It all seems a bit sudden to me. I think you two need to get to know each other a bit better first.”
“And what about the check?”
“I don’t want it to influence your decision.”
And before Angelina could stop him, he tore up the check into tiny pieces and said goodbye to ten million dollars.
Chapter 15
Angelina said that her father should come out with them, but he insisted that they went on their own.
“Now that I’m the project manager,” he said, “I’ve got a lot of work to do, so I’ll need an early start tomorrow.”
“As long as you promise not to wait up.” Angelina smiled at her father.
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” He took her arm and pulled her out of Rashid’s earshot. “He seems like a nice young man, but be careful and don’t rush into anything you don’t want to do.”
“I’m a big girl, Dad. I can take care of myself.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and walked down the driveway to Rashid’s car.
“That was a lot of money you offered my dad,” she said as they drove through the gate of the compound.
“Not really. You’re worth everything to me. I’ll write him a check for double the amount if he wants.”
Angelina thought about how much ten million dollars would change her father’s life. He would never have to worry about money again and could spend the rest of his life in total ease. If she turned down Rashid, was she denying her father the right to a very comfortable retirement? Was she being selfish by not agreeing to marry him immediately? She did love him, very much, but it was all too sudden, too much to take in. She also loved her father. He had done so much for her all her life, especially in recent years when he’d made huge sacrifices to help her get through college.
She thought about her law degree that she was due to start next month. If her father had that much money, she wouldn’t have to worry about the cost of studying in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world. However, if her father took the cash, she would have to marry Rashid and what would happen to her career then? Would she sacrifice all those years of hard work and give up her place at law school for her father? She knew he wouldn’t want her to do that, but maybe she should. He had already given up so much for her already, unlike her mother.
Her mother had never sacrificed herself for anything. She could just see her mother’s face when she found out that her ex-husband, Angelina’s father, was not only rich again, but a multimillionaire. Knowing her mother, she would come crawling back, declare undying love and say that the whole thing with Timothy had been “the most dreadful mistake, darling!” Angelina laughed out loud at the thought of it.
“What’s so funny?” Rashid asked.
“Sorry, I was just thinking about my mother.”
“What’s she like?”
“Dreadful. She’s a bit like an older, British version of Chrystal Longhorn.”
Angelina noticed Rashid wince as she said Chrystal’s name.
“Let’s not spoil this evening talking about her,” he said. “Let’s talk about us. First, where would you like to go this evening? I know a great little place that serves the most delicious camel meat.”
Angelina wasn’t sure if she was quite in the mood for camel meat. “Why don’t we go to your place? My dad said we should get to know each other better and I haven’t even seen where you live yet.” And possibly where we might both live one day , she thought.
“Okay, why not?”
Rashid drove a little farther until he came to a long, white wall. Set in the middle was a huge set of solid metal gates. He pressed a button on the dashboard of his car and the gates began to swing open. “Your car is fitted with the same locking device,” he told her. “You and I are the only people with automatic access to these gates.”
“I’m amazed that you trust me so much. I could come in and steal everything you’ve got.”
“I would trust you with
“And what about the check?”
“I don’t want it to influence your decision.”
And before Angelina could stop him, he tore up the check into tiny pieces and said goodbye to ten million dollars.
Chapter 15
Angelina said that her father should come out with them, but he insisted that they went on their own.
“Now that I’m the project manager,” he said, “I’ve got a lot of work to do, so I’ll need an early start tomorrow.”
“As long as you promise not to wait up.” Angelina smiled at her father.
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” He took her arm and pulled her out of Rashid’s earshot. “He seems like a nice young man, but be careful and don’t rush into anything you don’t want to do.”
“I’m a big girl, Dad. I can take care of myself.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and walked down the driveway to Rashid’s car.
“That was a lot of money you offered my dad,” she said as they drove through the gate of the compound.
“Not really. You’re worth everything to me. I’ll write him a check for double the amount if he wants.”
Angelina thought about how much ten million dollars would change her father’s life. He would never have to worry about money again and could spend the rest of his life in total ease. If she turned down Rashid, was she denying her father the right to a very comfortable retirement? Was she being selfish by not agreeing to marry him immediately? She did love him, very much, but it was all too sudden, too much to take in. She also loved her father. He had done so much for her all her life, especially in recent years when he’d made huge sacrifices to help her get through college.
She thought about her law degree that she was due to start next month. If her father had that much money, she wouldn’t have to worry about the cost of studying in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world. However, if her father took the cash, she would have to marry Rashid and what would happen to her career then? Would she sacrifice all those years of hard work and give up her place at law school for her father? She knew he wouldn’t want her to do that, but maybe she should. He had already given up so much for her already, unlike her mother.
Her mother had never sacrificed herself for anything. She could just see her mother’s face when she found out that her ex-husband, Angelina’s father, was not only rich again, but a multimillionaire. Knowing her mother, she would come crawling back, declare undying love and say that the whole thing with Timothy had been “the most dreadful mistake, darling!” Angelina laughed out loud at the thought of it.
“What’s so funny?” Rashid asked.
“Sorry, I was just thinking about my mother.”
“What’s she like?”
“Dreadful. She’s a bit like an older, British version of Chrystal Longhorn.”
Angelina noticed Rashid wince as she said Chrystal’s name.
“Let’s not spoil this evening talking about her,” he said. “Let’s talk about us. First, where would you like to go this evening? I know a great little place that serves the most delicious camel meat.”
Angelina wasn’t sure if she was quite in the mood for camel meat. “Why don’t we go to your place? My dad said we should get to know each other better and I haven’t even seen where you live yet.” And possibly where we might both live one day , she thought.
“Okay, why not?”
Rashid drove a little farther until he came to a long, white wall. Set in the middle was a huge set of solid metal gates. He pressed a button on the dashboard of his car and the gates began to swing open. “Your car is fitted with the same locking device,” he told her. “You and I are the only people with automatic access to these gates.”
“I’m amazed that you trust me so much. I could come in and steal everything you’ve got.”
“I would trust you with
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