Dakota Lennix

I walked into the hospital with 3 bodyguards behind me and everyone's eyes were on me. I hate that feeling but now all I want to do is to check on my grandpa. They led me to the VVIP room and I found my brother sitting outside.

"Cameron!" I called him and he turned to me. He got up from his seat and smiled. He gave me a big hug and we both looked at each other before we decided to walk inside. He opened the door for me letting me go inside first.

I saw my grandpa laying on the hospital bed completely pale and my heart broke. I thought he's joking but it's true. I walked to him right away and he smiled when he saw me.

"Catherina.. I was waiting for you." He said and I held his hand tightly. I bursted crying right away and he patted my hand.

"There there.. I'm still alive." He said and I glared at him.

"Can you stop joking.. you're in this.. condition!" I was completely pissed. He chuckled weakly and I hugged him.

"You'll get better soon, I believe that.." I said and he shook his head.

"I won't get better, the doctor said that I only have 3-4 months left." He said and my eyes widened. I turned to my parents and my brother.. they all nodded their heads and I looked at them disbelief.

"That's nonsense! I will talk to that doctor and-"

"Catherine.. no.. please." My grandpa said and I kept crying and crying.

"Stop crying please.." He said as he caressed my head. I cried a lot and he patted my hand until I started to calm down.

"Catherine, you have to listen to me.."

"What? Listen to what?" I asked as I wiped my tears. My brother gave me a box of tissues.

"Before I die.. I wanna see you get married." He said and I turned to him disbelief. It was like he's joking again.

"What?"

"I.. I.. when I was young, I made a promise to my dear friend, Joseph. You know him right?" He asked me and I nodded. I remember Joseph.. okay.

"He has a grandson and we made a promise to arrange marriage for the two of you." My eyes widened and I turned to my parents. They looked at me sadly and I turned my head back to my grandpa. He took a really deep breath with the help of the oxygen mask and he held my hand tightly.

"His name is.. Jacob Williams." My grandpa said and I sighed.

"Grandpa, I'm busy working.. I don't want to get married now. I still have my career and things that I want to achieve." I said because I hate the idea of arranged marriage. Besides I don't even know who Jacob William is. What if he's a psycho? Ugh!

"Catherine, I want you to get married and take over Ashton company."

"Grandpa, we have dad now. You don't have to worry."

"But I need to assure you that you will take over the company. I know that you will keep avoiding this topic!" He said in an angry tone.

"Grandpa, you don't understand. I love my job now and I don't want to get married to the guy that I don't know and besides.. I don't think I can love or like someone that you're setting me up with." I said seriously and he sighed. He suddenly started to breath weirdly.. My dad quickly called the doctor and my brother dragged me out from the room.

I kept crying and crying seeing my grandpa like this. My brother hugged me tightly trying to calm me down when doctors and nurses rushed over to my grandpa's room.

"Cameron! What should I do?" I cried and cried in his arms.

"I'll just give up.. I'll let-"

"No! You're not giving your dreams, Cammy!" I bursted angrily at him. He looked at me sadly.

"I don't want you to get married to someone that you don't even know either. I mean.. grandpa is crazy! Arrange marriage? It's 21st century for godsakes!" Cameron said and he hugged me again.

"Catherine, we need to talk." I turned to see my dad looking at me seriously. I nodded lightly and he gestured me to follow him.

He brought me to the rooftop of that hospital and we stood side by side. The wind was blowing making my eyes dry right away. I turned to my dad wanting to say something but he gestured me to shut my mouth.

"I think it's time for you to come back and take your place." He said and I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I closed my eyes feeling the wind hitting my face.

"Until when will you be a secretary? You're supposed to be the boss not a secretary!" He bursted angrily.

"I want to achieve something on my own, dad! I want to learn to stand on my own feet!" I answered him with a little bit of anger in it.

"5 years is enough, Cathy! You still want to stay in New York after seeing your grandpa like this? You rarely come home and check on him! Imagine how sad he is!" He bursted angrily again.

"You're going to resign and meet your future husband.."

"I'm not going to get married." I hissed coldly.

"If you don't, then come back and claim your throne. It's you or Cameron.. you two decide." He said and he left me alone. I closed my eyes and there's a lot of things going on in my mind right now.

I love my job back in New York and I can't believe that I have to leave all of that behind. I can't believe this! I ran my hands through my hair, frustrated.

"Catherine." I turned my head and my mom already opened her arms. I cried again and hugged her tightly.

"Mom.. what should I do?"

