Chapter 2

Alena was just twenty-one. She had just graduated. She knew it would come, but not this soon.  

God, she couldn't believe her parents would do this to her. Right now. Don't get her wrong—she had always wanted to get married at a young age. But this took her off guard.  

They had come back home about an hour ago, and she was in her room right now, avoiding her parents. She wasn't ready to get married. Well, at least not right now. She had to admit that Edmund Cardinal was handsome, but that didn't change her mind.  

After her parents' "surprise," Penelope was literally fangirling about how gorgeous and rich he was and how lucky she was. She didn't even know what to think about the whole thing. Her brain had just shut off. This was supposed to be scaring her. And it was.  

Right now, she was in her nightdress, brushing her hair for the night when there was a knock at her door. Her bedroom door opened, and Willa walked in. She smiled at her, then came to her, took the brush, and started brushing her hair.  

"Baby, I know how you feel about this whole situation. But try to understand," Willa said, looking at her through the mirror. "You know, Edmund is really a good man when you get to know him. Just try. Get to know him. We will never force you into anything, and you know it. Just try. And if you don't like him, we will cancel."  

She sighed. "I know. I just didn't know I would be engaged this early."  

She drew a deep breath. She didn’t want to fight with her stepmother or her father right now, so she just agreed. Willa kissed her forehead, then left.  

She couldn't believe what was happening. She stared at her reflection, and her eyes started watering.  

The next morning, she woke up with a weird feeling. She couldn't tell what it was, but she just wanted to go out for a girls' day, so she called Penelope and Avrielle to tell them, and they agreed to meet.  

She got out of bed and did her morning routine. She did her makeup, straightened her hair, got dressed, and went downstairs. Fern, one of their housemaids, told her Willa had already left, but her father was still in his office. So, she headed there.  

She knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for an answer.  

"Good morning, Dad. Me and..." Her sentence was cut off when she laid eyes on the other person in the room.  

Edmund Cardinal...  

He was handsome in his black suit, and his eyes were also on her. She just stared at him with a blank expression.  

"Good morning, baby," her dad said, greeting her. Her father stood up and walked toward her. She smiled at him as he kissed her forehead. "Edmund came because he wanted to take you out for dinner tonight."  

She looked at Edmund and saw him still staring at her with his cold face. Does this man ever smile?  

"Mr. Sandoval, I would like to talk to your daughter in private, if possible," Edmund announced, still staring at her the whole time. He was making her nervous. Why couldn't he talk to her while her father was here?  

Her father looked at him with furrowed brows.  

"Nothing funny, Mr. Sandoval. I just want to invite her in person."  

Her father turned to her. "Alright," and then left his office.  

She gulped. Once her father left, Edmund got up from his seat and started walking toward her, but she took a few steps back. He smirked and stopped in front of her.  

"Are you scared of me, Alena?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes. Before she could take another step back, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her to his hard chest.  

She looked down, very nervous, as he released her. The carpet suddenly became really interesting.  

"Look at me, Alena," he ordered softly, but she just kept staring at the carpet. "Alena..." he ordered again, and she finally looked at him, staring into his eyes. He did the same, but then he spoke. "You are really beautiful..."  

She just stayed silent. Maybe because she knew she might mess up if she opened her mouth. That’s why she just kept it shut.  

He looked at her again. "I will pick you up at eight," he told her before heading out of her father's office.  

When the door closed, she collapsed on the couch next to her.  

Oh my God, what the hell just happened? What the hell just happened?  

She looked down at her shaking hands, let out a breath, and shook her head to pull herself together.  

After some time, she was heading out of the house toward her car and started the engine.  

She kept thinking about Edmund Cardinal and what had happened in her father's office. She literally couldn't stop thinking about it. She was really surprised and honestly didn't know what to think about him right now. Well, she hoped the dinner tonight would go well.