I sucked in a deep breath. Of course I had forgotten to tighten my corset back in place after loosening it up.
The tension in my body dissipated as he helped me tighten it, but not as tight as my mom had done it earlier. I wouldn’t struggle to breathe while sitting down now.
“Th-thank you,” I mumbled, finally turning to face him.
He analyzed my face for a moment, my self-consciousness suddenly hitting an all-time high. Being stared at by an insanely attractive man would do that to you.
Booming applause pulled us apart as his mother, Marie Sinclair stepped on to the podium.
I found my way back to my parents, quelling the rising unease in my stomach. I could slap myself for reacting like a teenager to her high school crush.
Adrian Sinclair was the son of the Sinclairs. I was Alexandra Bennett. Everybody knew our families had a long-running feud, even though they never openly acknowledged it.
“Good evening to every single person present this evening…”
“Alexandra,” my mom called, drawing my attention. She placed her hands on mine, the worry now raw and unhidden. “I need you to play along with this for us.”
The unease made a rough transition from a teenage girl seeing her high school crush to a twenty-three-year-old about to be hit with a devastating news in the middle of a dinner party appreciation speech.
“Play along with what?” My eyes flicked through her face and my father’s. “What are you two not telling me?”
“Tonight, you’ll be engaged to Adrian Sinclair.”
I would have laughed. Hell, a small chuckle escaped my throat. They were taking quote a little too literally.
“I don’t understand.” I shook my head. I didn’t want to understand.
You’ll be getting married to him in a month, but—”
“Wait,” I cut my father off, blinking repeatedly. “I’ll be getting married to who in what?”
“Please, Alexandra. We just need you to go along with it for tonight. We’ll tell you everything when we get back home,” Mom begged.
“Is this about the company?” They shared looks. “Did you get into a financial trouble of some sort?”
“We’ll explain later. Tonight’s the engagement ceremony—”
“Jesus, Mom.” I pulled my hand away from hers. “I’m twenty-three! You can’t go around making decisions like this for me. You of all people should know that marriage is a big deal for me and I’m not really interested in it. I’m not a child—”
“We’re desperate right now, Alexandra. Please understand that this is also hard for us,” Dad tried to explain, like that would make thing any better.
“And this was the only option?” They nodded in response.
“I am going to play along with this charade tonight for your sake. You better give me something credible when we get home. If it’s not worth it, I’m never walking down the aisle with that man.” I gave them my word, giving my attention back to Marie’s neverending speech.
“…that some people may think SC and Liss Real Estate agencies have always gone head-to-head, but that’s not the case at all. We see each other as partners, and that’s why we’re gathered here today.” I fought back the urge to roll my eyes.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is with much pleasure that I announce the union between us, the Sinclairs and the Bennetts, as our children will be getting married next month. I officially welcome you to the engagement ceremony between Adrian Sinclair and Alexandra Bennett.”
The shocked whispers came in waves. Judging by the look on Marie’s face, I could tell she was enjoying it. She loved holding the element of surprise and shoving it down people’s throats at her own time.
Something was officially wrong. My gut had been right the whole time.
A man in an all-black tuxedo came into focus as he pushed a cart of a triple-layered cake onto the podium.
Cameras flashed in my face as my mom encouraged me to go up the podium with Adrian, who was calmly making his way up the podium. Of course he knew about it the whole time. I started to wonder who had initiated that outrageous idea.
I was now standing in front of Adrian Sinclair as his fiancée. Utterly impossible, yet absolutely happening.
My father soon joined us, holding two cases with rings in them. My heart was going to fall out of my mouth any time soon.
“I guess I’ll go first.” Adrian smiled at me, picking one of the rings out and carefully sliding it onto my ring finger. It has the tiniest band, it almost looked invisible if it wasn’t for the teardrop-shaped diamond in the middle of it. Somehow, it fit perfectly. How long had they been plotting it? What exactly was it that they had all agreed on?
