LOGINAlyssa sat rigid in the limousine. At this time, she was meant to think of the ice cream flavour to enjoy with Kate.
Now she was getting married. She glanced at the man beside her, her husband. The word was foreign to her. It was a place she had only imagined for Conner, but now someone else filled it up. Kate had always joked about her impulsive actions and decisions. But never in her wildest dreams did she imagine her impulsiveness would get her legally bound to the such a person. Even Conner didn't own a limousine. Her stomach lurched forward. This was beyond her. “You are awfully quiet.” Harrison’s rich voice echoed behind her. “I thought you were excited to prove a point to me. Are you going to admit defeat now?” He almost pulled a smile. Alyssa turned to him. “I stand by the fact that I can make you believe in love. Your fancy car and title does not change anything,” she said defiantly. Harrison rolled his eyes. “You could not even maintain your own relationship.” What? That was not her fault at all! Alyssa’s face instantly turned red, and she faced the window. This was a lot better than indulging that block of wood. She wanted to talk back, but he might actually be Harrison Alexander the Fifth, he could do so much by lifting his fingers. Suddenly, an idea hit her. “Wouldn’t your wealthy parents disagree if you bring an ordinary civilian for marriage?” Harrison looked at her, his deep blue eyes piercing, as if trying to see if she was playing any tactics. “My parents have no say in whosoever I choose to wed,” he uttered lazily, then his eyes went up. “Alfred, please tell him to drive faster. I have a lot of work to do after this.” Alfred perked up from the front seat after hearing his name. “The court is in sight, Sir.” Fifteen minutes later, Alyssa walked out of the court as if she was in a trance. “Miss Alyssa. I'm sorry, but you would be following a different transport from the Master,” Alfred spoke, drawing her attention. “Oh, is there a reason why?” It was then Alyssa noticed that Harrison had already left. “Master Harrison had something urgent to deal with.” “Oh, okay. Can I go to my own house now?” Alyssa asked, contemplating if she could use this chance and leave the country. Alfred smiled, shaking his head. “I'm afraid not, Miss Alyssa,” he said, before beckoning her towards the vehicle. “Oh my heavens! Is that an armoured Mercedes Maybach? S-Class?” Alyssa's eyes widened, and she rushed down. “I see you knows your cars. Yes, it is,” Alfred answered her as they came closer to the car. Alyssa inhaled. Maybe marrying an ultra billionaire was not a bad idea after all. The Mercedes Maybach drove into a large iron gate, and it opened up to a large expanse of land. At the centre stood a large castle, with other buildings surrounding it. Around the pristine castle was a golden gate, manned by two security blocks. Alyssa pushed the door open, stepping out to face the tall, gloomy mansion. The afternoon sunrays were what gave it colour. “Miss Alyssa, the guards are there to assist you in opening the door,” Alfred said when he came to her side. “Thank you, but it is faster if I do that myself.” Alyssa gave him a small smile. She knew it was for her safety, but was there a need when they were at their destination? Not saying anything, Alfred led her inside. “Would I have to meet Harrison's parents, please?” Alyssa asked. Her eyes were everywhere, taking in the massiveness of just the living room. The dark colours gave her a headache. No wonder that guy was like that. ‘I don't believe in love.’ Alyssa chuckled in her head. How could you believe in love when you feed your eyes with darkness? “Master Harrison lives alone, but I'm sure he would inform you when you need to make an appearance to your in-laws,” Alfred answered. Alyssa's eyes widened. “Lives all by himself? That is sad.” “He likes his privacy,” Alfred continued. “Does he have any hobbies or things he loves doing?” Alyssa asked. “He is currently engaged in his companies,” Alfred was cautious with his answers. There were times when the Master had such things until that fateful day. It was best not to divulge anything until he was sure this new woman could be trusted. “When will he come back, please?” Alyssa sighed, sitting on one of the sofas. “Master Harrison comes back very late in the night due to his immense workload. But a guard contacted me, and he would be home in an hour for dinner.” Alyssa slowly nodded. Getting an experience of Harrison's living experience made her realise she would have to put effort into winning his heart. However, she did not love him either, except he was a very handsome man, which was actually good enough. Pinching her nose bridge, she scolded herself for being impulsive. “I'm never drinking wine again.” --- In the Winters Mansion. Conner threw his phone against the wall, startling Clara. “Darling, what is wrong?” Clara inched forward. She had a feeling it was because of Alyssa’s return. “She actually went and got married. I cannot believe Alyssa would do this. What is her play? Does she have something that would stand against us?” Conner moved his fingers through his hair. Clara moved back with a slight frown on her face. This was supposed to be her moment. The spotlight was finally on her and now Alyssa had found a way to drag it back, just like when they were children. Clara dug her nails into her palms, letting the pain clear her mind. She had gone out of her way, hiring those men to kill Alyssa, yet it was fruitless. However, giving up was never an option. “Baby, you are thinking too much about this. Remember, we have our wedding on the way,” Clara uttered, moving to stand in front of Conner. Seeing the teary gaze in Clara's eyes, Conner smiled before leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I know, Clara. But Grandfather is making it hard. I do not think the wedding would hold this month either, unless Alyssa can convince Grandfather to let us be,” Conner explained. “Do we really need Grandfather’s agreement? He is not the one getting married!” Clara thought out loud. Conner nodded. “He is the patriarch of the Winters Family. His