"I can't decide it for you, honey. You have to make the decisions." She said as she patted my back.

"I love my job back in New York!"

"I know.. but.. you know your grandpa won't get any better so.. I suggest you to come home." She said.

Kyle Denver

I got off the car and Dakota greeted me right away. She gave me my iPad for me to see her reports about the construction site. She started to tell me my schedule for the whole day and we both entered the lift together.

"Set me up a meeting with John Travis tomorrow, tell him that we need to talk." I said to Dakota and she's writing it all down.

"What should I get you for lunch, Mr. Denver?" She asked as we walked out from the lift going towards my office.

"Buy me my favorite steak and don't forget extra mashed potatoes." I said as I entered my office. She followed me towards my desk and my eyes landed on a resignation letter on my desk.

"Anything else, Mr. Denver?" Dakota asked and I picked up the resignation letter. I turned to her and she gulped nervously.

"Who is this from?" I asked as I opened the envelope.

"It's my resignation letter, Mr. Denver." She said and I started to read the letter. I read it fast and my eyes turned back to her.

"Sit down." I said gesturing her to sit on the chair in front of my desk.

"Are you expecting me to let you go tomorrow? Are you crazy?" I asked as I threw the paper in front of her. She looked down, avoiding my eye contact.

"What's your reason?" I asked as I supported my head with my hand. I looked at her waiting for her answer.

"Dakota! What is your reason? Or else.. you can't resign."

"I have to move back to LA, my grandpa is really sick. I want to be on his side." She said.

"How much time do you need?" I asked and she looked up to me. She looked confuse and I sat up straight.

"What do you mean, Mr. Denver?"

"How much time do you need to stay on your grandpa's side? 1 month? 2 weeks? 3 weeks? Give me a time frame." I said and she shook her head.

"I will be moving to LA permanently and I won't go back to New York." She answered and I looked at her suspiciously.

"You can't just leave tomorrow! I have to find your replacement and you need to teach her everyth-"

"Edna will be my replacement." She cut me and I looked at her disbelief.

"I'm the boss here!" I smacked the table and she jumped a little bit. She looked at me a little bit scared and I leaned my body closer to her.

"You can quit next month.. after you teach-"

"I can't, Mr. Denver. I can't quit next month.. I have to go back to LA tomorrow." She said in a panic tone. I looked at her confused and a little bit suspicious.

"Did you commit crime or something?" I asked and she shook her head and hands in front of me.

"No.. no.. I'm getting married." She said out of nowhere and that made me a little surprised. I'm sure that she never dates anyone because she spends her time with me all the time. She's a secretary and I've never seen her dating or even going out with a guy.

"Married?"

"Did you get a cat call?" I asked and she looked at me disbelief. Her jaw dropped and she looked at me completely confused.

"Did you meet this person on Tinder? Did he ask you to go to LA and marry him? Is he rich? Are you a gold digger?" I asked and she looked at me like she wanted to slap my face.

"Mr. Denver, I might be a secretary but I'm not that low." She said in a cold tone. That was the first time in 9 years that I've heard my secretary giving me a cold tone and murderous look.

"Then why are you suddenly going to get married?" I asked.

"It's a long story and it's my privacy, Mr. Denver. I was hoping that you can understand it. I don't have any other choice, Mr. Denver, and I'm sorry. I know I should be more responsible for this but the situation that I'm in is.. not good." She said as she looked at me in the eyes. I took my cup of latte and sipped it slowly.

"So your grandpa isn't really sick? You're going to LA, just to get married?" I asked and she sighed.

"My grandpa is arranged marrying me, it's his last wish." She said and I looked at her.. speechless.

"This is the 21st century.. arrange marriage? You've got to be kidding me!" I laughed and she looked at me seriously.

"Do you need anything else, Mr. Denver?" She asked as she got up from her seat.

"No." I gestured her to get out and she walked out from my office. I took her resignation letter and turned my chair towards the window. I read the resignation letter again and again but.. somehow it's strange.

Why did her grandpa wanted to her to get an arranged marriage? Is it just because he's dying and he wants to see her happy first? Weird. I crushed the paper and threw it to the trash bin.

Let her resign besides there's a thousand secretary out there wanting a job and they will be better than Dakota anyway. I turned my chair back towards my desk and I started to continue to work.

As I'm working, I love to stretch my body a little. My eyes landed on Dakota who is on her phone walking around in her office room. She was talking to someone and it's like she's scolding the other person. She ended up throwing her phone to the ground completely pissed. She plopped her body to the sofa inside her office.

