The Reason (Westlife) //Completed

Chapter 2. All About The Offer

I thought that the ride would take a year until the driver finally pulls the brake. Getting off the cab, I step my feet on the ground. In front of me stands a huge house, or more preferable to say, a ‘mansion’ that will surely take your breath away.

My uncle must be so filthy rich!

“What are you doing here, lady?” My soul has almost literally jumped out of my physical body when a voice just came out of nowhere.

 “Who the hell was that?!” I inquire irately

“Me… and who are you?” the gruff voice replies and so I tilt my head towards the source. There he is, leaning his back against the post near the big gate. He has this broad body and a serious look on his face; he must be a gatekeeper or a security guard. I try hard to curb my intimidation by crossing my arms over my chest.

“What’s your name? You do know you look suspicious by the way you act, Miss?” he questions in a serious tone.

 “Just let me in, mister. Don’t you know my uncle—“ I try to explain but he immediately cuts me off

“I repeat, what’s your name?!” he asks in a more demanding tone. His face turns from serious to quite ratty.

“I’m Lauren Streisand, silly.” I roll my eyes

“You’re some kind of a thief, aren’t you? Mind if you just go away yourself or else, I’ll be the one to drag you all the way out this premise.”

 The nerve of this man!

I stare at his not-so-attractive face and grit my teeth in anger. “No, I’m not a thief nor a mobster or something! If you think I am, then you’re wrong! For your information, I’m Louis Walsh’s niece!” 

 “You’re his niece?”

“You definitely need to clean up your ears, mister. You know? There’s this thing called as ‘cotton buds’. Fancy buying one? And yes, I’m his NIECE,” I spit out the words sarcastically with emphasis on the last word.

He steps back and avoids my intimidating gaze. 

 “This! Look at it closely!” I hand him a picture of me and my uncle that was taken four years ago at his beach house in Miami one summer day. I was only sixteen at that picture but I still look almost the same.

He grabs the picture from my hand and examines it carefully with his eyes as wide as it could get. “Okay, you may now come in,” he says in defeat.

I grin triumphantly and start walking inside as he opens the big gate of the house but keeping his eyes on me. Talk about good luck.

************

Now I’m here inside my uncle’s house and my eyes immediately spot him whilst he’s busy talking to someone over the phone.

“—just like what I was saying, Anto just resigned last week…. Sure, don’t worry…. I’ll try to solve this as soon as poss…. Okay, I get it but I’ll try… Talk to you next time… Goodbye,” he says in a rush, hanging up and stuffing his phone inside his pocket.

After a few more seconds, he turns around and meets my gaze. His eyes dramatically widen in shock. “Lauren, is that… you?!” he asks incredulously as if he just saw an apparition of mine.

“Good day to you, too,” I greet with sarcasm. “Surprise?”

“What are you doing here?”

That’s not the kind of welcome I’m expecting though.

“Because I need your help,” I answer straightforwardly.

“Help? You crossed another continent just to ask for help? Do your parents know about this?”