Chapter 5 The Contract

The scheduled meeting of the two families arrived. Lily's family would have wanted to do everything at home as usual. But the Hamiltons insisted. They wanted to host the said event to which the Smiths agreed.

The venue where the pre-wedding tradition would happen was Vaughn Hotel, one of the luxury hotels on the list of luxurious establishments the Hamiltons owned. It was seated on a man-made island located not far from the Scarlet City.

Moments later, a Rolls Royce arrived. The luxury car accompanied them through the highly-guarded entrance. The siblings looked at each other as they observed the area. Lily was amazed at the beauty of the surroundings. She had a taste of what it feels like to go to high-end places but not as grand as this experience had offered her.

Finally, they reached the entrance of the hotel. At its front, there was a fountain that caught Lily's attention. At the center of it was a big statue of a golden tiger and an eagle. The synchronized combination of lights and water adorned it. She enjoyed watching the dance of water and light in her front.

When they got out of the car, they were immediately met by a woman. In hindsight, she looked like in her late forties but was still elegant in her every move.

"Welcome to Vaughn Hotel. My name is Ginny and I am Lord Hamilton's secretary. Follow me this way, please. "

They silently followed the woman who identified herself as Lord Hamilton's secretary. While walking, they continued to glance and observe around.

The ceiling was adorned with Swarovski crystals which looked like bright stars. Meanwhile, the walls and pillars were made out of gold, or perhaps some gold leaves to make it look like it. Lily then remembered a famous hotel in Valence City. Indeed, Vaugh Hotel was one of th top luxury hotels in the world.

Soon they arrived at the restaurant where everything was to be held. Lily saw an old man raise his hand to get their attention. He even wore white gloves and dressed like a modern nobleman. In the girl's mind, it was probably Lord Arthur Hamilton, Sebastian's grandfather. But what caught the woman's attention was the man standing next to him. She would never forget that face!

Lily spotted Sebastian wearing a gray sports coat with a white oxford shirt underneath. His legs were covered in black-tailored trousers, and a pair of brown leather shoes were on his feet. Sebastian's warm, brown eyes were further enhanced by his suit making him a complete stunner. With that look and body, it wouldn't be hard for him to secure a job as a model or actor.

Her older brother shook Lord Hamilton's hand. Then, the old man turned to Lily and smiled. "You must be Lily."

"Yes, my lord," the woman said in a curtsy.

"I never expected for you to be this beautiful, young lady. You reminded me of the Angelique Tulips, which grow abundantly in the Hamilton Manor. I am sure your children would be equally beautiful like you." Lily blushed at the compliment.

"May I?" Lord Hamilton continued while looking at her belly. Although hesitant, Lily nodded her head in approval.

Lord Hamilton stretched his hand and caressed the lady's stomach. Although surprised by what the marquess did, the girl remained calm. She saw a sweet smile emanate from Lord Hamilton's face.

"Thank you," he commented shyly. Lily, once again, gave her sweetest smile.

Then, Lord Hamilton turned to his side and introduced his very handsome grandson, "This is Lord Sebastian George Albert Hamilton, the lord of Cantonbury. Sebastian, meet the Smiths. These are Devon and Lily Smith.

Sebastian shook hands with Devon. And then, his gaze moved toward Lily.

Lub-dub!

She felt a sudden change in the beating of her heart. The sound was quite familiar. It was similar to what she felt when she was with Alistair. The only difference was that the feeling was more intense. It felt like something inside of her was longing to see his presence. And when she finally did, a sense of satisfaction enveloped her being. She felt her night was already completed.

It must be the baby. That's right. The child must be sensing his dad was around.

Can it?

"Hi, Lily. Good to see you, "he said in a formal manner while offering his hand for a shake.

"Hello, Sebastian. Good to see you too, " she whispered softly as he reached for her hand.

When his hand touched hers, the images of that night came flooding. Only this time, she could only see the two of them making love. The electricity she felt when his skin touches her had returned. The maiden felt her ears warm. She immediately let go of his hand and bowed in slight shame.

Come on, Lily! Why are you thinking like that? Embarrassing! she scolded herself.

"Let's cut the formalities and eat. I'm starving," uttered Lord Hamilton. With another gesture of his hand, the servers entered one after another. Each of them was carrying different serving trays. They served the meals one by one. Another man was standing at the end of the table while saying the names of the dishes distributed to them.

"I made sure not to include food with strong odors for you, milady. I heard your nose was very sensitive to a lot of smells," Lord Hamilton said.

"You should have not bothered, my lord. I'm fine with anything," Lily replied shyly.

"No, milady. The welfare of you and my grandson must be ensured. It's only right that we adjust to your needs. "

"Thank you very much, Lord-"

"Pops. I prefer you call Pops from now on."

The girl smiled timidly. Meanwhile, she noticed the slight tension in Sebastian's jaw and the sudden change in his mood.

Was Sebastian not in favor of her to address Lord Hamilton, as "Pops"?

Minutes later, they finished eating. After they gave compliments on an awesome menu, Devon broke the silence and proceeded to business.

"So Lord Hamilton, when do you plan to schedule the date of their wedding?"

Sebastian flinched by what he heard. The reaction did not escape to the sight of the maiden causing her to frown slightly.

Did he dislike the idea of ​​this wedding too? Does he have a girlfriend? Questions began to fill the maiden's mind.

