Love And Fate

★Nineteen★

"Dear Serene, let's see which prevails... Love or fate"

The noises from the hallway got louder and louder, Serene knew it was her friends and she let a small smile grace her lips as she sat patiently at one corner of her of room waiting for them to burst into the room, soon a series of knocking ratted on her door and then came the click as the door opened gently.

Serene's smile faltered as it was replaced with a scowl, she glared at the maid who stood in front of her, a face void of any emotions, her monotone voice irritating Serene, she hated how her new maid was. She wished Akua was still there, they were getting closer until she was forced to quit her job, she had come to Serene's room that morning her cheeks stained with tears.

"Serene, I'm leaving here. Your Old Lady doesn't want us here anymore. Please try and take  care of yourself. I'll miss you too"

Serene had felt out of breath that morning, yet again she had asked herself that simple question.

How could she loose what she had just gotten?

She had worried, she had been scared because Ivan told her nothing, they had been together the night before, talking and laughing, forgetting about their predicament. In fact they had totally put all their worries away, and then they made love.

Serene didn't know how to explain how it felt to be in his arms, naked sweaty bodies perfectly locked together, like two pieces making one, she had never felt so complete.

"Look at you!" Serene jolted back into reality, her head jerked upwards as they met wider ones, a gasp escaped someone's lips while another moved to sit by her on the floor.

"You look miserable, what happened to you?"
Zara whispered as she scooted even closer to her, she wrapped her arms around the frail looking girl.

Olive sat on the bed as she took in the interior design of Serene's room, a definition of luxury was what Serene was living in.
Ezlynn still stood in front of her, her face giving nothing away, though her eyes told a different story, her eyes held understanding, like she could relate to what Serene was going through.

When Zara pulled away from her, Ezlynn dropped to knees giving Serene a tight hug, without saying anything, she held Serene's hands pulling her up to her feet and led her to her bed.

"So you are getting engaged, and you've already given up?"
Came Olive's first words as she looked intently at Serene.

"What happened to you not going down with a fight?"
Olive asked her again, Serene looked down at her hands as tears threatened to fall from her hurting eyes.

"I don't know. She won, she... they did something to the Will, now if I don't marry King I won't take over my father's empire"

She said in a low voice, her voice breaking with every word she spoke.

"Did something to the Will, they can't do anything to the Will Serene, a Will is a Will"
Zara frowned.

"Yes it is" Serene paused, wiping tears from her face before she continued.

"Apparently, my father had agreed on partnering with Mr Hudson-Odoi, they wanted to merge their company and make it bigger, it seemed my father's company was facing huge loses I didn't know about. He didn't want that to happen so he had agreed on partnership, what he lacked knowledge of was that he was selling his daughter.... What do you expect me to do, if I call the engagement off, then I loose everything, I'll be left with the money left in my account...."

Knowing how cruel her grandmother could be, she might even freeze Serene's account, she'd be left with absolutely nothing, nowhere to go to, she wasn't even sure if she'd be able to further her education again.

"This is serious.. your grandma.."
Zara gulped scared of continuing whatever she wanted to say.

She didn't have to continue, the memory of the day she found out about everything playing in her head.

"I am not marrying King and that is final!"
Serene said, her voice laced with finality, she stood up to face the Old Lady , from behind, she could hear both Oforiwaa and her husband pleading for her to calm down.

"You will!  Or do you want to loose your father's empire? Everything he had worked for?  The income of this family comes mainly from your father's empire, an empire he inherited from his father, my husband!"

The Old Lady paused, as if giving a moment of silence to her late husband.

"You think I'm going to allow a child who has absolutely no idea on how to run a company, talk more of an empire, to ruin what we worked for?"
The Old Lady looked at her incredulously.

"That's why I'm in school, I am going to work hard and take over it, the Will says I have to take over, not some useless imbecile!"

Serene couldn't control her rage, even when Cassandra looked at her with pleading eyes for her to bury the hatchet. The dining room was dead silent, even Emily sat watching with wide eyes.

"Oh, she thinks she knows the Will!"
The Old Lady looked around as she chuckled, to Serene's ears, it sounded more like a cackle.

"Dear, you have no idea, if you don't marry that boy you call an imbecile, then you loose everything"
The Old Lady's words drew loud and clear, her eyes twinkled with satisfaction as she watched Serene's face twist into confusion.

"What do you mean?"
Her voice was barely audible, she felt a heavy weight on her, and her body ached with great tiredness.

"You should read the Will  to find out yourself"

Serene was more than confused, she was even more terrified.

She had read the Will before, what did she possibly miss?

"I know, she's the most cruel, most manipulative person ever"