Chapter 3: Father's Order

Nancy was in her bedroom, drying and combing her long, golden hair, letting it cascade behind her back. She walked out of her room and went downstairs to the living room to have dinner with her parents.

She felt her stomach growling loudly in hunger, so she held onto the iron railing to support herself as she descended the stairs. This way, she would not fall or miss a step as she reached the bottom.

Nancy saw that some guests had arrived at her parents' home, which made her frown. She disliked the way her father's mansion was built. The living room connected to the dining room, making it easy for guests to spy on her family's affairs. She hated being monitored by anyone and loved her privacy.

Nancy saw a tall, handsome Black man who exuded authority. He stood in their living room, watching her as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

She felt uncomfortable under his watchful gaze. The way his black eyes stared at her made her feel as if he was stripping her naked with that look of desire.

Nancy glanced away from the Black man and at her parents, seeing them standing nervously in the living room.

She walked up to her mother and asked, "Mom, is dinner not ready yet?"

Mrs. Olivia was nervous, as she had not expected Charles to personally visit her home. She nervously responded to Nancy, "Nancy, dear, come meet your groom."

"My what?" Nancy gasped in shock, and she swiftly turned to face Charles. She met his handsome black gaze; his eyes did not avert from her for a minute. He stood in the living room, watching her.

Nancy snapped out of her shock and asked her mother, "Mom, when did I get married to him?"

"You're not yet married to him, Nancy. Here with us is Charles Alejandro, President Nolan Alejandro's only child, and the wedding is in two days," her father interjected.

"Two days!" Nancy gasped, almost fainting.

"Calm down, Nancy," Charles said, and Nancy shivered at his deep, masculine voice.

Nancy could not believe she was marrying Charles, and their wedding was in two days. She gathered her courage and said to him, her lips trembling, "I cannot marry you, sir."

"Nancy!" Her father screamed at her, to hush her. Charles Alejandro was the most feared young man in the city.

Senator Logan warned, "Nancy! You have no right to object to this marriage. Charles Alejandro saw many photos of pretty young women before he chose you. You should be grateful to become the country's future first lady."

"No, Father! I cannot accept this marriage; I cannot marry him!" Nancy moved backward, quickly bolting upstairs to her bedroom, her hips bouncing and swaying as she ran. She went to the top floor, entered her room, and shut her door.

"Nancy! Come back here!" Her father called, but Nancy refused to answer, as she did not want to marry Charles. She locked her room door and went to her bed, crying.

"Let me go upstairs and call Nancy back," Mrs. Olivia offered, but her husband quickly stopped her. "That will not be necessary."

Senator Logan stared at Charles and apologized, "We are truly sorry, Your Excellency. We have not informed Nancy about the arranged marriage with you."

"Mm…" Charles stood speechless in the living room, staring upstairs to the second floor. He hoped his chosen bride would peek out her beautiful head and stare down at him. The way her hips had moved and swayed seductively to his view, Charles felt his muscles harden, wanting to claim her.

Charles doubted he would be able to tame himself if he were left alone with Nancy. She looked truly beautiful, more so than in the photo he had. He glanced back at her parents and met her mother's gaze. She also resembled Nancy.

Mrs. Olivia smiled nervously and said to Charles, "Do not worry, Your Excellency, I will go upstairs now and speak to my daughter. The wedding will still hold."

"That is alright. I will look forward to the wedding, as I came here to welcome my bride on her return to the city. But it is obvious that she does not want to see me. Please, give these red flowers to Nancy, and let her know that I love her, and I want to marry her," Charles said, handing the bouquet of rose petals he was holding to Mrs. Olivia.

Mrs. Olivia smiled, collected it, and stood aside, while her husband apologized again, "We are sincerely sorry, Your Excellency. Please forgive our daughter for her rude behavior towards you."

"That is alright. I understand her fears, but that is not a problem, as I came here to welcome her. Do send my greetings to Nancy and let her know that I want her. I have to be on my way now. Goodbye, Senator Logan."

"Yes, goodbye, Your Excellency," Senator Logan replied and escorted Charles. They walked out of their living room and went outside to his car.

The stationed security men pulled and shut the car door as soon as Charles entered his Jeep. Then the three cars drove out of Senator Logan Marlon's residence.

-----

Nancy stood at her room window upstairs, staring down at the garage. She saw Charles walk out of her family home and get into his car, before the three cars drove away.

Nancy could not believe that her parents wanted her to marry Charles Alejandro, the president's son, by force. She had not met Charles before, but she had heard of him, with the way netizen users usually ridiculed and abused his family online for refusing to leave the ruling seat.

However, Nancy heard about Charles' affairs with many pretty young women in their state, as he was rumored to be a playboy, and not the kind of man she wanted to marry as her husband.

The sound of her room door being pushed open jolted her back to reality. She stared away from her window and at her parents, who angrily walked into her room to see her.

"Nancy! What was the meaning of that silly drama you just displayed when meeting Charles Alejandro today? Do you not know that plenty of young women would jump at the offer with joy and even accept to marry Charles immediately?" Her father questioned her angrily, standing beside her room door and glaring at her. Her mother stood in silence, holding the bouquet of rose flowers she had seen Charles with.

Her father yelled at her, "Answer me, Nancy!"

"Dad, that is not the kind of man I want. I do not love him, and that is the truth," Nancy replied, breaking into sobs. Charles Alejandro was not the kind of man she wanted to marry.

Nancy wanted a good man who would love only her, not a cheat like Charles who would not value her as his wife.

She was looking for the right excuse to make her parents understand that she could not marry a man like Charles, nor become his wife.

"Love? What do you know about love, Nancy? You will come to love Charles with time, after you both are married as husband and wife. That is how your mother and I got married, and to this day, we are still a couple. What if you sit here waiting for the man you will love first, and he does not love you back, while you end up loving him alone?"

"Well, I cannot reject the Alejandro family's proposal to us, even though I know you will object to it. They are the ones ruling the country, and they will feel extremely insulted by your rejecting their only son's proposal to you! He chose you, Nancy Marlon, among all the other pretty young women's photos he must have seen. So you will have to marry Charles whether you like him or not."

"No, Father! I cannot marry Charles!" Nancy screamed, bursting into tears. She could not believe her father really wanted her to marry Charles by force.

Her father turned to leave her room, paused at her door, and said to her mother, "Talk to your daughter and get her prepared with all the things she will need to become Charles's wife. This Saturday, she will go to the presidential villa to live with Charles whether she likes him or not."