I took the second ring, which had a wider band with diamonds encrusted around it, and swiftly slipped it onto his own finger, almost having a meltdown. His eyes never left my face. I was no longer self-conscious. I was annoyed. I was in the dark and he knew something—if not everything—about this. His face was looking punchable now.
“Can we talk?” I asked him as people stood up and clapped and cheered.
“What about?” He didn’t do a good job at hiding the smirk on his face. It was obvious that he knew. He was toying with me.
“What exactly is going on?” I asked as we turned to the camera, faking smiles. I was faking mine, at least.
“We’re getting married, in case you missed it.” God, it would be nice to just wrap my hands around his neck and just—
“I got the memo on that one. Why are we getting married?” I said through my smile, making it seem like we were engaging in an average lovey-dovey conversation.
“I don’t have the full details, either. I was informed about this yesterday.”
“And you’re not freaking out?” I questioned.
“You are? It’s the world of business. Things like this happen every random Tuesday.” He shrugged.
“You don’t even know anything about me.”
“I guess I have forever to learn.”
I scoffed. He was on something to think I would get married to him. And if I ever did, it would only last so long.
“Yeah. Forever.” I nodded as we walked towards the cake and cut it together. Red velvet. How fitting. “Cheers to forever.”
“By the way, there’s no room for a divorce. So, yes, love. Cheers to forever.” He smiled. A shiver went down my spine.
What had my parents gotten me into?
“Tell me everything this instant. Leave absolutely nothing out.” I threw my purse on a couch, folding my arms as I watched, waited for my parents to justify my engagement to Adrian freaking Sinclair. “Your grandfather, the founder of our agency, didn’t build the company with the purest hands.” Dad sighed. “He has links with illegal gangs and a notorious record of embezzlement—” “Grandpa? Embezzlement? Come on.” I scoffed, forgetting that the old and frail man who talked to walls was once young and smart. “It’s true. We thought it was a long-buried secret until one of the workers at the agency decamped and went off to SC. She sold out the information along with documents containing proof, which your father kept for some reason.” Mom and I shot dad similar annoyed looks. “So, you’re saying the Sinclairs are in possession of documents that could ruin Liss?” I raised an eyebrow. “Precisely.” Dad nodded. “How did my marriage to their son get into the mix?” “As long as you, the heir
The house was empty, save for Irene, the housekeeper. She hummed as she busied herself with embroidery, something she did in her free time. There were fifteen minutes left until 1 p.m. and I was still debating with myself on whether to go on the lunch date or not. I hadn’t sent a response to his texts since the night before.Rosemill restaurant was an hour away on a good day. Even if I left in that moment, I wouldn’t make it before he would give up on waiting and leave. If I told him I was on my way, though, he could wait.I sighed and sent a text of confirmation.Me: I’ll be right there.I stood up and informed Irene of my destination, something I had gotten used to doing almost every time I went out alone. I didn’t change out of my white jumpsuit. It was decent enough. I put on a pair of silver heels and stood in front of the mirror, assessing my looks.I brushed my chestnut, shoulder-length hair until I decided it was okay. I used a bit of foundation and concealer to hide my light
Alexandra's pov 'Who are you?' I completely Ignored Adrian who was hovering around me as I texted the stranger, feeling my heart pounding in my chest, my breath growing raspier by the second. Okay I know I said I was beginning to hate Grandpa, but there was still this part of me that loved him greatly. I was neglected as a child by my parents who were workaholics, always striving to beat the Sinclairs and build an empire which was capable of taking them down, thus I was always with Grandpa. He would play with me and even go through all the trouble of picking me up from school, visiting with gifts- I even preferred living with him than my parents and would always run there when my parents yelled at me or when they forgot my birthday, you know, they were jerks. And it seems like they would never change. I was shaking as I waited for a reply. Grandpa was sick and had been responding to treatment from a nurse named Aisha. If someone had really infiltrated the mansion, he was in t
