Chapter 1.

The dining room was filled with the warm aroma of roasted chicken and steaming vegetables. Laughter and banter echoed off the walls as the family savored their hearty dinner, but amidst this warmth, Emily sat quietly, a half-hearted smile on her lips as she engaged with her social media page on her tablet. Lost in her online world, she barely noticed when the lively chatter began to fade, replaced by hushed whispers that filled the air with palpable tension. 

Finally sensing the shift, Emily looked up, scanning her family's expressions for clues, but finding only apprehension. "What's with the sudden silence?" she asked, a hint of confusion in her tone. 

Her father, Charles Green, cleared his throat, his voice booming across the table. "We need to discuss something important, Emily. Your mother and I have been talking..." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her.

Emily felt a knot form in her stomach. She exchanged a nervous glance with her mother, who looked away, her expression sympathetic but helpless. Her mother's hands were clasped tightly in her lap, a subtle sign of her own anxiety.

"Yes, Father?" Emily prompted, trying to sound calm despite the growing unease inside her. She straightened her back, her hands folding in her lap.

"You know Alex Walker, the son of our most loyal business partner, Shane Walker. He has been asking about you," her father began, his tone firm but with an underlying note of expectation. "We've discussed this before, and we've decided it's time for you to settle down. Alex is a good man, from a good family. We'd like you to marry him."

Emily felt her heart sink. She'd been dreading this conversation, hoping her parents would understand her reluctance. She glanced at her mother again, searching for some sign of support, but her mother's gaze remained fixed on her plate. She glanced at her siblings who didn't even bother to lift their heads. 

"Dad, I..." she started to protest, but her father raised his hand, silencing her.

"Here's the deal," he continued, his voice unwavering. "You have two days to bring home a man of your choice. If you can't find someone suitable, you'll marry Alex. No arguments, no excuses. This is non-negotiable."

The room fell silent, the only sound the clinking of utensils against plates and the soft hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. Emily felt her world spinning out of control. Two days? Bring home a man? The thought was daunting, and the pressure was suffocating.

Charles's eyes bored into hers, daring her to defy him, and Emily knew that look. It was the same one he'd given her when she was a child and had disobeyed him. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she realized the gravity of the situation.

"Do I make myself clear?" Charles asked, his voice low and commanding.

Emily swallowed hard, her mind racing with thoughts of escape, of rebellion, of desperation. She nodded slowly, the weight of her decision settling heavily on her shoulders.

"Yes, Dad," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You make yourself clear."

Emily pushed her food around her plate, her appetite nonexistent as she stood up to leave the table. 

"Where are you going?" Her mother, Sophia, finally spoke.

"To bed," Emily replied, her tone flat. "Thanks to you all I got full quickly," she added, turning on her heel and left the dinning room. 

Getting into her bedroom, Emily paced around in panic, her mind racing with thoughts on how to outsmart her father's plan. Left with only one option, she took her phone and dialed a number, her fiance's number; Daryl Blackwood.

On the third ring, he picked up. "Hey, darling," came a rich deep voice from the other end of the line.

"When will you return? You have to come quickly, there's trouble." She rushed her words, her voice tight with panic.

"Whoa! Calm down, darling." he said, trying to ease her off the tension. "What's the trouble?" He asked.

"My parents are gonna marry me off to someone if I don't bring home a man in two days," she replied.

"Wow, that's... that's serious. So what do you plan to do?" He said.

"We have to get married tomorrow," she answered with urgency in her tone.

"Tomorrow?" Daryl said, dissatisfaction clear in his tone. "Darling, we agreed that we'll get married  in two months after I..."

"It's tomorrow or never, Daryl!" She interjected.

Daryl sighed, sensing the weight of her situation. Although hesitant, he agreed. "Fine, we'll do it your way." 

"Good. So when will you return?" She asked. He had been away for a business trip. 

"I'll take first flight to Florida tomorrow morning." He answered and she breathed in relief.

"Great. See you at the Marriage Registry tomorrow," she said.

"Yeah, see you there," he responded. "I love you," he added.

Emily felt her heart swell at those three words. She always felt fulfilled hearing them from him. "I love you too," she smiled and ended the call. 

She sank to her bed, relief washing over her as she awaited the happiest day of her life which was tomorrow, the day she would officially become his. 

The night rolled fast and morning broke in. Emily grabbed her phone the moment she woke up, putting a call through to Daryl but he didn't pick up. She called countless times and received no response. Concluding that he was probably busy, she decided to send a text instead. "Let's meet at the Registry by 12 noon."

Dropping the text, she picked up her tablet, sauntering over to her social media pages. As a famous brand influencer and content creator, there was always a jam of traffic on her pages and she enjoyed it. Just as she replied her fans and followers, a knock came on her bedroom door. 

"Come in," she said and the door opened, her younger sister, Erica entering.

"Hey, sis." Erica plumped on Emily's bed. 

"Hi," Emily responded dryly. 

"You didn't come down for breakfast." Erica said.

"I'm just waking up, and I'm not interested in having breakfast with anyone." Emily replied, her eyes fixed on her tablet. 

Erica sighed, "you're still upset about last night right?" She asked but Emily was quiet. 

"Believe me, sis, we tried to talk Dad out of it, but you know Dad. He's..." Erica trailed off.

"I know." Emily interjected. 

Erica sighed again, watching her sister who didn't bat an eyelid away from her tablet. "Just don't beat yourself to hard on it, take care." Erica advised.

"Thanks," Emily replied and Erica left, leaving her to her space. 

After passing out time by engaging in her pages, Emily finally got out of her bed, noon almost settling in. With a warm bath, she slid into a simple yet elegant dress, styled her hair into a bun and with a touch of make-up and her jewelries on, she slid into a pair of heels, ready for the task ahead. Having a quick brunch, she set out to the Marriage Registry. 

Arriving there at 12 noon sharp, she called Daryl and still there was no response from him. As she was about sending another text to him, a black SUV drove into the parking lot, parking right beside her car. Seeing the young man who stepped out of the car, she rushed over, throwing herself on him in a warm hug. She had no idea it wasn't her dear Daryl, it was his identical twin brother, Dylan Blackwood.