Love Contract

The Miramadi Dynasty

Around four in the afternoon the phone rang and told me to meet in the garden gazebo for a brief tea. As I walked up in my pink fluttery dress I saw the Director, now quite old sitting in a chair with a cane leaning by his side. I arranged to sit across the small table from him as he sipped some early grey.

"Thank you, so much for seeing me Former-Chairman." I said giving a slight bow.

"You are already so much different than your mother. Alfred tells me you have suddenly become aware of your circumstances here. You must have many upset feelings on the matter?"

"Sir, I wanted to thank you." He set down his cup in surprise and cocked an ear to listen intently. "You personally spent a great deal of effort to take care of me and though you have expectations too, I imagine most of what you have done is out of respect for my father."

"And would you also thank Jiro, still?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and a coy smile.

"I have no objection" I blushed after my defiant words.

"No objection to what...?" He chuckled without seeming totally lost.

"My circumstances, sir, I was sent a proper marriage proposal once and though I didn't get a chance to look it over properly...I would truly like to accept it" I said looking straight into his eyes.

He lifted the cup again to his mouth hiding his expression. "You know you might be too good for Jiro at this point. Did your mother ever tell you that you still have the social standing of the Miramadi name and its wealth? Now that you're of age you could easily inherit the trust, pay us back, and walk free of here if you wanted to." His eyes had become steely and dark at the prompting.

"I don't have any reason to believe something like that." I said dumbfounded. "I've never heard anything about an inheritance or anything left of my father's work."

"No doubt you wouldn't if your mother couldn't have taken it." He said sharply before releasing the tea back to its saucer. "My son, Nagami, gave your father's holdings to Jiro as a graduation gift. Unknowingly, he's made you a very rich woman again, on top of your trust. You could easily attend any college with that."

"If you're asking me whether I want to leave or telling me I could, the answer is the same. I want to accept. The money wouldn't matter." I said balling up my hands into fists.

"Nothing, like your mother for sure" He said rising from the table with a smile. With that the former chairman began to walk back towards the main house.

"Well Alfred it's up to Jiro now." He said loudly taking Alfred's arm and dangling his cane from the other. I simply watched from the gazebo as the wind blew my hair gently in the breeze. When they were out of sight I headed back to the villa. I could leave if I wanted? Somehow that seemed like such a depressing thought even if it came with riches. What I looked forward to now was seeing Jiro, only a few more hours left.