Willy laid in bed and reminisced the events of the past few days, he needed to find a bride and fast. His mind replayed the discussion between he and marcus his Childhood friend who stopped by his workplace few days back. Marcus is a Doctor and is like family to the Lawson, many thought he was their son. Marcus came to deliver a message from his grandfather who has been diagnosed with Kidney problem and needed transplant as fast as possible. As if that was not enough, Grandpa Lawson insists he won't have surgery unless Willy got married, Marcus stated that if he didn't get surgery on time, it's dangerous and he might loose his life to kidney problem. Willy thought about the letter he also received weeks back that got him all riled up. It was a dark and stormy night when Willy received the letter. It was an old-fashioned, hand-written letter that had been sent by courier. He opened it with trembling hands, and his heart sank as he read the words. The letter informed him that his company was in dire financial straits.

**********

Willy began the search for a bride in earnest and it was turning out fruitless but he was determined to find someone to marry. He had been to countless dinner parties, but none of the women he met seemed like the right fit. They were either too shallow, too materialistic, or just plain uninteresting. He didn't just want a female figure but one he could at least be able to walk with in public and who would understand the assignment without loosing focus. He didn't want some random girl falling for him or taking off with his money, he wanted a woman who could act the part.

**********

As she came to work that morning, Emma couldn't help but feel a renewed determination to prove herself. She knew that she had the skills and the intelligence to excel in her career, even if her boss didn't fully acknowledge it. She also knew that she deserved respect and recognition for her hard work. And she needed extra doe to pursue her career in Arts. She was lost for a moment as she thought of all the beautiful pieces of art lying helplessly and carelessly in her attic, her spirit lifted just thinking about it and how she's going to take the world by awe when she finally launched her own Art Gallery.

With a newfound fire in her heart, Emma poured herself into her work, putting in extra hours and going above and beyond . She stayed late at the office, filling in the gaps and finding solutions to any obstacles that came her way.

Willy still wasn't successful in his quest for finding a bride and he was about giving up making up his mind to tell his grandfather straight up or drag him to surgery if he had to. One evening, as he was leaving the office late, Willy spotted Emma still hard at work. The sight of her dedicated focus stirred something within him. He walked over to her desk, his voice softer than usual. "Emma, you've been working so hard. Why don't you take a break? You've earned it." Emma looked up, surprise and curiosity glimmering in her eyes. "Really, sir?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Willy nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Yes, really. You've proven yourself time and time again, and I should have recognized that sooner. I admire your dedication and commitment, and I want to apologize for not acknowledging it."

Emma was taken aback by his words. It was the first time he had ever apologized to her, the first time she ever heard him utter an apology at that. and it meant more to her than she could put into words. She nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate your words."

From that day forward, the dynamic between Emma and Hardcase Willy began to shift. They developed a mutual respect for each other's work and dedication. Hardcase Willy became more open to listening to Emma's ideas and suggestions, and Emma felt valued and appreciated in her role. He found himself walking up to her one day and requesting her help in his quest for a bride. He explained the situation he was in and explained it was going to be a contract Marriage. Emma was skeptical but was secretly glad her cold boss was asking her to do this with him.

Together, Emma and Willy embarked on a search for a bride. They navigated through countless potential candidates, facing challenges and obstacles along the way. They secretly set up meetings with ladies of all kind, scrutinized them but William found it hard to pick any, it's either they were faking it a lot or they gave him frightening looks, he always found a fault with them or another. Emma was having fun throughout and when she got home each day, she always had something to laugh about.

During one of their never successful interview, William suggested they cool off and not check any other lady out for the day as he has had enough. The particular lady they interviewed last, lied so much that he felt his stomach start to turn, he could not take it no more.

They stopped by the closet restaurant to Emma's apartment and ordered dinner, since it was well past 6:00pm. They ate in silence watching each other and they soon finished and ordered for dessert. Before the desert came, they began talking about events of the past weeks and they laughed through it, remembering the ladies with Emma mimicking some of them. Williams could not help but notice the rich sound that filled the air anytime she laughed and the rise and fall of her chest when she laughed, he also noticed she had a very pretty face especially when she smiled. Even her set of teeth was attractive and the arrangements wasn't so bad he thought to himself, was she always this attractive or it was because he was paying so much attention to her right now? He felt a soft tug on his arm.