JUNE’S POV
I halted midway through as I was about to bring the cup of coffee to my lips and fixed my gaze on Miguel. I scrutinized him intently, holding his gaze without blinking, while he returned my stare without a smile.
"I had no idea you had a sense of humor. Being wealthy and funny, that's quite the combination, don't you think?" I remarked with a slight smile before taking a sip of my coffee.
"Would you care for anything?" I inquired politely, out of courtesy, to which he shook his head in the negative. It then dawned on me that Lily hadn't eaten since she returned from school.
"I'm not joking, June," he stated plainly, his hands tucked in his pockets.
"You must be joking to think I would agree to marry you. Excuse me," I declared as I excused myself from the kitchen and made my way to the living room, with Miguel following closely behind.
"Lily?" I called out, but received no response.
"Who is Lily?" he questioned, and as I turned to answer him, I inadvertently bumped into him, face first. I had not realized he was so close to me.
"My apologies," he expressed sincerely as I looked up at him and rubbed my nose. I gazed into his eyes for a moment longer, before averting my gaze as I realized I had been staring for too long.
"Lily is my daughter," I replied simply, watching him intently but his stoic expression gave nothing away. I gestured for him to take a seat, “please have a seat.” I commented to which he obliged.
"If you'll excuse me for a moment, let me just check on her," I stated, as he gave a curt nod in acknowledgment and took his seat. I made my way to Lily's room, silently hoping she hadn't created a mess in the bathroom again.
Upon gently opening the door, I found that, as Miguel predicted, she was asleep. I had to give him credit for his clairvoyance, although she was sleeping on the floor, not in her bed. I smiled gently, picked her up, and tucked her in properly.
"Apologies for the delay," I said moments later as I descended the stairs and joined Miguel.
"No problem."
"Okay, let's get serious, Miguel. Your proposal of marriage is perhaps the most ludicrous thing I've heard all day, no offense intended. But seriously, in what reality did you think I would agree to marry you? I am sincerely grateful for your assistance with the house, but marriage is out of the question," I declared firmly yet calmly, emphasizing that his suggestion was not feasible for me.
"My mother has been pressuring me to find a wife, June. I need her to stop nagging me about it. Once she sees you, she'll back off. She'll want to plan the wedding and all, but don't worry, we can sign a contract agreeing to divorce within six months to a year after the wedding," Miguel explained carefully.
"What's in it for me?" I inquired, ensuring that if I were to entertain this idea, there would be something beneficial for me in return.
"You'll receive a monthly stipend of one million dollars until after the divorce is finalized, and the job offer of being my personal assistant still stands, where you'll be compensated. Also..."
"Are you not at all deterred by the fact that I have a daughter?" I interjected, cutting him off.
"I don't mind at all. In fact, I would love to get to know her and spend time with her as well, but..." he trailed off, locking eyes with me.
"There's always a catch," I remarked.
"My mother might object, so we won't bring it up to her, at least not yet," he stated simply, to which I slowly nodded, trying to comprehend this sudden change and how it would shape the course of my life moving forward. I viewed this as a solution to my financial troubles.
"Where do I sign?" I asked, and Miguel's face lit up with a wide grin. He extended his hand for a handshake to seal the deal, and I accepted. I couldn't shake the feeling that he may have gotten more than he bargained for, but I pushed that thought aside, content with the temporary nature of the arrangement.
"My lawyers are finalizing the contract, but it will be ready tomorrow. Oh, one more thing," he added, prompting me to raise an eyebrow, curious about what else he had to say.
"I may have mentioned to my mother a few weeks ago that I had a girlfriend to get her off my back. Now she's eager to meet you, well, the supposed girlfriend. Whenever you're ready to meet her, just let me know, and I'll inform her. I don't mean to rush you, though," Miguel rambled on, eliciting a smile from me.
"We could meet her this weekend, if that works for you," I suggested.
"One last thing, she inquired about starting the engagement preparations, and I told her she could, but I will inform her of the date that my fiancée and I decids on," Miguel added, stuttering slightly. I nodded in response, contemplating this sudden change and the impact it would have on my future and Lily’s as well,
"Mummy?" Lily's voice interrupted my thoughts, bringing me out of my reverie. I turned to her as she approached me.
"My darling," I cooed, lifting her and placing her on my lap. She snuggled closer, casting a curious glance at Miguel.
"Who is this, mummy?" she whispered softly in my ear, causing me to pause. How should I introduce him?
"This is Miguel, my boyfriend," I stated simply, locking eyes with him as he gave me a playful wink. I rolled my eyes at his gesture, offering him a small smile.
"Nice to meet you, Lily," he greeted gently, and to my surprise, Lily embraced him enthusiastically. I watched as they engaged in a conversation. I eventually ordering pizza and we enjoyed a meal together as if it were a regular occurrence. As Lily dozed off on Miguel's shoulder, we shared stories and laughter, making me feel comfortable and at ease in his presence.
