Inaya's POV
"Coming to an 8AM class by 10:55 AM," Professor Marcel's voice made me pause my step at the entrance of the class, "Miss Inaya do you care to explain to the class why?" Professor Marcel said without turning back.
Oh shit, this man was on my nerves again, "I had family issues to deal with."
Professor Marcel walked closer to me, "I didn't hear that."
I scoffed mentally forgetting the fact I needed to talk at a certain pace for him to understand, "I..... had..... family..... issues.." I said slowly, purposely mocking him, and the entire class burst into laughter.
"Family matters? Yet you reek of alcohol," Professor Marcel spat out in disgust, "Are you even sober? Coming late to my class should stop."
"And who do you think you are to tell me that?" I furrowed my eyebrows, "You should remember your place in Lexington law school, you are just a mere professor here."
"My place?" Professor Marcel looked at me sternly, "Miss Inaya as a law student, if you were to punish someone for certain bad behaviors, what punishment would you give?"
I smiled mentally, he was definitely talking about me, I looked at my watch, "It's 11 AM, your class is over."
"See me in my office on Monday morning," Professor Marcel said as he arranged his textbooks, "Class that will be all."
I looked him in the eyes, "I will not be coming to your office for any reason," I said making sure he read my lips.
"Okay, then get ready for a disciplinary meeting," Professor Marcel turned towards the door, "And also I will make sure you never practice law in this country," he said and walked away.
He would make sure I never practiced law? That's crazy, a mere professor dared to threaten me, Inaya Seraphina Valentino. I will make sure he eats his tongue.
I snickered, "Are you sober?" My shy friend, Keona Brooks asked as I sat beside her.
"Since when has Inaya ever been sober?" Hayes Brooks, Keona's twin brother, laughed, "I'm surprised her best friend is sober today."
Keona was such a lovely and timid girl; she was cute with her glasses, while Hayes was completely different. he was jovial and extremely friendly. They are both like opposite sides of the coin, sometimes I wondered how they were twins.
"Shut up Hayes," My best friend Eveline hissed at Hayes, "Why do you always attack him?"
Eveline and I were practically the same person in different bodies, we think alike and act alike, maybe that's why we are best friends.
I always attack a lot of people so I didn't know who Eveline was talking about, "Who?"
"That hottie," I rolled my eyes when I realized she was talking about Professor Marcel.
For some reason, she thinks Professor Marcel was hot and she wants him, but for me, it was the opposite.
"I hate that man with passion, if I had two lives, I would dedicate one to destroying him," I spat out of spite.
"Why do you hate him when you were wrong from the beginning?" Keona was trying to get on my nerves but I won't answer her.
"That's you. If I had two lives, I would dedicate one to getting Professor Marcel in my bed," Eveline said dreamily, "And yes, didn't you want to fire him?"
"Isn't he married?" Hayes asked a question we didn't know the answer to.
"Yes, but Mother said his connection is strong, so there is nothing I can do for now," I explained to them what Mother had said. I wondered who hired him.
"Let's leave that aside. What is the plan for your sister's wedding?" Hayes asked as he handed me a vape.
I pushed it back to him. I wasn't in the mood to smoke. "I know she is getting married to the son of a presidential candidate, but I don't know who. Anyway, the wedding is tonight, y'all are invited."
Eveline stood up and asked us, "Who has tampons here?"
I opened my bag and handed the tampon to her, "I haven't seen my period since last month."
"You should get a pregnancy kit," Eveline said, taking the tampon from my hand. "Congratulations in advance."
"Tomorrow after the wedding I will check," I flashed her a smile, "Congratulations? My dad will kill me," I stood up, "I should go home now, there is a lot to do before the wedding," I hugged my friends and left the classroom.
"I think Inaya Valentino is a huge problem," I paused when I heard someone say.
I was about to attack the person when another person said, "I mean, who wouldn't, if I had the type of power and influence her Father, her late Mother, and stepmother have, I would be out of control."
I smiled when I saw someone understood me and walked away to the car, "Your Father wishes to see you," Nevan, my personal bodyguard, handed me a bottle of water.
"Reasons?" I took it from his hand.
"I don't know," Nevan said. "Drive," he said to the driver.
Just as expected the house was busy, different arrangements being made here and there for Karisa's wedding.
I knocked on Father's door before I entered the reading room, "You sent for me."
Father looked up from his desk, he opened the desk and threw a document at me. I balled my hand into a fist and picked up the sealed envelope from the floor. "What is this about?"
"What is that about?!" Father yelled as he stood up from the chair, "Why do you keep embarrassing me? Why do you keep bringing me out to the public?"
