Arrangement

Hardin Chapter 14

The more I stand here, the more I want to break his fucking  jaw and wipe this smirk off his lips. But I have way better things to do than making my knuckles bleed.

I turn on my heel and head to the only person who's behind all of this.

When I open the door, I only see two douchebags sitting across each other and drinking their scotch like some women sipping their tea.

I shut the door with so much force and roll my eyes at the scene.

"Hardin?" My shit sperm-donor speaks.

"Yes, Hardin, Father." I glare at him.

"Okay, I know that look, son. But before you start let me tell you this that this gala ain't my doing. There are people above me and Richard who want this to happen as soon as possible. And we cannot do anything." He finishes and I huff.

"Ofcourse you will say this, you say this shit all the time."

"Son-

"Don't son me, this shit is not happening. I'm not attending any gala and that is final." I say with gritted teeth and he stands by the time.

"Hardin-

Ken looks behind me and stops, I also turn my head in his direction and see that blond girl who is making me insane lately.

I see her gulping softly and a tiny smile makes it way on my face.

"Tessa?" Richard approaches her.

"Dad, what's going on?" Her angelic voice is like music to my hears and I could hear it forever.

"Darling, what are you talking about?" Her dad responses.

"Dad, I'm not stupid. I know and now I want you to explain. Please, I don't wanna ask it again dad." She's exhausted, I can see that and the fact that it is because of me is killing me.

He holds her by her shoulders and slowly start to massage them.

"I'll tell you everything, sweetheart. But now is not a good time, things are.....complicated and messy." She sighs heavily.

"You know that I have to confront all of this sooner or later, so why not now...dad. I mean how does it make a difference, its not like I'd get my life back." She says.

"Theresa-

"I think they deserve to know the truth, Young." Ken's voice resonates in the room.

He turns and tries to speak but Ken stops him by his hand.

"No, Young, she's right. They both are going to know this sooner or later so why not now, and maybe they could even understand." He speaks and I eye him.

I catch Tessa staring at me from the corner of my eyes. I still have no shirt.

"Uh, well, okay but- fuck, okay fine. Tell 'em." He comes back to where he was sitting and Tessa is still standing in the doorway.

"Tessa, please take a seat." He gestures to one of the sofa chair in the middle of the room.

She nods before sitting.

"Hardin, you too, son." I roll my eyes at him. I don't know how many times I have to tell him not to call me that.

I take a seat across her and she looks me in eyes for a second before reverting back to where Ken and Richard are sitting.

"A year ago, we had a deal with this man, Evan Holmes, you both probably don't know him but he's way more powerful than both of us and have a upper hand too over us. When we three signed a deal, there was a agreement that if anything goes down then we would have to accept whatever he wants and we surely cannot back off." Ken explains and then he gestures Richard to speak further.

He nods before speaking.

"So few a year ago, that deal didn't workout how we planned and now we have to bear consequences. He asked us several other things to do and we did, he asked for money, we gave, he asked for shares, we gave, he even asked for some of our companies, we gave and now lastly he want our children to marry each other. That is both of you."

He pauses before starting again.

"This gala tonight, is being organised by him and he is going to be there too and-" He stops and looks at Ken.

"and what Richard" I swear they are getting on my nerves right now and I'm this close to lose my shit.

He takes a deep breath before opening his mouth.

"And he wants both of you to be engaged tonight there." He completes saying.

"WHAT!?" I swear I said that in my mind, Tessa said it aloud.

"And to be married in next week." Ken adds.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!" This time I'm sure I said that.

"Dad, you can't be serious." She says shaking her head.

No one says anything.

"FUCK" I mutter under my breath.

"Then where were you going to tell us? Huh? I'm sure I heard it right. In a week? Do you even understand that?" I ask my father.

"I was told that this shit would take time and that was meant to be in a couple of months." I ask him again.

"I know, Hardin, trust me I said the same thing, son but he doesn't listen to us, we are basically nothing in front of him. If he wants he can destroy us in a snap of his fingers but it's his curtesy that he's even giving us a chance to clean this mess." He says.

I don't even know what to feel about this, they are practically telling us that we, Tessa and I are going to be engaged by tonight and then married in a week.

Is that a joke to them?

We don't even fucking know each other and she's about to be my wife. My wife.

That sounds......strange.

Even though I do feel something for her and I know she also feels something for me but we can't be married just now, hell even engaged.

I don't even know when Tessa left as I was too occupied by my own thoughts.

A/N
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