"Heh heh, Old Master, didn't you say you wanted to speak with Chibuzor first? Go ahead, go ahead! That's how it should be. We'll come back another day."
He gestured urgently to his unwilling daughter, and they left in a rush.
Once they were out of the living room, Old Master Arinze slammed his hand onto the armrest, furious. "Chibuzor! What exactly happened during that ceremony?!"
On the opposite seat, Chibuzor slowly rose with a slight smile unlike his usual cold expression. He poured a cup of water and handed it to him. "Grandpa, have some water first."
Old Master Arinze snorted but grabbed the cup, downing it in one go. He had been talking with the Ani family for too long, and his throat had grown dry.
He kept his angry expression, maintaining his image, but inwardly, he was pleased. 'I didn't raise him in vain.'
Old Madam Arinze caught his unspoken thoughts. With a quiet thumbs up, she silently encouraged Chibuzor's tactic.
Chibuzor sat back down, his smile fading. "Grandpa, nothing happened, just a few children playing tricks."
Leaning back, he continued, "They used my assistant to get to me. Drugged my drink with sleeping pills.
After that, they must've staged everything, put me in the same bed with Adani and called the media. They drugged Adani too, so I wasn't sure if she was involved."
His lips curled into a mocking grin. "I let it play out to see if she would prove her innocence. Turns out, her acting skills are trash. She didn't even bother to explain that nothing intimate happened.
And the Ani family's backers, those amateurs left enough evidence to track them down. They have messed with me long enough. I'm going to crush them all."
Old Master Arinze nodded, understanding. 'So that is why he did nothing. He was letting them think they won, only to ambush them later. Always swift and organized.'
His angry expression softened, but then tightened again as he remembered something.
"If you had found me a granddaughter in law, we would not be in this mess. Our enemies are trying to place one of their own as the young mistress of the Arinze family. They would not dare dream of this if you were already married."
Chibuzor's face cringed. Marriage was the last thing on his mind! His plan was to adopt a son and raise him by the time he turned thirty. But his grandfather wouldn't hear of it.
Normally, Old Madam Arinze would've come to his defense, but this time, shockingly, she kept silent, looking away.
He decided to remind her "Grandma? Why.."
"I don't have a single grandson like you!" She fired back at him before he could complete his words.
Chibuzor "..."
'I'm screwed!'
Old Master Arinze, accustomed to his wife's objections, had long given up trying to convince her. But this time, he realized that she was backing him. His confidence surged.
He straightened and spoke firmly, "We've already selected five excellent candidates. I'll have the housekeeper bring them to you. You must choose one in a week and spend some time with her before marriage. I don't want you marrying a stranger."
Chibuzor's heart sank. 'Stranger or not, it won't stop us from divorcing in the future. Marriage and love are scams, and now I have to pick a wife in seven days?!'
Knowing his grandfather, he was certain that once he picked a girl, marriage would be arranged the next week. Spend time together before marriage? A joke!
"Grandfather, it's impossible to choose a wife in seven days, or marry someone I haven't known for years. I don't want to end up like Mom and Dad."
His words opened a jar of family history that none of them wanted to revisit.
To Old Master Arinze, the second generation had been a disgrace. His first son, Chibuzor's father, was the worst. His actions had harmed the family both externally and internally.
He would never forget what his good for nothing son did that year....
"I understand, Chibuzor. But this scandal is the straw that broke the camel's back. You must marry quickly. The position of young mistress must be filled, and we need heirs."
Seeing his grandson's frustration, he sighed and softened. "Alright, I'll give you seven days to choose and three months to bring her over. But if you continue with this apathy toward love and marriage, you might regret it later."
Chibuzor knew his grandfather would never back down. So, he decided to play his last card.
He looked away, then back again, hesitating as if unsure about revealing something.
Finally, he took a deep breath and flashed a "happily in love" smile. "Grandpa, Grandma, there's something you should know. I already have a girl I want to marry. I'm sure you'll love her."
As Chibuzor left the Arinze mansion with a victorious smile, he thought to himself, 'I knew it would work. Now I just need to stall for as long as I can, and I won't have to hear the "get married" speech for years. After that, I'll come up with another excuse.'
"Young Master! Young Master!" The housekeeper's urgent voice interrupted his thoughts.
Chibuzor walked toward the elderly man, not wanting him to walk farther. "Is something the matter, Housekeeper Bolaji?"
Housekeeper Bolaji took a deep breath before nervously smiling at Chibuzor. "Well... your grandparents trust your judgment, so they've decided you must go ahead and get your marriage certificate with the girl you love in seven days, then bring her to the family ball next three months to introduce her to the others."
'WHAT?!'
This news hit Chibuzor like a thunderclap. This wasn't part of the plan at all. 'Does this mean I actually have to find a woman to marry?!'
He wanted to ask the housekeeper if he had heard right, but when he turned around, the man had disappeared.
Chibuzor "..."
After finding a safe spot, Housekeeper Bolaji let out a relieved sigh. 'Phew I'm safe!'