The moment Charmaine walked through the front doors her father came striding out of the living room. He glared at her and said, “You better have a good explanation as to where you’ve been the past few days.”

Charmaine gave her father a bright smile despite the chill that ran through her body seeing the hardness on her father’s face. “Actually I do,” she lifted her hand and gestured to Raymond.

Mr. Seh’s eyes shot to Raymond’s unsmiling face and he took a step forward, “Why you son of a –“

“Wait,” Charmaine called out and intercepted her father. She placed her hands on his chest to stop him from going forward. “It’s not what you think. Raymond and I fell in love and gotten married.”

Mr. Seh looked at Charmaine then turned his fury on Raymond. His face paled when he came to the correct conclusion as to their hasty marriage. He brought his hand to his head as if in pain, “Oh no. No. Please tell me it’s a sick joke.”

Charmaine attempted to comfort her father but he stepped away from her. Mr. Seh looked at Raymond, his lips lifted in a cruel smile as he sneered, “I want to talk to you alone.”

Charmaine looked uncertainly at Raymond and asked her father, “Why? You could say whatever you have to say in front of me.”

Ignoring her, Mr. She shot Raymond another look of hatred and ordered, “Follow me.” He then gave Charmaine a warning look, “Go wait for us in the living room.”

Inside Mr. Seh’s home office, Raymond sat down on an armchair which faced the big massive red cherry desk. Mr. Seh took his place behind the desk and took out a checkbook from an upper draw, “How much do you want?”

Raymond understood his meaning and said quietly, “I don’t want your money.”

“Will $10 million do?” Mr. Seh asked as he wrote on the check. He tore the check from its binding and pushed it towards Raymond.

Raymond merely smiled and reinstated, “I don’t want your money.”

Giving Raymond a cold look, Mr. Seh wrote out another check, “$50 million then and that’s the most I’m going to give you. Just take it and get the hell out of my house and Charmaine’s life.”

Raymond picked up the check and ripped it into pieces. He looked straight into the older man’s eyes and said firmly, “I don’t want your money. Charmaine is my wife now and she is carrying my baby. That is enough for me.”

Mr. Seh got up from his chair and said with challenge, “Everyone has a price. Tell me what yours is. I’ll buy the baby from you for Charmaine’s sake.”

Raymond was at the end of his tolerance. He got up and returned Mr. Seh’s stare. With a face carved out of granite, he said slowly, “Charmaine and the baby is the only thing that I want. I don’t need your approval since we’re already married. I’m here because Charmaine asked me to because she loves you. So either you can make it easy for all of us by just being happy for us or you could push Charmaine away forever.”

Mr. Seh acknowledged Raymond’s words and felt his temper soar. “Who the hell do you think you are? You’re scum, a nobody not even fit to tie her shoes. Do you really think Charmaine would be happy being married to you? Sure, she thinks she’s happy now because everything is new to her. After a week, a month, she’ll become bored of playing the little housewife to a poor nobody like you! She’ll want to attend her balls and parties and go on shopping sprees. Can you offer her any of those things?”

Raymond’s face tensed as the words hit at his nerves. With determination he declared, “I’ll be able to provide all that to her in a few years.”

Mr. Seh laughed mockingly, “You? How? Just take the check and leave. As for Charmaine, with my influence she’ll forget all about you in no time. And as for the baby, abortion is the only solution.”

Raymond grabbed Mr. Seh by his shirt and pulled the smaller man up so that their faces were only inches apart. In a deadly tone, he said, “If you ever try to come between me and Charmaine I will personally make your life a living hell. And if you harm our baby in any way, I will make you pay for it.”

Mr. Seh seemed to be shaken by Raymond’s words. He smiled warmly at Raymond and gently removed the younger man’s hands off his shirt. “Of course I wouldn’t harm the baby. He’s my grandchild.” He placed a hand on Raymond’s shoulder and said solemnly, “Please forgive me for just now. You have to understand that Charmaine is my only daughter and I love her. I admit at times I tend to go overboard but it’s all out of love for her. Why don’t we call it a truce for her sake?”

Raymond didn’t answer but stood there watching Mr. Seh. He saw genuine regret flood Mr. Seh’s face. He reminded himself that this man was his wife's father. Causing any further rift between them would only cause more pain for Charmaine. “Sure,” he said grudgingly and attempted a half smile.

Satisfied with Raymond's response, Mr. Seh walked him to the door, “Go and join Charmaine in the living room and stay for dinner tonight. I’ll have the cook make it an early dinner.” When Raymond left, Mr. Seh’s face abruptly turned cold and bitter. He sat behind his desk, an evil grin spreading across his face, “You think you’re tough Raymond Lam but you don’t know the extremes I would go to protect my daughter. I will have you out of Charmaine’s life in no time.” With a plan to get rid of Raymond already forming in his head, he walked out of his study whistling and smiling brightly.