CHAPTER 4

"No, Father!" Nancy screams as her father opens her room door and exits her bedroom.

She turns to her mother and begs, "Please, Mom, talk to Dad. I cannot marry that man. I cannot marry Charles."

Mrs. Olivia sighs and walks to the bed to join her daughter, still holding the bouquet of roses Charles gave her.

She says, "I'm sorry, Nancy. I wish I could speak to your father about this. But you know he works under the AJ Political Party group. Even though he doesn't like Charles or approve of him as your husband, he cannot say no. We hoped for a promotion in his rank, which is why he sent your photos to them..."

"Mom..." Nancy stares at her mother's face in shock, tears filling her eyes. She remembers the day her mother called her in City X while she was cooking.

Her mother had asked for photos, saying she wanted to use them, since Nancy rarely takes selfies or posts online.

Nancy didn't know the true intention was to send the photos to the Alejandro family. If she had known, she would have sent an ugly photo instead.

Nancy asks, "Why, Mom? Why did you hide it from me? Why didn't you tell me you wanted to send my photo to the Alejandro family's son? I could have sent an ugly one, and Charles wouldn't have chosen me."

Nancy cries harder, standing by her window, hurt that her parents want to trade her off to Charles.

She thinks about how to escape him now—she doesn't want to marry him, and his family rules the city, which names the country.

Mrs. Olivia apologizes, "I'm sorry, Nancy. I didn't mean to make you sad."

Nancy walks from the window to the bed, sits, and cries. Her mother approaches and sits beside her.

Nancy begs, "Please, Mom, I have to escape this marriage. Dad can't call it off, and I don't want to marry Charles. Didn't you see how he stared at me? With lust in his eyes—I couldn't even meet his gaze. He looks like a pervert, Mom. I cannot marry a man who lusts after everything under a skirt."

Mrs. Olivia laughs. "Hahaha, no, Nancy. Don't say that. I believe Charles chose you because he truly loves you and wants to marry you."

"No, Mom," Nancy disagrees, but her mother picks up the bouquet from the bed, hugs Nancy close, pets her to stop crying, and says, "It's okay, my daughter. Stop crying. It's because you're beautiful that Charles stared at you like that. He chose to marry you because he likes you. Your father wanted a promotion, which is why he submitted your photo. Among all the rejected ones, Charles still chose yours."

"No, Mom, I don't want Charles Alejandro. I want to marry a simple man who will love only me, not a powerful one like Charles." Nancy cries harder, and her mother comforts her.

"See, Charles even brought these beautiful flowers to show how much he loves you and wants to marry you. Please stop crying, my angel. I don't like seeing you like this. I wish I could help talk to your father, but even after you ran upstairs, Charles didn't get angry or reject the marriage.

That shows he truly loves you and wants you as his wife. That's why he chose you—we haven't seen him here before, only after your return from City X."

"No, Mom! I don't want Charles! And who told him I'm back? Did you and Father rush to call him?" Nancy asks, pulling away from the embrace and standing to face her mother.

Mrs. Olivia frowns and replies, "No, Nancy. We haven't seen Charles here before, since last month when he chose your photo. I'm shocked he came today—I don't know who informed him of your return. Maybe he was eager to see you and meet your pretty face."

"No, Mom..." Nancy says, and her mother stands and approaches her.

"It's okay, my beautiful angel. Stop crying. Your father is right—love grows with time. Give Charles a chance to get to know him. Being the president's son isn't easy; the title can ruin his reputation and make people judge him wrongly. He might be a nice man, and you won't know because he's the president's son. Stop listening to online gossip about him. Get to know him first before concluding. Come, let's go downstairs for dinner—it's getting late."

Mrs. Olivia gently pulls Nancy to follow her downstairs to the dining room. Nancy sighs, with no other option, and silently follows.

She knows she can't protest now. In the dining room, Nancy is nervous—the young maids saw her reaction to Charles earlier. She sits on her usual chair, shifts closer to the table, famished.

Her father steps out of his private office and joins them for dinner, his face strict—he isn't ready to beg Nancy yet.

Nancy sighs and eats her dinner with her parents, very hungry, thinking of how to escape Charles's clutches.

After dinner, Nancy stands, thanks her parents, and retires upstairs to her bedroom.

She paces in her bedroom after closing the door, knowing the wedding is in two days.

"Two days. How do I escape this marriage? How do I escape Charles?" Nancy asks herself, stopping her pacing. "I really cannot marry that man. Mom and Dad cannot do this to me. I need to escape, but how?"

Nancy sits on her bed, picks up her mobile phone, and checks for the next flight to City X.

"The next flight is tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. I need to be ready and find an excuse to get there in time before I miss it."

Nancy smiles, purchases the return ticket to City X, and thinks about escaping her family.

"No, I really cannot marry that man, so I must leave." Nancy stands, goes to the washroom to ease herself, then returns to bed to sleep.

She climbs into bed, lies peacefully, closes her eyes, and sleeps.

****

Charles Alejandro arrives home late at night—his car faces some hold-ups on the city's major roads. He still lives in the heart of the city with his parents, in the presidential white villa.

Charles steps out of his car and walks toward the mansion's frontage—a powerful two-story building with plenty of bodyguards guarding the premises.

The mansion is dead silent, the premises neat and exuding excellence.

Charles enters the living room and heads toward the staircase to retire to his top-floor bedroom.

But his mother steps out of the kitchen door and smiles at him as she sees him about to climb the stairs.

She calls him back. "Charles... Did you meet your chosen bride today?"

"Mom," Charles turns to face her, smiles, and walks back to meet her. He didn't see her when he first entered.

He wonders who told his mother he went to see his bride—his parents monitor him closely, even without his knowledge.

Charles smiles and approaches. She asks, "Charles... Isn't she the one? I can see you're smiling, my son. Isn't she the one from the photo?"