Chapter Three

Bella’s POV

I walked into the ballroom and immediately sensed something was wrong.

Granduncle was pacing back and forth like a caged beast. My parents, my brother, Scarlett’s parents, her brother and sister-in-law—everyone stood stiffly in place, their faces pale and tense.

“What’s going on?” I asked calmly.

Granduncle stopped and glared at me as if I were the cause of his fury.

“It’s Scarlett,” my brother answered before he could explode. “We can’t find her.”

I widened my eyes, feigning shock.

“What do you mean you can’t find her?”

“What he means,” Granduncle roared, “is that she ran away! Today is the day we were supposed to hand her over to Grant Romano. We already informed his family we would give our final answer today—that’s the only reason he hasn’t moved against us yet!”

His voice echoed violently across the ballroom.

I lowered my gaze slightly, masking my thoughts.

“Did you search her room properly?” I asked carefully. “Scarlett doesn’t seem like someone who would run away without a reason.”

That only deepened the confusion in the room.

At that moment, two guards rushed in. One of them held a small glass bottle.

“Boss,” the guard said, kneeling. “We searched everywhere but couldn’t find her. However… we found this in her room.”

Granduncle looked at it with irritation.

“What am I supposed to do with a bottle?” he snapped.

Scarlett’s mother suddenly stepped forward and snatched it from the guard’s hand. The moment she read the label, her face drained of color.

She screamed.

Everyone stiffened.

Her daughter-in-law hurried to her side and took the bottle to examine it.

“This can’t be…” she whispered, horrified. “Scarlett can’t be pregnant!”

“Pregnant?!” Granduncle bellowed.

“What?!” I gasped, placing a hand over my mouth in perfect performance.

“So she ran away because she’s pregnant?” he thundered. “How dare she! Pregnant without a contract? Without my approval? Who was she seeing? Who dares touch a daughter of this family without my permission?!”

The veins in his neck bulged with rage.

My father stepped forward cautiously. “Uncle… this is disastrous. If we don’t deliver tonight, we may not last until morning.”

Scarlett’s father—Granduncle’s own son—also stepped forward, his voice shaking.

“Father… perhaps we should choose another arrangement since Scarlett cannot be found—”

The slap came so fast it cracked through the air.

Scarlett’s father stumbled back, clutching his cheek.

“Shut up!” Granduncle roared. “There is nothing you have ever done right! Your son got a woman pregnant, and I had to force a marriage to bury the scandal. Now your daughter gets pregnant and runs away!”

He pointed across the room angrily.

“Look at your cousin’s family. They obey. They follow orders. That is how power is maintained!”

Scarlett’s mother trembled as he turned on her next.

“This is what happens when you fail to control your own household!”

Silence fell—heavy and suffocating.

I stepped forward slowly.

“Granduncle,” I said gently, making my voice sound reasonable. “Since Scarlett cannot be found… perhaps we should consider another form of settlement. As her father suggested.”

All eyes turned to me.

“We could offer assets—money, properties, control over certain routes, strategic partnerships. Surely Grant Romano values power and influence more than forcing a woman who clearly doesn’t want to be there.”

I made sure my tone sounded respectful.

Measured.

Thoughtful.

Innocent.

But beneath the calm exterior, my mind was calculating.

Let him panic.

Let him feel cornered.

The more desperate he became, the easier it would be to move the pieces exactly where I wanted them.

Granduncle stared at me for a long moment. I saw uncertainty flicker in his eyes.

“I believe I have another option,” Granduncle finally said.

For a split second, I allowed myself to breathe.

The room fell silent.

“Everyone in this house will ensure that news of Scarlett’s escape—and her pregnancy—never leaves these walls,” he declared coldly. “The arrangement still stands.”

A ripple of tension spread across the room.

“It’s good you considered another option, Granduncle,” I said carefully, keeping my expression composed.

He looked at me with something that almost resembled pity.

“Bella… I’m sorry. This is business. You wouldn’t fully understand.”

I lowered my gaze, hiding the irony.

“We need someone close to him,” he continued. “If we place one of our own by his side, Grant Romano will hesitate before making a move against us. That is why I chose a bride as leverage.”

“And now that she’s gone?” I asked quietly. “What happens?”

He scoffed, as though the answer had always been obvious.

“You will take her place, Bella.”

Gasps erupted across the room.

My mother staggered backward. Scarlett’s mother covered her mouth. My brother shouted in disbelief.

And I—

I joined them.

“What?!” I exclaimed, widening my eyes as if the idea had never crossed my mind.

But inside, my thoughts were steady.

This was exactly how it would unfold.

I had told Scarlett and her lover this would happen. After exhausting every option, after calculating every outcome, Granduncle would choose the most valuable daughter left.

Me.

I had always known I would be his last move.

And I had already decided I would accept.

“Why are you all shouting?” Granduncle snapped. “Is there another unmarried daughter in this family I am unaware of?”

No one answered.

The silence was thick with dread.

My father stepped forward hesitantly. “Uncle… Bella is—”

“She is the highest-ranking unmarried daughter we have left,” Granduncle cut in sharply. “Her position alone secures our advantage.”

His gaze settled on me.

“You should be proud. You are saving this family.”

Saving.

What a twisted word.

I slowly lifted my head and met his eyes.

And for the first time, I didn’t look like a sheltered daughter of this house.

I looked calm.

Resolved.

“If this is what it takes to protect the family,” I said evenly, “then I will go.”

My mother cried out my name.

But beneath the sorrowful mask I wore, my resolve only deepened.

If this is the only way to fight for the daughters who will be born after me…

Then I will go to any length.

"No  Granduncle, my daughter can't go. This is my second daughter you're sending out, please don't do this toe me. If Grant Romano find out about the switch, she might kill my daughter" My mother cried.

I took a deep breath and walked up to her.."Mum, you know your daughter. Nothing can happen to me. And this is the best decision. I think Grant Romano would be more mad if we had force cousin who was carrying another man's child" I let out, trying to persuade her, but I don't think she's really to give in.

"Please don't do this, you can still reject it, it's not too late" She pleaded..

"Mum, it's my wish and I don't regret I wanted to do this. You can't stop me" I said it clearly because my mind was already made up and no one can stop me.