"Miss Miller?" Freya called again. This time, Sarah lifted her eyes to her. Then, she battered her lashes a few times more than usual. 

"Yes... I heard you." She paused. "I understand that Mr. Ramsey didn't... didn't mean to propose." Her heartbeat picked up as she began to feel the weight of guilt. Freya didn't know about her chat with her son earlier that day or how much he had assured her that he wasn't kidding.

Sarah wondered how Freya might take it if she agreed to marry Ramsey. Mentally, Sarah shrugged her head. She had yet to decide. One look at her life and Ramsey's life, the obvious reply was staring her in the face. Still, Sarah had a strong conflict in her mind. Ramsey had made it clear that the only benefit for her would be an upliftment in her financial status. If there was one thing Sarah had always been sure about herself, it was the fact that she was not greedy. Now, she was starting to doubt herself.

Freya spared her a longer look before she looked away. Then, she relaxed into her seat and crossed her legs.

"You've been working here for what, three months?"

"Yes."

"You like working here, right?"

Sarah stared at Freya. There was something about the way she asked the question that made her uncomfortable. Nonetheless, Sarah forced a weak smile and replied, "Yes, I do."

"Good," Freya said. "It will also be good to keep you here longer. Don't you agree?" Her words lacked warmth, and Sarah felt as if she was being threatened.

"Yes."

Suddenly, she put up a brief smile.

"Alright. I'm glad we're on the same page, and we can put this behind us." Freya uncrossed her leg and sat up; her eyes lowered to the documents before her.

While Sarah contemplated if there was more to come, Freya lifted her eyes to her.

"You can leave." She stated in a quiet, authoritative tone.

Sarah nodded and quickly stood up. She walked halfway across the study room and then left, closing the door behind her. She put a hand on her chest and let out a sigh before walking to the kitchen.

* * *

Ramsey walked into his room late that night. Exhausted, he began to unbutton his shirt, and before he was done, there was a knock on his door. He stopped and went to open it. His mother stood in front of him in her night robe. A frown on her face.

"Mum."

Freya walked past him and into his room.

Ramsey blinked a few times, a light amusement on his face. "Okay."

"You were gone the whole day," Freya mentioned once Ramsey shut the door and turned to her.

Ramsey sat on the bed. "I was at work."

"No, you weren't there for half the day."

Ramsey scoffed. "What is this? You're spying on me now?"

"Ramsey, spare me the theatrics. I am always aware of what's happening at the company, and it's not always specifically about you. It seems like you don't grasp how important the family business is, especially considering you're going to lead it one day."

Ramsey bent to take off a sock before lifting his eyes back to her. "I have an older brother and sister."

Freya huffed out a light breath. "Step-brother and step-sister. You have more right to that business than both of them. It was crumbling until my father got me married to your father and invested in it. I need you to understand that single truth and take this seriously."

Ramsey stood on his feet. "I work there, don't I? Whichever one of us who is suited can take over after Dad. Stop making this a big deal, please." He walked into his wide closet to change out of his clothes.

Freya shut her eyes for a few seconds to calm her rising frustration. Gently, she sat on the bed in silence until Ramsey walked out in his bathrobe. His gaze fell on his mother, and he came to a standstill.

"You're still here."

Freya straightened a few lines on her robe and focused her gaze on her son. "You went to see her again, didn't you?"

It seemed as if all the color had been drained from his face, turning him into a ghost of his former self. Ramsey averted his eyes from her and headed towards the bathroom.

"Ramsey, the dead are forever gone, and the living has to keep living."

He stopped once his hand was on the door handle and turned to her with a phony smile.

"See? This is why I always look forward to visiting." Then he opened the door and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Freya gazed at her hands, resting on her lap. She took a deep breath, trying to maintain control, something she always prided herself on. However, when it came to her son, she felt that control slipping away, and it was eating away at her. She stood up and left the bedroom.

* * *

The door unlocked, and Sarah walked into the small apartment. She left her handbag and light polythene bag on the round dining table in front of the open kitchen before proceeding towards a bedroom door. Quietly, she pushed down the door handle to open the door. Sarah poked her head in, and her gaze fell on the older man sitting up on the side of the bed. His eyes were glued to the frame of a woman in a lumberjack shirt with black hair on his bedside table.

"Dad," Sarah called as she walked into the room.

The moment Jerome Miller set eyes on his daughter; they lit up.

"Sarah," his lips curved into a wide smile, his black and grey mustache covering his upper lip. He took hold of his walking cane beside him and depended heavily on it to try to stand to his feet. "You don't need to get up," she hastened her pace and sat next to him, wearing a smile on her face. Sarah put her arms around him for a warm hug. Her eyes momentarily drifted to the picture frame he had been staring at. The glance brought about both a sad and happy cocktail of emotions at once.

When Sarah pulled back from the hug, Jerome stared at her with love, fondness, and worry in his gaze. "Are you okay there?"

Sarah maintained her smile. "I'm fine."

Jerome stared at her a while before he looked away and hung his head low.

"I'm sorry you had to take up such a job."

"Dad, what are you saying? It's a decent and legal profession."

Jerome placed a hand on her lap. "You know what I meant. I should be the one working..."

Sarah stood up and walked a few steps away from him.

"We've talked about this many times. It's not your fault. It's just..." She recollected a painful memory without planning to do so. Sarah rolled her lips in for a moment. Suddenly, she smiled again, deciding not to let the past interrupt them. The guilt her father felt towards not helping out weighed on her more than he might know, and Sarah was good at not letting him see it.

"Is Saint in? And Aaron?" She asked as she walked out of the room towards the room her brothers shared.

"Sarah," Jerome called, and she hurried back to him. He had managed to get himself up from the bed and limped towards her with the help of his walking cane.

"Aaron is still asleep, and Saint is not in."

"Oh. He left so early in the morning?"

"He..." Jerome lowered his head. "... he said he's taking a break from medical school to get a job."

Sarah furrowed her brows. "I don't understand."

Jerome walked to the living room and sat on the couch.

"He said he wants to help rather than be a burden to you anymore."

She stood in front of him, her brows still creased. Then ran a hand through her hair. "But it's not. How many times will I tell him that?" Sarah muttered under her breath.

"It's not permanent... just for some time. He promised."

She stared at her father, who smiled at her casually. He was trying his best to mask the sadness he felt about their circumstances.

Sarah sighed. "I'll make you breakfast." She ventured into the kitchen and began making some fried eggs and toast.

Afterward, Sarah sat silently beside him at the dining table and watched while he ate.

Her brother's predicament bothered her. Sarah has always known she wasn't good at school. Her grades were average. But Saint has always wanted to be a doctor and had the brains for it. It didn't matter that she didn't go to college. She was ready to work hard at his behest to put him through school. Now, he was feeling too riddled with guilt to keep on studying. Sarah wished she could show him how capable she was and that he didn't need to halt his dreams. But the truth was, there were bills to pay and her father's medications to keep up with.

... I can only offer you financial security and protection. She recalled Ramsey's words. At that moment, his offer didn't sound like such a bad idea. At least her father and brother would feel less burdened with guilt.

"Dad, what would you say if I told you I'm getting married?"

Jerome's expression was flat for a second before colour returned in the form of a smile. "I'll tell you to do it if it makes you happy."

Sarah lowered her eyes from him as thoughts clouded her mind. Jerome stared longer at her.

"Do you have someone you wish to marry?"

Her lips barely parted. The words stuck and her train of thought rather conflicted with what her reply should be.

"You're getting married?" Aaron asked and both instantly looked in his direction.

Hello everyone, sorry for the late update. I wasn't feeling too well. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'll try and release another this week.