Forbidden Temptation

"I am not going to do what you did to my mom," I said, pointing my finger to my father's face as everyone's head shot in my direction.

"I'm not your pawn that you'd throw in any direction, and it would obey your commands like a puppet you want me to be," I snapped at my father as he sat silently and listened to me.

"Vanessa, please, I'll talk to dad," Asher came behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder, trying to usher me down.

"What? What would you say? Would you be able to open your mouth in front of him and ask him to not make me marry that hog's younger son for his own good, huh?" I let go of the spoon as it fell on my plate with a clicking sound and pulled myself off of the chair standing up. I turned around and looked at him, waiting for him to say something, but as usual nothing came out of his mouth. He was always like that, shushing me down and doing whatever dad said because he can not go against him. Obedient son!

"I'm doing it for your own good, Vanessa Blackford. Enough with the senseless bickering, and be careful not to push me into actions we'll both regret," Dad's voice pitched higher as he warned me with those venomous words.

"I lived my whole life earning this fortune for you all. I always try to benefit from any chance I get so that my children can live the life they deserve," I scoffed at his effort to emotionally trap me into accepting the ridiculous offer. He was doing it all for his own good. He was doing it to land a great deal with the latter, which will eventually benefit him by increasing the profit rate of Blackford traders. He was signing me off, basically selling me off in order to sign the contract with Rossi Investments.

God, he can not help himself. Moving a hand down my face in frustration, I strolled outside of the dining hall, slamming the door behind me. I just wanted peace. I wanted to figure it all out. What happened in the last few minutes and what my dad said was totally insane. It didn't make sense at all. I wanted to move out of this house—this big ass mansion and I wanted to live in a cozy apartment instead where there would be just me and my baby plants. What I didn't expect was my father to announce my sudden marriage—contract marriage, to be precise.

I closed the door of my room and paced around, my hand sliding in the back of my nape in anxiousness . What if I leave the house tonight? I've enough money in my bank account to move to somewhere safe yet far away from here. But, I knew even the thought of it was ridiculous. My dad can dig the ground seven layers deep to get me out.

A knock on my door pulled me out of my never-accomplishing plans. I looked at the door and stopped pacing as the knob turned and Asher walked inside.

"Dad told me to get you ready, they are about to arrive in a few.”

He didn't tell you my brother, he ordered you.

"Don't tell me. I—I can not, Asher. I don't want to live our mom's life. I can't let that happen to me," I said in utter disappointment as the feeling of helplessness washed over me. I wanted him to help me out, but I knew he couldn't. No-one could go against dad's will, if they wanted to live peacefully.

Asher walked forward covering the distance between us and took my hands in his.

"I convinced him, V. But, you know no-one can stop him from what he has already planned," His eyes glistened with pity while mine pleaded with hopelessness.

"I told him, we can arrange any other deal, but he said that they wanted this. It will interest both of them.”

God! I tried to gather myself and exhaled slightly pushing my boundaries to say the words I had the only choice left for.

"I have a condition. Now that I am going to be thrown in this game, I want to play my own bet as well. Tell him, I'm not going to marry him until I prepare myself to do so. I can live at their place to sign off the deal that is much more dear to him rather than his own daughter," I said, adding, "But, as a bachelor, not as a wife.”

There was no going back from this reality now that I have known it. I freed my hands from his and walked towards my closet taking out the first dress I got my hands on, indicating to him to leave the room. He did, though. He was as helpless as I was.

I walked towards my bathroom to get ready for the already ruined day.

☆☆☆

The dining table was totally packed when I entered the hall. My heels clicking on the marbled floor as I walked towards the direction of the table catching everyone's attention. I was wearing a golden coloured dress that fell short at my mid-thighs bunching around them. Its fitting made my curves slightly pronounced, my hair falling on my shoulders.

Besides, three members of my own family, dad, Asher and his wife, there were three more people, simply men sitting on their respective seats.

"Rossi, meet my daughter, Vanessa. Vanessa, It's Albert Rossi," Dad chimed in a cheerful tone looking at me addressing the almost grey haired man sitting on his right.

"Vanessa. Nice to meet you," Not really. I said offering a tight small to the old man.

"Nice to meet you too, Vanessa. You have grown into a fine lady. Meet Leo and Adrian," He said, praising me and pointed towards the other two men. One having chestnut hair, Leo, offered his hand forward for a handshake. He looked like he was in his late twenties. The other, brown haired, Adrian—as Albert pointed—seemed like he was in his early thirties.

I took Leo's hand in mine as he forwarded it and shook it slightly moving my hand back beside me. On the other hand, Adrian sat straight, not moving an inch. Rude.

I walked towards the left side of Asher and put my hand on the back of the seat pulling it. Slipping down on it, I sat there while dad and his friend went back on the topic they were gossiping about.

Everyone started talking with each other besides lunch. Asher with his wife-Grace, Dad and Albert, Leo eating his food as if he didn't even care what was going on. Whereas, Adrian. He—he was silently watching me. His brown, hunter-shaped eyes bore in mine as if he could see me straight through them. His gaze not moving an inch from me like the world has stopped and he had nowhere to look.

I moved my eyes down feeling uncomfortable and took the fork in my hand. Creepy idiot!

☆☆☆

The tedious conversation going on the table between the boring men had me yawning so I excused myself from the table and walked upstairs. I wanted to have a good silent space to submit more emails for a senior position at multiple architecture firms. I was already working with Rowan but he suggested that I should apply for the league's contributing firms to get more recognition on my talent. I couldn't let this fucking marriage disturb my social life.

I was walking towards my room when the smell of cigarette caught my nose. I turned my head to the direction of the smell as it led me to the library's closed door. Dad and Asher were downstairs then who—Adrian, he was not at the table as he excused himself walking out of the hall when his phone rang earlier. I walked towards the library putting my hands on the door knob turning it around and pushed the door forward. It opened with me seeing a silhouette standing beside the desk chair, turned towards the window.

Registering the sound, Adrian turned around looking at me. His eyes met mine moving down till my bare legs and then moving back up fixing at my eyes. I walked inside, closing the door behind me as never in the hell would I want the awful smell to reach my room.

He threw the butt of the cigarette in the bin lying besides the desk and walked towards me, putting his hands in the front pocket of his pants.

"So, you're Vanessa. Vanessa Blackford," He said more like announced and stopped inches away from me.

"Guess, It's gonna be so much entertaining," He added.