There are five of us in the car. Up front, the driver and my dad. In the back, two hulking men sandwiching me in the middle. They’re so broad I’m squeezed tight, barely able to move.
“I’m curious, will your goons be escorting me down the aisle too?” I hiss at my father.
“Careful, these goons might take offense,” he says, glancing back at me.
I feel the guy on my right jab his elbow into my ribs, a clear sign of his displeasure at my words.
“And what are they gonna do, beat me up?” I scoff.
I’m acting reckless, though deep down I’m a bit on edge. I dread to think what’s coming next.
Dad looks at me again.
“Dina, your little stunts won’t change anything. Your marriage to Ethan is non-negotiable.”
“There’s just one tiny problem—you forgot to ask me,” I snap, shoving at the giants beside me. They glare but don’t react. Probably under orders not to touch me. Idiots. “Is this really necessary? Does Ethan need a wife who doesn’t even want to be with him?”
I don’t get this whole mess.
“We’ll talk at home. I’ll explain everything.”
Dad turns away, and I’m surprised because yesterday he wasn’t in the mood to explain anything. He just laid down the law. Maybe he didn’t expect this much resistance. Maybe he thought I’d just accept my fate. Well, he picked the wrong girl. I’m like my mom, or so Grandma always said, and I won’t stand for anyone ruining my life.
“Can’t wait to hear your reasoning,” I mutter.
Dad doesn’t respond, and we ride the rest of the way in silence. I hope he’ll explain, because I can’t wrap my head around forcing your own daughter into marriage. If Mom could see this, she’d die all over again.
And he loved her, I know that much. Even though Grandma couldn’t stand him, she told me they were madly in love. Back then, Dad wasn’t this wealthy, and I bet his personality was softer too. But fate didn’t let them have a long, happy life together. Mom passed when I was two—just went to sleep and never woke up. Dad dropped me off with Grandma for a while, which turned into forever. Over time, it felt like he forgot I even existed. Or maybe he just didn’t want me around as a reminder of his late wife.
He remarried, to Margot, and she gave him Lara. A new beloved wife, another sweet child.
So when he showed up at Grandma’s house six months ago—where I was living alone by then—I was floored. I was thrilled to have family back in my life, but now I see I got excited too soon.
Once we pull into the driveway, Dad leads me straight to his study. The goons stay in the living room. What, are they my personal security now? This is serious—they’re not planning to let me go anywhere.
The study is spacious, all done up in dark tones. Almost an entire wall is lined with bookshelves. Dad loves to read, and so do I. I used to come in here often, picking out something interesting.
“Sit down, no point standing around,” Dad says, nodding to a soft armchair next to a glass coffee table.
“I’ll stand,” I refuse stubbornly, wanting to show just how unhappy I am.
“Suit yourself,” he smirks, walking around his desk and settling into a black leather chair with a wide back. I bet it’s super comfortable. “This conversation’s going to take a while.”
His words pique my interest. I can’t imagine what excuse he could possibly have for his actions. Something huge and irreversible must’ve happened to force your daughter to marry a near-stranger. What’s there to think about? I’ve never even had a real conversation with Ethan.
Shifting from foot to foot, I finally decide to listen and take the seat he pointed out.
“Yaroslav and I were friends since we were young,” he sighs heavily, closing his eyes as if lost in memory. “Sadly, you never met him—he passed away over six months ago. But he was a good man, kind and welcoming. I don’t even know who Ethan takes after; he’s the complete opposite.”
“I don’t get why I need to hear about Ethan’s dad,” I say, irritated, wanting answers now.
“Because it’s because of him—and me—that you’re in this situation,” Dad fixes me with a piercing stare. When he looks at me like that, it feels like he can see right through me, but he can’t. He doesn’t know me at all. “About twenty years ago, we were inseparable. Our families were close; we helped each other out with work.”
“Fascinating. By then, you already had your shiny new wife,” I sneer, crossing my arms over my chest.
It stings to hear this, because back then I was just a little girl living with Grandma, not understanding that I didn’t have a family anymore.
“Do you want to know the reason? Or should I send you back to the attic without an explanation?” Dad frowns, annoyed that I interrupted. “I’ll only say this once. I won’t repeat myself.”
I stare at him silently, not even blinking. Fine, I won’t say another word.
“Back then, we weren’t successful businessmen yet,” he continues, rolling his eyes and waving a hand dismissively. “Yaroslav had just opened his first café, taking out a loan to do it. I had a small electronics shop, mostly selling used stuff rather than new. We were young, ambitious,” he smiles dreamily, reminiscing, while I’m itching to snap him back to reality and get to the point I want to hear. “Life was tough, starting from scratch with no one to help.”
He pauses, looking at me. I look back.
“And what does this have to do with me?” I can’t hold back.
It’s like he’s deliberately dragging this out to irritate me even more.
“It doesn’t involve you directly,” he frowns. “It wasn’t supposed to be you marrying Ethan. It was supposed to be Lara.”