agreement must be given as long as he lives.” “I see. Alright then. I hope Alyssa would consider the good you have done for her and help us out,” Clara smiled and rested on her fiancé's chest. Either way, she would still become the Winters’ bride.Abby stared at the boy standing in front of her, her mouth hanging open. There was no way her first crush was her bully's brother. The school courtyard suddenly felt much louder than it had moments ago. The chatter around them blurred into background noise as Abby tried to process what she had just heard. She blinked back her shock, trying to collect herself. She cleared her throat and spoke, her voice coming out in a croak. “Beatrice is your sister?” The boy winced, his little grimace making Abby blush. “Yes…” Harry glared at him, sizing him up as he wrapped his arm around Abby's shoulder and pulled her closer to him. His protective gesture made Abby shift awkwardly beneath his arm, but Harry did not seem interested in giving the boy any space. The three stood there, staring at each other, with nothing to say. “Look, I'm sorry, okay?” The boy spoke up. “Beatrice can be like that at times. I'll talk to her.” Abby shifted under her brother's weight, adjusting her bag strap
Fifteen Years Later. Morning sunlight streamed through the wide windows of the mansion, spilling golden light across the polished floors and expensive furniture. The house, once filled with the tense silence of uncertainty and fear, had changed completely over the years. There was laughter now. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway, followed by the unmistakable voice of a mother who had already lost most of her patience before breakfast. “You're going to miss your first day!" Alyssa yelled from downstairs. "And going to make me late for work!” "I know!” Abby yelled back from her room. She stood in front of her mirror, straightening her hair with a straightening iron. She carefully pulled another section of her long hair between the heated plates, watching her reflection closely as the strands fell smoothly over her shoulders. Today was important. It was not just another school day. It was her first day at a completely new school, and Abby had spent almost
Days passed. Alyssa didn't hear anything from the Royal Family, but something told her that was more of a bad omen than a sign of relief. The silence was almost too peaceful, and she had learned by now that whenever powerful people stopped making noise, it usually meant they were planning something somewhere behind closed doors. Still, she tried not to think about it. There was too much to do. Boxes had been scattered throughout the mansion, their belongings carefully sorted into what they needed immediately and what could be left behind, while Harrison moved from one room to another, checking their luggage and making sure nothing important was forgotten. “Are you taking these?” Harrison asked, raising her favorite mugs in the air. “Of course. What would I do without my coffee?” She said lightly, as she stacked one of the many boxes they'd be taking with them. Harrison laughed quietly before placing the mugs into another box. She had left the Cambridges' mansion days ago, and
Julian's words hung in the air for a minute, the silence deafening.No one was sure if they had heard right as they stared at him in shock.The amount of money he had offered was already difficult enough to process, but the condition attached to it was what truly frightened them.Leave the country.Leave her life behind.Disappear before the Royal Family decided to take matters into their own hands.Alyssa dropped the paper on the table between them, shaking her head lightly.“I can't take this. I'm not going anywhere," she said, defiant.Her voice was firm, but the slight tremble in her fingers betrayed how shaken she really was.“Alyssa, listen to me—” Julian said, his voice lowering.“No! You want me to leave my life behind just because your parents can't stop being greedy! I'm not doing that!"Her frustration finally exploded, the words leaving her mouth faster than she could control them.Her breathing became laboured and heavy, her face contorted with rage."I'm tired of reducin
Alyssa's voice was firm despite the slight tremble she felt in her hands.The man scoffed.“That would be unwise,” he said. “The Royal Family would take action against you if you refuse. That's why they sent us… to warn you.”Alyssa was baffled.For a moment, she wondered if she had heard him correctly.They were threatening her.In her own home.She whipped her head to Harrison, who only held her tightly as his jaw clenched.His silence told her that he was equally furious.Alyssa looked to her parents for help, but they remained quiet.That silence hurt more than she expected.Anger surged her veins as she shot herself to her feet.“Why are you guys not saying anything?! They're threatening me and you're just quiet!"“Honey—" Addison began to talk, but was cut short by the front door opening.The sound immediately drew everyone's attention.A familiar person waltzed into the living room, posture straight and his eyes burning into Alyssa's.“Julian…” she said, breathless. “What are y
The next morning, the mansion was unusually quiet. After Micheal's outburst the previous day, the other workers had started walking around on eggshells. Alyssa, still in her robe, moved groggily to the front of her vanity mirror. Her hair was slightly disheveled and her eyes had faint dark circles underneath. She sighed to herself, running her hands lazily through her hair. She had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the contract the Royal Family sent. But what made her heart hurt more was the look on her parents' faces when they admitted they had been tempted by the Royal Family's conditions. She knew they had rejected it, Micheal had made that clear. But knowing they considered it in the first place stung her. She moved to the bathroom to wash herself and eventually went downstairs to the living room. Harrison approached her with a wide smile on his face as he handed over a glass of water to her. Alyssa smiled back. “Thank you.” She took a







