Marry me!

ACCALIA POV)

"You will marry him next week!"

I felt the last wall of hope in my heart crumble down. I stared at my father with teary face, my eyes had long turned red and I tried desperately to sniffle and breathe at the same time.

"Father how can you ask me to marry him? You know very well what he tried to do to me !" I cried out desperately, hoping inside of me that my father would hear me out and change his mind.

"That was all in the past, let's forget about it. He is now a changed man."

I used the back of my hand to wipe my running nose. I could not believe that my father would do something like this.

"How can you say that, you know very well what he tried to do Father!"

Something flickered in my father's eyes, the emotion in his eyes were raw. It showed real pain but he was adamant on not working with the emotion.

"Accalia! You will do as you are told!"

My father's voice thundered through the whole room, I flinched in fear, not fear of his anger but fear of what was to come with the marriage.

I turned my teary eyes to my step mother, my eyes begging her to intervene. She walked to me and pulled me in for an embrace, she rubbed my back gently as I sobbed into her arms. I knew she was just pretending to care in front of my father but I was too tired to pull out of the hug.

"Accalia, you know we love you, me and your father love you so much."

"I guess..." I whispered as I already knew where this was going. I felt like an invisible arrow pierced through my heart.

"If you marry him, I guarantee you, you will be happy. He has changed, he will take very good care of you. And you know your father really needs this, he promised to forget the debt once our family joins forces. Your father's company will be saved."

"But you.." I tried to argue but my step mother interrupted me.

"Hush now child, unless you can provide a man that will marry you and willingly pay off your father's debt before this week ends, then I have no other choice but to side with your dad on this one."

"A man?" I asked in confusion, what the hell was she talking about?

My step mother nodded and added. "Not just any man, a man more powerful than your fiance."

I gritted my teeth angrily at the sound of 'Fiance.' coming out of my her mouth.

"And if I do find this man, you will not go back on your word?" I asked again to be sure. I knew I was being crazy but this was my only shot at getting out of the arranged marriage.

My step mother nodded again, my father opened his mouth to protest but my step mother shot him a 'She won't find such a man anyways.' look.

I smiled bitterly and wiped my tears, how did it get to this? My parents were willing to marry me off to a man that tried to rape me. Ken Peterson, you will never have me in your bed, not to mention as your wife.

I turned and walked out of the house, I needed to clear my head. What was I thinking? A man more powerful than Ken that would be willing to marry me?

I entered my car and slammed the door angrily, why did I have to be the one to go through this? Why couldn't my brother find a tycoon's daughter and settle our family's debt.

I turned on my car and drove to the nearest club, tonight I would get completely wasted. I had nothing to lose anyways.

I got down and threw my car key to velvet and stormed into the club, I walked straight to my regular VIP reserved area and I sat down and immediately asked for drinks. Maybe if I get so wasted and get a bad reputation, Ken would leave me alone.

How could my parents do this to me? After everything Ken tried to do to me? I closed my eyes shot and groaned inwardly as the haunting memory of that very night came crashing down on me. It haunted my memory day and night like a plague. But what? I should get married to him? I rather lick the bottom of every shoe in the club!

"Rough night?" The bartender's voice snapped me out my daze as he placed a shot of tequila on the table.

"Yeah." I murmured and still proceeded to nod my head. I had a brother too! Max! Why weren't my parents thinking of marrying him of? He was completely useless to the family and yet he always got away with everything. I looked around, surprised not to see him at the club. He has a reputation as always being the life of the party. He even had a stupid catch phrase which he would say with a sly smirk. Of course my step mother always gave him preferential treatment because he was her son and I was nothing but her step daughter who was in the way of her securing a perfect future for her son.

"Wherever there is a party, there are drinks, girls and Max!"

I rolled my eyes as I imagined him saying that and my parents waving it off as a phase that he would supposedly get over.

My drinks came and I drank like a maniac, taking shots after shot and not thinking about the hangover that would be waiting for me the next day.

My eyes started getting heavy and I realized I was now drunk. My cheeks flushed and I could no longer think straight. But even the effect of the alcohol could not wash the thoughts of Ken away from my mind.

I was getting bored so I let my eyes lazily sweep through the club until my gaze landed on a group of handsome men. But the one that seemed to catch my attention was the one in the middle, he had such an angel like face and he was unexpectedly too attractive for a man. But what attracted me the most was how he appeared to be a lone wolf among his group of friends.

Was he perhaps a celebrity? I wasn't sure, the alcohol was doing so much to my mind.

As I was about to look away that was when his head suddenly snapped to my direction and a devilish smile appeared on his angel-like face.

An imaginary light bulb turned on in my head as a crazy idea suddenly hit me. I got up from my seat and headed to their side without breaking eye contact with him.

I made sure to walk elegantly, ensuring that I swayed my hips perfectly from side to side. I bit my lips as my intention was to seduce him. I pulled the hair band holding my hair up and my silk-like hair fell gently on my shoulders. When I got to where he was, I tucked a handful of hairs behind my ear and with a seductive smile on my face I purred.

"Marry me!"