"We've made a decision." Noah said authoritatively as he entered Ivan's bedroom which looked like a pigsty.
"What?" Ivan asked in shock and a stammer as he slowly adjusted himself to sit on the bed.
"You know more than us that this scandal with Vera doesn't look good for our reputation," Noah went on and Ivan nodded silently.
Noah was an actor and they all knew how the paparazzi would dissect the news about Ivan and Vera's pregnancy if they got wind of it.
" Vera will get tired and disappear. We can pay her if it's money she wants," Ivan said in disgust as he sat up on his bed and scratched his hair.
"I talked to her and she said she doesn't want money," Raquel said dismissively.
"Do you know of Maxwell Lee?" Noah asked impatiently and Raquel held him to try and soothe him.
"Max vied for a political seat during the last elections but he lost. Insiders say he is pretty much broke and has invested in the wrong businesses so I know he'll need financial help soon. We can propose his daughter's friendship in return for financial assistance,"
"I have information that Steph is in your campus. She is too good a girl for you and not your usual type but she's kind of our last hope," Noah said and Ivan broke into a loud fit of sarcastic laughter.
"Steph! Oh my goodness! No way," Ivan said between hiccups and his parents looked at him angrily that his laughter slowly died down.
"No dad, I can't ask Steph for help. The girl loathes me. We're in the drama club together and she has never even acknowledged my presence,"
"That's because you play with girls' emotions!" Raquel chipped in angrily and Ivan looked down in shame and embarrassment.
"There has to be another way," Ivan said in a low and almost inaudible voice and his parents shook their heads.
"How did I forget that?" Noah asked in a sarcastic voice as he played with his chin and looked up at the ceiling as if raking through his mind.
"If this gets to the paparazzi, you can forget about me ever handing over any of my businesses to you! You know how the paparazzi work: they'll make this a big deal and I'll lose deals. I can't risk that, I have worked to get to where I am now and nothing, not even you, can spoil that for me. Look for her tomorrow and make sure she agrees to your plan. We do not have more time," Noah said in an authoritative and angry voice with bared teeth as he turned to leave the bedroom. By the door, Raquel turned to look at her son one last time before nodding in agreement and walking away.
"Noooo!" Ivan shouted as he threw things around the room in anger. He could imagine how his and Steph's conversation would go and in all instances, Steph would laugh at him and walk away.
5:32 pm one evening
Steph Lee was putting back her script into her backpack when she felt a strong male intoxicating presence behind her. From the strong scent of perfume, she could tell who it was even without turning to see him. Her heart was pumping faster and louder and she tightly shut her eyes and held her chest to try and calm herself down.
"Excuse me?" She heard someone call out and she shut her eyes tighter as she murmured a small prayer that she isn't the one being addressed, but whom was she fooling?
"Steph? Can I talk to you?" She heard the voice say and she exhaled deeply as she asked herself what in the whole wide world Ivan wanted to do with her.
"Stephie?" Kevin asked in a humble voice.
"What?" Steph asked in a sharp voice, disgusted that Kevin had called her as if they were close. Only her inner circle called her Stephie and by her inner circle, she meant her best friend Amy Thompson, her mother Victoria, father Max and brother Travis.
Her gaze moved around the drama club room. The other females had all turned their attention towards her and there were jealous and disgusted looks on their faces and more than anything, Steph wished the ground would open up and swallow her.
God knows she loathed attention and she would do anything to avoid being in the limelight but fate had other plans, because she would soon be known by everyone in the whole state I. a way she didn't imagine possible.
"Why do you want to talk to me? Uh?" She asked in a disgusted voice that showed she had no interest in whatever games the duo intended to play. She had heard stories of how the two guys had a sweet tongue that could get a snake out of a cave and she didn't want to fall prey to them.
Plus, the disgusted looks from those in the room implied that the boys' girlfriends would hear of their interaction with Steph and being the insecure b**ches they were, they would come for her.
Her attitude threw both Ivan and Kevin off the radar and for a while, none of them could utter a word. Steph turned to pick her bag and placed it on one shoulder, then exhaled deeply and said, "Seems like you two were just after games. Sorry, am too busy for that, I have to go,"
She then took two steps past the boys. Ivan was looking down and scratching his head and all could see that he was damn uncomfortable. Hell, girls fought for his attention and wanted to be with him but Steph had absolutely no regard for him. She treated him like he didn't exist and that made him want to beat the crap out of her.
"He needs your help," Kevin said, pointing at Ivan and Steph stood rooted on the spot. Had she heard Kevin right or were her ears playing games on her?
"Please, listen to him," Kevin said as Steph slowly turned to look at the two boys. Wordlessly and before waiting for Steph's response, Kevin slowly walked away after patting Ivan on the shoulder and whispering, "you've got this,"
"Uh…mmm… can… we go somewhere private?" Ivan asked in a stammer and Steph looked at him strangely, wondering what the hell had happened to the guy. He was always the confident and opinionated guy so why the hell did he have trouble talking to Steph? Was he afraid of her? Why would he when Steph was the politest and harmless girl anyone could ever come across?
"Wonders shall never end, right?" Steph asked in between laughter. She stopped laughing when she saw Ivan staring at her blankly. Most of the people in the room had started walking out when they saw there was no drama going on between Ivan and Steph. Foolishly, some had thought that a free show was about to go down.
"Uh..." Steph said then cleared her throat uncomfortably. "We can talk here,"
She was trying to act calm but a thousand thoughts were running through her mind and making her extra anxious.
'It can't be classwork because you aren't in his class. It can't be in acting because he is damn good at it. Heck, perhaps he is even acting. He is among the wealthiest in campus so it can't be financial help, besides, where will you even get the money to give him if that's his problem? Plus, if it's about finances, why would he come to you of all people when he has wealthy friends?' She thought.
"I want you to know that by asking you for this favour, I don't have any other option. I'm being forced to do this so if I had my way, I wouldn't talk to you even if my life depended on it," Ivan said in an arrogant tone and Steph scoffed as she wondered who in their right mind would ask for a favour and also bring out the fact that they aren't begging per se?
"Just get done with it. I don't think I'll help you anyway," Steph answered back in arrogance as she looked at her watch. It would just be a matter of a few minutes before Amy bombarded her phone with calls about where she was. Amy was a sucker of punctuality and one of the quickest ways to get on her wrong side was not keeping time.
"I want you to be my girlfriend. I'll pay you, just name the amount, " Ivan said with a poker face as he looked Steph directly in the eyes. He noticed her hazel eyes grow big in shock, her well drawn eyebrows rose in shock and her mouth flew wide open.
"Why do you think I would agree to do that? You think you can buy me?" Steph asked as she held her chest, feeling an ache from how Ivan talked to her.
" Money solves pretty much everything in this damn world. You need it and I can give it to you," Ivan answered back arrogantly as he smirked and shrugged.