I opened up the document to see it was from Professor Marcel, and I gritted my teeth. Again that man was crossing the line. He just made my hatred grow even more.
"I will take care of it," I said to my father.
Father removed his watch, he dropped it on the table and slapped me across the face, "Harassing your professor, smoking directly at him, taking off your shirt in class, having an illegal weapon in class, where did you even get a gun? Have you finally lost it!!!"
Taking off my shirt in class, it's not like I stripped or anything, I was just hot that day.
"I will handle my issue myself," I said again, just as expected Father slapped me again.
"A disciplinary hearing will be held for you, you should apologize to him before then so he can call it off," Father said, sitting back on his chair. "That will be best for all of us."
In my life, I don't hate people, I just dislike them, and when I dislike them, I always make sure to teach them a lesson, but since I got into Lexington Law School, I have hated Professor Marcel.
I detest Father, but I hate Professor Marcel. "I refuse to apologize to him; I will handle him by myself."
"Inaya!!" Father yelled, "What is wrong with you? What exactly is your problem?"
"Can't you just support me this once?" I didn't plead, I asked with authority, "I want to punish him, nobody has ever dared challenge me but he did."
"What have you become?" Father looked at me with disbelief, "You have become an unrecognizable monster."
Look at him speak as if he were any good, "You don't know why I became this way? Ever since I walked out of that funeral, I have been this way."
Father took a deep breath and looked away from me, "After Karisa's wedding, hand in your letter of withdrawal to your school and prepare for your own wedding."
"You can't do that to me," I yelled aggressively.
"I'm your Father and that is final!" Father yelled back at me.
Inaya's POV
I was about to argue with him when his priceless daughter Karisa called with a sweet tone and Father turned to look at her with the brightest smile ever.
He had never for once looked at me that way, "When did you come here?"
"Father, you don't have to be too harsh on her," Karisa hugged Father.
Karisa was the trophy daughter everyone wanted, the beautiful smart daughter who was always obedient and made their family proud. Even better, she was a doctor, when has Father never been proud of her.
"I don't want to be harsh on her but she keeps bringing me," Father complained, "Not like she is bringing me out for good reasons."
"I will talk to her," Karisa flashed me a small smile, "I will make sure she apologizes to that professor."
"Why should she?" Mother's voice echoed in the room, and I smiled, "How dare he hold a disciplinary hearing for my child?"
"This is why she has become like this, you have spoiled her rotten," Father raised his voice at Mother, "Can't you see she was wrong?"
"How was my daughter wrong? Can't you see he is purposely on her case, maybe he just wants money or status or something," Mother yelled back at Father, "We will both handle it, nobody, even the media, won't get a whim of it."
"Chloe," Defeat rang in Father's voice as he called Mother's name in a low tone.
"Mother....." Karisa called, and Mother raised her hand in the air, stopping her from speaking any further.
A smirk made its way to my face. This was the reason why Mother was my best friend; she understood me in ways no one did.
"Inaya," Mother gently touched my face, "You should go prepare for the wedding and leave that man to me, I will handle him."
I jumped into Mother's arms as my heart filled with happiness, "Thank you, you are the best."
The smirk on my face was visible as I walked towards Father, I held his hand and pushed the document into it, "I guess I won't be needing it anymore."
Karisa is getting married to the son of a presidential candidate. That's good; I will definitely make sure to use his influence.
I will make sure Professor Marcel loses his job by Monday. I won't stop there; I will make sure he becomes homeless and has to beg on the street.
I needed to clear my head, so I took a bottle of alcohol from the wine storage and went to my room, "Why are you here so early?" I asked Eveline when I saw her sitting on my bed, "What's that?" I added when I saw something on the bed.
"That's why I'm here," Eveline stood up from the bed, "I got multiple pregnancy test kits so we can confirm if I am going to be an aunt or not."
"I....."
"Inaya," Karisa called my name when she entered my room without knocking, "Why is that here?" Karisa looked at me waiting for an answer."
My eyes locked with Eveline, "It's mine," Eveline laughed, "A girl gotta be conscious."
"Sure, you should go get ready, the groom will be here soon," Karisa held my hand as she said to Eveline, "I want to talk to you." I nodded my head and followed her outside.
Karisa was my favorite sister; she was my ride or die. She might be my half sister, but to me, she is my sister. Even if she scolds me in front of others, she will make sure to make them respect me and she was the sweetest person ever. She can never be wrong.
"I know you are angry at the moment, I just wanted to reassure you that everything will be okay, Father is angry at the moment but you should talk to him later," I rolled my eyes mentally.
