Chapter 3 The  Intruder

Axel arrived at his parents mansion and went to his father's living room; there he met his parents obviously discussing something important, but they stopped when they saw him.

"You ba$tard." Mr. Ryder shouted, aiming at him, but Mrs. Ryder held him back.

"You sent for me." Axel said, feeling unconcerned.

"Is that what you have to say? Haven't I told you never to step foot in this house again ?" Mr. Ryder shouted.

"You did, but you summoned me. I don't know which to obey."

"Why did you impersonated your brother again? Do you want me to send you to jail before you learn ?"

"Dad, I didn't impersonate anyone. I came here, but you all failed to recognize me."

"Why did you came to begin with? I already disowned you, I warned you never to step foot here again."

"Is that the point Dad? You failed to differ between my twin brother and I, and you called yourself our parents when you can't even tell our differences. What was my crime, why did you disowned me a year ago? Because I impersonated Asher and approved a losing contract, tell me, who asked me to attend that meeting in the first place ? And when I came home the other day, did I claimed to be Asher ? No, but what did you all think? You thought I was Asher and I felt welcomed; I knew you would send me away if I revealed myself. So, please tell me where I went wrong ?"

Mr. Ryder calmed down a little. "And Olivia, is that why you fo0led her ?"

Axel laughed sarcastically, and shakes his head. "She claimed to love Asher, so why couldn't she even recognize him ? Was it my fault that she couldn't recognize the man she claimed to love ?"

"Axel, honey, this is beyond exchanging words, you approved a losing contract in the meeting you attended on your brother's stead which cost the company a great loss. We sold off part of our shares to settle it, and we ended up with equal shares as the Wilson's, and now, Asher is adamant to call off the wedding because of your mistake, and that will make us lose to the Wilson. The company stability will be threatened, and we might even lose our ownership rights. That's why your father is blaming you." Mrs. Ryder said, and the two men calmed down.

"How can we sort this ?" Axel asked.

"Asher is determined to call off the wedding, but hopefully he will change his mind when he is done whining; it's not like Olivia cheated on him" Mr. Ryder said.

"And if he doesn't, do you want me to marry Olivia instead?" Axel said, and his father glared at him.

"What on earth are you saying?" Mrs. Ryder shouted.

"I don't understand why you summoned me, and besides, I don't nderstand how I can take responsibility for this." Axel said, obviously confused.

"Yes, you will take responsibility by looking for Asher and explain the situation to him."

"Dad, we both know that can't work. First, where do you expect me to find him, and how will I even convince him when we are never in terms ?"

"That's left for you to figure out, you have two weeks to sort that out, unless I will sue you for impersonating your brother and causing the company a huge loss." Mr. Ryder threaten.

"Dad, this isn't fair, you asked me to impersonate him, you plead with me to attend the meeting in his stead."

"Since you have no prove, just do as I say. Go find your brother and sort out this mess." Mr. Ryder said, and took the exit.

"Mum, what's he even saying ? How do he expect me to do that ?"

"Axel, just try it first, I have a feeling that Asher will listen to you."

"Goodness, Mum."

**

**

Asher blinked rapidly, looking at the strange girl in front of him bemused, and he touched his pant in embarrassment - but the girl didn't seem to notice.

"What do you mean by I can see you, is it proper to barge into someone house uninvited?" He shouted, and the girl face brightened.

"Wow, it's you, you are the one I've been looking for." She said happily.

Asher gave her a weird look. "Why were you looking for me ?"

"Please can we sit down?"

He looked at his wet pant and sighed, wondering how she didn't notice - so he decide to act cool. "Well, normally I should have sent you out, but considering the way you asked politely, you can sit. "

She smiled in gratitude, he turned to have a seat, and saw her on the couch. His eyes widen in shock and he tried to calculate her pace; but he shoved the thought away.

"Do you care for some coffee?" He asked, and her face brighten happily, he managed to chuckle, wondering who gets all excited over a mug of coffee.

He hurried to his room, to wash up and change, wondering how she didn't notice what happened. He tried to compose himself before going to the kitchen to brew two mugs of coffee, and gave her one.

"Thank you." She said, and collected the mug, with eyes wide in bewilderment; as she look at her hands and back at him. He looked at her in amusement as he realized that she might be hungry, immediately he remembered that he left the groceries he bought behind.