Alexandra's pov The sound of him hanging up echoed in the car for a few seconds before I finally let the phone slowly slide down my ear, staring into space. Penelope. That name sounded so familiar yet so foreign in my ears. It's like I've heard about it before. But had it really been my name? The same sick feeling rose up in my stomach and before I could stop myself, I pushed my car door wide open and threw my head out, puking so hard my stomach hurt and tears grew in my eyes. As I was wiping my lips, I turned on my ignition and began speeding to my grandpa's place. Mum was yet to call, so I called back and the fake, high pitched laughter of those fake bitches she called her friends caused me to roll my eyes. "Oh sweetheart. Is something wrong?" "We literally spoke a few minutes ago." I reminded her, growing angry by the second. She wasn't even taking this seriously. I badly wanted to lash out at her, but she could hang up on me and I didn't want that because I really neede
Alexandra's pov The siren of the police cars littered around my grandpa's - late grandpa's compound drowned down the sound of the ambulance siren leading my grandpa's headless body to the morgue. I was just standing there, my clothes covered in blood from when I had dropped to my knees earlier on seeing my beheaded grandpa from the ceiling, my hair was pulled back from my face in a rough ponytail and I had a blank expression on my face as I stared at the stretcher which the medical staff pulled out with the dead guards and workers lying on every one of them, a white sheet spread atop their corpse. The cops were presently interrogating Nurse Aisha who looked a bit intimidated as they kept demanding one question or the other. Without a doubt, I knew she would still be taken for questioning at the station. She was the only witness to the murder of one of the largest, popular, well known tycoon and ex-owner of Liss Real Estate- so It was a big deal. An hour ago, when I was certai
Alexandra's pov The maids all stared at me like I was crazy as I stepped out of my car like a hysterical mad woman after I had sped into Adrian's compound. "Isn't that Miss Bennett?" "What is she doing here?" "Does she realize she's at Adrian Sinclair's house?" "Are you dunce or didn't you hear they were engaged few days ago?" "She's so shameless. It's barely been a week and I'm sure she already wants to consumate the relationship." Whispers and murmurs of the maids who couldn't mind their business travelled around, but they all kept hush when I approached them. I looked frantic like I was running from someone. "Where is he? Which hospital is he in?" They all looked at me with contempt and confusion. I could see they didn't like me. "Can't you hear me? What hospital was he admitted in? He informed me he was dying, so I would like to know where Mr. Sinclair was admitted?" "Miss Bennett what are you talking about?" One of the maids mustered up to ask me. I could fe
"You have the size of a pea for a brain, you wouldn't understand even If I broke it down. I'm not surprised you could even stoop that low Adrian. You're truly a Sinclair. Like why would even about something as serious as dying? Do you think it's something you can play around with?" I was so angry right now, and he could clearly see It when he turned. Some seconds passed before he finally sighed. "I'm sorry." I was taken aback. It was brief and I could tell he half heartedly didn't mean it but I didn't expect he'd even apologize in the first place. "I heard about your grandpa and I really wanted us to talk because of you were behavior strange earlier and then I knew you weren't going to listen to me If I told you I wanted us to see, so I had to… " "Tell me you were dying? That was the best solution possible? You knew my grandpa died and you had the audacity to lie to me about dying?" Before he could say a word, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and tried to calm downz but all
Alexandra’s POVI visibly froze as blood quickly rose up to my cheeks.Great. He noticed it and almost immediately, a smirk appeared on his face.“You’re going to need more than that to seduce me, Alexandra. But A for effort, I-“ Adrian started to tease but I slammed the door in his face before he could finish his bullshit.“Great job Alexandra, you’ve successfully embarrassed yourself…” I softly groaned while shuffling towards my bed. I could hear Adrian’s obnoxious chuckles from behind the door.In a second, I was under the covers cuddling with my pillow, firmly determined to stay there. Ear pods in and I was back to my soothing music. Too much was happening and I was slowly starting to feel overwhelmed. I had already slept for a few hours but I still didn’t feel well-rested. I stared into space for a moment before I closed my eyes.Penelope.A name I had long forgotten but now couldn’t think of anything else than it. Questions swerved in my head as the music couldn’t distract me f