood on the pavement outside a massive and impressive building. Most of the employees must have already left, judging from the time.

Taking a deep breath, she said to herself. "You can do this." She looked up at the tall structure and pictured him standing in one of those windows, looking down at her. But that was unlikely since he had no idea that she was coming.

Many lights on the glass windows above were already off, but several were still bright with life. She guessed that he would be on the upper floors, cooped in Alex's office, finishing up his work.

When she walked up to the lobby, guarded by two security men, she stopped. Luckily, she knew them. She had been in this building several times before when she did some errands for Dani. They did not doubt her alibi for visiting so late.

Her next stop would be at Alex's office on the top floor, where Marcus would be. She quickly rode the elevator, slightly nervous about what might be his reaction to her unexpected visit.

Her hand fidgeted with the bag she was holding as she stared at the numbers on the small screen. Finally, the ding signaled her arrival on the designated floor.

As soon as the door opened, she was surprised to see the entire floor. She looked at her watch as she stepped out of the small box and walked into the large hallway. 

It was late, but the entire office was buzzing with life. She expected to see a room almost darkened with only a few lights on. Then, maybe one or two people would still be working with Marcus. But not this.

"Jacky, what are you doing here?" Someone finally called her attention. 

A tall woman walked toward her. She stood in front of her and gave her a big hug before letting her go. It had been a while since they last saw each other. In a way, they had become good friends.

"Alona, what is going on in here?" She could not help but ask, curious at the scene in front of her. 

She could only come up with one reason why so many employees were working their asses off at this late of night. Something big was cooking in the company. It could either be a good thing or not.

She would not know since she had been in her bubble the whole day, daydreaming of strangling Marcus for standing her up. She did not catch up with the grapevine with what the buzz was all about. 

Suddenly, she connected why Evan was adamant to hear from Alex. It must have something to do with this. But then again, Marcus should be dealing with that since he was the one left in charge.

"Just a busy night. Nothing out of the ordinary." Alona nonchalantly answered her. As if this was a common thing and nothing to worry about. "Are you here to see Marcus? I can tell him that you are here." She quickly offered.

She could not tell her what was happening in the office. First, she was not an employee here. Another, even if she was, she was not privy to the situation.

"Yes, I want to see Marcus, but don't tell him that I am here." She started explaining. Her nerves were back as she thought of her impulsive decision.

"You want to surprise him." It was more of a statement than a question as Alona realized her intention. She started giggling like a schoolgirl, supporting her friend with her plan. "Oh, this is exciting."

"Stop that. How is your boss anyway? Busy, in a good mood?" Jacky asked, hoping to get a feel of her situation before she went barging into his office unannounced.

"All I can say is that he will definitely be surprised to see you." Alona encouraged her to go on with her plan.

His current boss had been under a lot of stress due to these problems he had stumbled on. It was just his first time on the job, yet it felt like he was already sitting on that chair for years from the look on his face.

She looked at the double doors of the office, and for the first time, she felt intimidated. But she would not back down. She had set a goal, and she would make sure to accomplish that before the night was over.

"Hi! Can I invite you again for dinner?" She quickly said before she forgot her lines. She strode into the room with a purpose, smiling at him, waiting for him to answer her.. "This time, I am not taking no for an answer."