Chapter Four

"I will not marry him!" Ava affirmed, "I don't understand. You want me to marry into the Arstor family; why? Why did it have to be me?” Avalynn glared at her stepmother.

“Oh, so you now talk back to me?” Emily, Ava's stepmother, gave a wicked smirk.

“No, I don't. But this? I will not accept it. Marvy isn't married either; why not choose her? Why me?”

“It's you because you're the only illegitimate child in this family.. the one your sickler's father had with his whore ex-girlfriend!” Emily started, but Avalynn interrupted fiercely.

“Do not! Do not ever call my father a sickler, he's not!”

Emily smiled with a wicked glint in her eyes. “But he is.”

Avalynn folded her hands into fists at her sides, she didn't want to react, she really didn't want to react.

“Liam Arstor is only disabled; you will learn to cope with that. Consider this a favor from me. At least, it's fair enough that I am giving you away to such a rich family. You’d stop your pitiful restaurant job and be able to take care of your father.” Emily chose her words carefully to provoke Avalynn.

“Please don't do this to me, Mom, please,” Ava said, tears welling in her eyes.

“You and I know I am not your mom, young lady,” Emily said, irritation laced in her voice. “You're marrying Liam Arstor, and that's final!”

“And what if I don't?” Ava asked, her voice low.

“Then consider yourself doomed. I will dig out your mother's ashes and discard them. You will have no part of her forever!”

Avalynn’s stomach dropped. She knew her stepmother meant business and knew what she was capable of.

“You witch! You really would go that far!” Ava retorted amidst tears, unable to hold back her emotions.

“Anything for my darling daughters. We cannot miss Arstor's investment in your father's company. It would really go a long way in bringing us back up financially,” Emily said coldly.

Ava clenched her jaw as her stepmother spoke, her voice trembling with suppressed anger. "No, not ‘us’, you and your daughters,” she said, her eyes welling with tears.

"I know you only care about your own interests, not me or Dad's company." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to hide her tears from her stepmother who had already seen it.

“Don't you dare cry in front of me, girl," she snapped. "You're being ridiculous. I'm only trying to help."

"No, I don't think so," Avalynn said, her voice low. "It feels like you're using me and Dad’s company for your own gain. You're always so manipulative and selfish!." Ava felt the tears starting to spill over, despite her best efforts to keep them at bay.

Her stepmother's expression hardened, and she turned away with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"You have one week to prepare for your wedding. By next weekend, the Arstons will be here to pick you up, and you'll sign the marriage agreement. I am done with the conversation.” With that, she walked out of the room.

******

As Jace Malvis drove back to his mansion, remorse overtook him. He had taken advantage of the defenseless woman.

Clearly experiencing a great deal, she had come to bury herself in alcohol, and this is what she got?

He shouldn't have done it. He thought to himself as he slammed the steering wheel.

Soon, he arrived at his mansion and drove inside the large home where he had been dwelling alone since becoming CEO of the M&M Corporation. It wasn't quite lonely since he brought ladies anytime he felt like it, and when his girlfriend, Stephanie, was in New York, he always invited her over.

"Welcome, boss. Big boss has been inside waiting for you for a while," Adam, his driver, remarked to him as he got out of his vehicle.

They referred to his grandpa as 'big boss', and he did have access to his door since he knew his passkey and could walk in at any moment. Aside from his grandpa, only Stephanie had that privilege.

"Oh," he whispered, perplexed, wondering why his grandpa would pay him a visit without warning. It must be highly crucial. "Where is Alex?" He inquired after his gatekeeper.

"He left a minute ago to ease himself," Adam said.

"Okay. Wash the car," Jace said, walking into his mansion.

He met his grandfather, a distinguished-looking man with a stern face. "How was your day?" his grandfather asked, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

Jace shrugged. "Just another weekend doing extra work at the office. How about you, Grandpa?"

The old man chuckled, "Same old, same old. You just returned to New York and are already doing extra work.”

“As it should be, I guess, I have to make sure everything is intact,” Jace replied, pulling off his shirt.

"Yeah. Anyway, I have come to ask how you've progressed with our last discussion. It's almost a month; just a week left.” His grandfather said, taking a sip of his whiskey.

Jace's stomach dropped. He didn't realize the one-month ultimatum his grandfather had given him to find a bride was almost up.

"Grandpa, don't tell me you came all the way here on the bride topic," he asked.

"Isn't it worth it?" His grandfather replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"But Grandpa, I told you I have someone I love. Stephanie, I love her so much. Please, can't you just allow me to marry her? I could do it right away." Jace pleaded, his voice filled with desperation.

"I said no! That girl is not suitable to be your wife," his grandfather continued, a hint of anger creeping into his voice. "She's a golddigger, and I won't have her as a part of our family. Do you understand?"

Jace felt a wave of rage and battled to maintain his cool. "How can you say that about her? You don't even know her," he said, his voice shaking with emotion.

"She's a kind and generous person, and she's nothing like what you're describing."

"Have you really gotten to know her?" his grandpa said, his tone demanding. "Or are you simply taken by her beauty and charm? I'm trying to prevent you from making a mistake, Jace. Can't you see that?"

Jace knew his grandpa meant well, but he couldn't bear the thought of being told who he could and couldn't love.

"I am a grown-up, Grandpa, and I will not let you control my life. I'm sorry, but I'm going to marry Stephanie, with or without your approval." He rose up and approached the stairs.

"Then I'd count that as you giving up your inheritance and position in the family's business."

His grandfather's words stopped him.

"Grandpa? You can't do that to me.”

"Dare me. Do not bring me a wife in a week and watch what I will or will not do.” He dropped his wine cup on the living room bar and walked out of the house.

Jace turned to proceed upstairs to his room but paused as the words of his grandfather's ultimatum reverberated in his ears. "Do not bring me a wife in one week, and watch what I will or will not do."

The words sent shivers down his spine. He was overcome with a sense of dread and uncertainty. Could his granddad really do that? Could he truly be as cold?