Later that night, after Miguel had departed and I had put Lily to bed once more, she opened her eyes and smiled fondly at me.
"Did you notice how much Uncle Miguel had a striking resemblance with Uncle Bryan?" she mumbled sleepily, leaving me momentarily stunned. I watched as she rolled over to the other side and fell asleep not realizing how stunned her statement left me. How had I missed the resemblance? And how had Lily discerned it so easily? Could Bryan and Miguel be brothers?
"Oh, shit!"
***************
It was the weekend, and Miguel's mother had invited us to dinner. I felt apprehensive about meeting all of Miguel's siblings. Technically, Lolia would be the only sibling I would be meeting for the first time. Miguel had informed me that his mother had high expectations for him to marry someone of elite status or an heiress, which made me nervous. I was going to meet The Mrs Kathlyn Lyon! The one who held the Lyon empire with a tight forte and I was just plain June Ryan. As we prepared to leave, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, hoping to make a favorable impression on his mother. Just then, the doorbell rang.
"That must be Stacy," I remarked to myself, recalling the positive experience I had with her babysitting services before. I rushed to the door to let her in.
"Wow! You look even more stunning than the last time I saw you, June," Stacy exclaimed as I welcomed her into the house.
"It's great to see you too, Stacy," I replied with a smile.
"The pleasure is mine," she responded casually.
"Lily couldn't stop talking about you for weeks," I mentioned.
"Really? She's such a sweet kid. She's probably the most compliant child I've ever worked with, to be honest," Stacy commented, making her way to sit on one of the sofas in the living room.
"Lily! Someone's here for you!" I called out, prompting Lily to dash out of her room
“Stacy!” she called out in excitement and rushed to her with open arms. The doorbell rang once more, signaling Miguel's arrival. I opened the door to find him gazing at me in awe.
"You're truly an angel," he whispered softly, handing me a bouquet of flowers.
"Wow! He's even more attractive than the last guy," Stacy remarked as she helped me with the flowers.A feeling of deja vu engulfed me at that instant. I watched as the muscles in Miguel’s jaw clench at the prospect of having another guy in my apartment but I decided to overlook it. Miguel said a quick hello to Lily and I bade her farewell, “be a good girl my darling, okay and mummy will see you soon.”
"Is Bryan your brother?" I inquired after a few moments of silence in the as we made our way to the dinner.
"Yes, why? Do you know him?" Miguel responded. And looked quite taken aback by the suddenness of my question.
"Yes, he's my friend," I replied simply, concealing my apprehension about the impending dinner.
Miguel initiated casual conversation with me, and I found myself feeling remarkably relaxed and reassured by his presence.
"Welcome!" Kathlyn warmly welcomed her son and planted a gentle kiss on his cheeks upon our arrival.
"And you must be June," she remarked, carefully scrutinizing my appearance.
"It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Mrs. Lyon," I greeted, presenting her with the bottle of wine I had brought as a gift. She gazed at it for a moment, as if it were some kind of explosive device.
“You may call me Kathlyn.” she simply said not acknowledging the gift I had brought.
"I'll take care of that," a woman who I presumed to be Lolia interjected, taking the bottle from me.
"I am Lolia," she announced, gesturing for me to follow her. I complied, scanning the room for Miguel. I spotted him standing in a corner of the house with his mother, engaged in what appeared to be a heated discussion.
"And you must be June?" she inquired, to which I simply nodded in response.
“Just ignore them.” Lolia stated when she noticed I wouldn’t stop staring at them.
“Of course,” I replied. Miguel and his mother returned and joined Lolia and I on the dinning table.
"So, June, what do you do?" Kathlyn inquired, to which I responded with a slight smile.
"She is not obligated to disclose that information," Miguel declared curtly, casting a challenging look at his mother. The atmosphere was tense, almost palpable, causing beads of cold sweat to form on my forehead.
"Would you care for a drink?" Lolia asked in a gentle tone.
"Yes, please," I replied hastily. She proceeded to pour me a generous glass of wine, and in my state of anxiety, I hastily consumed it, hoping that the alcohol would grant me some semblance of courage.
After a generous amount of time had passed, Bryan walked in.
“I apologize for my tardiness.” he stated in a light tone but his expression quickly shifted upon seeing me.
"June?" he questioned in confusion.
"Hi, Bryan," I greeted with a small wave. Miguel interlocked his fingers with mine, offering reassurance.
"You two know each other?" Kathlyn inquired, casting a disapproving glance my way.
"Yes, we are friends," I stated simply.
"What a small world!" Lolia exclaimed, her face lighting up with a wide grin as she clasped her hand together in approval.
"What brings you here?" Bryan asked, his brows furrowed in confusion as he took a seat across from me.
"This is Miguel's girlfriend," Kathlyn announced with contempt.
I observed a myriad of emotions splayed across Bryan's countenance, his mind undoubtedly abuzz with various thoughts. However, the prevailing emotion that I could unmistakably discern was the one of hurt and for some inexplicable reason, a sense of guilt washed over me.