003: We were just Discussing your Marriage

For the next two days, things were going rather smoothly. Or at least they seemed to be returning back to normal. 

Ayla had managed to get her old man looking after his own diet while taking care of the things back at the company headquarters. She herself ended up getting twined in the mess of her university. Her sessionals were just around the corner, and there was a lot left of the syllabus for her to cover. 

With her attention diverted away from her abode, she failed to see the storm which was brewing in the depths of its tranquility. 

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Four days before the celebratory party…

"I am home." Ayla made her way into the entrance hall, announcing her arrival at the mansion. To say that she was tired out already by the day's ordeal would be an understatement. She was beyond burnt-out. 

Her steps were brought to a sudden halt when her eyes landed on a familiar figure standing right beside her father. 

"Grandpa?" She frowned in confusion as she voiced out her doubts. What's he doing here? She could only wonder to herself.

"My lovely granddaughter!" 

Contrary to how she was expecting, she was greeted with a rather cheerful tone which only added more to her troubled mind. 

"Good afternoon to you as well." She managed to come up with a reply as she began to make her way across the hall. Her eyes briefly shifted to her father who was already staring back at her with a puzzled look on his face. 

"You have grown up into such a fine young lady. I can't believe it's really you." Her grandfather took a step forward in her direction and engulfed her in a bear hug. "You look so much like your mother."

Ayla exchanged another look with her father, asking him to explain what was going on there with a silent glance. With every ticking second, her confusion was only growing. 

There were so many questions running through her mind, every last one of them irking her more than the first. But for now, she chose to hug the old man back with hopes that he would let go of her soon enough. 

It wasn't that she hated him, but she was not fond of the old man either. How could she share any kind of bond with him when he was never there for her throughout her childhood? 

From what she recalled, he had never been there for her or for her father in times of need. All he did was divide the business he inherited from her father amongst his three sons, handing over to them a different sector each. Besides that, she couldn't think of anything that her grandfather had done for any of his sons. He didn't even bother to show up for her mother's funeral. 

"Shall we sit down and continue with our talk?" 

Her thoughts were interrupted by his sudden inquiry, adding more to her troubled mind. 

"I don't see why not, grandpa." She forced herself to smile at the old man. "Though I'll have to take my leave as of now. I only got back from college." There was no way she was going to spend time with them without changing into some casual clothes. To her, nothing felt better than wearing some sweats. If only she could wear it to her college as well.

"Yes, yes. You must go and freshen up first, my child. But do come to see me once you are done. We will have our lunch together. There's something I need to discuss with you." He gave a nod or two in return, dismissing her for the moment. 

Ayla could only smile in response before making her way to the staircase which led to the first floor. She wanted to ask her father about what it was all about, but chose to save it for later. First things first, she really needed a hot water bath to wash off the day's tiredness before she could fill her stomach with some food.

Ayla made her way to her room in haste, shrugging off the weird feeling that was nagging her to find more about her grandfather's sudden visit. 

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Half an hour later.

Dressed in a baggy shirt paired with a pair of dolphin shorts, Ayla made her way to the dining hall. She took her own good time in deciding her outfit. At first, she was a bit hesitant about choosing something a little too casual for herself, but decided to go with it anyway. There was no need for her to concern herself with what her grandfather might have to say about it. 

What's the point of taking his feelings into account when he was nothing more than a familiar face to her?

"I hope that I didn't keep you waiting for long." She stepped inside the dining hall with a small nod. There was a small smile resting on her face, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. She was someone with a delightful nature. Unless something, or someone, was bothering her, she chose to stay jolly. 

"It's alright, my child." His grandfather spoke up, giving her a small smile in return. "Now that you are here, we can talk about it." He added, leaning back against his chair. His eyes were set on her face, narrowed down, as he contemplated where to begin. 

"What's going on?" She could sense that something was definitely wrong. The grave look on her father's face was enough to tick her brain off. 

"Father, I suggest you stop." He spoke up. "There's no way I am letting you do this." He brought his palms to rest on the table. 

Ayla could clearly tell now that something serious had gone down in between the two men in her absence. Even though her father wasn't of the old man, he neither held hostility towards him. But the same couldn't be said about his behaviour at the moment.

"Why not? This is going to benefit you the most." The old man shrugged rather casually. "I am sure Ayla wouldn't mind either. She's going to settle in just perfectly fine." 

"What are you two talking about?" Ayla refused to stand by the side silently for another second. She wanted to know what was cooking in between the two men. But never had she expected to get such an answer.

"Nothing much, my child." The old man shifted his attention to her. "We were just discussing your marriage."