LOVE IN PARIS: Married To My Brother-in-law

At the hospital, both Leila and Yara had their bruises treated, and once everything was taken care of, the man even drove them home. As he pulled up to their apartment, Leila looked at him, still overwhelmed by his kindness.

"I can't thank you enough". She said sincerely. "You really didn't have to go out of your way for us."

He smiled, shaking his head. "It was the least I could do. Take care of each other."

With one last smile, he drove off, leaving Leila and Yara standing in the fading light of the afternoon.

Country P.

The office was buzzing with the hum of computers and the steady tap of fingers on the keyboards.

Under the bright fluorescent lights, Zeke sat at his large mahogany desk, hunched over a stack of documents, his sharp features focused on the numbers in front of him.

He was a man who thrived on order, efficiency, and getting things done swiftly. Yet, ever since he's arrived, his mind kept drifting not to the next business deal, but to Yvette who was waiting for him at home.

He straightened up slightly and called for Knox, who was standing near the corner of the office, a tablet in hand. "What's next on the schedule?"

Knox glanced at the screen and began reading off tasks. "You've got the board meeting in an hour, the quarterly review in two, and a call with the investors at four."

Zeke ran a hand through his neatly styled hair and sighed. "Handle as much of it as you can. I want to wrap this up early. I promised Yvette I'd be home in a few days time and I intend to keep that promise."

Knox nodded . "Sure. I know someone can't wait to go home and cuddle with his lovely bride".

"Hmm indeed". Zeke admitted with a smile.

"Are all married men like this?. Always thinking about . ."

"You'll know when you get married but someone like you doesn't even have a girlfriend". Zeke teased . "We rise by lifting others, you know. After this deal is over,I'll give you a month off. If you can't come back with a girlfriend then you should just forget about coming back".

"Aye. Then I won't let your hopes down Boss". Knox replied dramatically.

As Knox was about to leave to prepare for their schedule, he paused and then reached into the pile of mail he'd been sorting through earlier. "This just came in". He said, handing Zeke the envelope. "It's from your penpal."

Zeke's eyes flickered with a spark of interest, a small smile forming at the corner of his lips.

He hadn't expected to hear from her so soon and even thought she forget to reach out to him.

He took the letter and nodded toward Knox who eyes him teasingly. "Thanks. You can go ahead and handle everything for now."

Knox then gave a curt nod and left the office, closing the door behind him.

Zeke looked down at the envelope, running his thumb over the delicate handwriting he could recognize anywhere.

He slipped a letter opener from the desk drawer and carefully tore open the envelope, unfolding the cream-colored paper inside.

As he read, his smile deepened. She had written everything about her past few months and when he got to the part where she wrote about how much she missed him, he could no longer hide his grin and chuckled.

The letter exchange was something he did on impulse when he left home at eighteen years old. By then she was already completely obsessed with Manuel that she would listen to no one else but him.

It broke his heart and that time Madam Lorenzo kept making things difficult for him because she was afraid he would covet the company's and Manuel's position.

With some scheming and lies she created, sick Grandpa Lorenzo who was in charge of the household then sent him away and only his uncle willingly took him in and sent him abroad to study.

Still he couldn't let go of his affection for Yvette no matter how hard he tried so he started the penpal stuffs. He couldn't have her physically but at least he can still be there for her when she needed someone to write to, to vent to and that alone was enough solace for his poor heart.

Now looking back, he couldn't help but smile at his younger self, loving devotedly and in the end it paid off and she was even begining to like him perhaps it'll be a matter of time before she fell head over heels for him too.

When he reached the end of the letter, he leaned back in his chair, his gaze lingering on the words. He tapped the pen resting on his desk thoughtfully, then set the letter aside. He reached for a clean sheet of paper, his hand moving swiftly and fluidly as he began to write a response.

"Dear friend". He began, his handwriting precise and neat as usual.

"I've enjoyed reading your letters, as always. Your reflections on the seasons make me nostalgic for the simpler days. It's been refreshing to have this correspondence with you. But after so much time writing back and forth, I think it's time we finally met in person."

He paused for a moment, considering his words carefully. He never wanted to lied to her about his identity but if she found out that he was the pen pal she'd been exchanging, what would she do. The thoughts alone made him nervous but he continued writing.

"As it turns out,". He continued, "I'll be arriving in your city in a few days for work. I would love to meet up and put a face to the name that has filled these letters. If you're free, let me know when and where we could meet. Looking forward to seeing you."

He signed off with his usual formality, but as he folded the letter, he couldn't help but feel a subtle undercurrent of excitement.

He tucked the letter into an envelope, sealing it carefully before setting it aside on the corner of his desk to be sent later.

For now, he had to return to work as there were still reports to review and calls to make. But his thoughts kept drifting to the letter, the idea of meeting Yvette as her longtime penpal, and the possibilities that lay ahead in just a few days away.