“Desperate times call for desperate measures. Isn’t that what they say?” Alfred said with a pleased smile on his face.
“Nonsense. Dahlia left this country many years ago,” I reminded him.
“You should fire whoever is gathering information for you since it’s clear that he’s slow and not on top of things. Dahlia is back. In fact, she arrived just today,” my father revealed as his calculating smile widened.
Dahlia is back...
Why did she choose to come back?
Why did you come back here, Leya?
I knew immediately that my question was a foolish one. Dahlia didn’t choose to come back; she came back because she didn’t have a choice. Even after being disowned by her family and all that they have done to her, she is nothing more than a pawn in her parents’ game for power. If there was a reason that would compel her to return to this country, it would be because of her sister and nothing else. It was strange how I felt like I understood her and what she was thinking so well. Perhaps it was because things were similar for me, the only reason why I could go along with something this insane would be to protect my brother.
“So, she agreed to take her sister’s place at the wedding?” I asked although I already knew the answer.
“Of course. She’s a very responsible young woman after all...” Alfred replied sarcastically.
“I have one condition,” I said after a brief moment of thought.
“What is it? Surely, you’re not going to negotiate your way out of this,” my father quickly said to pre-empt any kind of negotiation.
“Dear, please listen to him. You know how important it is for us and our family for this to progress smoothly...” Anetta quickly reminded her husband.
My lips curved up into a smirk when I realized that it wasn’t just me who didn’t seem to have a choice in the matter. The two of them had way more to lose if Anthony didn’t turn up at the upcoming shareholder meeting or at the long-awaited wedding. If I had to do this for my brother’s sake anyways, then...
“I get to treat her as if she’s really my wife,” I stated my condition.
For a moment, the two of them looked very surprised at the condition that I had presented. Surely, they must have expected me to demand for some kind of monetary gain or some business share; however, those things were far from my mind. Just like the main Vulkan family, if not more so, I was filthy rich in every sense of both words.
“Of course, you have to treat her as your wife. That’s the whole point of this so that no one will find out that you’re standing in for your brother and that she’s standing in for her sister,” Alfred replied.
“Not just in public or in front of other people. If I marry her, she’ll be mine and I’ll fuck her,” I laid out the condition of my demand.
“You’re crazy...” Anetta muttered after gasping in shock.
The way my father was speechless told me well enough that I could do whatever I pleased with this upcoming marriage and whatever came as a result of it. Before that, I would have to handle the shareholder meeting where I have to appear as Anthony and heir to the Vulkan family business.
“You better get this right...” Alfred warned me as his face turned red from anger.
I had no idea why he had to look so angry when I had already agreed to do exactly what he wanted me to. Until Anthony wakes up, I’ll take his place and live in his place while I wait for him.
“Haven’t I always?” I replied in a light tone before smiling at both of them.
It was Anthony’s smile that I carefully plastered on my lips. After years of practice and putting it into action, I could become Anthony whenever I wanted to. If those two thought that they were the only ones with some twisted plan in mind, they would soon find out that they were completely wrong.
I left the room to return back to Anthony’s side to get a chance to see him one last time before I had to leave to prepare for what was to come. As I stood close to the side of his hospital bed and stared down at him, I told him silently in my mind just how much I love him and how I wished that he would swiftly return. It was only after I had left the hospital that I began to wonder where Anthony had been heading to and in such a hurry.
...
**Back to the present**
It was late at night by the time that I arrived back to the mansion. I told myself that it was because work kept me busy but deep down, I knew that I was just using that as an excuse. After receiving that phone call from Jenna, I had been subconsciously delaying my return back to the mansion and it was all because I wasn’t sure how I should deal with the woman who was waiting eagerly for my return.
The moment the car came to a stop in front of the mansion’s entrance, I let out a sigh while thinking that it may have been better had I slept elsewhere for the night. Some problems cannot be avoided, and she was one of them. Sooner or later, I’ll have to tell her the truth and we would both have to get on with what we needed to do.
Just when I thought that things couldn’t get worse, Jenna was standing there as if she had been waiting for me. The moment she saw me step out of the car, she hurried toward me, and I knew that trouble was waiting to greet me in full force.
“Why are you still up?” I asked while feigning innocence.
“You could have come home a little earlier...” Jenna hissed through clenched teeth.
Her eyes bulged from their sockets as she stared at me intensely before a frown creased her forehead.
--To be continued...