Chapter 3 - Ran Away

Nancy was finishing drying her wet hair in her bedroom, and combing it to 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 for support as she went downstairs, so she wouldn't miss her steps as she reached the bottom.

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

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

She felt so uncomfortable under his watchful gaze. The way his black eyes kept staring at her made her feel like he was already stripping her naked with that look of desire in his eyes.

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

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

Mrs. Olivia Marlon was nervous, as she hadn't expected Charles to personally visit her home. She nervously responded to Nancy, "Nancy, my dear, come meet your groom."

"My what?" Nancy gasped in shock, and she swiftly turned to face Charles. She met his handsome gaze, as his black eyes didn't avert away from her for one minute. He stood in the living room and watched her, too.

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

"You're not yet married to him, Nancy. This is Charles Alejandro, Mr. President Nolan Alejandro's only child, and the wedding is in two days' time," her father announced.

"Two days?!" Nancy gasped, almost fainting.

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

Nancy couldn't believe that she was getting married to Charles, and their wedding was in two days. She gathered her courage and said to him with her trembling lips, "I cannot marry you, sir."

"Nancy!" Her father screamed at her to keep shut, as Charles Alejandro is the most feared young man in the city.

Senator Logan warned, "Nancy! You have no right to object to this marriage. Charles Alejandro here has seen many pretty young women's photos before choosing you, so 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, and bolted away to the stairs. She dashed upstairs to her bedroom, her hips bouncing and swaying as she ran. She went to the top floor, got into her room, and shut her door closed.

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

"Hmmmm, let me go upstairs and call her back," Mrs. Olivia Marlon offered, but her husband quickly stopped her. "That won't be necessary."

Senator Logan stared at Charles and apologized, "We're truly sorry, Your Excellency. We haven't informed Nancy about the arranged marriage with you, sir."

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

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

Mrs. Olivia smiled nervously and said to Charles, "Don't worry, Your Excellency, I will go upstairs now and speak to my daughter, and the wedding will still hold."

"Hmmmm, that's alright. I will be looking forward to the wedding, as I came here to welcome my bride on her return to the city. But it's obvious that she doesn't want to see me. Please, give these flowers to Nancy and let her know that I truly love her, and I want to marry her," Charles said, handing over the bouquet of rose petals he was holding to Mrs. Olivia Marlon.

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

"That's understandable. I actually understand her fears, but that's not a problem, as I came here to welcome her on her return to the city. Do send my regards to Nancy and let her know that I want her. I have to be on my way now. Senator Logan, Goodbye," Charles said, turning to exit the living room.

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

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

++++

Nancy stood beside 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.

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

Nancy had heard about Charles's affairs with many pretty young women in their state, as he was rumored to be a male prostitute, not the kind of man she wanted to marry.

The sound of her room door being pushed open jolted her back to reality. She stared away from her window and saw her parents angrily walk into her room.

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

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

"Dad, that's not the kind of man I want. I don't love him, and that's the truth," Nancy said, breaking into sobs. Charles Alejandro isn't the kind of man she wants to marry.

She wants a good man who will love only her, not a cheat like Charles, who won't value her as his wife.

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

"Love? What do you know about love, Nancy? You will get to love Charles with time, after you both become married as husband and wife. That was how your mother and I got married, and up till date, we are still a couple. What if you sit here waiting for the man that you will love first, and he doesn't love you too, while you end up loving him alone?"

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

"No, Father! I cannot marry him!" Nancy screamed out, bursting out crying. She couldn't believe that her father really wanted her to marry Charles by force.

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