CHAPTER ONE

Jeanne is still sound asleep. I looked at him and traced his nose, careful not to wake him up. I love this man. I love him very much. I stared for him for a few minutes then decided to stand up to drink water. I wasn't able to answer Vince's call and he didn't even send back a message after I asked why. I'll admit it. I feel guilty for not even having any contribution on Tessa's wedding, even Vince is helping them while I will be a mere visitor.

Vince, Sophia, Tessa and I had attended the same school when we were kids but Vince wasn't really our friend, not until he became my knight in shining armour.

I walk out of the room and saw no trace of bodyguards in the house, maybe they were instructed to just be around and not inside. I sit for awhile in the couch and continued drinking my water and unconsciously stared at my belly. It has been two months now, am I not yet pregnant? I caressed it a little. "Sophia got pregnant with Kiel after a year" I mutter to myself. Yeah. It has a perfect time. I said.

Instead of thinking of crazy things I stood up and walked towards the piano. Hmm. I think my piano skills are rusting. I opened it and played softly, my most ever favorite-Fur Elise.

This was a song taught to me by my grandfather even before I had piano lessons, and before, we used to play it side by side. He's a very talented man.

I was almost done with the song when he opened the door and walk to sit beside me, disheveled hair and sleepy eyes.

"Sorry did I wake you up?" I asked and he kissed my forehead.

"No." he said and nuzzled my hair.

"Continue" he said.

"Sit closer" I invited and he placed a hand on my waist and listened as I play.

"Why did you never played in the house?"

"Nothing really. Playing is just my stress reliever" I admitted.

"So you are not stressed there?"

"Well the stress is a lighter there than here. I love my work before even if it is stressful." I said.

"Whenever you are alone you will suddenly think of different things that can make you sad and when those times come in me I play." Which is true, I love playing whenever I try to forget memories but that was the reason why I play before.

He kissed my hair and said. "You will never be alone now. I will never leave you Kathy, I will never replace you with any woman" I shivered, his words touched my heart.

It took me long to answer. No point in lying, so I answered. "Don't give me a promises Jeanne, broken promises hurts the most" I know, I'm ruining the moment.

"It'll never be broken Kathy"

"I love you" I said and he kissed me. "I love you more Kathy"

"What plans do we have here at the Philippines?" he asked.

"Well, since it's your first time to roam around I'll take you to Balesin in Polilio Islands we have a minimal time to roam around the country but that will be before Karl's birthday tomorrow."

"Where is that?" he asked. "Still in the country" I teased and he tickled me. "Stop" I said, laughing. "It's about an hour via plane"

I said and peck on his lips "We have to use your plane so that we will have much time"

He kissed me, his face just an inch away from me. "Our plane your majesty"

"Whatever Prince Jeanne" I said and kissed me again.

"We did not have a pre-nuptial agreement; all that is mine is yours" he said.

"By tomorrow I'll go out early, I just want to visit the family business" I continue telling him our plans.

"I want to go with you" He said and I expected that.

"You will do nothing there, you will be bored and besides we will go out by dinner at my parent's house, its Karl's birthday" I reasoned.

"I want to go with you" he pouts.

"I'll be there in a short while"

"I will go with you" Now he's commanding.

"Fine stubborn young man"

"What gift are we gonna give Karl?"

"I asked Ava to buy him a perfume"

"That's it? I mean what does he want?"

"Actually I do not know, I mean, I usually give him cheque on his birthday and that's it"

"Not so sweet sister" he teased.

I rolled my eyes. "He doesn't really appreciate it that's why"

"Well we can do something I can appreciate" he whispered naughtily. "Why don't we christen your bed baby" he laughed and he carried me, bridal style, and brought me to bed. He's always a man with a mission!

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"Mrs. Eisenhower!" Lisa said, my secretary. "It's so nice to see you again"

"Mrs. Eisenhower" Jeanne said proudly.

"Hi Lisa. It's very nice to see you. This is my husband Jeanne." I said, see? I can be friendly. "I just want to see how the operation works"

"Okay ma'am. I'll accompany you to your office" she said.

"No need, I can manage; just get my things in my car please" Of course I got something for everybody.

"Yes ma'am" Everybody who sees me greets me a good morning and in return I smile at them. "Wow, everybody here calls you Mrs. Eisenhower it sounds great" he boasts.

"I bet mom instructed them" I countered making him pout, he's still so handsome! I pinched his nose "Kidding baby" I said and smiled at him.

Elevator stopped at the 10th floor where her office was located, the eleventh to fifteenth belongs to Karl, Mom, Dad and Granny.

"Welcome back Duchess Kathy Eisenhower." A huge banner welcomed.

"I think I should ask everyone in the Palace to call you Mrs. Eisenhower" he said and I glared at him "Stop teasing me" he shrugged "I'm not doing anything" and I walked away.

He laughed and followed me in my room. My room is cozy painted with blue, with huge windows to view the nearby buildings, which relieves my stresses, on the wall are three different paintings bought from three different continents-Europe, Asia and America.

"Nothing changed" I said.

