First Choice

Liana POV 

When my stepfather died two weeks again, I had to move back in with my mom and one day she called me into her room for a quick lunch.

“Liana, you know I'm too old to start over again and find another husband.”

“You aren’t that old, Mother and you don’t even need to get married again. It’s fine to be on your own.” There was no reason to be scared of independence because I know once she had a bit of it, she’d probably enjoy it.

“I’m glad you feel that way. I’ve paid my dues now…”

She set down her fork and folded her hands under her chin, giving me a pointed stare like she was about to say something I won't like.

“We can’t survive like this much longer, you know I’ve married two men that I didn’t love for this family and I have made enough sacrifices that I’m exonerated from further responsibility. Now it’s your turn.”

“My turn to what?”

“Marry.”

My fork was stabbed into the chicken breast, but I didn’t bring it to my lips as my fingers gripped the metal with frozen stillness.

“We need a powerful man to protect us. At my age, I won’t be able to attract anyone of substance. I was lucky I find your stepfather after your father passed away and I won’t get so lucky a third time but you…you could have any man you want.”

Why had I expected my mother to drop this? “I’m not marrying, I refuse.”

“You refuse?” she asked, her voice cold and calculating. “How long do you think it’ll be before those mafia guys runs us out of our own hotel?

How long will it be before a powerful man squeezes us out and steals the ground beneath our feet?”

“If you’re so worried about that, you shouldn’t have done business with those killers in the first place.”

“That was your father’s decision, not mine and arguing about the past won’t change our present. We both need you to do this to survive.” She dropped her hands and but her cold stare remained. “There’s no other way.”

“I’ve been doing my best to run the company. I'm the one there and not you.”

“That’s not what I heard.”

“From whom?” I snapped.

“The board doesn’t respect you and it won’t be long until the men walk all over you.  I just want you to understand the situation of things.”

I let the fork fall onto my plate with a clatter. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“No, I’m not. I’ve lost two husbands, and I don’t want to lose my daughter too.”

“Then let’s sell the hotels because I’d rather lose my inheritance than be forced into marriage.”

“And then what?” she asked. “You think we’ll be safe? We’re still accomplices of the men who use our hotel. If their enemies see us as easy targets, they’ll punish us for sport and I know you ..  ...you won’t walk away from the business. So, either you marry…or we run.”

I shook my head. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I wish I were.”

“How can you expect me to just marry some random guy?”

“I did it twice and It’s not so bad.”

“Being beaten isn’t so bad?” I asked incredulously.

“It wasn’t always bad. There were a lot of good times and most of all…I had you. You’re the light of my life, Liana and I know I don’t say it enough, but you’re everything to me because never did I imagine I would have the most beautiful daughter in the world.”

It was hard to stay mad at her when she said something so sweet.

“I know this isn’t what you want and I know you deserve better but this is the world we live in. You need to marry the right man to ensure a long and prosperous future for us. You can run the business under his protection, and no one will ever touch you.”

“How can I be happy if I’m married to a man I don’t love?”

“Maybe you’ll love him someday. I did love both of my husbands…just not in a romantic way. We became friends and partner but that companionship is much better than a lustful relationship that runs off emotion rather than logic. I think you’ll like it more than you realize then you can make your relationship what you want it to be. Your father had his mistresses, and I was perfectly okay with it.”

That was gross. “Your stepfather however didn’t because he didn’t have the same kind of sexual appetite…and all men are actually different.”

I didn’t want to fall in love and get married anyway, so this seemed like a decent alternative but I also didn’t want to be the property of someone else, to be ordered around like a slave rather than a person.

“Liana…you need to do this.”

I sighed quietly. “Please.”

I wanted to run our family business more than anything, and I understood my mother’s unease about the lack of protection because I also saw the way men dismissed me like I was stupid and they could really kill me if I continue to disobey them.

“I don’t even know how we would do this. I mean, would we just send out a memo to rich dudes and tell them I’m looking for a husband? What would they get out of that?”

“For one, rich men all the want the same thing....a trophy wife. They want a beautiful woman who will give them beautiful children. You’re are stunning, Liana and even by model standards, you’re flawless.”

“Well…thanks.”

“Second, you don’t need to worry about finding a husband because I already have someone in mind.”

This just became real. “I won’t marry someone if they’re over ten years older than me, I’m not doing it.”

“He’s not and he’s very handsome too.”

“Who is it?”

She smiled before she spoke, as if I would like the person she’d picked out. “Adrian Knight.”