The wrong bride

Chapter 2: The Wrong Bride

“So this is the woman desperate enough to trap me into marriage?”

The words hit Amelia harder than the rain and She stood there frozen.

The man standing in front of her looked impossibly calm, as though humiliating someone was as effortless as breathing the air.

Alexander Sterling.

So this was him. The supposed groom her sister had refused and The man her parents had chosen for her without permission.

His Cold gray eyes studied her face like she was a problem he had already decided that he despised and wasn’t worth his effort at all.

Amelia swallowed her saliva audibly.

“You’re mistaken,” she said quietly with the intent of explaining to him but Before she could say anything else….

“Mr. Sterling!”

Her father rushed forward, visibly nervous as the rain poured down heavily and soaked his expensive suit, but he barely seemed to notice.

“I apologize,” Richard Hart said quickly. “Amelia was just… overwhelmed. She most definitely didn’t mean any of that.”

Alexander’s expression did not change one beat and instead His gaze flickered between father and daughter. Then back to Amelia.

“She looked more like she was running,” he said flatly.

Richard forced an awkward laugh in hopes to diffuse the situation.

“Nerves. Wedding arrangements can be stressful.”

Wedding.

The word twisted painfully in Amelia’s chest as Alexander slipped one hand into his pocket.

“I dislike dishonesty,” he said calmly with his tone quiet sharp enough to cut through thick air.

Richard stiffened.

“I assure you….”

“If someone wants this marriage,” Alexander interrupted rudely, “they should at least have the dignity to act convincing.”

Amelia looked up sharply as she felt the weight of the accusation sting badly.She had never asked for any of this or even wanted it.Yet somehow, she was already being painted as desperate.

Something inside her snapped furiously.

“I don’t want this marriage either and I ain’t desperate for one.” she said suddenly.

The Silence after was loud even a drop of pin could be heard miles away.

Her father’s face paled frighteningly.

“Amelia!” he hissed.

Alexander raised an eyebrow at the turn of event.

“No?”

His voice held faint amusement now and somewhat Interesting Like she had finally become mildly entertaining.

“No,” Amelia repeated quietly. “I never agreed to any of this.”

A dangerous silence followed as the Rain drummed softly against the cars.

Then Richard suddenly grabbed Amelia’s wrist.

“She doesn’t mean that,” he forced the words out quickly. “She’s emotional.”

“Dad..”

“You’re coming with me,” he said through clenched teeth.

Amelia yanked her hand away with enough force to rattle her father.

“No.”

Her father stared and watched her in shock.

Alexander also stood and watched the whole commotion silently.

For some reason, Amelia felt like that made everything worse. Like she was humiliating herself in front of someone who already looked down on her.

Richard lowered his voice.

“If you ruin this marriage, we lose everything.”

Amelia’s jaw tightened and she lifted her head high.

“So sell the house.”

His face darkened instantly.

“You ungrateful child.”

The words landed hard and Behind them, it felt like lthe sky was bearing a witness to their charade as the thunder rumbled violently.

“Do you think we sacrificed everything raising you,” Richard continued bitterly, “for you to destroy this family?”

Amelia almost laughed.Raising her? Since when Was neglect considered parenting now?

Alexander stood still and never said nothing.But Amelia noticed something strange.

He hadn’t walked away or asked them to stop all of this drama before him. Instead He was watching them Like he was trying to figure something out.

Then his phone buzzed and He glanced at it briefly.

“The engagement dinner starts in forty minutes,” he said.

Richard straightened immediately.

“We’ll be there.”

Alexander’s cold gaze moved to Amelia.

“You too.”

Her stomach dropped.

“I’m not going.”

Her father looked horrified like he was going to piss his already wet pants.

“You absolutely are.”

“No.”

“You don’t get to say no!”

The anger in his voice startled her but still Alexander looked strangely unimpressed.

“Convincing,” he muttered dryly.

Amelia turned toward him.

“You think I’m still pretending?” She huffed out frustratedly.

“I think,” Alexander said calmly, “people who chase power usually become dramatic when they think they’re losing.”

