Oops! I MARRIED A PSYCHO - HIS ARRANGED LOVE

CHAPTER 1

RUINED DATE

.........

"Are you married?"

I asked with my eyes fixed on him.

A gentle smile spread across his face. "No, Miss Bella. I am not."

"Good. Then we can sign the marriage contract."

I flipped through the papers. Just then, the door cracked open, and my eyes turned towards it. I had booked the whole floor. No one should have been there.

A little boy rushed in and ran straight to Gregory, my blind date.

"Daddy," he whimpered.

A woman ran in after him. "Slow down, so you won't fall!"

Her eyes fell on Gregory. He glanced at her once and looked away.

She stood holding the boy's hand. The table went dead quiet. My hand hung in the air above the contract.

There was no point signing it now.

Gregory rose slowly and scooped the boy into his arms.

I almost smiled.

"Interesting," I said, picking up my handbag. "My blind date is a married man."

I took a stack of cash from my bag and dropped it on the table for them.

He had come for the money. He was no Steele, after all. My company was facing a financial crisis, and now he wanted to leech off me?

He looked up at my face, puzzled, as though he couldn't understand why I was throwing money at them.

I let out a soft chuckle, stood and walked towards the exit.

How had this absurd thing started?

A week ago.

My hands had been tight on the steering wheel, my foot heavy on the accelerator.

A figure appeared out of nowhere.

I slammed the brakes. The figure stumbled and fell onto the road.

I jumped out. A man lay in the dust, covered in dirt, yet handsome even so.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," he said, looking across the road.

A little boy stood there, calling, "Daddy!"

I had no time. I opened my handbag and pushed cash into his hand.

"Treat yourself with this. I have urgent matters to handle."

I got back into my car and drove off.

Someone had climbed onto the roof of my company and threatened to jump.

When I arrived, reporters and netizens had already gathered. Cameras clicked one after another. I pushed through the crowd towards the young woman standing at the edge.

A director had harassed her. I had promised she would never be harassed again, but I had gone away on a business trip, and he had done it anyway.

"Let me take you to the hospital," I said, reaching for her hand.

She moved away from me, tears streaming down her face.

My fist tightened. I could not fight every director. Some of them held company shares.

Lisa, my assistant, ran towards me, her face pale. She held out a tablet.

The company's stock was plummeting. In one hour, investors had already started pulling out.

"That is not all, ma'am." She turned the screen towards me. "The video of you running someone over is trending."

It was all happening at once.

Where had it gone wrong?

I signalled the security men to send the reporters away. I had nothing to report and nothing to say. The accident was my negligence. The state of my company was my incompetence.

Night fell, but the problem remained.

I sank into the bathtub with my eyes closed. When I came out, I poured myself a drink, but it did nothing. It wasn't drowning anything.

My phone beeped.

A message from my aunt.

It was about a marriage agreement.

"A marriage agreement?"

I dialled her at once.

She picked up on the first ring.

"Dress up. You failed in one thing, so do the next one right."

"What do you mean?"

"Marry the man you ran over," she said calmly.

My hearing stopped for a moment.

"I beg your pardon?"

"They say you are rude and full of yourself. Show them how humble you are."

She couldn't possibly mean I should marry some random man because of internet gossip.

Or could she?

I ended the call and dialled Lisa.

"Find out everything you can about the man I hit with my car."

Then I pulled more drinks down my throat.

A knock came at the door.

My maid stood there. "The old lady is here."

I knew she would come. I tilted my neck and went downstairs.

My aunt stood in the living room with the marriage agreement in her hand.

"Do you know him?" I asked.

She smiled. "Yes. You know him too."

"I don't know him."

I stepped back, but she took my hand in both of hers.

"Marry him, and you will not go bankrupt."

I yanked my hand free.

"How can marrying him save my company?"

She stood and dusted her dress.

"He may be a broke boy, but this marriage agreement was sent by Old Master Steele."

I stared at her for a moment, then let out a soft laugh.

"The Steele family?"

Her brow furrowed. "You think I am making things up?"

"I don't mean it like that."

I struck my lap in frustration.

"All the Steele children are in South Lambina. That means he is not a real Steele."

"He is Old Master Steele's lost sister's adopted son," she said. "This marriage is how the old man settles him."

My mouth hung open.

"He wants to settle his lost nephew with my marriage?"

"Yes. You need his help."

I looked at her face, annoyed and pleading together. He might not be the best choice, but he stood with the old man. Refusing would mean offending the Steeles, with my company already in ruins.

Marriage or bankruptcy?

That was the choice my aunt had left me with.

And now, I here I am for the so called arranged marriage, and the blind date happened to be a married man.

"A man with a child!!" I took a deep breath.