“So it’s true,” I widen my eyes. “Gene mentioned there was a wedding planned for Lara. I don’t get why I’m the one stuck in her place now.”
“Because Lara ran off to a convent,” he says in a tone that suggests I’m slow to catch on. “You know our Lara decided to dedicate her life to prayer.”
Dad grimaces; he clearly doesn’t approve of the whole situation with my sister.
“Not ‘our,’ yours,” I correct him. “I don’t even know her.”
“Be that as it may, she’s your sister,” he says dryly, pausing before continuing. “When she was born, Yaroslav and I celebrated for days. I won’t lie—we got drunk as skunks. And when we sobered up a bit, we came up with what we thought was a brilliant idea,” he scoffs, looking away. “We decided to make a pact that our children would marry each other. A way to unite our families, so to speak. A notary drew up the papers, and we signed them. Each of us kept a copy. Over time, we forgot about the agreement—until Yaroslav passed, and while going through his documents, we stumbled upon it.”
“So, I’m supposed to marry Ethan just because twenty years ago, two drunk men decided to play with their kids’ futures?” I jump to my shaky feet. “I’ve never heard anything more absurd. Just back out of the deal. What’s the problem?”
“The problem is there’s a big catch,” he growls loudly, his tone sending chills down my spine, and I immediately sit back down. His employees must be terrified of him. “There’s a condition: whoever backs out of the agreement forfeits half their business to the other. Back then, we wanted a guarantee that our kids would marry, and this seemed like the best way. We didn’t have much to lose—just a little shop and a struggling café. Who could’ve known our businesses would grow so much?”
“And now you don’t want to lose half of your big empire,” I clarify. “So I have to sacrifice my future to save your money. How fatherly of you.”
How naive I was to think he saw me as a daughter. No, I’m just a bargaining chip to him.
“Sorry, that’s just how it turned out,” he grits his teeth. “Ethan isn’t willing to lose part of his café chain either, so he’s agreed to the marriage. What am I supposed to do? Give up? Hand over my stores with professional equipment? I’d lose more than half, because we supply and service all the equipment for his cafés. Backing out of the wedding isn’t an option.”
“I don’t care what you lose, even if it’s everything,” I yell, jumping to my feet again. “I’m not marrying Ethan. You’d have to tie me up or drug me with tranquilizers.”
“If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it,” he hisses quietly, but his words make my blood run cold. He’s not joking—I can see it in his eyes. “You’re my daughter, my firstborn. You have to act in the family’s best interest.”
“What family? I don’t see one. You abandoned me when I was little, and I grew up with Grandma. She was my family until she passed.”
“And right now, I’m all you’ve got.”
“I wish you’d never come back into my life. Though I guess you only brought me here for this stupid deal.”
All the pieces fall into place, and I feel sick being in this house. There’s no love or respect here. I jump up again and bolt for the door, yanking it open only to crash into the back of the giant blocking my path to freedom.
“Dina, you’re not leaving this house until there’s a ring on your finger,” Dad’s voice stops me in my tracks. I step back and close the door. “There’s no other way out. Unless… I have one idea, but I’m not sure you can pull it off.”
“What is it?” I ask, turning around. I lean against the wall, not planning to get any closer. The distance between us suits me just fine.
“You make Ethan reject you himself,” he says with a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with his plan. “You’ve got a knack for kicking up a fuss, acting out, getting under even the calmest person’s skin. I know it’s in your blood—straight from your mother.”
“You think that’ll work?”
“Maybe. Ethan’s too traditional, too proper. He won’t tolerate rebellion around him.”
“Even for the sake of his father’s business?”
“We’ll see about that,” he raises his eyebrows, propping his chin on his hands. “You don’t have a choice. But this way, you might get out of the deal, and I could gain a piece of Yaroslav’s business.”
“You sound like a real friend,” I say sarcastically.
“Tough times call for tough measures. If we don’t get them, they’ll get us.”
“Of course,” I nod indifferently. What’s there to say? In Dad’s world, money is sacred. “I’ll try, but I don’t know Ethan, so I’m not sure I can pull it off.”
“Tomorrow is the engagement, and you’ll be taken to his house. You’ll get to know him better there. And don’t even think about running—I’ll find you no matter where you are.”
What a sweet threat. True father-daughter bonding. I laugh at the absurdity of it all, though really, I should be crying.
“I love you too, Daddy,” I spit venomously.
I’m almost glad I won’t be here tomorrow. I don’t want to stay in this house any longer. No wonder my sister chose a convent just to get away from this madness. It’s a nuthouse.
I open the door again, and the giant turns, glaring at me.
“Yuri, take Dina to the top floor. Lock the door and bring me the key.”
Hearing this, I look at Dad in shock.
“I’m still under house arrest?”
“Better safe than sorry,” he smirks and nods. “Get ready for the engagement.”
I storm out of the study so fast the guard barely keeps up with me.
What a strategist. Thinks he’s got it all figured out? We’ll see how things play out.