Chapter Four

Mariana.

I woke up the next morning and prepared to go to work. I threw on a light pink dress that stopped just above my knees and slipped into a pair of black flats so I could walk comfortably later on. I paired the dress with a black purse. After applying a bit of makeup and lipstick, I was ready to leave.

I heard voices coming from the living room before I could see who they were. I recognized my father's voice among them, but the other two were unfamiliar. I took the stairs one at a time while scrolling through my phone. When I reached the bottom, I turned to walk toward the kitchen but paused when my father called out to me.

"Ah, there you are, cariño," he said.

I blinked and looked up from my phone. A bright smile lit up his face as he looked at me. I turned my gaze away from him and focused on the two men sitting beside him—one younger and the other older. It was clear that they were related.

"Good morning, Father," I greeted in a hoarse voice that sounded awkward. I also greeted the two men politely, still wondering what this was all about.

The way the younger man was looking at me made me uncomfortable, like he was eyeing a piece of candy he couldn't wait to pounce on.

Why did Father call me?

"Mariana, I would like you to meet Sebastiano and his son, Lorenzo." He introduced them with a happy smile.

I forced a polite smile back at them, still confused about what this had to do with me.

"Sebastiano here has come with a great deal this morning, and I couldn't say no to a long-time friend," my father continued. Lorenzo's gaze was still fixed on me, and I hated it.

Look somewhere else.

I wanted to shout in his face but kept my thoughts to myself, mostly because I was at a loss for words.

"You are to be engaged to Lorenzo," my father announced, and everything went silent.

I blinked once, twice, and then again, wondering if I had heard wrong. What was he talking about?

"What?" My voice came out shakily.

I couldn't believe what I had just heard; I didn't want to accept that he just said that to me.

"In case you didn’t understand what your father just said, Mariana," Lorenzo interjected, "you and I are getting married in a month. I was hoping for next week, but I didn't want to rush you."

"Yes, you’ve been without someone by your side for so long, so I thought you two should get married quickly. But Lorenzo, being the perfect gentleman, suggested that we give you a month to process this," my father said, and they all laughed as if it were a joke.

There was nothing funny about this. There was nothing funny about my father arranging my marriage without consulting me.

"I... I..." I struggled to find the right words.

"You don’t have to say anything, cariño. Not yet," Lorenzo said, and our eyes met. The unmistakable warning was there.

He didn't want me to say anything or cause a scene in front of his guests. I would have lashed out at all of them if I could, but I felt paralyzed. I couldn't speak up, and my father would be furious if I refused, so I kept quiet.

I forced a smile and turned away, walking out of the house like a robot.

What the hell?

What just happened?

I walked toward the parking lot without looking back, ignoring Julia's calls about not having breakfast. I just wanted to be far away from there as soon as possible.

"Drive," I said weakly to the driver while trying to catch my breath.

What was going on?

I squeezed my hands between my thighs as the car started. Just get me out of here. I glanced back at the house, my heart racing when I saw Lorenzo—my supposed husband—walking out.

"Do you want me to wait for him, miss?" the driver asked, but I shook my head before he finished his sentence.

I didn’t want to see him or anyone right now.

"Just drive," I told him.

Thankfully, we were able to leave the driveway without Lorenzo catching up with us. The inside of the car felt heavy with silence, and I hated it. I needed to be somewhere busy, somewhere I could think without drowning in my thoughts.

Twenty minutes later, the car pulled up in front of the center. I grabbed my bag, checked my reflection in the mirror one last time, and stepped out.

Daisy was in her office when I walked in. I stared at her and then forced a smile, pretending like nothing had happened. Throughout the day, I acted as if I hadn’t received that shocking news from my father. I went about my work, helping the nurses take care of some babies, and eventually returned home.

He still wasn’t around when I got back, which was a relief. I slipped out of my dress, took a quick bath, and changed into something completely different. I stared at myself in the mirror; my bold makeup and lipstick would betray my intentions for the night.

Since my father had decided to arrange my marriage to a man who looked at women as if they were prizes, I had no choice but to go out and sleep with any man I could find.

I put on my earrings and left my room. On my way out, I bumped into Emilia, and from the look on her face, I could tell she recognized that I looked different.

“Where are you going dressed like that, Mari?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Daisy and I are hanging out tonight,” I texted back and then showed her the message on my phone.

Her eyes lit up. “Can I come?” she asked eagerly.

If it were any other day, I would have agreed to let her tag along, but tonight I was planning to do something bad, so I had to say no.

“It’s just us tonight. Maybe another time,” I replied. She pouted but nodded, understanding.

“Are you going to be back before Father gets home?” she asked again.

My sister had no idea what our father had planned for me; I bet she wouldn’t be this calm if she knew.