Ronald blinked his eyes severally, it was just an hallucination. He drank his coffee and looked at Andre.

"Any appointments for the week?," he asked still sipping his coffee suspiciously just in case something weird comes up.

"yes sir, we will be traveling to Africa, South Africa to be precise for a branch meeting on Thursday."

"SA," he asked.

"yes sir," she nodded.

"wow, I have always wanted to go to Africa,"he muttered to himself inaudibly.

"you may go now."

"ok sir," Andre replied taking the cup away with her.

"thank goodness, nothing was in the coffee," Ronald breathed heavily relieved.

THE JONNES MANSION

"Mom am home!," Vera yelled as she handed her bag over to one of the maids who rushed towards her immediately she stepped in.

"Mom??," she called again.

"your mom is her room resting ma'am," the maid said.

"oh thanks Celine," she said smiling heading towards the kitchen.

"good day Miss," the maids greeted.

she nodded tiredly going towards the fridge taking out a table water gulping down half of it's content to quench her thirst.

Going to the living room she found a ticket on the table and she picked it up.

"Africa!!!!," she yelled.

The maids and the guards immediately rushed to the living room thinking maybe something had happened to her.

"Milady, what's the problem?," her personal bodyguard guy asked.

She turned around with the tickets in her hand ignoring the worried house workers she ran upstairs.

"mom!!," she yelled as she went.

she knocked at the door but no response she turned the knob and went in and found her mom pretending to be asleep.

Vera smiled a bit and walked closer to her mom's bed, splashing of water was heard in the bathroom.

"Mom I know you are awake so stop acting."

Her mother turned in her bed and smiled. she looks almost the same as Vera except that Vera had dimples which she inherited from her dad.

"mom what's the meaning of this?," Vera asked tossing the ticket on the bed before sitting on the cushion by its side.

"well," her mom said sitting on the bed.

"you needed a break and I know that if I asked you to have one you won't oblige so I had to take the bull by the horn my dear Vera," she said smiling.

"but mom it's not fair," Vera said protesting.

"what's not fair?," her father said coming out of the bathroom with a towel round his waist.

"mom wants me to go to Africa."

"Christine really?," he asked furrowing his brows.

"Kingsley, she needs it and you know that."

"yeah, you're right," her dad said sitting on the bed close to Christine.

Vera gasped.

"Dad, you're in support? who will run the hospital for you?," Vera asked.

her dad smiled.

"being retired doesn't mean am handicapped, I can handle it on my own. go and rest my dear maybe your dream man might be there you know?," he said.

Vera smiled disappeared immediately.

"oh dear, you shouldn't have said that," her mom said going close to Vera to hug her.

"my bad, Vera am sorry I didn't mean it to hurt you."

"it's okay dad," she said in tears.

"don't worry everything will be fine okay?," Christine said kissing her forehead.

her dad came towards them and hugged them but his towel fell from his waist.

Christine and vera palmed you heir faces in laughter as Kingsley ran inside the bathroom naked.

"your dad is such a joker," Christine said amidst laughter.

CLOVER CLUB

Clover club is the best well known club in the whole of Dallas, Texas. the best night club strippers, dancers and prostitutes are all around to give pleasure to men who visit.

located at the heart throb of the city. Ronald and Clifford decided to hang out here as clover club is their favorite spot.

"Ronald you aren't taking your drink," Clifford said taking a sip out of his whiskey as they sat down by the bartender counter.

Ronald looked up from his cup as he was playing with it and sighed.

"an going to Africa tomorrow," he said.

"Africa!," Clifford exclaimed.

"yeah for a branch meeting," he replied.

" wow that's great, but why are you worried? you should be happy man," Clifford said taking another sip out of his drink.

"am worried about Merit, you know she will be the only one at home when am gone and I don't want that Bella lurking around her," Ronald said finally taking a sip out of his drink.

"yeah you're right," Clifford nodded.

"for how many days will you be gone?."

"just three days."

"she can stay at my house, my niece is coming over so it will be perfect," Clifford replied.

Ronald face brightened up and he gave Clifford a handshake.

"you're the best man," he said.

"of course I am," Clifford replied.

they laughed and turned to watch the dancers on stage.

NEXT MORNING

RONALD'S MANSION

"big dude,am going to miss you", merit said hugging her brother who was leaving for the airport as the maids carried his luggage towards the car.

"I know but Clifford will take good care of you," he said pulling her cheeks and she turned red at the mention of Clifford's name.

"you're crushing on him right?," Ronald said in suprise at the sight of her reddened cheeks.

"no am not,"she said removing her face from his gaze.

"you're obviously lying to me, listen to me Clifford is not your type of man okay? he is not someone you should fall in love with besides he is not ready for relationship now," he said holding her shoulders.

"don't say that Ronald!!," she yelled slapping his hands off in tears.

"don't say that he's a nice guy," she said already hiccupping in tears.

Ronald kept his one hand on his head and the other on his waist.

"you are obviously naive Merit."

"your flight is in an hour you will be late," she said walking away from his room.

Ronald groaned in frustration as he walked out of his house into his car and his body guard opened the door for him and they zoomed off.

JONNES MANSION

"Vera, you will be late for your flight," Christine yelled from the living room where she was sitting with kingsley's hand over her shoulders.

Vera ran down and kissed her parents goodbye as the maids took her bags to the car.

"take care of yourselves," she said kissing them.

"you too," they chroused.

the guards greeted her and she entered the car with them and they drove to the airport.