Unwrap Your Desire

OLIVIA

WHEN EVERYTHING APPEARED to be going wrong, and when things did not seem to be falling into their proper places, I realized that all I needed to do was take a deep breath and learn to face life all over again. I had no control over bad situations, or even bad days, because they were out of my hands. It all happened and they continue to occur when I least expect them, but this never meant that I had to be consumed with negative thoughts simply because I did not anticipate them.

After all of the bad things that had happened to me and Chase, I decided to look for the positive aspects in the people who were around me-not to the point where I completely trusted them, because I still needed to be cautious-but I wanted to give myself enough space and time to not overthink and judge their actions whenever I felt like my emotions were running so high that they were clouding my judgment.

I felt at ease immediately following my conversation with Chase’s father and was convinced that my previous judgment of him had been incorrect the entire time. He helped me realize that he was a good person, a loving father who only cared about his son’s well-being, and that his actions were only triggered by his emotions, which was understandable given that he was a protective father. All this time, I thought he despised me, but during our conversation, he made it clear that he only did not want Chase to go through the same ordeal as he had previously. That was something I understood.

Every ounce of worry, fear, and negative feelings I’d ever had about him had vanished by this point. All that was left was respect and appreciation knowing he was a good person. I could not help but wish that I had a father like him, who would go to great lengths to protect me from anything or anyone who might harm me, but I was unfortunate enough not to go through that kind of phase in my life, as I was only raised in an orphanage.

That being said, I considered Chase lucky, not only because he had the wealth that would keep him on top for the rest of his life, but because he had a wonderful father who would rescue him whenever the situation became dire.

I share all of these thoughts in my mind in Lara which I talked on the phone after the conversation I had with Ernest Maxwell and I recalled what she said…

“Oh, my God, Olivia. Are you hearing yourself right now? What if they figured out who you really are? Think about it! You are getting too attached to Chase’s family!” Lara said and I immediately turned off the phone as I saw Chase open the door of our room. I then texted Lara that I’ll call her next time.

Though Lara was right, I felt happy that I could call him “dad” from now on, too.

After almost an hour…

“You seem happy,” Chase commented.

We were both lying down in our beds at the time. My gaze was fixed on the ceiling, and I could not keep a smile off my face. In my peripheral vision, I caught a glimpse of him looking at me, his brows slightly furrowed in interest.

“I just feel like your dad is a cool father.” Then I glanced at him. “I still can’t believe that he came all the way here to apologize to me. I mean, he could’ve sent me a text or called me, right? It’s fluttering, Chase.”

He smiled a bit. “Well, I am glad that he really did that. I was kind of worried that I let him enter our residence. But I still let him because he said he wanted to apologize to you.”

My smile widened. “Perhaps you made the right decision. He was too sincere when we talked, Chase. As in no pretense, I felt it. I am happy that he finally accepted me as his daughter-in-law. I thought I would have to endure those very famous in-law issues that I mostly see in soap operas.”

Chase cracked a grin. His hand reached out and lightly pinched the inside of my cheek. “I am happy for you, baby. Though I wish Chandria would do the same. I am still under the impression that she was the one who sent the death threat in order to exact revenge on you.”

“I don’t want to talk about that death threat anymore, Chase. We have dozens of bodyguards here in the house. I don’t think it will ever happen again. Whoever that person is, I think he or she only wants to pull off a prank.”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Still, we can’t let our guard down.” He leaned down a bit and showered me with kisses on my forehead and lips. “Now, let’s sleep. Tomorrow, you will come with me to my office again…”

“Your employees will really think that I am a clingy wife.” I laughed and hugged him. “I should really think of something that will keep me occupied other than watching you work!”

“It’s better that way, wife,” he murmured and hugged me back. “But if you want to do something, just let me know and we will do it together.”

***

THE NEXT DAY, I was so excited when Chase’s father called me, inviting me to come with him to the ribbon cutting of one of their newest five-star hotels. I was so excited to go that even though Chase did not like the idea of me coming to that event without him, I persuaded him until he agreed.

I was picked up by one of the trusted employees of Ernest Maxwell. It only took almost thirty minutes before we arrived at the new hotel.

“Thanks for coming, Reese!” Dad greeted me with a peck on the cheek and a warm hug.

“Of course, Dad…” I said shyly. Calling him ‘dad’ still felt so foreign but I couldn’t deny that it gave me a warm feeling inside knowing that I had a father figure.

Their new hotel had forty floors. As I looked at it from the outside, I was amazed at how tall it was. I could not believe that Chase’s family owned this entire building and over a hundred hotels within and outside the country. Dad led the way to the inside. My eyes widened in amazement as I looked at the lobby. The interior designs were elegant, and everything seemed to have diamonds glistening. This left me pondering. How much did they spend to build one hotel? I also wondered how much money they had in bank accounts!

