Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Malinda POV

I was called early the next morning by Mr Gilbert Ryan, I walked into his office wondering why I was called by him. Normally he tells me what to bring to him, but this time he asked to see me.

I saw his domineering figure sitting on the head chair in his office, as he looked up at me, his cold gaze sent a shiver to my spine and I could already tell that this was not going to be good.

"Have a seat." He pointed at the chair across the one he was sitting and I sat down. "Don't sit comfortably, you are just my maid." His cold voice rang in my ear and I sat up without hesitation.

"Yes sir." My knees together and my hands clasped on my lap as I looked down, unable to bear the look in his eyes.

"A maid is what you are, how dare you make my son fall in love with you!" He said in a deep voice and my eyes dilated as I looked up at him in shock.

How did he find out? I had been careful not to let him notice, now I was in trouble. "Sir..." I open my trembling lips to explain but he cuts me off.

"Quiet!" He shouted and it echoed in the office and I flinched. "You are a maid and not only that, but you are also an orphan too." He started and the coldness from his voice made tears run down my cheek. "Remember you came here begging me to hire you since you needed the money to fend for yourself."

"I hired you out of pity and you want to repay my kindness by coming into my son's life to ruin him!" He pointed at me and my hands became sweaty, my feet were trembling and all I wished to do was leave this office that had suddenly become cold.

"Get this into your brain. Russeli is rich and you are poor, he has a parent and you have none, he grew up to be popular, but you..." He sized me up. "You are nothing. Is this how you want to ruin his career? If you want to keep your job, then don't ever get anywhere close to my son and never utter a word to him. Do I get myself clear?"

Tears streamed down my eyes, this must be the reason Russeli had approached me at the yard the other day, this must be why he asked me to promise him, but I can't, I need to survive and if it means staying away from Russeli then I will do that.

"Yes sir," I said softly.

"Then get out and do your job as the maid that you are."

"Yes sir." I quickly got up, although my legs were shaking, I still needed to leave this office immediately. I left the office and all my thoughts were that I was heartless, I couldn't even keep the promise I made to Russeli, I leaned on the kitchen wall and sob uncontrollably.

Russell POV

Malinda has been avoiding me for the past two weeks now. I wonder what was wrong, at times when my father was not home and we ought to meet, but she always seemed to be around whenever I sensed something was wrong.

She was heading to my father's office one morning to give him his regular morning coffee. I waited outside the study room for her. Immediately she came out, I grabbed hold of her wrist and gave her a sign to be quiet as I took her to my room.

I closed the door behind me and turned to her. "Malinda, we have something to talk about," I told her but she only struggles to free her hand.

"Let go of me, I don't have anything to say to you." She told me softly, still trying to pull her hands away. I also noticed that she was not looking up at my face like she did before now, her eyes were just down at her feet.

"Well, I have something to say." I tighten my grip on her hand. "You have been avoiding me for two weeks now, what is wrong? Have I offended you in any way?" I use my free hand to raise her chin, to see her eyes. "Have I said something wrong?"

"We can't be seen together." She averted her eyes and shook my hands away from her chin. "I have figured it all out, you are rich and I am poor, I don't belong in your world, you are popular, I shouldn't kid myself when I know I am nothing, I am a maid too, an orphan, but you have a father.."

I furrowed my brow. "You are comparing?" I couldn't believe she would say all these things.

"Why not, I am not to be seen around you." She flung my hand away and turned to leave, but I caught her by her waist and pulled her close to me in an embrace.

I looked into her eyes while searching hers, but she looked away not wanting to make eye contact with me. "Have I ever complained?"

"Well I am complaining, I don't want to ruin your life, sir."

I pursed my lips, she was no longer calling me by my name, she was trying to keep her distance. "Malinda.." I searched her eyes. "Why are you suddenly being formal with me?"

She pulled away from me. "This is how I should be to you, I was so immersed in love that I lost my respect and didn't know my place anymore, I got blinded for a while, I should return to my place as a maid."

I realized something and paused. "Did you talk to my father?" I raised my brow and she looked at my face for the first time today. I could see the sadness that filled her eyes as she looked away immediately.

"I have to go." With that, she ran out of my room.

I was still for a moment wondering what she had heard, what had my father told her that made her look so sad.

I was so angry that I went over to my father's study room. There he was sipping his tea with no care for the world. "Dad... what have you done?"

He looked up at me and he was so calm, he is so well reserved and it sometimes makes me wonder why he just didn't play poker instead of establishing an entertainment industry. "If you have something to say, you have to take a seat and talk to me like a responsible son."

My brow snapped together, I was not in for his games, am sure he knows the reason I was here. "What did you say to Malinda that makes her act the way she does and avoid me?"

"Oh...is that it?" He said nonchalantly and put down his teacup. "I told her that she is nothing and shouldn't be around you."

What a Joke!

"How could you?" I furrowed my brow and clenched my fist. My father can be soft on the outside, but his heart was dark. He acts like a saint but now he was like a big barrier, he should just start up a new company and show the world how cruel he could be.

"Why not!" He sat up on his chair and his face darkened. "I was right when I said she would ruin you." He scanned me with his eyes. "I told you, I can never accept a poor and ungrateful orphan for my son."

"Stop it, dad!" I couldn't bear listening to him say all that about Malinda. "She is not that type of person."

"You want her to ruin your career!" His voice was too deep, but this time I was no longer scared, I was not going to let anyone separate me from Malinda, I have fallen in love too deeply.

"I love her dad, and I can't let go." I shook my head. "No matter what you say."

"What will people say if this gets outside huh! Have you ever thought of that?"

"I have nothing to hide." I relaxed my brow and curled my lips up. "I am tired of hiding, dad, this is the person I sincerely love, please don't throw her away, just accept her for me, for my sake." I raised my brow as I looked into his eyes.

They were aflame as he got up in furry. "I can't accept such a person and never will." He turned his back at me and I knew that was the end of the discussion, but I still have something to say.

"If you can't, then I will leave with her to a place where I can be free to love her, I don't even need your permission to love her," I told him and walked out of the door before I left hear him making a call, but I couldn't care less, I have made up my mind already, I will leave with her.