Her breath caught. Power?what sort of power? Was that really what he thought of her?

A desperate woman chasing wealth? She would never stoop so low to such levels just to attain any sort of face.

But Before she could respond, he stepped closer. Way Too close that The scent of rain and expensive cologne surrounded her.

His voice lowered as he spoke directly into her ears.

“You wanted this marriage badly enough so stop making a fool of yourself already. It’s pathetic.”

Amelia froze.

Her eyes widened.Wait!He thought…

Her father suddenly stepped between them.

“Mr. Sterling, perhaps we should continue at the house.”

Alexander didn’t move immediately and His eyes remained fixed on Amelia.

It was Cold and Unreadable Like he was waiting for something. Like an explanation or a confession.

Just Anything to prove himself right.

But Amelia said nothing. Because no matter what she said Would anyone believe her?

Finally, Alexander stepped back.

“Fine,” he said at last before He turned toward his car and Then paused.

Without looking at her, he added

“Try not to disappear before dinner.”

And with that The car door shut.

Seconds later, the black vehicle disappeared into the rain.

Silence followed and settled ominously after.

SLAP!

Amelia gasped.

The Pain exploded across her cheek.

“You stupid girl!” Richard snapped. “Do you have any idea what’s at stake?”

Her eyes burned with unshed tears and she held her cheeks.

“You’re sacrificing me!”

“We’re saving this family!”

“No we are not!” Amelia whispered shakily. “You’re saving Sophia.” She was beginning to sob now.

His expression hardened.

“You will attend that dinner.”

“And if I don’t?”

His jaw tightened before he said the words that shattered something inside her.

“Then don’t bother coming home.”

Amelia stared at him dumbstruck and For a second, she thought she had heard wrong.

“You’re choosing this marriage over me?”

“I’m choosing survival.”

The betraying look of hurt was plastered across Her entire form. She felt it too Deeply and Painfully.

Slowly, Richard opened the car door.

“Get in.”

Amelia looked at the dark road.

The rain and the Freedom it represents ahead.

Then at her father and the reality waiting for her.

She had nowhere else to go and No one else to run to.

Giving up Quietly,She got into the car.

Forty minutes later, the Sterling estate came into view and Her breath caught.

The mansion looked less like a home and more like something pulled from another world.

It had Tall iron gates,Golden lights and it felt like the perfect definition Silent luxury. Everything about the place screamed power and money.

The car came to a stop and A butler opened the door like he had been assigned to wait there.

Inside, voices echoed from the grand hall and Amelia’s palms suddenly turned cold.

This place was terrifying And so was the future waiting for her inside it. It felt like she was being sold to a butcher and she had no other way to escape.

She had barely stepped through the entrance when she felt Eyes on her from Across the room.

Alexander Sterling and his family. They had their signature snobbish look plastered across their face and an air arrogance surrounding them like a shield.

There were hushed whispers and blatant stares directed at Richard and Amelia.

If she wasn’t sure about entering the enemy’s den, now she was sure she wasn’t going to survive this.

Amelia’s gaze locked onto Alexander as he stood amongst his family looking TallUnreadableCold.

As Their gazes locked,For a second,the silence stretched and Then almost like a flip of switch,his expression shifted.

Something dark crossed his face..

Confusion.His eyes narrowed slightly.

Slowly and deliberately, he reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and He pulled out a slim file.

He Opened it and Looked down.

Then back at Amelia.Again And again.

The air suddenly felt too heavy.

Amelia’s stomach dropped and fear like no other seeped into her soul like it was ready to snatch her life away.

What was happening?

Alexander closed the file and His voice came out dangerously quiet.

“This is strange.”

Richard Hart stiffened instantly.

“Mr. Sterling…”

Alexander ignored him and instead His cold gaze stayed fixed on Amelia.

“Because the woman in this engagement profile…”

He lifted the photo slightly.

“…is not you.”

The hall became silent and different looks were passed around.

Then Alexander asked the question that made Amelia’s blood run cold.

“Who exactly did the Hart family send me?”