Chapter 5 She Is the one

"Mom..." Charles finally approached his mother and hugged her. She smiled at him and said, "Charles... You haven't answered my question yet. I was waiting for you to return home so we could have dinner together as a family."

"Good evening, Mom," Charles greeted as he hugged her and walked with her towards the dining room.

He replied, "She's the one, Mom, and she's very pretty too."

"Hmm." First Lady Kira Alejandro smiled and watched as Charles pulled a chair out for her to sit first. She sat elegantly while Charles settled in the chair beside her at the dining table.

He continued, "Mom, she's the one, and she's very cute. Where did you see her photo? I really do like her."

"Mm," First Lady Kira Alejandro smiled as the maids stepped out of the kitchen to serve dinner to both her and Charles at the dining table.

They served the meals as President Nolan Alejandro was not around-he was in a presidential meeting.

First Lady Kira smiled and finally replied, "Your father has let some of his cabinet members know that he was looking for a bride for you. He wanted to see if any of them had pretty daughters you'd like."

"Hmm, thanks, Mom, I really do like Nancy, but..." Charles' words trailed off as he remembered how Nancy had run away from him.

"But what, Charles?" His mother asked.

First Lady Kira frowned, watching her only son act nervously. She waited for the maids to finish serving and leave before asking again, "Charles, do you want us to cancel the wedding? It's in two days, and you cannot embarrass your father and me in public, in front of all our prominent guests."

"I know, Mom, but Nancy ran away from me today when I went to welcome her home," Charles confessed, covering his face in embarrassment as he remembered Nancy running away. However, the memory of her swaying hips gave him a brief smile.

His mother stared at him angrily, "What? How dare she run away from you? We need to cancel the wedding now. Didn't her parents inform her that she was to marry you, and the wedding is the day after tomorrow?"

"No, Mother. You cannot call off the wedding," Charles insisted, leaving his mother shocked and saddened by his determination.

"Don't tell me you still want to marry that lady who doesn't love you. I cannot allow that," First Lady Kira added.

"I know, but you and Father have always wanted me to marry. Now, I can't change my choice. I understand Nancy's fears. She's getting married to the president's son, so she must be scared," Charles said with a sad smile. His mother shook her head and replied, "No, Charles. She's supposed to be happy to be with you. Any other lady would be thrilled to become your wife."

"Just give Nancy some time, Mom. I'm truly in love," Charles smiled, surprising his mother, whose jaw dropped in disbelief. "Let's eat before our dinner gets cold," he added.

"Okay, son," First Lady Kira responded, silently blaming herself for choosing Nancy's photo first. Despite the ridicule and gossip about their family, many families wanted their daughters to marry her son. Her assistant had received countless photos, yet she picked Nancy's. Now, she regretted it, as Nancy had dared to reject her handsome son.

First Lady Kira mused internally about Nancy's rejection as Charles asked, "Mom, is everything alright?"

"Yes, Charles," she replied, considering placing a monitor on Nancy. She needed a personal background check to see if Nancy had a secret lover, prompting her rejection of Charles.

After dinner, Charles stood and prepared to retire upstairs. "Good night, Mom," he said.

"Good night, Charles," First Lady Kira replied. Charles leaned over to peck her cheek before heading to his room.

As he climbed the stairs, Charles pondered why Nancy had run from him. Entering his bedroom, he picked up Nancy's photo from the headboard. He kissed it on the lips he admired so much, saying, "I can't wait to have you as my wife and kiss these beautiful lips every day."

Charles smiled, kissed the photo again, and wondered, "Why did she run away from me? Am I ugly now?" He approached his mirror, examining his neatly groomed hair and beard, wondering if they were off-putting.

"Maybe she doesn't like guys with beards," he murmured. "But she's beautiful, and I can't reject her... Maybe she has a boyfriend?"

The thought of Nancy having a boyfriend upset him, and he swore, "Nonsense! Is her boyfriend better looking than me? I can't reject her, and Mother better not hurt her either."

Charles picked up the phone and called Stevo Brights, his head of security. He needed Stevo to monitor Nancy's activities, including her phone calls and messages, to see if she had a boyfriend.

"Hello, Stevo."

"Hello, boss. Good evening," Stevo replied from the security house.

"I want you to hire personnel skilled in hacking to monitor and report on my chosen bride. I'll send her details soon. Find out what she does, who she talks to," Charles ordered.

"Yes, boss. Anything else?" Stevo asked.

"No, that's all," Charles replied, ending the call.

He sighed, looking at Nancy's photo. "I can't wait to have you as my bride. In two days, you'll be mine," he whispered, hoping she wouldn't break him first.