“We can take a seat over there.” Dad pointed to the VIP waiting area and then glanced down at his wrist watch. “We still have thirty minutes before the program starts.”

I nodded at him, and then we proceeded to the VIP waiting area and settled ourselves on the soft couches there. My eyes could not even stop lurking around. Amazing. That was the only word I could think of right now.

“This hotel looks amazing, Dad…” I remarked in awe.

He chuckled heartily as his gaze wandered around to admire the place. “I still can’t believe that we are able to build numerous hotels, Reese. This will be our 128th hotel since we started the business almost a century ago.”

“For real, Dad?” I asked, astounded, but then I gasped when he looked at me curiously. “Oh, pardon my memory, Dad. I can’t remember anything… but for sure, Chase had mentioned it to me in the past.”

“Don’t worry, Reese, you’re fine.” He smiled genuinely and then let out a sigh of relief. “You should know that my father was not born into a wealthy family during his life. He lived paycheck to paycheck because life wasn’t all that easy to deal with at the time. I recall him telling me that he worked all hours of the day and night just to support his studies and to provide food for his family. My grandmother was a single parent, and my father grew up without an older man to guide him and assist my grandmother in fulfilling their daily needs.” He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “It was kind of dramatic and I am not sure if our history will entertain you.”

“Oh, please, Dad.” I looked at him curiously. “It already piqued my interest, please I want to know more.”

His expression softened. He nodded afterwards and then continued, “My father applied for multiple part-time jobs to support his college and in order to provide for their family. He enrolled in a business course while in college because he had a strong desire to start his own company from the ground up. At his young age, he was already into business, and my grandmother supported him with that…

“It was during his second year of college when they were thrown in the street because they couldn’t pay the house rent. That particular situation fueled my father’s determination to come up with a business that could give shelter to those who needed a roof, even if it was temporary, and so he dreamed of starting a hotel business… With the divine’s help, he was able to purchase a small property. He started off his business in a small inn with a small amount of savings and the pure courage he had with him. Then you know what? That inn was renovated after a year. From a single-story inn, it became a three-story inn, and then became a hotel with six floors.

“Soon after he was able to build his very first hotel, he met my mother…” Chase’s father smiled genuinely, eyes seemed to wonder about that certain time when his father told him these stories. “My mother was an accountant, and she applied for a job in my father’s company. I had to say that he had fallen in love at first sight. My mother did not leave him, even if he was at the lowest point of his life when Grandma died because of cancer. He almost lost his business, but my mom was there to pick him up and fix the pieces of his hope that were shattered. They went on with their lives and fought so many battles, took a lot of risks, and it all paid off. Before I was born, they were able to establish ten freaking hotels, which accommodated a lot of people.”

He then sighed as he leaned his back against the backrest of the couch. “Their story truly affected me as a businessman. I am devoted to continuing what they have started and passing it to Chase when the right time comes.” Then he looked at me with a smile plastered on his lips. “And you, as his wife, will be the light of his life. Whenever something goes wrong, and whenever things don’t go according to his plan, your role is to soothe and support him, to be his ball of energy to keep going and be a source of his motivation. I would say, a partner is truly important in the business. No one can ever grow a business this big alone. A man should always have a partner that will support his decisions and make him feel alright whenever things go wrong. And I have high hopes that you can do the same for your husband, Reese. Chase might be successful already, but he needs your support more than anything else. With you at Chase’s side, I am confident that he will be able to perform what I expect from him, what the people expect from him. I hope you stay with him no matter what the situation is. As the wedding vows say, through richer and poorer and through thick and thin…”

I gasped at everything Ernest Maxwell had shared with me, and it felt as if we had already built a connection and sympathy towards each other. Their family history was something I could look up to. I must admit, it ignited my desire to become Chase’s support system, and it inspired me a lot.

“Dad, I have no words to say…” I smiled with delight. “But this story you shared inspired me a lot. I promise I will be a good wife to your son, and will do everything to become the best partner he could ever have, not only in this business, but in life.”

He nodded with satisfaction. “I know you can do well, Reese. You’re a smart woman, in fact, way more mature than my own daughter. You can run a business too if you want to. Just think of a business that you want to establish and I assure you that me and Chase will be there to support you.”

“Thank you, Dad…” I said shyly at him. “You surely gave me something to ponder all night.”

We both laughed. Minutes passed, and then his staff advised us that the program would be starting. During the entire ribbon cutting, I was there beside the very fine old man, Ernest Maxwell. What made me feel flattered and honored was the fact that he introduced me to the media reporters as his daughter-in-law.

“Here with me is Reese Jones-Maxwell. I know everyone of you already knows her, but I’d like to introduce her as my daughter-in-law this time.” He glanced over at me and gave me a warm smile. “She will be part of our entire business, and I can’t wait for Reese to explore what she’s capable of.”