I jerked my hand away from her hand, "Is that why you called me outside? I thought maybe you wanted to help me out with the issue on ground."
"I will help you with that, don't you trust your sister?" I nodded my head, "I called you out to please ask you to behave just for today."
"Are .... Are you trying to say I always misbehave?" I couldn't help but scoff loudly.
"I'm not saying that, I just want you to be on your best behavior today, just for today and I promise I will make everything alright again," Karisa stretched out her pinky finger, "Promise?"
"Promise," I made the pinky promise with her, "I should go get ready so I will welcome the guest."
"We will take the test after the wedding, the guests have started arriving," I removed my clothes and entered the bathroom.
I had a quick shower and rushed to get ready. I didn't need much after all I wasn't the one getting married.
I wore a red silk open-back dress, I threw a black blazer on it, and wore black heels. I did a nude makeup and packed my hair into a high ponytail.
"You look beautiful," I said to Eveline when she stood in front of me. She was wearing a beautiful blue long-sleeved short gown, black heels, and her hair in loose curls.
"Let's go welcome the guest, we might find our husbands here," Eveline jokes.
"You know I don't care about that right now, I love my life this way and I would never trade it for anything," I picked up my phones from the bed and threw it inside my purse.
The guests had already begun to arrive, so Eveline and I went to the garden to greet the important figures. The wedding was to be held in our garden, but I don't know about the wedding reception.
"The bride should be ready soon. When do you think the groom will get here?" Eveline asked a question I didn't have the answers to.
"I don't know and I don't care," I gave her the nicest answer my brain could find.
My eyes fell on Father and Mother who were casually talking to Henry Henderson, one of the most powerful presidential candidates and businessmen. I didn't know my family had such connections to invite him to my sister's wedding.
"Wait, wait, is it the Beckham Henderson we all know?" My eyes looked at Eveline with confusion, "The groom's name is Beckham Henderson."
My eyes darted between the board where the names were written and Mr Henry Henderson who was standing with my parents.
My mouth hung open in surprise when I realized that it was The Beckham Henderson who was getting married to my sister, "There is only one Beckham Henderson."
The surprise on my face turned into a smirk when it clicked that it would be extremely easy to render Professor Marcel useless.
"I'm so excited, I should text the Brooks siblings to hurry up," Eveline gushed excitedly.
I understood her, many people don't know the face of Beckham Henderson, we only know the name and it would be such an honor to see his face.
I was more than excited, not only was I going to see Beckham Henderson's face, but I was going to be his in-law. Oh, I couldn't help but think of the power that comes with it.
A small frown made its way to my face when I saw my sister's bodyguard rush past me to Father. She said something in his ear, and Father's demeanor instantly changed.
"What's going on?" Eveline asked and I shook my head.
I hurriedly grabbed Mother's hand when she was about to walk past me, "Mother what's wrong?"
Mother sighed deeply, the lines on her forehead were visible as she lowered her head in disbelief, "Karisa is nowhere to be found," Mother's voice came out in a whisper.
Inaya's POV
"What do you mean the bride disappeared from the house?!!" Father yelled at everyone in the room, "Weren't you supposed to be looking after her? Why do we even pay you such an amount if you can't do your work," Father yelled at Karisa's bodyguard.
"I'm sorry sir," Karisa's bodyguard apologized with her head lowered.
"How does that make sense? Not one security saw her leave this house," Father said to no one in particular.
"Father, instead......."
Father folded his hands in front of my face, "Inaya, please not now."
I nodded my head and kept my mouth shut, I just wanted to give a suggestion.
"Let's check the CCTV," Alex, my self-centered, annoying older brother, said from nowhere.
"That was what I was trying to say," I muttered under my breath.
"Y'all better pray someone kidnapped her," Father glared at Karisa's bodyguard before he walked out of the room.
I nonchalantly watched the CCTV footage with everyone. Deep down, I knew there was no way someone would kidnap Karisa from the house; she must have been somewhere inside the house.
From the footage, we could see Karisa leaving the house by herself, she drove out of the compound using Alex's car.
Alex pointed at the big screen, "She drove out with one of my cars and that's why no one knew she left."
"Mr Valentino," An unknown man called, "Mr Beckham has arrived and they are asking for the bride?"
Father nodded his head, "We will be right down."
Mother held Father's arms in tears, "Honey, what do we do?"
Alex sighed miserably, "Karisa removed my car tracker, she left it at home, now we can't track her."
"Inform the guest that there will be a three-hour delay, make up any believable reason, and in the meantime, secretly dispatch security to search the entire city, turn every single stone until you find her," Father said and walked away.
