Chapter 5 Locas POV

I went to the balcony, the thought of getting married to Karen weigh down on me.

"But if I wouldn't marry her, I would lose everything I had work for in my father's company ".

"But must the CEO be a married man, I thought to myself, as I pondered the strange condition my father had laid out for me to take over the company - marry Keran, a woman I'd barely met by chance, and suddenly I'm thrust into a world of obligation and expectation, where love seems like a luxury I can ill afford, and the weight of family legacy hangs precariously in the balance, forcing me to question whether the price of power is worth sacrificing my freedom and happiness'.

"Who gave these people this kind of mentality?

To promote you, you must be a married man or a married woman,Even though I have to marry someone to become CEO, must it be Keran, a woman I've barely spoken to, whose thoughts and feelings I'm yet to understand, and whose presence in my life feels more like a business arrangement than a romantic partnership?

"I went back into my room, poured a glass of liquor to calm my nerves, but the thought of marrying Keran still lingered, refusing to leave my mind, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of restlessness that had been building up inside me, like a storm brewing on the horizon, as I paced back and forth, trying to make sense of the situation, my thoughts racing with questions and doubts, my heart heavy with the weight of uncertainty, and my mind torn between the expectations of others and my own desires".

"I grabbed my car keys and drove out to get a drink.On my way , I called Oliver to meet me at Java Restaurant where we could relax".

"In no time, Oliver was there, walking through the doors of Java Restaurant with his signature smile, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on me, and he made his way over, his relaxed demeanor a perfect antidote to my frazzled nerves, as he slid into the booth across from me and asked,

"What's going on, man?",

"His tone low and concerned, inviting me to unload my worries and frustrations".

"She's home.

"Who?"

"Karen "

"Oh, gracious, Oliver lamented, 'Man, you gotta cheer up, if you keep looking so moody, you're gonna scare Keran off, and then you'll still have to marry her, you don't have an option, your dad's made it clear, it's either marry her and take the CEO spot, or walk away from the company, so you might as well try to make the best of it, right?' "

"I know right?.

"Of course Locas".Look here man, I think I like this idea, because you would be a married man some day and have children, don't you think?.

"And also you would learn how to love".

"Wait, do you mean I'm a woman hater?

"Of course you're "Locas, don't deny it.

"Since your ex left, you've never wanted to have anything to do with women, you've been so closed off, but I think you need to thank your parents for this arrangement, because maybe, just maybe, this is the push you need to get back out there and learn to trust again, and who knows, you might actually find something real with Keran, or maybe this whole thing will blow up in your face, but either way, it's time to stop playing it so safe and take a chance, because the way you've been living, it's not really living at all."

"Oliver come on,this isn't about love,it's about family business. Get it? Let that sink in."

"Man, you'd fall in love one day, and then you'd understand, but until then, just trust me on this one.".

"It's not gonna happen".

"By the way, congrats man.

"I signed shaking my head in sideways the gesture feeling more like fomality than a genuine celebration".

"Well we would be walking down the aisle sooner".

"Whoa, so soon?" he said, his voice laced with surprise, his eyes widening in alarm as he processed the rapid -fire plans unfolding before him".

"Meanwhile, I would be there with Jessy".

"Is that all?.

"How do you mean?.

"Do I have to remind you that you would be my groomsman?.

"Oh, sorry man, I thought you were still worried about your arranged marriage," Oliver said with a chuckle, "but it seems like you're already getting into the groove of things, groomsmaid and all, guess I was wrong, huh?"

"It's still my wedding, even though it's arranged marriage ".

"Trust me, man, your groomsman is right in front of you," Oliver said with a grin, and we all burst out laughing, the tension dissipating as we clinked our glasses together and took a swig of our drinks, the cool liquid sliding down our throats as we savored the moment, "I guess I needed that reminder, thanks for keeping me grounded, buddy."

"So... what about Karen, how is she gonna juggle about her bridesmaids and all that?".

"Last time I checked, Karen's the woman thrust upon me, I don't know her that well, nor her friends, and besides, I'm not an event planner, so figuring out the bridesmaid details is way down on my priority list, if it's even on the list at all."

"Are you serious right now? She's is in your house, this is literally the perfect chance to get to know her better, no excuses, no dulling, make the most of it, dude."

"I'm not interested in all this whole thing?"

"Oliver's eyes widened in incredulity, his voice rising in a mix of shock and amusement, "You say what? Can you hear yourself? Are you being serious right now? You're a man, for crying out loud! You're about to get married to a woman you've barely spoken to, and you're telling me you're just not interested? What kind of logic is that? You're gonna have to do a lot better than that, buddy, because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're stuck in some kind of bizarre dream, and I'm not sure what's more surprising, your lack of enthusiasm or the fact that you're actually going through with this arranged marriage thing."

""Come on, Oliver, she'll sort it out," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand,".

"At this point, Locas, we're done here, I will take my leave," he declared, his voice firm and resolute as he stood up to leave, his movements swift and decisive. I tried to stop him, grasping at his arm, pleading with him to stay, but all to no avail, he shook me off, his eyes flashing with a mixture of frustration and disappointment. I must have gotten him angry, I thought, feeling a pang of regret and worry, wondering what I had said or done to push him to this point, as I watched him walk away, his back stiff and unyielding, the distance between us growing wider with each step".

I glance down at my phone, the screen lighting up with my mom's name, and a warm smile spreads across my face as I think, "She must be wondering where I've been," I hesitate for a moment, wondering whether to answer it right away or let it go to voicemail, but my mom's calls are always important, so I pick up, "Hey, Mom."what's up?" I ask, my voice carrying over the line as I walk, the conversation flowing easily into the evening air, ".