In New Lagos city, inside a luxury firm that made and produced shoes, called the LH Group, Lerisa Jonah was in her office on the third floor where she worked as Anthony Gregson's secretary.

She was a light-skinned 24-year-old woman. She wore a yellow shirt, a black straight skirt, and black shoes. She had long blonde hair, and she stood up from her office chair as she was done with her office work for the day.

She wondered what Anthony was still doing inside his office. As she picked up her black handbag and walked out of her office, she made her way toward Anthony's office door to find out what he was doing there.

It was past 6 pm on the clock, and she knew that he used to close by 5 pm and leave the shoe company before 6 pm, which was their company's normal closing hour.

When she approached Anthony's office door, she knocked, and she heard him respond, "Come in."

She pushed Anthony's office door gently to open and stepped into his office. She saw him seated on his office chair and staring at a red ring box in his hands.

Lerisa's heart broke the moment she saw the sparkling diamond ring in Anthony's hand. At that moment, she knew that Anthony was in a very serious relationship with Clara Harry, and he would soon propose to Clara.

Lerisa felt like crying out, as she was also secretly in love with Anthony, but she couldn't tell him the truth as she wasn't brave enough to do so.

Her light-skinned face turned red in sadness, and she looked downward to hide the melancholy look on her face.

Anthony was rather busy admiring the diamond ring in the box that he was holding, and he didn't shift his gaze to stare at Lerisa.

They were childhood best friends, due to their fathers' closeness in the past. In working together, Lerisa's father was Anthony's father's former assistant. He supported Anthony's father in building the shoe company, which was now Anthony's own.

Lerisa knew that Clara Harry was a cheat and not deserving of a man like Anthony. She had seen Clara several times behind Anthony's back, flirting with different men, but she couldn't advise Anthony to stop dating Clara.

Lerisa witnessed Clara visiting Anthony in his office and caught them kissing too, which made her heart sink in her chest, knowing that Anthony was seriously in love with Clara.

Anthony was a 30-year-old black man. He wore a black suit with an inner red shirt and black shoes, which made him look handsome. He had a short mustache and beard that enhanced his looks and made him look charming as a man.

Anthony finally stared at Lerisa's face, and he saw her staring downward in his office. He wondered what she wanted, as he had seen her for the day.

He forgot that his company had closed, as he was busy admiring the ring, which he had bought. He intended to propose to Clara to marry him the following day.

"What do you want, Lerisa?" Anthony asked.

"I... I..." Lerisa spluttered and was unable to say why she was in his office, as she sounded heartbroken on seeing that lovely ring.

She came to tell Anthony that she was already going home, but he didn't stare up at her face again. He was busy admiring the diamond ring and wondering if Clara would like it.

Anthony asked her, "How do you see this ring, Lerisa? Remember that I invited you and the rest of our staff to attend my birthday party tomorrow, at my family's house?" "Well, I want to propose to Clara tomorrow. But I don't know if she will accept this beautiful diamond ring that I have bought for her and ordered from abroad. I do love Clara. What do you think, Lerisa? Do you think that Clara will love this ring and accept it? I bought it to prove my love to her?"

Lerisa's heart broke even more by Anthony's stupid question to her.

She saw him smiling sweetly at the ring. As he continued looking downward at the ring, she replied, "I thought you had closed, Sir. That's why I'm here to collect the office key from your hands. But it seemed like you're not yet ready to go home."

Anthony immediately noticed the sadness in Lerisa's voice.

He shut the red ring box in his hands and stood up from his office seat. As he walked out to meet her, he asked her, "What's wrong, Lerisa?"

Lerisa turned her back on Anthony, as hot tears freely streamed down from her eyes.

She couldn't tell him the truth, that she was in love with him. Anthony only saw her as a sister to him, even though they were unrelated.

"What's wrong, Lerisa?" Anthony finally approached Lerisa, and he swirled her around to face him.

Lerisa felt the sparks, but Anthony ignored them, and looked intently at her face.

"Tell me, what's wrong with you?" he asked again in a stern voice, and Lerisa shuddered in his hold, but shook her head to indicate nothing.

She lied to him, "Nothing, Sir... I only came here to tell you that I'm already going home. The company has closed for the day, and to collect the office key from you..."

"Sir?" Anthony asked, as he continued to stare at her face coldly. His eyes squinted in pain at her.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me sir, Lerisa? You're like a sister to me, and not just a staff here," Anthony said, and Lerisa shuddered as she hated for Anthony to always remind her that she was like a sister to him.

Anthony's office door pushed open, and his office assistant Mark Terry stepped into his office to see him.

Mark looked surprised on seeing Anthony holding Lerisa's arms firmly and closely to his chest. Anthony didn't stare at Mark and was busy staring at Lerisa's face.

'Do they want to kiss?' Mark wondered in his mind, but he quickly composed his surprised look on his face and apologized to them, "I'm sorry, boss."