"The sooner, the better Mr. Smith. I am excited to be with your sister under the same roof" Lord Hamilton said.

"In that case, I'll leave you to that. My only wish was for it not to be grand. I don't want my sister to be overwhelmed by the crowd. As much as possible, I don't want anything that could trigger her trauma. I hope you understand, Lord Hamilton. " Devon pleaded with Lord Hamilton.

"I understand, Mr. Smith. You can count on me for this request. I am also willing to do everything to ensure the safety of Lily and her unborn child."

"Thank you, Lord Hamilton. Since everything seems to be good, I think it is time for us to let the two of them know each other a bit. Would you mind joining me in another table and let Sebastian and Lily have a time of their own? "

"Of course, Mr. Smith. The pleasure is mine," Lord Hamilton replied willingly.

The lord gave Sebastian a meaningful look. The young man nodded in response. On the other hand, Lily returned a smile when her older brother held her hand as a short farewell.

Moments later, the two were left on the table. They are both quiet and emotional. Sebastian broke the silence that prevailed between the two of them.

"Can I ask you a certain question, Lily?"

"Of course," Lily answered. "What is it?"

Sebastian looked tense. But after heaving a sigh, he spilled it out. "Do you harbor any romantic feelings towards me?"

Lub-dub!

There goes her heart again! The truth is, she no longer knew where that irregular heartbeat was coming from. All she knew was that only Sebastian could give her that feeling. She wanted to believe that pregnancy hormones were the only reason why her heart was pounding like that. There was no other possible reason, right?

The girl did not know what to say. She was caught off guard by that question and began to play with her fingers. She even looked down slightly in embarrassment.

How should she respond? Maybe their lives were connected through the child in her womb. But Would that be enough to say she should give space in her heart for the young man? Was that enough reason to completely forget about Alistair, the young man she promised her heart to?

"Ahmm... I was also surprised at the speed of events. The wedding still doesn't sink in on me," the girl admitted. "I don't know where this conversation will lead but the truth is, I also don't know what I should feel for you. One more thing, I was already in love with someone else."

Sebastian's eyes twinkled. Lily didn't know what that radiance was for. The man went on to speak, "So that means you're half-hearted in this wedding, right?"

Lily nodded slightly. Like everyone involved, she was still adjusting.

Seeing the sincerity in Lily's words, the young man smiled, "Phew, that's a relief," he uttered.

"Huh?" Lily's forehead creased.

"I mean you're not harboring any feelings for me. I was kinda relieved knowing that. "

"What do you mean, Sebastian?" the maiden asked, confused. What did he say?

"You see, I was forced into this by Pops as well. In fact, I already have a girlfriend of 5 years and she is the only one I want to be with until I age. I am also doing this for the sake of our child. But I also can't stay in a marriage without love. "

The girl only stared and nodded. To his point, he was right. It was very difficult to stay in a relationship without loving each other. You were like birds deprived of the freedom to fly.

"If you may, Lily I have a proposal for you. I assure you that this would be the key to getting out of this situation. We can get our freedom back"

Freedom. That last word got Lily's attention. "What is it?"

"A contract marriage," the young man answered without hesitation. "Let's get married then file for divorce a year after."

"You mean after the baby comes out?" the maiden asked. She was beginning to understand what the other person was trying to convey.

"Yes. After the child is born and baptized, we will file for divorce. That way, we would not be jailed in this loveless marriage and will be free to marry the persons we truly love. "

Sebastian's suggestion was in favor of both of them. Even if they separate, their child will not be illegitimate. That was all that Lord Hamilton was after, to ensure that their clan will continue. She could give him what he wanted without sacrificing her lifelong happiness.

"So what do you think?" The girl did not realize that her thought had lingered for so long that she forgot to give her answer. She saw the intense concern on Sebastian's face. He seemed scared to know what her answer would be.

"Alright, then," the girl answered without hesitation. "Let's get married and-"

The girl's words were interrupted by the noise coming from the young man's cellphone. Seeing who was calling, Sebastian's expression changed. The concern was obvious on his face.

"Can you excuse me for a second? I need to take this very important call," Sebastian said. Since the call seemed urgent, Lily nodded in agreement. He thanked her before walking away from the table.

Sebastian took a couple of steps away from the table. A few more seconds passed and his aura changed. The girl could not hear what they were talking about but she could see how the expression on his face had changed.

He looked agitated. His eyes were filled with worry and fear. He even massaged his temples. He looked serious enough to sense that something was definitely wrong.

Soon after, Sebastian hung up the phone and hurried back to the table. The girl averted her eyes. She didn't want the man to think she was gossiping about his private life. Lord Hamilton and Devon noticed what had happened as well. They both wasted no time going to their table as well.

"There's an emergency that I need to attend to. Are we done for tonight, Pops? If so, I need to go. " Seriousness was written all over his face. Indeed, an urgent matter was really happening.

"Yes, son. I think we are done with our discussions. Can you tell me what's going on? " Lord Hamilton replied. He was also worried about what was happening.

"I'll call you later to discuss the situation. I am sorry for this but I really have to go."

That was all and he hurriedly ran out of the restaurant. Later, the Smiths also bid their goodbyes. The two families just agreed to coordinate the rest of the wedding details. That way, their night ended.

On her way home, Lily couldn't help but think about Sebastian. What could have happened to him? the girl asked herself.