What exactly is wrong with her?

Dakota Lennix

I looked at my daily journal that I put into my box sadly and I looked around my office that's completely empty now. I brought my last box out and closed the door. I felt so heavy leaving this place and I don't know how I feel either. I walked towards my boss' office and knocked on his door two times. I put down the box and walked inside.

Mr. Denver was currently busy reading some files and when he saw me entering. He gestured me to sit down on the chair in front of his desk.

"I'm disappointed, Dakota. I can't believe you suddenly just throw all your responsibilities like this." He said as he turned to me.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Denver. It's something that I can't control. I have to go back to LA as soon as possible because I don't want to risk anything." I said seriously and he started to look at me coldly.

"You know that I'm depending on you for my work all the time and I just want to say that we don't end it in a really good terms, Dakota."

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Denver. If I can stay, I will stay but I can't. It's a really emergency situation and I can't avoid it." I said and he sighed.

"When will you go back to LA?" He asked.

"Tonight, Mr. Denver. I really need to leave New York as soon as possible." I said and he nodded. He suddenly opened his drawer and he gave an envelope to me. I looked at him confused and he gestured me to open it.

"You worked for me for 5 years and I think you deserve it." He said and my eyes widen when I saw a check inside the envelope.

"Mr. Denver, I think it's too much. I already received my salary earlier." I said and he shook his head.

"You said your grandpa is sick so.. I just want to help and you earned that." He said genuinely and I smiled.

"Thankyou, Mr. Denver." I said and he nodded gesturing me to go.

"Thankyou so much once again, Mr. Denver." I said as I stood up. I walked out from his office and looked down to my box that's sitting waiting for me. I put the check into the box completely not planning to take it because I don't need to take his money when my family has a lot of it and I don't want to take that as a chance for me to just take his money.

I took out my phone and called Eric, my bodyguard slash personal assistant that my dad sent me. I asked him to bring the car to the lobby because we're leaving for LA now. When I picked up the box, suddenly Mr. Denver came out. He was surprised that I'm still here.

"Why are you still here?"

"Do you need anything?" I asked.

"Coffee." He said and I put down my box planning to go to make him coffee but Mr. Denver held my wrist preventing me to go.

"Let me do it myself, just go." He said and I turned to him. I smiled and I gave him a hug. I felt his body tense up and I quickly released the hug.

"I'm sorry, I just.. I love this job and the idea of quitting still.. I'm sorry and thankyou once again, Mr. Denver." I said nervously. I quickly took my box and ran away to the lift. I pressed the button and walked inside. I pressed the L button and closed the door real quick.

I let out a deep breath and I sighed big time. My phone rang and I took it out from my pocket. It's Cameron and I quickly answered the phone.

"Hey." I said as I held the phone with my shoulder. I picked up the box and walked out from the lift. Eric saw me and he immediately helped.

"You're coming to LA tonight?" He asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just asking, I never thought you will end up things in New York this quick." He said and I sighed. Eric opened the door for me and I got inside.

"Yeah but it's better to go back faster. I don't want to mess this up, I have to take over quickly." I said and I told Eric to stop by at McDonalds to buy dinner before going to the airport.

"Yeah I understand but you know that grandpa is going to arrange marriage you right? I heard that that guy will come to LA tomorrow." He said and I closed my eyes sighing big time.

"I hate this idea so much. It doesn't make any sense."

"I know but I guess you will see that guy tomorrow." He said.

"I don't have any other choice."

"Catherine, if you don't want to do this, it's okay." He said and I found myself shaking my head even though he can't see it.

"No, just do your own thing.. it's not that I don't want it. I just don't want to have that title now. It's not that I want to have fun or I want to stay in New York working under someone but.. you know why."

"Yeah, I understand. It's been 5 years-"

"I know, that's why I've decided to go home now. It's time.. but this idea of arrange marriage sucks." I said.

"Yeah.. I know but I suggest you should see the guy first. I bet he's not that bad."

"Yeah, I'll try. I'll see you later on." I said.

"Okay, see you." I ended the call and put my phone back into my bag. I looked outside the window and I took one last look at the times square.

"It's time.. You're back to Catherine Ashton now, you're no longer Dakota Lennix." I said to myself.

"Ms. Ashton, I got a call from your grandfather that you're going to Las Vegas instead of Los Angeles. He said he wants you to meet someone there before going back to LA the next day." Eric said and I sighed.

"Okay, tell him that I will go to there." I said and he talked to someone with his ear piece again.

"Great.. just great."