When Anastasia picked Jared up from school that afternoon, she got the details for Family Day that
was set on Friday. The teams would be made up of a maximum of two students each, and ideally, the
students were to show up with their parents.
“Miss Tillman, I heard from Jared that his father will be here for Family Day as well. Here’s the thing-
we’re going to need his father’s height and weight so that we’ll be able to get his shirt ready for the
program. The shirts will be made according to the family teams.”
At once, the image of a tall and handsome figure surfaced in Anastasia’s mind as she asked the
teacher, “Does it have to be matching family outfits?”
“It’s a school requirement, Miss Tillman, and it sets out a uniform dress code for the kids’ Family Day
here. It wouldn’t be as fun if everyone wore whatever they wanted to the games,” the teacher said
kindly, though she was making it clear that the requirement was absolutely mandatory.
Well, Elliot was the one who promised the kid he’d join Family Day, so he’ll have to wear the shirt no
matter how ugly it is, Anastasia thought with dark amusement. “In that case, his father’s height is about
six feet three.”
“Wow, Jared’s father is a tall one, isn’t he? What about his weight?”
“He has a pretty standard figure.”
“Okay, then. Now, if you could just transfer us the payment through the parent teacher group chat,
that’d be great!” Having taken down the details, the teacher walked off to attend to her other duties.
Presently, Anastasia had only just arrived home with Jared in tow when Francis called to tell her that he
was here and that he would like to bring them to go house-seeing.
The new place was a two-bedroom apartment, but the layout measured up to over a hundred square
meters. In spite of the two bedrooms, the living room was spacious and held plenty of design potential.
Anastasia could already visualize how she would divide the space and set up a kiddy’s corner in the
living room that would be perfect for Jared.
The new place also featured two balconies, one for airing laundry and the other for – plants. Once she
added a small table for coffee and work, and she could turn it into
her own outdoor workspace.
Anastasia liked the place that Francis had chosen for her, and she appreciated how he had gone
against Naomi and Erica just so he could provide a home for her and Jared.
“Pack up your stuff and move in whenever you want. If there’s anything you need at all, the mall is just
an elevator ride away!” Francis said cheerily as he sat on the couch with Jared in his lap.
Anastasia nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll go back and pack up our stuff tonight. We don’t have much, so
we should be done with the move by tomorrow afternoon. We could start cooking our first meal here
tomorrow evening!”
“Great, then I’ll drop by and have dinner with you both,” Francis said with a grin.
Naturally, Anastasia would love to have her father over, but even she could not hide her worries in front
of him. As if sensing her thoughts, he added hastily, “Don’t worry. I’ll be dropping by alone.”
Anastasia truly did not wish to have Naomi and Erica over. She nodded and said readily, “Okay.”
Over at the Tillman Residence, Naomi was still unhappy about her husband buying an apartment unit
for Anastasia. The fact was very much a thorn in her side, and she had plans on asking Francis to
splurge on a new apartment for Erica as dowry.
However, she knew that Francis couldn’t afford another apartment even though his company had been
doing well recently. It was almost as if the universe was helping him; all his bids had been successful,
and everything was smooth-sailing over at the company, not to mention the ledgers were looking
positive. After all, it wasn’t easy for a small company with only millions in its assets to become a listed
entity.
Meanwhile, Elliot was in his office at Presgrave Corporation, and he would be returning after his visit to
Bourgeois this evening to tie up some loose ends at work. Just then, Rey approached him with a folder
in hand and said, “President Presgrave, a new bid from Francis’ company just came in, and we’ve
already approved of it.”
Elliot nodded in satisfaction. “Very well.”
“President Presgrave, I don’t think Francis knows that you’re the one who has been secretly supporting
his company and allowing it to grow into its current state.”
“There’s no need for him to know. His wife had sacrificed her life for mine, and it’s only right that I treat
his family well to repay her selfless deed.” Elliot rubbed the space between his brows as he felt
exhaustion wash over him.
“President Presgrave, we’ve also given word to the panel working on the jewelry design competition.”
“Right,” Elliot said in acknowledgement, his eyes suddenly lighting up in anticipation.
“You should be getting back, sir. It’s already 9.00PM” Rey pointed out gently.
Half an hour later, Elliot returned to his villa in the hills. When he stood in the spacious living room, he
couldn’t help noticing how empty his home felt. It made him think of Anastasia’s small but cozy
apartment. Perhaps a woman’s touch is just what this house needs, he thought. A child would liven
things up too.
As his mind wandered, he thought about Anastasia and Jared. Anastasia was a stubborn soul who
refused to take the easy way out. Moreover, she was independent, decisive, and never one to bend her
will for the sake of money. She wasn’t someone he could buy, and for all the power he had, he knew he
couldn’t make her marry him.
More importantly, he was the one who owed her a favor. As things were, he found it much harder to win
over Anastasia than it was to manage a large corporation with a billion-something net worth.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Anastasia and the curves of her silhouette. The more he thought about
her, the stronger the heat that coursed through his entire body. All of a sudden, his pants felt very
constricting.
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