Chapter 3 ☆

I couldn't shake off the feel of him. I got lost in my thoughts for a couple of minutes. I was still young, I had alot of time on my hands to look for someone but no it just has to be him.

My blood felt too cold and that's when I knew I'd been out here for too long. I walked into the house and closed the doors behind me , the warmth from inside the house enveloped me like a warm fire and my body felt instantly relieved .

"There you are , I startedto think you eloped through the balcony", my father had a sick sense of humour if he thought that was funny. "I just don't get why you guys want to marry me off I'm barely twenty five ", I said as I took a seat on our plush white couch in the lounging area. Laurel stood a few steps away from us in his glory.

"You're last relationship went to hell so we had to take matters into our own hands", said my father unimpressed by my character of trying to walk out from this. In their world marriage was an alliance, a profitable partnership to both parties. An arranged marriage was common in this business field but I never thought I'd be a victim of it, it was loveless and pitiful .

All this was happening too fast, "Why didn't you tell me earlier ? "This was an absurd arrangement. A marriage without my knowledge was one thing but meeting my future husband in one of the most unexpected ways possible was a whole other problem.

I wanted to be composed like Laurel , I wanted to act like none of it bothered me but it did. The devil had to be placing a bet on me or something.

My urge to retort settled slowly inside my chest, I couldn't do this to my parents. The urge was simmering but I couldn't let it reach to a full boil . I wasn't raised like that.

I'd disappoint my parents.

So sucked it all in , and tried to summon my best behaviour. My father was slowly changing he wanted the money, the power , the connection, the status , that's all that mattered to him amd my mother was falling with him .

"So I guess I'll be marrying Mr. Perfect soon", I said as I wiped my sweaty hand on my trousers.

My parents gave me a sweet smile but my cheeks were burning from the forced smiles I'd offered the whole night. "Nice meeting your beautiful daughter, I'd like to take my leave now , now that we're acquainted". Laurel said with his hands deep in his pocket not even a single emotion displayed on his face.

Laurel was famously married to his work , a thirty two year old man who wasn't even looking like he had an interest of giving up his bachelor lifestyle. So why did he want to subdue himself to this marriage? What made him surrender ? If this marriage was going through we would kill each other halfway to the altar or the honeymoon night,if we would get there .

His scrutiny gaze lingered on my face with no ounce of warmth plastered on his face. I wanted to dissappear, I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze his eyes were boring holes on my face ! "I'll see you soon Alora", he offered a smile that didn't reach his eyes. If I couldn't read more into his face, one could've said that he admired me, adored me but his little act couldn't fool me .

A mixture of unease and pure irritation twisted in my stomach when his blue piercing eyes found mine. He slowly drifted his eyes off me and bid everyone goodbye as my father walked him out .