"Your mom asked us not to change anything since it was once the office of the Duchess" Lisa said, coming from, I don't know.

"Mom's really sentimental at times." I chuckled. "Set the meeting by 10 am I want to hear from the head of the departments"

"Ma'am you want a coffee?"

"Yes please, the usual." I said "Jeanne, you want coffee?"

"Sure" he smiled, now he's busy looking over my plaques or I guess he's looking at my photos.

"With creamer sir?"

He turned back and smiled. "The same as Kathy's coffee" and he lifted a photo frame.

"Is this in the 2010 United Nations Conference?"

"Yeah" I answered. "Why didn't I attend that? I should have seen you there and flirt on you" he winked. I rolled my eyes "And still my impression for you will be an arrogant bastard"

"And sinfully handsome" he added. I laughed "Conceited!"

"You know what, you are way too different here in the Philippines than you are in Lexumbia"

"Now you understand why it is very hard for me to adjust when I first went there" No work, French classes and a housewife to my sinfully handsome husband. Of course I will not tell him that!

"Now shut up and I have to do my stuffs here" I said and he continued looking at magazines and everything around the place.

Jeanne didn't disturb me for the next hour. I looked at the monthly reports and the business is doing great, it's November now and we've had a fifty percent increase in profit since last year.

Lisa knocked, opened the door and said "Your meeting will be in fifteen minutes Mrs. Eisenhower" Are they really going to call me that? They used to call me Kathy!

"Okay, I'll follow" I said and shut my laptop down.

"You want to stay here or you will go with me?" Why did I even asked?

"I'll go with you Mrs. Eisenhower, I want to see how you are as you talk with your people" he said and he pulled out his necktie.

I move towards him and get it, and tied it to his neck. "I think you are expecting much"

"I don't think so" he said and stole a kiss on my lips. "I like it when you tie it" he said. "And I love doing it" I answered.

All of the head of each department are on their seat already "Good morning" I greeted "This is my husband Jeanne" I smiled.

"Good morning" they responded. I sat on the middle while Jeanne sat on the other end, in front of me.

The production manager was the first one to report their performance and the problems they encountered followed by their suggestions for the betterment of the entity "What?" I asked. Did I hear it right?

"Yes ma'am. There's this new technology that'll be tested here in the Philippines ma'am. The concept is like the rice terrace. Since the spaces are not enough anymore to build huge rice fields they come up with a concept of another rice terraces..." he explained further, artificial sunlight, a building type of farm, an estimate of ten floors with every hectare of land that'll be available.

"How much investment does it need?"

"Roughly two billion ma'am" I almost fell on my seat. What? "This is too much investment for something that is still in the developing stage" then I suddenly thought of an idea. Yeah. We can achieve that.

"How long will it take for an entity to be publicly listed?"

"Longest will be two months"

"How many stocks shall be issued at the minimum?"

"Twenty percent of the company's shares"

I nodded. "Issue new shares equivalent to that 20%, go public, and make sure it'll sell for two billion. Give me a feasibility report can you do it in two weeks?" I asked and they looked at each other and discussed before they answered. "Four weeks ma'am"

"Four weeks it is. Meeting adjourned" and they started walking out of the room.

When everyone was out of the room Jeanne walk towards me and clapped his hands slowly. "I'm so proud of you Mrs. Eisenhower. I'm impressed" he grabbed my waist and gave me a quick kiss. "I was not disappointed and surely I will invest in this company"

I pushed him a little, just enough to look at him. "No, you are not going to invest in our company" I frowned.

He gave me a kiss and answered. "Yes, I am going to invest in our company"

"No Jeanne. This belongs to Karl, so I don't want you investing on it"

"But I will just buy the shares of minority"

"Which will give me the power to decide, we both own 40% each and when you buy the 20% more that was sold to the public I will own 60% of the shares because you did not sign the Pre-Nuptial Agreement that I gave" I rolled my eyes.

He cupped my chin and forced me to look at him. "Because I want you to own everything that I own"

"That's why you are not going to buy the shares"

"Can you restrain me in doing that?" he dared.

I sighed. "Jeanne, please" I know he means it. He chuckled and said. "Just kidding honey, I wouldn't, not unless you want to"

"Thank you"

"What if I just lend you the money you need? You don't even have to pay it back" Am I just asking for a penny here? We're talking about billions here!

"No" I answered right away. "But..." I covered his mouth with my finger. "I will ask for your help when I need it okay? But today my answer is no" and he nodded in reply. "Give me a kiss then so I'll not persuade you" he naughtily said and pouted. I chuckled and gave him a kiss. This man is really impossible!

I looked at the wall clock. It's almost three, we must keep going. I held his hand and walk straight to the elevator.

"We are going home?" Jeanne asked.

I shake my head in reply. "No, we're going somewhere else" I smiled, he will love this! I know.

"Where?" he asked, curious.

"Somewhere you'll know when we get there" I winked playfully at me. He smile and pulled me to his body, our face just an inch away from each other. "Tell me"

"No. This time it's my turn to surprise you" I said and kissed his lips.