The Heiress's Harem (A Possessive Reverse Harem Story)

1. The Double Deal

Lhea woke up to the bright morning sun, shining through the windows. She frowned, Louis must have come in already. After all, she always kept the curtains closed every night before she goes to sleep. A sigh of defeat escaped her lips as she forced herself to sit up on her bed, and she stared blankly at the coffee table opposite her queen-sized bed. A cup of rosemary tea had just been brewed and behind the oak table, sat a tall, tan-skinned male, sipping a cup of tea that he had poured himself.

"I see you are awake, Ms. Harrison," the man greeted, barely looking up from the book he was reading. Lhea pressed her lips into a thin line.
"Good morning to you too, Louis. I see you came in while I was asleep...as usual...and didn't bother to wake me up either, as usual," she said, emphasizing the fact that she had grown used to the butler entering and leaving whenever he pleased.
Louis let out a laugh at her remark and placed his book on the table. "Well then, my lady. You should get dressed now, unless you want me to do it for you?" he offered with a flirtatious wink. Lhea let out a sarcastic laugh as she got out of bed.
"Oh Louis. You're still the same. Ah right, could you see if Don is able to visit? It's been a while since all three of us were able to be together," she said, a hopeful look on her face.

Louis's eyes darkened for a brief moment before he placed the same, trained work smile on his face.
"Of course, Ms.Harrison. I'll see to it," he replied before he exited the room.

~*~*~

Upon exiting, Louis retied his dark brown hair and straightened his clothes. He didn't want to ask if Donovan was available, as he knew Donovan had liked Lhea for a long time. Well, so had he, and he wasn't about to let another childhood friend of Lhea's steal her away. Louis never felt comfortable letting another man within a certain distance of his dear precious Lhea Harrison, much less talk to her.

Just as he was heading over to the house telephone, another colleague of his approached him.

"Louis, Mr. Harrison has called for arrangements for the young Miss's birthday party. We are to gather all the single and wealthiest heirs from around England. Mr. Harrison is looking for a husband for his daughter. Also... the Skies are also to be invited," the man said before leaving.

Louis balled his fists while cursing under his breath. Lhea will be meeting other men, and that would mean her attention will be somewhere else. It sickened him that other men will be in the presence of such a fine woman as Lhea. A grimace crossed his face as he looked over at the other servants running around with dishes and books. Guess he had better start on his tasks then.

"Hello, is Mr. Donovan Orchids available?"

~*~*~

Lhea had gotten ready in minutes after Louis had left and she was just waiting for any news on Donovan's availability. She frowned, figuring that there were other things to be done in the mansion. She was about to head to the breakfast parlour when a couple maids entered the room.

"Young Miss, your father wants you to get a fitting for a new dress," one of the maids, most likely the oldest among the two, said.
"Whatever for?" Lhea asked, as she grabbed a pale purple dress from her wardrobe.
"You'll be having your birthday party tonight at seven. Mr. Harrison will be inviting all the finest single men all over the country, as to find you a suitable husband," the second maid replied. Lhea mouthed a simple word of acknowledgent, figuring that that was what was keeping Louis so long. He must have been caught up with the task of notifying all the corporation leaders who have sons.

"Well then, um...Maria? Could you take this dress then, and make it more elaborate? I just got it yesterday and I really don't want to make you all go through the long process of taking my measurements again," Lhea requested, handing over the violet gown. It was a simple pale one, with a bit of lace around the bodice of the dress, along with short, wide sleeves that reached a little above the elbow. The maid, by the name of Maria nodded and took the dress into her arms and the two left the room, once again leaving Lhea alone in the large bedroom.

Then she remembered what she wanted to do, that's right. Have a good breakfast. Quickly, she hurried out the room and went straight to the breakfast parlour, just in time to see her younger brother and mother finishing up their own breakfast. The brunette licked her lips at the sight as she entered the room.

"Good morning, mum, and Mikey," she teased as she took a seat in between them. Her 15-year old brother shot her glare the moment she mentioned his nickname, only to result in a laugh from the two women, much to the poor boy's despair. Then, her mother turned to Lhea, a smile on her face.

"Happy birthday, sweetie," the older woman greeted, giving the brunette a hug. Lhea was taken aback, her mother usually wasn't this affectionate...is she?
"Thanks, mum? What's with the sudden hug?" she asked.
"Oh, you know. It's your eighteenth birthday, Lhea. That means you're going to finally be choosing a fiancée for life! I mean you can change to a different man if you want to...but, that would be difficult," her mother trailed off, averting her gaze while combing her dark brown curls with a hand. Lhea sighed, and looked over at her brother.
"Michael, care to elaborate?" she asked, knowing that her little brother had ways of obtaining information around the household. That sneaky little brat.
"You choosing a fiancée at this party also doubles as a stronger partnership with the other corporation heirs. That's why dad even invited Skyreach," Michael bluntly stated, going back to his dry muesli cereal.

Lhea's eyes fell, feeling somewhat irritated. Of course her birthday doubles as a business contract! That was all her father ever thought about, contracts, partnerships, bonds, financial influence, she was so sick of it. Now, her father even went so far as to invite the Skies family, owners of Skyreach Corporations, also, the Harrison family's rival for years. Most likely, if Lhea were to choose the heir, Nathaniel Skies, the Harrison and Skyreach Corporations will become even more powerful, and may even be able to monopolize the entire world trade business world. Also, she knew she wouldn't be able to choose for love only now, but she's going to have to choose for the sake of her family's position as well. Oh gosh, Lhea knew this 'birthday party' won't be as fun as she thought it'll be.

***
Well, here's the first chapter of my new reverse harem story. I honestly was going to upload this a lot later until I got a suitable cover. Thank God there's the Wattpad Covers app. It made things a lot easier.
Anyhow, please leave a comment and a vote! I will try to continue updating this frequently, though my exams happen to be just a week away. So, I hope for your support!

~ FloatingPandaMonster