Chapter Four: The Plan

"Mine."

I jump again when I hear the voice. What voice was that, and why did I keep hearing it? Someone else let out a dark laugh, and I turned my head to the side to see a guy standing next to the person in front of me. A bright pair of brown eyes narrowed in on me and twinkled with amusement. A fog covered my senses as I looked into those hazel-honeyed eyes again, and I watched his pupils dilate darkly. He turned his head to the side, studying me. He looked just as baffled as I did.

"Mr. Stark." I jumped when I heard a voice, and I looked away from the man and dropped my head to the ground. The maid runs off right away, and I take a step back and shuffle from one leg to the other. I catch a glimpse of Helena walking toward us with a big smile. When she got close, she stopped and gave me a mean look before turning to talk to the men.

"I'm really sorry you had to deal with this mess. You are welcome to follow me." She said this while leading the way, and I watched as they walked away.

I let out a big breath and then went to the kitchen.

There were a lot of people moving around in the kitchen, and I struggled to get inside. I went to a part of the kitchen, got the things I needed to make the drinks, and put them on the counter. My nerves were shaking, so I kept myself busy by making drinks. It was hard to get them ready, but I quickly got it right when I tried to remember how I had learned it years before.

Putting the tea mug on a small tray, I walk out of the kitchen, running into different people along the way. It took a lot of pushing and effort, but I made it to the office without spilling any of the drinks. I stopped at the big double oak doors, gulped hard, and lightly tapped on them, waiting for a response.

When I heard a "come in," I opened the doors and went inside.

As I walked in, my senses got overwhelmed by the sight of the men in the room. They were sitting on either side of a big glass desk, backs to me. Helena was in charge as she sat on the other side, facing them.

The tension in the room was palpable, and I could feel some kind of power emanating from the two guys.

Helena laughed in a strange way when she saw me. "Oh, Amelia. I'm glad you're here."

I scratch my head in confusion. What was making her smile that way?

"You can put the drinks down on the table." She waved her hand and told me to move forward, but my eyes kept darting around the room as I was nervous.

I walked again after taking a few deep breaths and didn't even notice that I had stopped. Fear gripped my gut as I walked to the table, keeping my eyes fixed on the ground. I stopped in front of them, took a deep breath, and walked around the desk to put the drinks down in front of them. Helena tilts her head to the left and glares at me. I catch a glimpse of her from the corner of my eye. After giving it some thought, I took the hint, got a drink, and gave it to the first guy with brown eyes.

He took it and smiled at me a little.

The way he looked at me made me think he was nervous. Why does he look so tense?

My eyes twitched and looked down at the other man, and I felt myself swallow up. He was wearing black pants and a shirt with a bright red stain on the front that made me wince. I hoped that I wouldn't get beat up for it because I knew I was to blame. He had big, tan arms. One hand was on the sofa arm, and the other was waiting for the drink on the table.

I took a deep breath and shakily picked up his drink.

His smell was intoxicating. So strong that I couldn't help but look him in the eyes as I gave him the tea. The deep, swirling green eyes that made me think of something hidden beneath them drew me in. As they did, I couldn't breathe.

He glanced at me apathetically, and his stare lingered on me for a little period.

"This is Amelia." My mind snapped out of its haze when Helena's voice spoke. I took a few steps back and turned my head away, looking down at my feet.

Who were these men? What am I supposed to do with them? For some reason, I don't think this meeting has anything to do with work.

Helena turned her attention away from me and toward the men sitting down. She smiled brightly. "She's my stepdaughter. What do you think of her?"

What?

"Amelia..." I tremble at the sound of a captivating deep voice that sounds like silk and whispers that are almost heard. When I closed my eyes, I felt a rush of pleasure through my body, and goosebumps appeared on my skin.

"Mine." The intruder in my head purred again. But that voice was starting to scare me. Why was someone sounding in my head? Was I losing it? I remember getting hit in the face twice this afternoon. That must have been it. It's what's making everything crazy. I'm finally losing it.

