Chapter 29: Choice.

"Sis, get up." Denise woke Dua.

"Why?" Dua asked, turning in her sleep.

"Go to your room and continue your sleep. We've arranged it for you." Denise replied

"No, I have to go back." Dua yawned. She just remembered she had to go back to the city.

"Go back? Desmond chuckled. "This is almost 1am."

"What?" Dua sprang up. "Oh, God, what do I do? I'm supposed to be back at the city by sunset," she panicked.

It was her first day of freedom and she screwed it up by defying one of Steven's conditions.

There was a knock on the door and they looked at one another. "Are you guys expecting someone?" Dua asked.

"By 1am?" Desmond replied.

"Then who would come knocking at our door at this hour?" Dua asked.

"Go check, Des." Denise said.

"Why does it have to be me?" Desmond argued.

"Coward." Denise hissed and went to the door.

She opened the door and she almost fainted seeing Steven. Not because she recognized him to be Steven Levi, but because she had never seen such a handsome man before.

"Hi," she forced out of her mouth admist her chaotic thoughts of admiration.

"Hi. I apologize for bothering you at this time, but I'm looking for someone and I think she's here." Steven spoke.

"Who do you seem to be looking for?" She asked.

"A young woman called Dua." Steven replied. He decided to say Dua and not Diane and see how it was all gonna play out.

Denise was surprised upon hearing Dua's name from his mouth. "I...I hope there's no problem," she stuttered.

"There isn't, I'm her husband." Steven replied and Denise's eyes flew wide open. "He's Steven Levi?" She thought.

"Denise, what's going on there?" Dua's voice rang out from the house, bringing Denise to her next action.

"Please, come in," she made way for him to pass and they went in.

As Dua buried her face in her palms, thinking of how to get herself out of the situation she's put herself, "Why are you here and not back at home?" Steven's voice startled her, and she jolted on the couch she was sitting on.

She looked up at him, her mouth opening and closing with no words coming out of it.

"Why didn't you answer your calls? You got me worried." He said again, putting her in more shock. He was worried about her?

Seeing her tracker reading a different location from where he expected her to be, and she wasn't back by sunset, many horrible situations began to play in his head that he couldn't sit still. He had to look for her.

"I...uh...my phone...I slept off...I should be back by sunset... I'm sorry...I don't even know where I put my phone." Dua was finally able to get words out of her mouth.

Denise's mouth fell open, Stella shook her head while Desmond facepalmed himself. What nonsense did Dua scribble out of her mouth?

Steven sighed, there was no need quarrelling with a confused person. He finally looked at the people in the living room, their eyes already fixed on him. "Who..." He was saying before Dua cut him in, "they're my friends."

After a long and careful thought on her siblings' words, she decided to maximize the opportunity to help her family. Hence, she decided to live as Diane for the time being. But Steven's next statement was a blow of shock and confusion.

"Your friends or your family?" Steven said and their eyes all widened.

After much thoughts and self investigation, he finally put the pieces together that she wasn't Diane.

"What?" Was the only word her mouth could process.

Steven's eyes locked onto Dua's, his gaze piercing. "I finally figured you out, Dua Sinclair," he said, his voice low and measured. The room fell silent, the only sound the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Dua's mouth parted in disbelief and she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming and this is real.

"And so I'm gonna have you make your choice right here and right now...I apologize for all the trouble I've caused you, mistaking you to be my proposed bride, Diane." He said.

"Will you stay back and continue to live your life as Dua Sinclair? I promise to compensate you for the trouble I've caused you...Or will you go with me and start a new life as Dua Levi, my wife?" He asked, stretching his hand to her.

He wanted to solve the attraction he felt towards her and some other mysteries he thinks is tied to her. But if she chose to stay back with her family, then so be it.

Dua stared at Steven's stretched out hand in front of her, her mind racing with lots of thoughts. She looked at her family, looking for a clue but their faces were clueless. Having no other choice, she stuck to what her heart was telling her.

She put her hand in his, feeling a spark of electricity run through her body. She looked up at him, his eyes burning with intensity. "I'll go with you," she replied. She also wanted to solve Steven himself, and the mystery behind Diane's disappearance.

Steven held Dua's hand tightly and then faced her family. "Hello, I'm Steven Levi, Dua's husband," he introduced himself to them.

"I must be dreaming." Dua thought loudly and Steven chuckled, "you're not."

She looked at him with surprise, it was the first time she saw him chuckle.

"I'm Desmond, the youngest child of this family." Desmond extended a handshake to Steven which he accepted with a nod.

"I'm Denise, second daughter and second child." Denise introduced herself next.

"And this is our mom," she introduced Stella to him.

"Nice meeting you, ma'am," he said to Stella who smiled at him.

"And you must have already figured out by now, Dua is our big sis." Denise concluded.

"Let's go." Steven said to Dua and she nodded.

As they turned to leave, Stella's question halted them, "Are you about this, Dua?" Stella asked.

"Yes," Dua answered, her voice firm.

Steven's face broke into a small smile, and he squeezed her hand gently. "I'll take care of you, Dua," he promised.

Dua's family watched in stunned silence as Steven led Dua out of the house. Denise was the first to break the silence, her voice barely above a whisper. "What just happened?" she asked, looking at Desmond and Stella in confusion.

Desmond shook his head. "I don't know, but I hope sis knows what she's doing."

They all expected to pick the first choice. After all he was offering them the money they needed.

Stella placed a calming hand on Desmond's arm. "Don't worry, Dua is strong. She'll handle whatever comes her way. All we need to do is stay calm and wait for her explanation."

As they watched Steven's car disappear into the night, Dua's family couldn't shake off the feeling that their lives were about to change forever.

Meanwhile, in the car, Dua turned to Steven with a mix of trepidation and curiosity. "What happens now?" she asked.

Steven's eyes locked onto hers, his gaze piercing. "Now, we start our new life together," he said, his voice low and husky.

Dua's heart skipped a beat as she wondered what lay ahead.