Alex grabbed my wrist and dragged me to an empty room, "Have you gone mad!!" I yelled as I freed myself from his hold.
"According to the CCTV, you were the last person to see her. What did you tell my sister to make her run away?" Alex spat his usual nonsense.
"You are older than me, so behave like one before I lose it," I warned, "Don't go around spewing nonsense, else you might lose your tongue."
"You know I can't stand you, I wish I can kill you right here and right now," Alex gritted as he showed me his fist, "I will make sure you leave this house soon, I will make sure to ruin you the way your prostitute of your Mother ruined this family."
"Alex!!" I fumed, "That's enough."
Alex burst into laughter, "I told you never to raise your voice at me."
I hated Alex because he hated me, ever since I could remember he had tried to make things difficult for me. I always ignored him and this time I will ignore him too.
I glared at him with tears in my eyes before I walked to my room. I was about to open the door to my room when I heard laughter coming from inside, I wiped the tears off my eyes and entered the room like nothing happened.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked Eveline, Hayes, and Keona with a smile on my face.
"I brought pregnancy kits, painkillers after abortion, snacks, and pads for you," Hayes raised the bag, and I took it from him.
I might have a lot of family issues but being with these people makes up for it.
"Thank you, that's why I love you and I will marry you," I laughed as I looked at the contents inside the bag. "How do you know this is the product I use?"
"I have seen it a lot of times," Hayes said as he pointed at the pads on my dressing table, "I will set the date, ma'am."
"Shouldn't we be heading down for the wedding?" Keona asked.
"The bride is nowhere to be found," Eveline answered on my behalf.
"What? How? Why did she run away? What's going to happen now?" Keona asked a lot of questions at once.
"I don't know," I took the bottle of liquor from Hayes' hand and drank from the bottle, "The wedding might be called off."
"Is your Father the type to do that?" Keona asked and I shrugged my shoulders.
"Let's let the adults handle this one," I passed the bottle of liquor to Eveline, "There is no need for us to go down for the wedding, let's just have fun up here."
"Aren't you taking the test again?" Keona asked as she pushed her glasses up.
"Later, but for now, baby, let's get drunk," I winked at Keona as I brought out a bottle of alcohol from under my bed. "We don't have to do much tonight, no smoking, just alcohol."
LED lights were on, music turned on to the highest volume, and alcohol in our hands as we danced the night away while awaiting the return of the bride.
I opened my eyes when I felt someone tapping me, "Mom?" I sat up on the floor, "What are you doing here?"
I looked around the room, my friends were sleeping on the bed, five empty bottles were on the floor, and the music was turned off.
"Your dad wants to see you," I nodded my head. I was about to stand on my feet when I fell back to the floor.
Mother handed me a bottle of water before she helped me up on my feet, "Is Karisa back?" I questioned and Mother shook her head, "Why does Father want to see me?"
"I don't know, let's go before you wake your friends up," I glanced at them before I walked out of the room.
The members of our household were panicking when I entered Father's reading room, "Why did she run away?" One of our relatives asked Father.
"Now our head will be in shame," Another said and I rolled my eyes.
I wasn't interested in this drama. Karisa had a boyfriend; she could have told everyone instead of agreeing to this wedding. Now she is causing us such drama.
"Father you sent for me," I said, making my presence known to everyone.
"Inaya," Father sighed, "You are close to her, do you know where she might be?"
I shook my head. I looked at the wall clock. "It's been four hours already. Shouldn't you inform the guest of the situation?"
"Inaya, an alliance like this comes once in a blue moon, I just can't get rid of it," Father explained.
I wasn't interested in hearing any of this. I just want to be back in my room today and think of how to get rid of Professor Marcel.
"Brother, how about we proceed with the marriage?" One of the relatives said with excitement in his eyes.
"But the bride isn't here," Father sank into his chair.
"Then we can replace the bride," Slyness dripped out of our relatives' tone.
"You want someone else to take my Karisa's place at the altar?" Father rose from the chair.
"You should do what is right," His eyes brightened as he stared at Father.
"What are you saying?" I know I shouldn't interfere in adult affairs but what the fuck, "Uncle, how can you even think that way? Let's just cancel the wedding and whenever Karisa returns you will know what....."
"You shouldn't speak when elders are speaking," Alex interrupted me arrogantly.
"Alex, how many times have I....."
"Inaya," Father mumbled, I stopped whatever I was going to say to that lunatic Alex and turned to look at him with confusion.
This wasn't the way Father normally called my name. I knew something was wrong and watched patiently to understand what was wrong.
"Chloe, you should get Inaya dressed in the bridal gown, she will take Karisa's place at the altar tonight."