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CHAPTER1
Daniella
I’m getting married in a few months. And I just found out five minutes ago.
My mouth is agape as I stare at my parents. Forty-eight hours ago, I had just closed an extremely important chapter in my life. I graduated college, completing four years of training and transformation into the adult I’m supposed to be. And now they’re laying this mind-blowing news on me?
“Hold up. Pause,” I say, inhaling deeply before exhaling again. “Daddy, I’m not sure I understand what you’re trying to say. Who’s getting married?”
The lines on my father’s face are much more pronounced as he stares at me. Or, more accurately, he stares at the wall above my head. He hasn’t looked me in the eye once since he and Mom called me into his office and sat me down for a ‘serious conversation.’ This isn’t a serious conversation, this is fucking crazy. This is life-changing.
“Sweetheart,” my dad starts, “you have no idea how sorry I am. This match has been years in the making, from the moment you were born.”
My jaw tightens. “Then why haven’t you told me? Why didn’t you prepare me for it from the moment I was born? Or better yet, why didn’t you stow me far the hell away from a man whose name I don’t even know and I’m supposed to fucking marry?”
My voice goes up an octave and I don’t even need to look at my mom’s face to see the disapproving frown, either because of my swearing or my yelling. She raised me to be polite, prim, and proper. Her lessons never really stuck, but when I’m around them, I try to pretend they did. Not today, though. Today, it would seem my parents have fucked up astronomically. Which means I don’t owe them a proper attitude or nice words.
“I didn’t think the agreement still stood, my sweet.”
I scoff. “This is ridiculous,” I tell them, getting to my feet.
“Sit down, Daniella,” my mom orders, looking at me under dark eyelashes. Her lips are pursed and there’s a don’t-fuck-with-me-because-I’m-hurting-more-than-you expression on her face. Like I’m not the one who should be upset here.
My dad might be the head of the family, but he’s always treated me like his little girl—spoiled me, even. My mom, however, is the parent you don’t cross. I hesitate for just one second before falling back into my chair across from them.
Even now, my dad is seated while my mom stands behind him. But despite her position on her feet, my dad doesn’t have all the power. I would say it’s evenly shared, they’re equal partners. I’ve always admired that, always admired their relationship. That isn’t to say there aren’t any flaws.
The most glaring one being promising their one-year-old daughter to marry some man she doesn’t know.
“You haven’t even heard who the man you’ll marry is,” my mom says. Her voice is soft, light.
Her hand brushes over her pearl necklace. She’s like every other wife of theton. Thetonbeing the elite members of the city of New York. Wives from the Upper East Side that carry around expensive bags, wearing tweed suits and blouses, long sophisticated dresses. Their every move is scrutinized by the others, so they all go a long way to ensure their reputation isn’t damaged. In a way, the wives protect the families even more than the husbands.
My mom is no different. In fact, she’s one of the strongest. But right now her actions are putting one thing into perspective. She’s just as nervous as my dad. Which means I should definitely be freaking out more about this situation.
“I’m sure you’ll tell me, Mom,” I say. “I’m simply buzzing with anticipation.”
“Daniella, I want you to know that I regret my actions,” my dad begins. You were only one when the business was in a terrible state and in dire need of help. It was about to go bankrupt…”
I tune him out as my stomach churns. He’s not answering the question. Why won’t they just tell me who it is? With every second they withhold the information, I grow more nervous.
Is he ugly?
I shake my head at the thought. I have much bigger things to be worried about. Forget ugly—the man could be in his sixties or worse. I don’t even want to think about worse. I’m only 22 years old, for fuck’s sake, I shouldn’t have to deal with something like this. Arranged marriages aren’t uncommon in my world, but an arranged marriage since birth certainly is. They’re rare and it’s a pretty outdated custom. Which is why I’m so shocked that my parents agreed in the first place. It makes me feel a little ill.
“Daniella!” My dad’s voice calls me back to the present. “Are you listening to me?”
I nod. I tend to get lost in my head a lot; it’s a habit they’ve always disapproved of. Actually, they’ve disapproved of a lot of my habits. But my parents gave me a lot more leeway than other kids in my situation. I think they regret it a lot now.
“I heard you, Father—the company was in trouble and you needed money, so you went to meet some rich aristocratic family and they offered you the help you need in exchange for your daughter’s hand in marriage to their eldest son. Am I right?”
That’s usually how those arranged marriage stories go. But when my dad shakes his head, I tilt my head to the side.
“So what’s the story?”
“Just tell her, Lucas!” my mom snaps.
I look up at her uneasy expression. Her blue eyes, extremely similar to mine, are a little cold and unfeeling.
