our troubled love ᵒˡᵈ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ

+~nine pt.1+~

I sat in the same chair I did the night before, the stylists doing my hair and makeup again, preparing me to have dinner with... who?

It had been a while since Aiden and I had successfully gotten back from the beach without getting caught. The walk back was silent and awkward. The tension between us was frustrating. I tried starting a conversation a couple of times, but his answers were short and dry. I could tell he was uncomfortable as well, so I gave up and stayed quiet the rest of the way.

When we got back, I went and sat on the balcony and Aiden went to his room. Then, Ms. Miller came and informed me that I would be having dinner with some special guests and sent me to get ready, leaving out all the details.

Even now as I prepared to have dinner with some mystery guests, I could only think about what happened with Aiden. All these thoughts just flooded my mind... I'm just overreacting. I bet Aiden already forgot about that.

No matter how many times I tried to convince myself that it wasn't a big deal, I couldn't stop myself from stressing about it. And the more I thought about it, the more confused I became. At one point I began to think that this was my fault for saying those words so early, or that maybe it was too sudden and he didn't know how to react. But then I began to wonder if the problem was that he didn't really love me at all...

I shook my head, refocusing on the present and once again trying to forget the past. The stylists were done with my hair and makeup and I went to get dressed. This time, Asher had already chosen a specific dress for the occasion.

These guests must be important people, I thought, noticing how elegant the dress was. It was burgundy, off the shoulders, and had a long tail on the back while the front was short and only reached my knees. The shoes were just as fancy. They were a pair of silver sandals decorated with rhinestones. Seeing how formally I had to dress made me nervous about the dinner, which I would have already been if I hadn't been so distracted by the whole situation with Aiden. I didn't even know who I would be meeting, and no one bothered to tell me despite how many times I'd asked.

Once I was done getting dressed, I met my dad by the staircase, where he arrived wearing a smart navy blue suit, his hair slicked back and secured with gel. He examined me from head to toe before nodding in approval. "Thank you for looking presentable."

"You should be thanking your little prep team instead," I quipped. But instead of acknowledging my remark, he ignored it and began to walk to the dining room, and I followed.

I went into the dining room and found myself gaping at what I saw. The room was broad, and in the center was a long table with eight chairs--six on each side, and one on each end. The table was covered with a lavish red tablecloth with a golden line down the middle. Plates were set on the table with a neatly folded napkin on them and a variety of silverware laid out beside them. Everything from the table and chairs to the decoration looked as though it were meant for royalty.

My attention shifted back to my dad when he cleared his throat. "I expect you to be on your best behavior. And show the guests that you have manners; I didn't put you in etiquette classes for two years for nothing. Make sure you make a good first impression. These are your future in-laws, and I want them to like you."

Everything he told me slipped past my mind except for the 'in-laws' part. "In-laws?", I asked, though I knew I heard him correctly.

"Indeed," he said with a smug expression. "Fortunately, I was able to make up my mind quickly. You will be married to Anthony by next month."

I was hit with a wave of panic as I realized I didn't have as much time as I'd thought to resolve this, if I could even do that at all. "But why? Why does it have to be him? Why can't I chose who I'm going to marry myself?"

"Jianna, I've been telling you to choose someone and settle down since you turned twenty. I gave you two years to do that, two years! But instead, you came in here with some blind guy who dresses like a homeless man, and I highly doubt that he was only a friend," he paused and brought his volume down a bit, as if telling me a secret. "Plus, I have business with Anthony's mother. We agreed that if I have you marry his son, our companies will join together, which--considering how much money both our companies have--will result in a fortune. I couldn't refuse her offer."

I didn't understand why I was so shocked that he was marrying me off to a stranger just so he could add to his riches, even after seeing how ruthless he'd become over the years. "Are you even hearing yourself right now? How selfish can you be, Jonathan?"

I had barely finished my sentence before he yelled back at me. "Enough! Just do as I tell you for once! And as of now, you will address me as 'father'. I must've at least earned that title after raising a disobedient brat like you!"

My heart ached, and the anger I felt burned inside of me like a raging fire, threatening to escape me. And the fact that he thought he had earned the 'father' title after treating me the way he did all those years only added to it. Still, I tried my hardest to remain levelheaded. "I'm an adult, father. I should be allowed to-"

"I said ENOUGH!" His voice boomed so powerfully that I staggered back in surprise, and he caught the attention of the people setting up the room. "And you all, what are you looking at? Get back to work!" He brought his volume down again, regaining his cool. "Jianna, when the guests arrive, you will greet them politely. Your 'friend' will be allowed to join us, but only so he can have dinner--yes, I dislike him, but I'm not letting him starve. He may not speak or disrupt us and will be sitting in the seat farthest from yours. And if the guests ask, he's your cousin who has come to visit you. Understood?"

I nodded, the feeling of defeat washing over me, and watched as he exited the dining room with his head held up high. For a moment, I considered the choice to give up and follow my dad's orders, but I quickly got back to my senses. I was not going to let him control me any longer.

||Author's note: I know this was short, but this isn't the whole chapter. This is only part one of chapter nine. Part two will be out as soon as I can get it done! I just thought I should post this little part first because I think this is where the story is gonna start to get good... heheh||