"Thank you for the coffee." She said, and smiled brightly and he found himself admiring her beautiful face.

"Excuse me for a moment, I'd like to mop up that." He said, and pointed discreetly at the pee. She nodded feeling unconcerned, and he started to wonder maybe she really didn't notice.

He shoved the thoughts away and hurried to clean it up, sparing some fresher to subside the smell. He can't remember the last time he peeped on his pants. Unlike his brother, he matured earlier. The uncontrollable fear that made him pee was slightly amusing. He finished up, and tried to act natural as ever, before sitting on the couch across her.

"Alright, sooo... what's this about?" He asked.

"Thank you for the coffee." She politely said.

"You're welcome. So tell me what you want ?" He asked, with hands akimbo, as he realized that he is being too friendly.

"First, can you tell me your name ?" She asked, and he gave her a look.

"I think I'm being too friendly to an intruder, I even offered you coffee, and that must have made you feel too relaxed. What do you want, why did you barged in here ?"

"I live here." She said and he was taken aback.

"What? You live where ?"

"Here, I live here."

"What? How long have you been living here? Because the last time I checked, I bought this house yesterday and the agent didn't tell me it's a shared house."

"I lived here for almost three years now, the agent probably didn't know."

"What ? Why did you sneaked in and lived in someone else's property? You can be sued for this; but I will keep my mouth shut. As the new owner, I will let it slide. So just leave now and move somewhere else while I'm being nice."

She pouted her lips together and looked at him sadly.

"But I have nowhere to go." She muttered, playing with her fingers.

He let out a sigh, a part in him wants to let her stay; but the other part protest, she is an intruder and it's illegal to stay in someone else property.

"Listen, young lady, I can sue you now for what you are doing, you are intruding and as the new house owner, I order you to leave my property." He said, avoiding eye contact with her; because looking at her will make him feel pity for her, and he must avoid that.

"Ok, I will leave if I make you feel uncomfortable, but I might come back." She said, and he turned to look at her to understand why she said she will come back, but she was already gone.

"What? When did she leave? I didn't hear the door open." He said out loud, and went out to look for her, but she was already gone.

"How is that even possible?" He thought, and went back inside to see if she hid somewhere, since she claimed to have been staying in the house for about three years; then she must know the house well, but there was no trace of her.

"This is amazing." He exclaimed, with wide eyes.

*

He went to the room to freshen up, and tried to put his thoughts together, remembering why he hurried back, but everything is clear now, the intruder have been the one in the house the whole while.

"But how come I didn't sense any trace of someone the entire time ?" He thought.

e put all those thoughts behind and went back to the market to get groceries, ignoring other people opinion concerning his house.

He bought all the groceries he needs, and returned home. He turned his other phone on, and joined the live chat on his cooking class group, to learn a new delicacy.

He requested to be added to the livestream; he was added, and the Chef directed him as he prepared the meal.

"Yummy." He hailed after preparing it, and everyone on the livestream started hailing him.

He served the food in a plate and went to eat, enjoying his meal, still on the livestream when he sight a message on the livestream that caught his attention.

*where are you ?* He clicked on the profile and wasn't surprised to see it was his twin brother. He might run away from everyone, but his twin brother always has a way of finding him. He knows all his hubbies and what he does when he is on break. He guess that's part of their bond as twins, although they were never in terms.

He ignored the message, but many more bombast the livestream, leaving many of the viewers with questions, so he left the stream, and turned off the phone to enjoy his meal.

To his surprise, as the day goes by, he couldn't help but think of the intruder who had no where to stay, and started wondering if she has found a place; he shove his mind off, with thoughts that she isn't his responsibility and he has no reason to worry about her.

He stepped out later to receive fresh air, because somehow the air inside made him uncomfortable because he kept thinking of the intruder; as he stepped out, enjoying the view, he decide to take a short stroll , it's late in the evening, it's not a perfect time to go sightseeing but he still decide to take advantage of the fresh air.

He stepped out to the gate, and was startled to see the intruder there, the girl he couldn't stop worrying about.

"You, you startled me." He said, and she turned her pitiful face to him.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, and that was when he heard the melody in her voice, she might be down but her voice is beautiful.

He snapped out of his thoughts as he that he was already wooing a strange girl that he doesn't even know, but somehow he couldn't help but worry, considering how pitiful she looked.