Chapter 4 Offering

Tom occasionally stole glances at his employer through the interior mirror. That morning, Andrew didn't seem like his usual self. Throughout their journey from home to the office, the young man only gazed out of the car window. Who knows what he was thinking. Normally, at times like this, Andrew would be busy reading news online on his gadget, asking small talk to Tom about the weather, and finally asking the old man who had been the family driver for over twenty years to pick him up at the designated time.

"Young Master, I apologize if I'm being intrusive, but I'm curious about what you've been looking at outside the window all this time?" Tom finally dared to address his employer. He considered the young man as his own child. Tom had been working for Harris Jonas, Andrew's father, since the boy was ten years old.

"I'm looking for something, Tom," Andrew replied in a low tone.

"What are you looking for? Maybe I can help." Tom seemed enthusiastic. He sincerely wanted to assist Andrew, whatever his young master desired.

"A wife."

"What?!" Tom couldn't hide his surprise.

"Yes, you heard right, Tom. I'm struggling to find a wife."

What happened to Miss Rose? Haven't you been in a relationship all this time? Tom wanted to ask that, but he was afraid to be too forward, so he said instead, "If it's just a wife, Sir, you can simply pick one. No woman would refuse you."

"I don't want just any woman, Tom. I need one woman who can reassure me," Andrew said. He prepared to get out of the car because, without realizing it, they had arrived in the courtyard of the building where Andrew's office was located. Two bodyguards were seen running towards their car.

"Reassure you about what?" Tom got out of the driver's seat and turned to open the door for Andrew.

"Reassure me that I am her first man." Andrew stepped out of the car, and the two bodyguards quickly flanked him, ready to escort him up to the fifth floor. Andrew's office was there.

Meanwhile, Tom remained silent in his place, digesting the meaning of Andrew's words. "Oh, damn!" he finally exclaimed. "Does he mean he wants a woman who's still a virgin to marry?"

***

"Damn you, Tom! Damn you!" Mona cursed while pushing Tom's body out of her house.

"Hey, it's raining outside! You're making me wet!" Tom tried to fend off Mona's hands hitting his body. "Show some respect. I'm your brother!"

"You damn brother! I don't care if you get wet from the rain or got pneumonia!"

Emma Walker had just returned from her campus when she witnessed the argument between her mother and her uncle. She hurriedly approached them.

"Hey, stop it! Both of you, stop!" she called out, attempting to intervene, but her petite body was instead pushed into the house.

Inside the house, Edward, her younger brother, seemed unfazed by the commotion caused by their mother and uncle. He was busy grabbing containers and placing them under the dripping water that seeped into almost every corner of the house. The night was creeping up, and the rain showed no sign of stopping.

"What's wrong with you two?" Emma ran to the kitchen, searching for anything that could be used to collect the leaking water. She grabbed one of the basins, looked up to find the source of the leak, and placed the basin right underneath it.

"Ed, what's going on with them?" Emma asked, but he only shrugged. Unsatisfied, Emma went back outside to mediate between her mother and her uncle.

"You misunderstand, Mona!" Tom retorted.

When he was driving Andrew back home, Tom finally dared to inquire about the meaning of his young master's words regarding searching for a wife.

"I don't care about her background, Tom. I just need to be convinced that she has never been touched by another man before."

At that moment, Tom immediately thought of Emma, his niece. He was sure Emma had never been touched by any man. "So, Young Master, you're not looking for someone like Miss Rose?"

"Do you know a girl who fits my criteria, Tom?"

"Are you really going to marry her, Sir?"

"Of course! I'm serious."

Tom felt that Andrew didn't want to discuss Rose. However, he really wanted to ask what happened between his master and the supermodel girl. Just a week ago, he had escorted both of them to have dinner at a fancy restaurant. Has their relationship ended?

"I think I know someone."

"Really? Then I want to meet her tomorrow."

This conversation with Andrew led Tom to brave the night rain to meet Mona and convey everything. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." But instead, Tom received curses from his niece.

"You want to sell my daughter's virginity to your master?!"

"My daughter?" Emma, who was trying to intervene at that moment, didn't understand. "Me?"

"Young Master Andrew is looking for a wife, and Uncle wants to take you to him," Edward chimed in from inside the house.

"Me?" Emma pointed to herself and burst into laughter. "How could Andrew be interested in me? Hahahahah. Uncle is out of his mind."

"But Young Master Andrew said he doesn't care about the woman's status, as long as she's still a virgin. You are still a virgin, right, Emma?"

Emma's eyes widened, and her face instantly turned red. "What does Uncle mean? Do you want to sell me to him?!"

"Ah..." Tom sighed loudly. He shook his head, realizing Emma's reaction was not much different from Mona's. "You both misunderstand!"

"Damn you, Uncle!" Emma shouted, breaking the tranquil night that was accompanied by heavy rain. "Get out of here, Uncle! I don't want to see your face again!"

Emma rushed back inside her room, and Mona could only stare in astonishment at her daughter's reaction.

"Mother and daughter are the same!" Tom exclaimed. "You're not thinking clearly. Our family's fate would be much better if Emma married him."

"Go home, Tom," Mona said weakly. "Thank you for caring about our family's fate, but for God's sake, we're fine."

Mona turned and went back inside the house, closing the door behind her, leaving Toms standing alone outside in the pouring rain, feeling lost.

"What should I tell Young Master tomorrow? I promised to bring Emma to him."