"All right." Again, the man spoke, and I saw Helena smile widely. "Oh good, I think the deal is done now." She looked at me.

"Amelia. This is Mr. Stark Grayson, and you are going to get married to him tomorrow."

I gasp in shock.

Stark Grayson. The name rang a bell in my head.

This man sorted over here is Stark Grayson, and I'll be getting married to him.

The owner of a very prominent organization, The Grayson Enterprise, and also a rival to my dad's company.

A man who was rumored to be ruthless and cruel. Someone who brutally kills people with just the snap of his fingers. I even heard he was a sadist that owned multiple slavery clubs and apparently lived a wild lifestyle. I heard he had connections to the mafia or some sort.

This was the kind of man I was getting married to?

I couldn't believe it.

"What? W-what do you mean by get married to him?" I asked, staring at Helena in confusion.

"Amelia, please be polite. You don't want to make a bad impression on our guests, do you?" Helena got angry and glared at me.

I stared around slowly as my fingers got tighter around the edges of my clothes.

It's not real; none of this is real. The gray walls, the glass desk, the marble floors, Helena's mean smile, and the two men. It wasn't real; I was having a bad dream. It was just a bad dream. Yes, a bad dream.

Furious, I shook my head and took a step back.

"I don't understand what you mean by that. Do you want me to go somewhere else? Is that it? That's what I will do. I'm leaving now. I'm not going to marry a man I barely know."

"You will get married to him tomorrow in court; he wants it to happen quickly, and that's the final conclusion." She gritted her teeth, nevertheless, and ignored me.

"Please don't do this to me." I begged, putting my shaking hands together and taking a few steps forward. "I'll do anything for you; you don't have to do this. I beg you, please." I cry out in desperation as tears start to fall from my eyes.

I will leave if I have to. I had been saving money away for a while and was ready to leave; I was just waiting for the perfect time. I would survive on my own.

"What's wrong?" The deep, disturbing voice cut through the noise in my head, and I tensed right away. "I thought we had already talked about this." He said, pinching at the bridge of his nose.

He got up from his place and walked over to me. Helena did not say a word and just watched. His gaze became hard and wouldn't leave mine. I swallowed hard, feeling my throat hoarse. I broke out in a cold sweat, and I could feel my heart beating fast in my chest with every step.

He was big and scary.

The voice in my head was extremely pleased. It was hard for me to breathe when he got close, and I had to whimper. He was too close. The smell of him was getting stronger. His earthy skin smell mixed with his male cologne made me want to drool.

His arm raised to my face, and I flinched away, closing my eyes with a whimper, expecting a hit on my face. However, he didn't hit me; instead, his fingers grazed my temple and down my cheeks.

My body froze in surprise at the gentle contact, and an electricity dove to my core. I opened my eyes again and locked them on pitch-black ones. His hands trailed my lips, and I watched as he closed his eyes briefly and tilted his head back a bit.

When he opened them again, his pupils had gone even darker. He took a deep breath in and then let out a sigh. His hands dropped from my face.

"I'll get her tomorrow." He quickly replied and turned to leave the office, with his friend following behind.

I didn't have time to think about what had just happened when a hand came flying across my face in full force, and I could taste a metallic liquid on my lip where it hit.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" She grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and yelled.

I felt sharp pains in my cheeks, and hot, shaky tears fell from my eyes.

"I'm about to do you a favor, and you'll be useful for once in your life." She sneered very meanly. "You weak, dirty, low-fertility, spoiled brat. Your whole life is garbage. Calling you garbage is even a compliment. Because of this, you can be helpful for once in your pathetic life, and you'll thank me later for that." She had a tight grip on my jaw and an evil smile on her face.

"So you're going to marry that man, whether you want to or not, and I'm not giving him any of my beautiful daughters. So listen attentively; you don't have a choice, nor do you have the right to make decisions in this house!"

She turned and slammed the door shut, leaving the office.

I felt so weak and tired right away that my legs began to tremble.

I fell to the ground and cried so hard.