My head was spinning. I stood frozen, a Barbie doll, stiff and still in my gown.
“Stefan, will you excuse us for just a minute?” Michelle cut in, wearing her perfect hostess smile. “I think we could use a moment alone.”
“Of course,” my fiancé said.My fiancé. It gave me a shock just thinking the word.
My father frowned at her. “They’re just now getting acquainted. It can wait.”
“I think you and Tori need to have a little father-daughter discussion first? In private,” she said, subtly shooting him a look. It was one she rarely used—as she never contradicted my father in public—but it worked.
“Please, go. I’ll be waiting.” Stefan gave a discreet nod and backed off, giving us space.
Taking my elbow, Michelle led me to the small parlor adjacent to the ballroom. My father followed. It was quiet and secluded, and my stepmother furtively pressed a glass of champagne into my underage hand before shutting the door so the three of us could be alone.
I sipped the drink, then downed the rest in one gulp. Reality was beginning to sink in.
My father had arranged a marriage between me and Stefan. A man I had never met before.Thatwas my birthday surprise. Not college. Not tuition. Marriage. I was being given away.
The heat that had spread through me at Stefan’s touch had dissipated, and now I was cold. Goosebumps rose on my bare arms and I resisted the urge to shiver. I wanted to wrap my arms around myself, but I knew the body language would make me look like a bratty little girl throwing a tantrum, and I wanted my father to take my next words seriously.
“I thought you’d be pleased,” he said. He spread his hands, looking genuinely baffled. “You knew this was coming.”
“I did, but…” How did he not understand that I’d been completely blindsided by this?
“He’s handsome enough, isn’t he? Rich. Well-connected. He has an MBA from an Ivy League school, for god’s sake,” he continued.
“He is an exceptional young man,” my stepmother agreed. “I think Tori was just taken off-guard by the arrangement.” She gave me an encouraging look. “Weren’t you, darling?”
I managed a nod, knowing that Michelle was doing me a kindness in helping me navigate this confusion and surprise with some grace.
Because any fleeting hope I’d had that this was a joke was long gone now. Even though Michelle had stood up for me, rescuing me from the humiliation of having this discussion in public, it was clear that she wasn’t going to contradict my father’s decision about my future.
Except, it wasmyfuture. I was eighteen now. An adult. I didn’t have to marry Stefan.
Did I?
I had to admit, I was completely dependent on my father for everything. I’d never had a job beyond my volunteer work and community service, had never earned money of my own. Everything I had came from him. I’d always known there were strings attached.
I just hadn’t realized the strings would be this major. This life-changing. This soon.
“Why Stefan?” I asked. “He’s not from a political family. This doesn’t make sense.”
“It makes perfect sense. These are exactly the kind of people we need in our inner circle,” my father said, tugging on his cuffs, as he did when he was feeling impatient.
“How so?” It was obvious he didn’t want to explain, but I needed him to. Surely he had his reasons. He never did anything without endless hours of planning and decision-making.
Michelle cleared her throat. “Tori, the Zorics are wealthy and generous, and they have a vast network of influence. The bond your marriage will create between their family and ours will be essential for your father at reelection time next year. Do you understand?”
I nodded my comprehension, feeling numb. Of course. It all came down to hefty campaign contributions and securing the maximum number of votes.
I shouldn’t have been surprised. My father was facing a tough batch of rivals next year and needed all the help he could get. This was the help he was turning to. No doubt the Zorics would be an invaluable asset.
“You should consider yourself lucky,” my father said. “This guy’s a catch! Men like Konstantin and his sons are surrounded by beautiful women every day. Stefan could have chosen any number of brides, but he agreed to marryyou. He’s making a sacrifice too.”
That stung.
“This is all just…happening so fast,” I murmured. “What if it’s a mistake?”
“Don’t be childish, Victoria,” my father snapped, losing patience. “I saw the way you looked at him. You were practically undressing him with your eyes. You’re clearly halfway in love already. This is a win-win.”