I glanced towards the restaurant entrance as I walked away from the table.

What a ridiculous blind date.

CHAPTER 2

MARRIAGE OR BANKRUPTCY

.........

The woman's scornful gaze followed me out of the room. My fist tightened, and I did not look back.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor behind me.

"Miss Bella!"

I quickened my pace. To catch up, he had to run, and he did. His fingers closed around my wrist.

"Miss, I am sorry about earlier." He put his head down.

Why the act? I thought.

"You don't need to put on an act for me. You are not a woman."

The report Lisa had gathered described him as weak and soft, almost like a woman. I had expected tears. I had expected him to run the other way.

"Do you want more money?" I asked coldly.

Even if I were desperate for a husband, I could never be shameless enough to take a broke, married man.

He chuckled gently. "What?"

He looked hurt. I was not bothered.

"You think I came on this date because of your money?" He scoffed and stepped closer. "Let me disappoint you."

I withdrew. He was very tall, and I had to tilt my head back to keep his eyes. What was wrong with this punk? Was he not supposed to run away in tears?

"The woman and the boy you saw are not my family," he said. "I don't even know them."

He was said to be married to her, and the boy called him Daddy. What was their relationship? I did not want to know. It was none of my business.

"Okay." I nodded. "Can you let me go now?"

At that moment the boy ran out of the room, shouting, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

I watched Gregory's face frown.

"Your child is calling you," I snarled, and stepped away.

He caught my hand again. "I said I am not married."

I pulled free of his grip.

"Young man, please know your place."

I tilted my necklace straight and walked on. He chased me down the corridor and stopped right in front of me.

"You can't avoid this marriage."

I knew better than anyone that I could never avoid an arranged marriage. But marrying a man with a child? That was never going to happen.

I looked him over from head to toe, and a smile spread across my face.

"Do you actually think you can marry me?"

I closed the gap between us. He stood still, his eyes locked onto mine. Standing a step apart, he bent over until his face was level with mine, a wide grin across his lips.

"Why not?"

I stepped backwards.

Shouldn't he be a proper good boy, as the rumour said? I doubted it. How could a man with a child be a proper good boy?

I pushed him out of my way, got into the car, and told my chauffeur to drive.

My name is Bella Ashcroft. I am my parents' first daughter, discarded to a mental hospital and used as a test subject for ten years. I returned two years ago. Now my company faced bankruptcy, and a blind date had been forced on me because of one unintentional accident.

Maybe it had all been arranged to push my company under.

Through the window, I saw him still standing there. The woman and the child had appeared again, one on each side of him.

I sighed and lay back against the seat. "What if we had already signed the contract?" I whispered.

"Drive me home."

In no time, the gates of my manor opened. My head was heavy with the weight of the company, and I walked into the hall, wanting only silence.

My phone buzzed. A message from my aunt.

*Baby, don't ruin this marriage chance.*

I threw the phone onto the couch and fell into the cushions after it.

Seconds later, a loud knock struck the front door.

I walked to it and pulled it open. "What are you doing here?"

Gregory stood on my doorstep with his luggage beside him.

"Hello, Miss Bella," he said, grinning.

I could not contain my anger. My face scrawled itself into a scowl. This had to be Mrs. Ashcroft's doing. I would not let her plan succeed.

I gripped the door handle and pushed him back across the threshold.

My phone rang from the couch. I knew who it was before I looked.

"Let the young man inside," my aunt said.

My blood boiled. My grip on the phone tightened. "He is married!" I yelled.

"What married?"

She did not know. So I laid out the whole scene of our date, down to the boy screaming "Daddy."

She laughed lightly. "As long as they are not legally married..."

I cut her off. I did not want her to continue. "So I should marry a married man?"

"Do you have a choice?"

My breath froze. She was right. I had no choice, and it was not a choice either.

"And don't even think about replacing the marriage partner," she added, as if she had read my thoughts.

Finding someone among the young masters of the elite families had been my only bid, and she had beaten me to it.

"No one can save you if you won't save yourself." She went quiet for a moment. "March on your principles, and watch your company go bankrupt."

The words left a chill on my body. March on my principles, and watch Vale Ashcroft go bankrupt.

The TRC resort development had already choked my cash flow. Now bankruptcy threats and a marriage trap had come on top of it. For the first time since I left that hospital, I felt truly suffocated.

Tears rose in my eyes. It was not the time to cry.

On the doorstep, Gregory was still grinning, as if he had never doubted the answer.

Marriage or bankruptcy?

CHAPTER 3

SCAR AND FAINTING

........

The night was heavy, the manor walls pressing against my chest like chains.

As I lean against the wall. I'm exhausted.

What if there were unseen chains?

I dropped everything on me on the bed.

