The Unwanted Attraction (#1) (Preview)

Chapter 3

"Ornelia, wait for me," a voice called out for her from behind.

"Hey there, Emily. All set for the graduation? Where is Jake?"

"Well, he is on his way, driving with his parents and mine. Are you up for the after-party?" Emily asked, hope shining brightly in her eyes.

"I am not sure. My parents are supposed to be here soon. And you know how my dad feels about parties." Nella tried hard not to crush the very little hope Emily had.

"Come on, Nella. It's the last day. I am sure he will let you go, if you ask him nicely," Emily insisted.

"I don't know, Em. They were pretty excited about my graduation, and I have never seen them like that. I think I'll spend this day with them. Thanks for asking though."

As much as Ornelia did want to go, her father had specifically told her to go back home with them. She knew she would be allowed to hang out with Emily and Jake whenever, but parties were a long stretch for her; besides, her father was a little protective.

"If you change your mind, you know where to find me. I'll mostly be with Jake and few others." With that said, Emily moved toward Ornelia's seat and hugged her one last time.

* * *

"A pleasant good afternoon to each and every one here. On this joyful occasion, I would like to congratulate our graduating students, who are finally stepping out into the world . . . I wish you all the very best for your future . . . and for now, I would like to welcome our valedictorian, Miss Simmons, on the stage," said the chairman of their university.

After the valedictory address, a few speeches of other important guests followed, but only two stood out. Those were by the business tycoons Maximus King and Ethan Mars, who were there to recruit potential candidates for their investment firm.

Ornelia quietly chuckled at the thought of how weird-sounding their names were. Maximus faintly reminded her of the horse from the movie Tangled. Despite their weird names, both were persuasive and enthusiastic and seemed highly dynamic; no wonder they made a big fortune at such a young age.

And

Maximus King appeared as someone who commanded attention in the crowd and the center of attention. He looked dashing—his dark curls; sharp nose; rosy-pink lips, full and so succulent. His high cheek bones gave him an aristocratic feel.

And his eyes . . . Ornelia thought

She knew what storms were like, but this one looked like it was out to take her.

That was when she noticed him glaring at her, or maybe it was someone else? She turned around to check who he was looking at, and when she turned back, he was nowhere in sight.

Well, talk about a creep. Handsome but most definitely a creep.

The closing remarks by the president of the university concluded the ceremony. Ornelia made her way to her friends to say goodbye, before they were off to the party.

"Hey, guys. I am going to miss you so much," Nella said, hugging Jake and Emily.

They hugged her back and told her they were going to miss her just as much, and that they would keep in touch. Then Ornelia noticed something different. The two were holding hands, a complete no-no for Emily, having known her in the entire four-year period at the university.

"Wait, the two of you . . . finally . . . ?" Nella asked, gesturing between the two of them with a splitting grin on her face.

Jake and Emily kissed in approval. Ornelia could barely contain her excitement and happiness for them.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "I am so happy for you guys. As disgusting as that kiss was, you make a cute couple." She hugged them one last time before she was summoned by her parents.

The car ride was tense, and for some reason, it seemed as if something huge had happened, which clearly, she'd missed. Seeing her mother upset was a rare sight.

Ornelia also noticed that her dad had a death grip on the steering wheel, , a sign that he wasn't in a great mood either.

Deathly silence was all there was.

* * *

They finally arrived home, but neither of Ornelia's parents uttered a single word to each other, not even to her.

"Um, is something wrong? I thought you guys were happy that I graduated university with honors. One step closer to the doctorate," she began as they reached the living room.

Her father sighed and gestured her to sit . Her parents' silence was slowly getting to her. She just wanted them to tell her what was bothering them so much.

"What is it, Dad?"

"Sweetheart, I know this is going to be hard for you. But I want you to understand my situation. Please, darling."

For the first time ever, she'd seen her father plead, and the quiver in his voice told her that whatever he was about say was not pleasant.

"What is it?" Nella asked once again.

No one answered. They just looked at her with guilt written all over their faces.

"Just tell me. What is it?" she begged one more time,

"Honey, you—" Her father stopped to take a long breath.

"Dad!"

"You are getting married," he said abruptly.

"Huh?" She must have lost her hearing in an instant. She was convinced, or tried so hard to convince herself she'd heard something completely wrong. "Can you repeat that?" Nella asked, still in a state of shock. "I think my ears are ringing."

All those doubts were out of the window the moment her father repeated his statement, "You are getting married."

"What? When did this happen? I mean who decided this?"

She just couldn't believe it. It had been barely an hour after her graduation. This was not the surprise she was expecting.

Her parents were silent again, irking Ornelia more and more by the passing second.

"Okay, you know what? Forget it,

"Maximus King."

Bye-bye, plan of action.