Ninety Days to Fall in Love

Chapter 1 - The heiress

As I stepped through the ornate double doors of my family manor, the weight of four long years away from home pressed upon me like a leaden cloak. I didn't forget home, but I did miss it a lot.

The grand foyer, with its towering marble columns and intricate chandeliers, looked both familiar and foreign. Memories of my childhood echoed through the hallways. My brother and I used to run in the hallways whenever we spent holidays at the manor. It was such a long time ago, and now it was difficult for me to reconcile the opulence around me with the dire situation that had brought me back home.

After a quick tour of the estate, I found myself in the library, where my father often spent his evenings reading. I spotted him sitting in his favorite leather armchair, the evening sun casting long shadows across his aged face.

"Father," I simply said, and he looked up, his tired, aged eyes staring at mine.

"Annabelle. You came."

I shrugged as I folded my arms.

"I didn't have much of a choice, did I?"

"I'm sorry to bring you back home under these conditions. But I had no one else to turn to."

I raised my eyebrow. I began, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and desperation, "Well, it's your fault, isn't it?! You made Teddy your heir. And now that he has squandered all your fortune and left you high and dry, you're back to me."

My father looked up from his book, his expression a mixture of surprise and guilt. "Annabelle, my dear," he said, setting the book aside, "it was your brother's birthright. He is the eldest, and tradition dictates—"

"Tradition!" I interrupted, pacing back and forth in the spacious room. Oh, I couldn't believe he still had the galls to mention tradition!

"Tradition has brought us to ruin. Teddy has squandered everything we owned. Everything! We're on the brink of bankruptcy, and now you tell me we risk losing the manor too! And you, Father, you allowed it to happen!"

Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought of the manor falling into ruin, its once-majestic halls filled with echoes of laughter now silent. I had tried so hard to be the one to inherit my father's throne. I had structured my whole life towards that path; I majored in economics, took extra courses on estate management, and got an MBA. I did it all! Only for my father to decide that I wasn't good enough because I was a woman. And so he gives the position to my brother. I warned my father against it. Anyone but Teddy I told him Teddy had a serious gambling problem, and he often made many financial mistakes. My father told me that he would learn and that it was his role and birthright. He asked me to work under my brother even when I was more qualified. That was the moment I snapped.

I said no. I packed my belongings and left home. I never looked back. I was away for four years.

Father sighed deeply, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I know I made a grave mistake, Annabelle. I had hoped that Theodore would grow into his responsibilities, but I see now that my faith was misplaced."

I took a deep breath, my resolve hardening. "Well. It's too late, isn't it?! They're coming for the manor too soon. We might have to sell it to pay off some of our debts."

My father shook his head strongly.

"This manor has been in the Laurent family for over two hundred years Annabelle! I can't let them take it."

"You should have thought about that!"

I scoffed.

"That's why I called you. Because I know that you'd know what to do. You and let them take the manor too. Right now, it's all I've got."

My father started sobbing, and the sight of it made my heart heavy. The manor meant a lot to my father. To our family. Even I couldn't bear seeing it gone.

I had to do something.

"It's not too late, Father. I will do whatever it takes to save our manor. I'll find a way to secure the funds that are needed. We cannot let this family crumble because of Theodore."

Father's eyes met mine, and I could see a glimmer of hope amidst his regret. "Annabelle, I'm sorry for not believing in you enough. If I had made you heir to my fortune, this wouldn't have happened. Theodore wouldn't have destroyed all that we built."

Yes. If only he had done that. He didn't know how much it had broken me to have my brother chosen instead of me. To have him pick him over me despite all my efforts and hard work. I always craved my father's attention and validation, but when I needed it the most, he refused to give it to me.

As I left the library that evening, I glanced back at the grand room and whispered a promise to the manor itself. "I will save you, no matter the cost."

......

I sat across from my dear friend Lilian Gordaine at our favorite little cafe, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the gentle chatter of fellow patrons filling the air. The familiar warmth of her company made me momentarily forget about the looming crisis that had brought me here today.

Lilian, always the perceptive one, noticed the worry lines etched on my face. She peered at me with those inquisitive brown eyes, concern etched on her delicate features. "Belly, you look troubled. What's been weighing on your mind?"

I sighed, stirring the sugar into my coffee, my gaze drifting to the window where the raindrops danced in the soft, melancholic rhythm of the autumn storm outside. "I thought I'd come back here under different circumstances, but I didn't..."

"Is it about what you told me?!"

Lilian asked, and I nodded.

"The situation's worse than I thought, Lilian. Teddy has really done a number on us this time."

"And you know how much the manor means to Father. Right now, we're teetering on the brink of financial ruin."

Lilian nodded in understanding, her gloved hands wrapped around her teacup. "I know, Belly, your father's estate has been in your family for generations. It would be a tragedy to lose it too."

I gazed down at my cup, the fragility of our situation weighing heavily on my heart. "That's why I've been racking my brain for a solution, Lilian. I need to save the manor as fast as possible. But I really don't know how!"

Lilian leaned in, her voice low and conspiratorial. "Belly, you've always been good at school. I'm sure you'll come up with something. There should be a way, shouldn't there?"

I glanced up at her, hope flickering in my eyes. "Do you have any ideas, Lilian? I'm open to anything at this point."

Lilian tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, to be honest, one option that comes to mind is marriage."

Marriage. The word hung in the air, both tantalizing and daunting. I had never thought much about it before; it seemed as if my mind had been occupied with different things at different stages in my life. But never marriage. At a young age, all I wanted to do was please my father and be better than my brother. After my father had disappointed me, I ran out of the country and lived a quiet life, living on my own as an artist while teaching ballet classes. I was content then; I didn't really think about marriage, just a quiet life doing all the things I wanted. But now, as the prospect of losing everything my family owned loomed before me, the idea of marrying for financial security seemed like a lifeline.

I hesitated, unsure if such a plan could work. "But, finding a husband who can provide the fortune we need, and doing it quickly... is it even possible?"

Lilian offered me a reassuring smile. "It won't be easy and to be honest there's not a lot of options."

I sighed.

"And I also have to find out before our financial situation becomes public. That would be the worst you know? No family would align themselves with mine if they find out we're on the brink of bankruptcy."

Lilian nodded.

"You're right. Which is why we have to find a man desperate for marriage."

I sighed.

Where the hell would we find such a man?!