Chapter 1: You're Getting Married

The last thing Julia remembered was ordering another drink. Waking up beside a breathtaking stranger definitely wasn't part of the plan.

She had opened her eyes to a hotel suite that smelled faintly of expensive cologne, fresh linen, and the remnants of last night's mistakes.

She'd had a long, exhausting day the day before and had gone to Saint & Silver for a drink to unwind.

She glanced at the rumpled sheets. His shirt hung from the bedside lamp and her pants lay crumpled on the floor.

A dull headache throbbed behind her eyes. She stole one last glance at the sleeping stranger. Even in sleep, he looked impossibly handsome. Whatever had happened between them last night would remain exactly where it belonged—in the past.

She dressed quietly, slipped on her shoes, grabbed her work bag, and slipped out before Mr. Beautiful Stranger woke.

She eased the door shut behind her and headed for the elevator. She heard the soft ping of the elevator arriving on her floor. As the doors swooshed open, she stepped in and pressed the button for the ground floor.

In less than a minute, she was already at the lobby of the building. Ignoring the dull ache in her head, she walked toward the exit. Once outside the building, she waved down a taxi and got in.

"Reid Estate, West Avenue." she said to the driver as she turned her face towards the street zooming past.

In no time, the car pulled up to a grand mansion situated in a very luxurious neighbourhood.

Julia paid the driver and left him a tip before getting out of the car. She took a deep breath and smoothed out her pants before walking into the estate compound.

As if on cue, the front door opened, revealing the live-in house keeper, Elizabeth.

"Good morning, Miss Reid. Mr. Reid has been expecting you." Elizabeth said to Julia as she stepped onto the entrance.

"Why? Has there been an issue?" Julia asked, puzzled.

Her father had never truly cared about her. Not her wellbeing, not her life, and certainly not her whereabouts.

She walked past Elizabeth and into the house. The hallway was grand. She headed straight down to the first door which led into the living area.

Her father sat in the corner of the room, his back against the living area entrance. His presence filled the room.

"Where have you been, Julia?" her father asked, his voice stern, as he got up and made his way over to her. "You didn't come home last night."

Julia frowned. Since when did her father care where she spent the night? He barely knew anything about her life.

"I worked late and spent the night at a friend's place." she lied. She knew the truth wouldn't make any difference.

"Don't you dare lie to me! Is this what you've now reduced yourself to?"

Julia's brows furrowed. What was he talking about?

"I'm afraid you lost me there, father."

"Don't act all innocent, Julia. I know what you've been doing. Your brother, Devon, saw you last night."

Julia wondered what her father meant by that. Could he have seen her leaving the lab? Could he have seen her with the handsome stranger from last night? Or was it merely a bluff?

She maintained her composure. "And where did Devon see me?"

Devon's voice came from behind her. "I saw you last night leaving Saint & Silver with a man and you two looked pretty wasted."

"Okay? And what exactly is the problem here?" She looked between her father and her brother, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"Even a blind man could sense what came after you left the bar." Devon said, a smug expression on his face.

Before Julia could speak, she felt a stinging pain radiate through her face. Her father had slapped her across the face.

"How dare you? How dare you disgrace our family?" Her father's voice cut through the living area.

Julia pressed a trembling hand against her burning cheek. The sting was familiar, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

She stood there dazed not knowing what to say or how to defend herself.

For years, she had been treated like an outcast in her own family. Her parents had always favoured her younger brother, Devon.

They had spent years making her feel inferior. She had no place in the house. She was not allowed to speak. She was never to be seen by important guests as she was an embarrassment.

Among all the humiliations she had endured, this one cut the deepest. She stood in the living area with her father and brother accusing her of promiscuity.

"Answer me this instant. How dare you bring shame to our family, Julia Carrie Reid?"

He smacked her across the face again. Tears pooled in her eyes, a few drops rolling down her cheeks as she struggled to hold them back.

"I have done no such thing. Why would I disgrace your precious family name?" she said through her teeth.

"Father... maybe Julia just made a mistake." Devon said, pretending to be concerned.

"You're accusing me of selling myself?" her voice held disbelief.

All these years, she had tolerated the maltreatment, the disdain from her family. She had done everything within her power to please them, all to no avail.

No matter what she did, it was always Devon they cherished and adored. When she had needed money to fund her research, she found out her parents had taken her trust fund and used the money to purchase a car for Devon.

He did no wrong or told no lies in their eyes. They always believed whatever he said. He was the golden child. And now, her father believed whatever story Devon had told him.

"It is not an accusation. It's a known fact. I saw you with my own two eyes." Devon replied.

Her father moved to hit her again, fury burning through his veins. She quickly stepped aside.

"I've had enough of your nonsense, Devon. What did I ever do to you? Huh? Tell me!" she demanded, her eyes red with rage.

She turned to face her father. "You believed him before you even asked me. That tells me everything I need to know."

Ignoring her words, her father looked directly at her.

"Since you seem determined to disgrace this family, we've made a decision for you."

Julia frowned.

What could he possibly have decided this time?

"You're getting married."