Chapter 2 A SPARK OF IRRITATION

When Irene got home she was overwhelmed by the number of maids that came to her, each asking her questions of where she had been Albert student at the corner not saying a word because he already knew the answer. He slowly walked toward her "Did you enjoy your time outside?" Irene nervously looked up at him.

"I told you I'd be right back" she said in an apologetic tooling tone. Albert just sighed and also ushered her to her grandfather's office where her grandfather was patiently waiting for her. "Master Blackwell" Albert said in a monotone voice "your granddaughter, miss Irene is back is here to see you" and left.

Irene began to feel even more nervous. She knew what her grandfather was like when he was angry and now looking at his face she couldn't read any emotion from him. That was what terrified her the most. Now she finally understood why the maids were fussing so much over her. "Have a seat, dear" Her grandfather said in a calm voice. Irene wasted no time to listen to him. "Where have you been?"

" I was in the mall with Marceline" she answered honestly "I just wanted to catch up on some things with her".

"I know what you're trying to do and I also know that you've already figured out what is going on here". At this point Irene was tired of pretending and looked into her grandfather's eyes and said

"Papa I know what you are thinking but I don't think I'm ready for such a commitment. I'm not ready for marriage". Her grandfather could only laugh "How do you know you're not ready for marriage when you haven't even met him yet?".

Irene frowned "Papa, you can't be serious. I don't think I'm ready for that. I'm still developing as a person. No man would want that type of burden".

Her grandfather stood up from his chair and walk towards her. She stood up immediately to get him to sit back down but he brushed it away and put this arms around her shoulder. "All that I'm asking is you meet this man and see what I see in him. I think you'll be a good match for you".

Irene noticed the sincere look on her father's face and remembered Marceline's words. "Okay, I'll meet him then". Excited, her grandfather began to talk about her potential spouse. "He graduated from Stanford university, the second most prestigious university in America. He's very social and friendly. He loves art, music and he is a very good fencer. He is patient and very sophisticated. He's a really sought after bachelor. The perfect man for you" Irene sneered as her grandfather beamed with pride.

"I'll schedule a meeting time for the three of us tomorrow so you can meet him in person".

"Can't wait". Irene exclaimed sarcastically.

"I'm sure you'll love him, dear. He's very handsome". Her grandfather was so enthusiastic that she forced a smile. "Sure papa, I'm off to my room" she kissed him on the forehead and made her way out of the office.

As soon as the door closed behind her, her grandfather quickly searched his desk drawer and brought out a small container full of pills and put some in his mouth. His breathing slowly calmed down after. He wiped the sweat from his brow and sat back on his chair. Not long after it came knocking at the door. I went grandfather gave you command for him to open it. Master Blackwell, the head maid wants to know what you would like for supper this evening. "I won't be attending. Ask Ren what she wants instead" the grandfather replied. Albert waited a beat "Again, Master Blackwell?" he asked sounding concerned. "I wouldn't want her to see me like this". With that Albert turned to leave but came back moments later with a cup of herb tea.

Master Blackwell looked up at Albert with a warm smile. "What would I do without you, old friend?" to which Albert replied "Well, for starters, this house would be in shambles" and the two burst out laughing. Albert tended to Mr. Blackwell until he was fast asleep in his bed. The head maid approached him "Did he drink it all?"

"Yes, he did. He became much more stable after he drank it".

"I wish I could do more for him". The head maid wiped a tear.

"That's true." Albert bowed his head. "He doesn't have much time left. We can only hope for a miracle".

The night passed by quickly in Irene's opinion. It felt like it couldn't wait for Irene to meet her 'perfect suitor'. Her grandfather had tried to make her dress up but she managed to make him believe that it was better for the man to see her true self rather than a fake and polished version of her and surprisingly, her grandfather agreed.

When they heard their front gate opening, Mr. Blackwell told the security to escort their guest to his office. By the time Irene was ready, they both walked into the office where their guest was seated. Irene noticed that his family wasn't with him. He stood up to greet Mr. Blackwell but when he looked up, his eyes met with Irene's. The two shared the same expression of shock on their faces though it was not too obvious for Mr. Blackwell to notice.

"Dear, this is Kieran Sterling, CEO of Sterling Enterprises. Kieran, this is my granddaughter, Irene Blackwell. Wow, such intense stares. Could this be love at first sight?" Mr. Blackwell cooed. "Anyways let's have a seat, shall we?" Mr. Blackwell said as he moved them to the sofas at the corner of his office.

"Kieran, how are your parents doing?" Mr. Blackwell asked

"They're doing fine, sir. I apologize for their absence. They're not in the country right now"

"That's completely understandable. Business is going great right now and everyone is taking what they can get" Mr. Blackwell roared with laughter. Kieran followed before Irene joined in half-heartedly still glancing menacingly at Kieran.

"It's a refreshing thing to leave the country once in a while. You get to see new things and understand different perspectives. It's great for business.

I agree, sir. It opens up your mind for new business ideas" Kieran smiled politely

Mr. Blackwell turned to Irene and whispered not so subtly "Isn't he great?" then gave her a wink. Irene wanted to crawl in a hole and die. "Well, an old man like me can't keep up with your conversations so I'll leave you two alone so you can get to know each other. He all but skipped merrily out of his office.

As soon as the door was closed, Irene point a finger at Kieran. "You're that rude guy from yesterday, aren't you?"