* Emmy’s POV

The day after,

“Peace is not the absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a desire for benevolence, trust, justice. said Baruch Spinoza.

Can I claim that I possess this virtue of peace?

State of mind ? My mind has been tormented for a long time!

What about trust then? Trust ? What is certain is that my relationship is not based on trust, I don't even know what my relationship is based on and if there was justice, I would not be married to Kendall.

It is on these pathetic thoughts that I enter the building of my place of work which is also my company, a slight smile to the people I meet by way of greeting, a briefing from my secretary on my various appointments of the day and I finally go back to my office, I put my briefcase and my handbag on the desk then I go to stand in front of the bay window, sighing softly. It's my little ritual before starting to work in this space, I like to look through the glass from the floor where my office is, seeing the landscape from so high gives me a certain...serenity.

I'm an architect, not very common as a job for a woman, but break down the stereotypes!

I have always liked to draw, create, arrange and perfect, I could have turned to the world of fashion but no, I preferred to study architecture.

Surely my parents were proud of me? Never ever !

My father wanted me to study marketing so that I could get my hands dirty in the family business, the great Antoine Anguilet who is my father, is the owner of a large bank in the country and he wanted that as his eldest daughter I take the reins one day.

Numbers are useful but at some point they make me dizzy, at least they made me dizzy in my first year in marketing, because yes after my baccalaureate I went to the branch that my father wanted me to do but barely the first semester was over that already I did not go to class anymore which earned me violent arguments with my father and also with my mother because I was angry with her for not defending me, for not pleading my cause by telling my father that I had the right to choose my own studies, but the truth is that mom never goes against my father's decisions whether they are good or bad.

When passion ignites your heart, you are ready to do anything to satisfy it.

It is precisely because of this passion for architecture that I got married to Kendall Ngnan, my husband. Kendall is an heir, I would even say that all the Ngnan children are heirs, not of a kingdom, no, but of a fortune, an empire, Kendall's great-great-grandfather was one of trusted men of the president of our country at the time and he knew how to take advantage of this proximity with the former head of state by managing to get rich, later his sons knew how to develop this money by investing in different fields and to this day the descendants of the great Ngnan father are for the most part in the field of business and to tell the truth the Ngnan are gifted in business, everything they touch always succeeds for the most part, it is to believe that they have this gift for making money in their veins. Kendall could even decide not to work anymore that his great-grandsons will always be rich as cresus, that's to say how huge the Ngnan empire is but since Kendall is a hard worker he still wants to work, it's is yet another characteristic of the Ngnan despite being rich they do not rest on their laurels on the contrary they are real hard workers.

I even get lost in this Ngnan family story, in short, it was my passion for architecture that led me to be Kendall's wife, one day during our many headaches my father told me that 'failing to be a married woman who takes care of her home, I had to devote myself to the company which for him was the fruit of his work which I had to perpetuate as an eldest daughter, I respected the efforts and work done by my father but for me it was out of the question to give up my passion to imprison myself in a great position within the family business, yes, it was a prison for me the fact of having to working in this company, it represented the prison that was supposed to prevent me from expressing my creativity in architecture. Then one day, even though my relationship between my father and I had deteriorated considerably, Mr. Ngnan made me an offer. Mr. Ngnan is Kendall's father, my father and him have known each other since high school, I had met him several times during receptions that my father received, I did not know him that well, I did not know anything about him apart from the fact that he is a great man of the country.

***Flashback***

I've been home for five months already, I stopped going to college where I studied marketing and dad is mad at me for that, I'm mad at him for not understanding me , yet I tried to make him listen to reason but he refuses to listen to me, for him I have to do what he wants otherwise he will make me regret it to the point where I will have to reconsider my decision and that he really tries to do so, the proof is that I am completely overdrawn, he emptied all the money that was in my account, it is normal since he is the one who feeds it.

How am I going to do ? I want to go to architecture but dad categorically refuses to take a penny out of his pocket for it but I can't do marketing, I tried and yet it was the worst experience of my life! Numbers really aren't for me! In architecture there are also figures but they are different from those in marketing, by which I mean that… well… in short, I understand myself.

While I'm lying on my bed thinking about my life, mum's housekeeper tells me that we have a visitor, I go out and go to the living room and I'm surprised to see Mr. Ngnan seated, this man exudes so much charisma.

'' Emmy, he says seeing me.

“Mr. Ngnan, hello,” I say shyly.

'' Hello how are you ?

“Yes sir, can I bring you something to drink?

'' No thank you, I've already been offered it.

'' Ah ok, but dad is away, he is on a trip for two days with mom.

'' Yes ​​I know it, in truth it is you that I came to see.

'' Me ? I was surprised.

'' Yes, you, he says with a smile.

I sit across from him, confused about what he's going to say.

“Your father is a great friend of mine you know.

I nod my head.

''Even though we don't see each other very often because of our obligations, he remains my friend, he told me about the conflict between you and the fact that you stopped going to class.

I lower my head a little ashamed.

'' I understand your father's position since his business is one of his greatest prides, but as you are sticking to your positions, I have decided to make you an offer.

I raise my head and look at him.

'' I intend to pay you personally for your studies in architecture in the school of your choice, but on one condition.

I am suddenly seized with a fright, is he making advances to me? Does he want to make me his mistress like several rich men of his age do with certain young girls? Yet he has never made inappropriate gestures towards me since I have known him, but then why would he want to take care of my studies?

To be continued.....