ILLICIT Love, Unexpected Marriage

Phoenix Sterling

I really hate it when my parents tried to set me up with the woman of their choice. I don't understand why they really want me to settle down as soon as possible when I'm only 26 years old. I'm the youngest out of the Illicit and why am I supposed to be the first one to settle down.

I don't want to settle down.

After I asked my chauffeur to send Lorena back to the hotel, I decided to have a word with my mother.

"You know now that I have a girlfriend so could you please stop trying to set me up with Lorena?" I asked her and she drank her tea slowly.

"Mother, I really like Lana and you can't treat her coldly like what you did in my office. She's my girlfriend so you shouldn't act like that."

"I don't believe you, Phoenix. You asked her to be your girlfriend last minute right? I've been watching you closely these days and you never went out with her." She said and I sighed.

"Mother, I'm still young and I'm not planning to settle down just yet. How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not going to.. settle down anytime soon." I said seriously and she suddenly smirked.

"Very well.. we won't force you to settle down but.."

"What? Please don't make me do ridiculous things!" I sighed.

"You know your cousin will have her wedding next week and the family planned to have a vacation together in Maldives. Why don't you bring Lana with you? Let's spend a week together and maybe I'll consider taking my hands off from your love life, darling." No shit sherlock.

"Mother, I'm still young and please stop th-"

"Do you know why me and your father keep trying to set you up with women?" She asked and I raised my eyebrows.

"You want grandchildren and that's it.." I said and she chuckled.

"I'm so thankful for you, Phoenix, my son. You've been working so hard to get where you are now. You've been working non-stop since you're 17 and you've done so much for me and your father."

"You know why I did that." I said and my mother grabbed my hand.

"Yes, you wanted to save your father. You did everything just to keep him alive."

"I can't live without you both so.. it was worth it." I said as I looked down to the plate in front of me.

"You've been working non-stop for the past 9 years and you're a billionaire now. Me and your father really want you to be happy and having a family is the most wonderful feeling ever." She said as she squeezed my hand.

"Mother, I'm happy now. I'll be more happy if you and father stop setting me up with a lot of women."

"If your definition of happy means sleeping around and get drunk, I will slap the shit out of you." There she goes again with her thick british accent.

"Mother, I'm young. You know my friends and I still love working."

"I really like your friends, Phoenix. I really do but the one thing that I hate about them is that.. you all are workaholics and.. playboys.." She sighed and I chuckled.

"You only live-" I stopped when she glared at me hard.

"Why don't you like Lorena? She's beautiful." She asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Phoenix Andreas Sterling!" She hissed.

"She loves my money, mother. I bet she's already plotting how to kill me once you force your son to say I do." She sighed and nodded.

"Very well, I'll get rid of her but.. you have to promise me to bring Lana to Edeline's wedding." She said and I nodded.

"Deal, I'll see you next week then."

After a long lunch and talk with my mother. I went straight back to my office to do my work again. I decided not to think about my mother's invitation for Lana because I rather make excuses than begging Lana to go and pretend to be my girlfriend.

Suddenly my secretary walked into my office and she gave me a report about the investigation for dangerous chemicals in Lana's beauty products.

"Mr. Sterling, we already did the investigation two times to make sure that the ingredients inside those products and the results showed that there's no acid. Mr. Castroff did change some ingredients but it was clear. There's no acid or other dangerous chemicals in those products." My secretary said and I checked the papers to see the results.

"Lana knows about this fact?" I asked and my secretary nodded.

"She knew and her team is still figuring out how that acid could be in those bottles."

"Check their CCTVs and ours, we might find something from there. Please make sure no one knows about this investigation except you, me and the investigation team. I want to know who dares to do this." I said seriously as I read through the result.

"Yes, Mr. Sterling." She said and I gestured her to go out from my office.

"Oh Mr. Sterling, I forgot to.. mention this but Ms. Castroff already gave your employees who got hurt a lot of money to cover their work and the damage that they got. She apologized again yesterday to them."

"Okay, thankyou for letting me know." I said and she smiled before walking out from my office. I turned my seat around and looked out the window to see the beautiful view of the Eiffel tower.

My phone rang and I picked it up right away.

"Hello."

"You're free?" Angelo asked me.

"I'm busy, ask Adrian." I said as I turned my seat around again.

"He's busy dating." I laughed at Angelo's statement.

"Dating who?"

"Lana Castroff." My eyes widen that second.

"He's dating?"

"Yeah, they're having lunch and apparently.. coffee date too." That mother F. I ended the call and immediately dialed Adrian's number.

"Yes, Phoenix my darling." Adrian answered immediately.

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the office?"

"You're with Lana?" I asked straightforwardly.

"I told you not to call me that." I heard Lana said in a not so friendly tone.

"I need to talk to you."

"You better reduce that settlement."

"I've got more to offer." I smirked.