His Love, My Empire

Tasha

" You're not marrying him,Tasha.You are to marry someone else. That's final!" Evelyn Carter's voice echoed through the hallway of the mansion.

Tasha's eyes widened, "what are you talking about ,mom?" Stamping her heels on the marble ties of the office?" Anger written all over her face.

"Lucian king is mine. We had a deal!"

Robert Carter sighed,rubbing his temples. "He changed the deal, Tasha. He said the deal will go ahead,if we are to present Nathalie as his bride. And he wants the wedding done this week."

Tasha's heels clicked furiously as she turned and gave Nathalie a hard gaze, pointed at her,who stood by the office door,frozen like a statue.

"You're giving him to her ?" Tasha's voice dripped with disgust. " To that filthy thing . Who can't do anything right"

Nathalie blinked.her lips parted , but no sound came out.

"She is a mistake." Tasha spat.

"A mistake you should have gotten rid of dad."

"Enough!" Evelyn snapped. "We're not doing this again. Nathalie will marry Lucian.The family gets what they want, and we get to keep the company."

Tasha's jaw clenched.

" I did everything for this opportunity to present myself. I prepared. I trained. Studied business. Buried myself in dad's company affairs. I bought a perfect wedding dress,And now you're handing it to an adoptive slave?" Her voice grated.

"I hate the day dad brought you into our home" she growled.

Robert spoke coldly. " Why are you acting up?" You made your choice when you refused to marry him at first. You referred to him as, ugly. Disfigured. Scary. You said you wouldn't be caught dead near him".

"Dad, that was before I realised who he truly is," Tasha snapped.

Tasha once backed out from the king's marriage arrangements,due to the ongoing rumours surrounding the chosen heir of the king's family.

People said he was scary. Ugly.

What she doesn't know is that Lucian is the chosen heir to the king's corporation and he has his own enterprises.

Tasha convinced her parents to marry Nathalie off to the king's family. So they could save their company before it faces bankruptcy.

Now she knows the idea of the prize at stake and she won't back down this time. She must grab her only chance of living the life she has always wanted.

Silence stretched. The room crackled with tension.

Nathalie voice finally came soft. "Dad. I don't want to marry him,I don't even know...

Evelyn's head whipped around. As she cut in. " No one asked what you wanted. You'll do as you are told. You'll wear the dress. Say the vows. Sign the papers. And smile."

"Ye...yes mom" she stuttered

Tasha stormed towards Nathalie, her face inches away. Grap Nathalie by her hair "what did you do?" Tasha spoke angrily. "Why does he want you instead of me?"

Nathalie cried out "you are hurting me."

"I said enough," Robert Carter says as he releases Nathalie from her sister's grip.

Nathalie trembled but didn't move an inch. Her eyes blurred and tears streamed down her sad face.

"Take her upstairs." Evelyn said to the maid.

"Scrub her. Wax her.dress her like she's someone valuable. I don't want the king's family thinking we sent them trash." She scoffed.

"One more thing," Evelyn said. " be prepared to sign some of the documents tomorrow. Get lost." She said pointing her finger to the door.

Tasha gave Nathalie a vicious gaze.Let's see how you get to take my man from me. She thought.

LATER THAT NIGHT

Nathalie sat in her room, staring at the wedding dress hanging on her closet. White. Lacy . Expensive. Pretty.

It looked like it belonged to someone else's life .

"Ouch" she voices out in pain, holding her belly. She hadn't eaten.

She wonders what her life will be after the marriage. She wasn't even sure what kind of a person Lucian is.

A soft knock came at the door

"Zara" Nathalie called softly,hoping it was the maid.

But it wasn't. The door creaked open. Tasha slipped in,shutting the door behind her.

" What do you want?" Nathalie said, backing away.

Tasha walked slowly across the room.

" I came to help.isn't that what sisters do?"

Nathalie flinched. " You never see me as one."

Tasha's eyes narrowed. " No. But yes. I am better. And you're about to ruin my hard work. My dreams of becoming a billionaire's wife. The luxury. The fame. The respect. Name it sis."

Nathalie moved back an Inch from where Tasha was standing. "I didn't ask for this marriage." She said with a soft voice.

"Oh, you'll take it," Tasha said with a smirk.

"Because you are a good little puppet. Just like mom trained you to be."

She stepped closer. "You think you're about to marry your prince charming. So he could come rescue you. Just like in the movies?" She left out a gentle giggled.

" You think Lucian King will love you? Protect you? Or even touch your disgusting body?"

" I don't care about...

"You should." Tasha cut in.

" I still don't understand what a man finds in a broken vessel like yourself?" her voice sounds bitter.

Nathalie stood still in a spot ,her face clouded in deep sorrow.

"Why do you hate me?" she asked.

" Why do you and mum take pleasure in hurting me and dad does nothing about it?" Her voice trembled.

" You disgust me,your presence stinks of bad omen." Tasha viciously said.

" You seem to be too comfortable in this marriage arrangement? She turned to leave "but if I were you,I won't be. When he touches you,he will own you...he will break you."

Nathalie swallowed hard.

Tasha walked closer to Nathalie and whispered "He is too dangerous little sis. There is a reason he hid his face. Women leave screaming. Some don't leave at all." she smirks.

Tasha leaned closer. "You are walking into a cage. And there is no one coming to save you."

Nathalie moved away from her.

"Lucian is mine!" She said in a frightening voice.

Tasha looked at her sister with so much hatred. with a smile that shifted into a viscous gaze. She turned to leave,then paused by the door.

"oh. And one more thing. Don't have too many expectations. So you don't end up like your pathetic mother."

Nathalie's eyes widened. Her heart pounded fast,her hands became sweaty and shaking.

"Poor little thing. You are too naive and ignorant of your surroundings. I guess you still don't know how your mum ended up dead?" She scoffed.

"Too bad little sis." Tasha left. Shutting the door behind her.

Nathalie's feelings shattered the moment Tasha spoke of her mum. She only started healing from the pain of losing her mother in the cold hands of death.

It was brutal. She always finds herself soaked in sweat. Panting fast.Having a series of nightmares about the death of her mother.

But Tasha just unlocked that pain.

It has been twenty four lonely years,still no words from the police about the suspect behind the callous act.

"No" her voice trembled in pain.

She stared through the window of her room. Tasha sounded like she knew something about her mother's death.she thought aloud.

But how could that be? She wasn't even there when she died.Then how is it possible that her words sound so dubious. She thought.

"What is really going on in this family?" she whispered to herself.

"I must find out".