Chapter Seven.

"Kristine, have you spoke with the applicants?"

Noni ask her friend and co-manager of her fashion house, Kristen has been her friend for over six years now and they built the fashion home together with joint effort though Noni owns most of it, she handles the financial aspect of the company while Noni handles the designing and manufacturing, but sometimes they swap parts since they are both designers.

The fashion home wasn't all that huge but it was big enough, when they had started it six years ago they rented a small shop but as they got bigger they decided to go for a bigger option now they have six other designers in their team and over 30 workers in total including the security men and cleaners.

It's wasn't so big yet Noni was grateful for how far they have come, she never expected the business to do this well.

"Yes, I have spoken with about fourteen of them, they are twenty in total, the others have not yet replied to my email."

She replied greeting Noni with a hug.

"Okay, what about sponsors? Apart from the ones we had before any other one?"

Noni asked hugging her back.

"A few people have shown interest and I have been in contact with some, others are still pending,"

She disclosed, moving over to her office and bringing out several files.

"Okay, thanks Kristen, sorry I left all the work for you alone,"

"It's not a problem No."

She replied.

"You are the best Kris."

Noni said sitting on the sofa in Kristen's office, they were trying to organize a training for twenty aspirating designers and so far the turn up has been nice.

"You are right of course I am the best, so how did your meeting with your parent go?"

At her question, Noni burst out laughing,

You won't believe it if I tell you, Kristen,"

"What happened?"

"Let's just say, my parent are clowns that escaped from a circus,"

She said still laughing.

"Are you gonna tell me or not?"

Kristen asked closing the file she has been holding and moving over to the coffee machine in her office and started making coffee for both of them.

"I will tell you, my dad wants me to marry the man that will take over his company,"

Noni revealed.

"What, like an arranged marriage?"

Kristen asked in surprise almost dropping the coffee she was holding.

"Yup, arranged marriage, and I have two choices, anyone, I chose automatically become the owner of my family's company."

Noni further revealed, she still couldn't get the fact that her father had called her over just to make such an impossible demand.

"Are you for real? Wow, what was your response? Are you gonna do it?"

"Do I look mad to you Kristen? We have known each other for years now have I ever been interested in a man not to talk of one I don't know, whatever business deal my dad has with them he shouldn't involve me, I told him I wasn't even gonna think about it,"

She said collecting the coffee that Kristen offered and inhaling its aroma before taking a sip.

"True, you barely go on dates, and even when you do you don't take them seriously,"

Kristen replied sipping her coffee.

"See, so why would I accept an arranged marriage?"

"But your dad is bold, for real, after ten whole years the first time you see he wants to you to marry someone you don't know? Wow, even my dad won't boldly tell me that,"

"I was shocked but what did I even expect from them?"

What had she expected from her parent? They have done the worst.

Her phone binged and she checks to see she got a text from her dad, she dropped her coffee and picked up her phone, she read the text out loud.

"Noni, I sent your number to Alex and Steven, they will call you soon to set up a date please consider meeting them before concluding, I am sorry for disturbing you with my problem but you are my only hope, please don't turn me down,"

She finished reading the text and dropped her phone, picking up her coffee again she took a sip to try and calm her nerve, she didn't even know how she was feeling she was neither angry nor happy, she felt a tick of pity for her father, knowing who is he, it must have taken a lot h ult to beg her but she won't let that faze her, it could be his strategy to get her to do what he wants, he has always been manipulative.

"So, what are you gonna do are you gonna ignore your father?"

"That's exactly what I will do,"

Noni replied.

"Wow, that's harsh the old man sounded desperate, from what you told me about your old man and from what I have learned about him he doesn't go to the length of begging, so for him to do this means he has no other choice,"

"That would be his strategy to get me to do what he wants,"

Noni said dropping her coffee cup and picking up her cell phone.

"You should meet the young men, I mean there is no harm in meeting them, you don't have to marry them just get to know them and decide who will be able to handle the company,"

Kristen said with a serious expression.

"Have you been listening to what I have been saying, Kristen? My dad said and I quote, that I should pick one from the two and marry them so that when that person takes over the company it would still be in the family name,"

"Wow, what even happened, cuz from what I read online, as at the beginning of the year the company was doing okay, I don't get how it suddenly going bankrupt."

Kristen said.

"According to dad, he had left the company in Nathan's care while he recovered from an illness, Nathan has then gambled with the company's money, and by the time dad had been well enough to take back control of his company it was already running at zero,"

She revealed.

"Oh my God, that horrible, your brother is horrible for doing such a thing to his parent,"

Kristen said her word filled with concern.

"That has nothing to do with me so they should not involve me in their family cuz I have never felt part of them, like none of my photos, are in the house, that's how unwanted and unwelcomed I am in that house."

Noni replied feeling her temper rise, she had checked around the house when she had woken up that morning and apart from her room, there was no trace of her in the house.

"Noni, even though I am not in support of arranged marriage but I feel you should meet up with the young men, take it as an experience who know either one of them could be someone you can be friends with, and also you can experience a blind date if they don't seem promising enough you can help your parents find better buyers I mean I know a lot of people wanna acquire your dad's company even I would have tried it I had the money"

Kristen said, Noni looked at her as if she has lost her mind and just shook her head in response.

"You crazy businesswoman,"

Noni responded, throwing the pillow on the side at her, she caught it and threw it back at Noni.

"But the sweet part is you get to experience a blind date I would love to experience that too but Kel will probably go crazy,"

Kristen added making Noni laugh.

"No one said you should fall in love and start dating at a young age and stick with that one man for so long."

Noni replied.

"It's not my fault if I only see one man, I am a one-man for a lifetime kind of woman,"

Kristen said with her face and her voice filled with the lovesick expression that always made Noni cringe.

"Okay I am out of here she said getting up and moving out of the office."

"Noni, you stubborn child get back here,"

Noni didn't even turn around she just waved and continued on her way, she lay down on the sofa in her office once she got there.

Her phone ring and she checked to see who it was already concluding that if it was from her father she was gonna ignore it but Sean's number flashed on the phone, she quickly picked her phone up.

She had contacted Sean in respect of the upcoming fashion training and competition to ask for sponsorship and Sean had responded by telling her that his boss was out of town that he would get back to her when he returns, maybe he is back. She thought.

"Hello, Sean, I have been expecting your call."

She said when she answered the call.

"Hi Miss Noni, I just wanted to tell you that my boss is around and he would like to meet you to talk about what you asked for,"

Sean disclosed over the phone.

"Wow, thanks Sean just text me your location I will be there soon."

She responded feeling happiness well up in her.

"Okay, I will do that, see you soon,"

He replied and the call ended.

Noni hurriedly picked up the file related to the competition and headed out of her office, she made a quick stop at Kris's office and told her about it, and left the office.