CHAPTER 69: ENLISTING MY HELP

"Sure. I appreciate your understanding," I replied.

"I’m actually here to ask for your help," she said as if she was making a significant announcement.

"If there’s anything that you need me to help you with regarding the preparations of your upcoming engagement, feel free to tell me. I’ll definitely help you if I can do it," I replied with a firm nod of my head.

"The engagement is going to be fine. You don’t have to worry about it. Although it’s going to be a small and cozy event, I’m not taking any, so I have already hired a professional team to take care of it," she replied with a dismissive sweep of her hand.

"Oh, I see. Then what is it that you need my help with?" I asked, wondering what it was that she actually needed my help with if that was the case.

"I need you to help me get together with Raphael," Rosabella said as she leaned lightly forward across the table towards me.

Help her get together with Raphael?

At first, I wasn’t quite sure if I had heard her correctly. Then when I thought I did hear her correctly, I realized that what she said didn’t quite make any sense. The two of them were on the verge of getting engaged, and I was certain that their wedding would be just right around the corner as well.

"I’m sorry, but I’m not so sure I understand what you’re trying to say. I mean, you two are getting engaged this weekend," I replied.

"That’s not enough. Our engagement and our wedding in the future will just be a matter of formality if he doesn’t really want to marry me and if he doesn’t love me," Rosabella said with a forlorn look on her face.

He doesn’t love her?

I didn’t quite know what to say, but now that I looked back on it, it did make sense that perhaps Raphael did not love her, given how coldly he always treated her. I had thought that might be just a part of his character; however, Rosabella didn’t seem to think that way.

"What they say about the two of us being in love since we were kids isn’t true. He is only spending time with me because of the agreement that was made between our fathers. Our upcoming engagement and wedding is nothing more than a business deal for the sake of convenience of both parties," Rosabella said coldly before she had a regretful look on her face.

"I do recall hearing that Bennett and David have been business partners for a very long time, so I guess after putting that into consideration, it wasn’t exactly surprising that they would arrange a marriage between their children."

Rosabella looked so hard for a moment that I was tempted to tell her that perhaps what she thought wasn’t true. Perhaps there was a chance that Raphael was in love with her as well. I wasn’t certain about anything at that moment, but I was sure that Rosabella was very in love with Raphael. In fact, she was so in love with him that she was willing to ask me to help her out.

"You have known him for a very long time, so I’m sure that you two have a very special bond," I managed to say while ignoring the conflicting feelings that had sprouted inside of my chest.

"I think it’s because I’ve known him for a long time that I also know that he doesn’t care for me. The only reason why he spends time with me is to please his father and also to maintain the relationship between our families," Rosabella said before grinning wryly at me.

Her words piqued my interest, and I began to wonder what kind of business the two families were involved in together that was so important to the extent that Raphael would agree to an arranged marriage.

"I guess they haven’t told you anything," Rosabella said before she let out a small scoff.

"I’m very sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about," I admitted shyly.

"Raphael is only marrying me because he wants to please his father. Also, I don’t even think marriage is important to him anyways. So to him, I probably don’t even matter who he ends up marrying," Rosabella said before heaving a sigh.

I wasn’t sure whether or not she was right about Raphael not caring about who he ends up marrying, but it was evident enough that Raphael seemed willing to go along with whatever Bennett wanted. It was clear that he cared for his father and wanted to please him.

"Honestly, I’m not so sure how I can help you with this matter," I said, trying not to sound too blunt.

"Raphael probably doesn’t even realize that he actually needs me and also the support of my family. He might think that he’s doing this simply because his father wants him to, and he couldn’t care less, but the truth is he needs me and his business needs my family," Rosabella said, and I could tell that she was dead serious.

"Like I said, I don’t know much about the business. In fact, I just started working as Raphael’s secretary not so long ago. To be even more accurate, I’m still feeling out the role, and I might not end up working as his secretary in the future either," I said while praying inside my head that I could exclude myself from any further involvement.

"There is actually plenty that you could do. I would love it if you could help me out, and even if you don’t want to, it might help if you think that you’re also helping Raphael to help himself. I do mean it when I say that he needs my help and his business needs my family," she said before flashing her sweet smile. I knew that her sweetness was just a front and that behind it all, she was putting up this sweet and friendly act because there was something else that she wanted in return.

–To be continued...