Slowly I slid out of my dress, under the night light.

Dragged my slender body towards the bathroom but my eyes caught me in the mirror. I walked back to the mirror looking at myself as I rubbed my hand gently across my soft body.

I looked at my beautiful face, my curved waist. Then my eyes fell on the scar, which I had covered with makeup resting calmly against my thighs.

I traced it gently. "It's not ugly, it's a memory and a reminder that...no one is going to save me if I don't save myself"

I smiled into the mirror, then it turned into laughter.

I ruffled my hair, as the laughter died down and I walked into the bathroom.

I slowly squatted by the tub side deeped my middle finger into the water and it was warm.

I walked into the bathtub, slid inside it letting the warm water wash away the makeup covering the scar.

I raised from the tub, the water resting above my knees.

The makeup was gone, only the scar was left hanging against my delicate skin.

"I slid down into the water, filling it until it was on my neck, barely hanging above it.

I let it swallow me.

Finally I rose from the water gasping for air.

That was my situation. Gasping for air, for solution.

My company was hanging on. Investors were pulling.

The TRC resort needs partnerships and investors.

It still needed a lot to be completed.

I walked out, the water dripping wet with the rhythm of my moving waist.

The water ran slowly down my legs from all angles.

I picked a towel and dried my hair.

I walked into the bell, with no dress.

I sighed and turned on the other side of the bed.

My phone lay silent, but my aunt's words still rang like a bell in my ears.

"Do you have a choice?"

I stood up and walked to the window.

The moon was bright yet merciless, the weather was cool yet cold to me.

My heart tightened at the thought of the TRC resorts, the bankruptcy threat, investors pulling their investments.

"What if I get hold of Damian Steele? The Iron hand of Lambina?" The thought of it got me laughing.

"What a silly thought" I whispered to myself.

Just as I drew the curtain, I saw a figure outside.

It was Gregory.

"At this hour?" I whispered.

Gregory wasn't gone, he was still there with his luggages sitting right beside my car, his eyes fixed on my window.

"What is he still doing here?" I asked myself.

I stared at him in disbelief. I poured myself a glass of wine, but the taste was bitter.

Every drop of it on my tongue reminded me of all my unsolved problems.

My phone buzzed again. I refused to check it, it must be my aunt and her pressures.

It buzzed again, I wouldn't ignore it forever.

So I picked it up. Strangely, it wasn't my aunt.

It was an unregistered number.

"Don't ruin yourself by refusing to marry him"

I stared at the message for minutes before understanding its content.

"Who is this Greg?" I questioned myself.

Being the youngest female millionaire. Not every man dared to appear before me.

What qualifies him to marry me?

I chuckled, "Another stunt"

I dialed the number but was out of reach.

I smiled, it was interesting.

" Marry him Marry him, marry him Marry him....everyone is telling me to Marry him"

I walked back to the window but he was somehow out of sight but his luggage still remained there.

Suddenly there was a knock on my door.

"It couldn't possibly be Gregory right?" It wasn't possible, the manor was locked.

I rushed to open the door, then remembered I had nothing on, I opened the wardrobe and picked a black sleeveless nightgown and slid into it.

I opened the door, it was my maid.

She was holding a folder

"Miss, a man in black brought this yesterday but you looked not well, so I decided to bring it when you are better "

She said handing it over to me.

I took it in her hand, "Thank you" I said, closing the door.

I ripped off the cover. It was a signed document.

"The resort development contract?" I screamed.

I ran out of my room bare feet, my footsteps echoing on the staircase.

" Partnership contract"

She heard me calling and rushed over.

"Did the person who dropped this say their name?" I asked.

"No ma...he didn't" I dismissed her and ran back to my room.

For a moment I forgot my problems because of the joy in my soul but the next moment it was shattered by a phone call.

'Adrian Cling...'

I picked up the phone, slid the answer button and placed it above my ears.

"Beautiful, did you receive my gift?"

My shoulder fell, him again?

The sound from the other end had me frowning, I raised the phone away from my ear.

I placed it back beside my ear.

"Why is it him?" I muttered gently but he heard it.

"Who else could it be if not Adrian the young master of the Young's family?"

"I heard your marriage has been arranged...why not consider me?" He said cheesily.

I couldn't be more infuriated. I clicked on the end button.

I fell into bed, my mind racing back and forth.

"What should I choose? Marry Gregory, or find a chance to seduce Damian Ste...?

" My thoughts got interrupted by a sudden knock.

It was my Maid. Her face was pale, her hand trembling.

"The young man, he fainted"

"What?" I rushed out. Mrs. Louis tagging behind.

Gregory was laying flat on the ground, his body cold and breathless.

Cold sweet ran down my spine.