4. They Knew

"It’s an honour to have you here, Mr. King," Uncle Matthew’s voice echoed through the hall, but I stopped dead in my tracks.

Mr. King walked onto the stage and shook hands with Uncle Matthew while two men closely followed behind him. Brandon’s parents quickly approached to greet him as well, followed by the rest of my family.

"Ony."

I jolted out of my shock when Granny grabbed my arm, and I looked at her. She looked equally shocked, though she carried herself far more calmly than I did.

"He might just be another guest." She said softly. "Don’t think too much about it."

Her words made sense, yet something about the situation felt strange. Why would someone like Mr. King attend a Watson family celebration? The Watson Group was nowhere near the level of the King Corporation, and they weren’t even business partners or family friends. I had never seen any connection between the two companies or their families.

So what had changed?

Something told me it had something to do with the scandal. Had my family somehow struck a deal with him?

Suddenly, I didn’t want to go to the stage anymore. I didn’t have the courage to face that man after what I had done at the bar.

"I don’t want to go," I pleaded with Granny.

She looked at the stage, where nearly every member of my family had gathered around Mr. King like he was royalty himself. What surprised me most was Brandon’s expression. He looked both shocked and uncomfortable.

"Alright," Granny sighed. "We’ll congratulate them later."

Together, we returned to the couch.

A few moments later, Uncle Matthew picked up the microphone once again. "Apologies for the interruption, ladies and gentlemen. As I was saying… please give a warm welcome to our special guest tonight, Mr. Andreas King."

Everyone applauded as if he were a superstar. But that was the effect Andreas King had on people. Wherever he went, attention followed him naturally. He wasn’t just the wealthiest and most powerful businessman in the country, he was impossibly handsome too.

"And as I mentioned earlier, I have another piece of wonderful news tonight… actually, make that two."

Mr. King stood silently beside him, his face unreadable, while Uncle Matthew smiled from ear to ear. What was funny was that Brandon and Nicole were long forgotten, standing off to the side as all the attention shifted to Mr. King. That was the kind of influence he carried.

"We are delighted to announce that Watson Group is going to have the King Corporation as a business partner."

Applause erupted at the announcement.

Just as I had suspected.

"And that is not the only good news." Uncle Matthew continued. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Watson family is a legendary family. We have seen downfall, but we never lost our identity. Our family stood unshaken through every hardship, and we emerged stronger each time. And now, it is a matter of absolute pride that our family is going to form an alliance, in the form of marriage, with the most influential family in Purple City.... My niece, Oindrila Watson, will be married to Mr. Andreas King."

It took me a few seconds to process his words. And when I finally realized what had been said, I felt as though my brain had stopped functioning.

What?

What did he just say?

What did he mean by that?

The entire hall fell into stunned silence before whispers exploded among the guests.

"Oindrila, dear, please come to the stage." Uncle Matthew said, but I was too stunned to move.

"Ony," Granny called as she held my arm. "Come."

Like someone trapped in a daze, I allowed her to guide me towards the stage. My body felt numb, unable to understand whether this was reality or some bizarre dream. But I soon realized it was real when I found myself standing beside Mr. King while Uncle Matthew continued announcing something I could no longer pay attention to.

"I need to talk," I muttered finally, staring at my uncle. Then I turned around and left the stage. I headed to my room without glancing back to see if anyone was following me or not.

***

"How could you arrange my marriage without even asking me first?" I yelled as tears rolled down my cheeks.

Granny pulled me into her arms as she sat beside me on the bed. Uncle Matthew and Aunt Pamela sat on the couch across from us.

It had been a few moments since I stormed off the stage and locked myself in my room to confront my so-called family who had announced my engagement without my knowledge.

"What exactly you expect us to do after the scandal you created?" Aunt Pamela spoke up sharply.

"Pamela, you have no right to decide her future without her consent," Granny said firmly.

"Oh, please." Aunt Pamela rolled her eyes. "You should be thanking my husband for finding such a rich husband for her… otherwise…" Her eyes traveled over me with pure disdain like I was something filthy. "You’re lucky he agreed to marry you despite you being a bastard."

"Pamela," Granny warned in a cold voice, but Aunt Pamela didn’t look intimidated at all.

"I will not marry him," I said firmly.

"What did you just say?" Uncle Matthew roared.

I looked straight into his eyes. "I said I will not marry Andreas King."

In an instant, he rose from his seat and stormed toward me.

"Listen, girl," he snapped. "I’ve tolerated enough of your drama already. The stunt you pulled has caused this family more trouble than you can imagine. I should throw you out of this house right now."

"Matthew, she’s my granddaughter. No one has the right to throw her out of my house," Granny warned, but he ignored her completely.

"Your house?" Aunt Pamela scoffed. "After your husband’s death, it was my husband who carried this company on his shoulders through his hard work. You two sit at home and enjoy this luxurious lifestyle because of him. This mansion runs on the money my husband earns day and night, and you still call it your house?"

"Don’t forget Gerald was the one who built this company from scratch...."

"But he's not here anymore," Aunt Pamela cut her off immediately. "If my husband wasn’t here... if none of us were here... you two would be living on the streets by now." She pointed a finger directly at Granny. "Don’t forget that."

"How dare you speak to me like that.."

"Enough!" Uncle Matthew shouted before turning towards Granny, his tone softening slightly. "Aunt Merida, we’re only thinking about Oindrila’s future. Mr. King already helped us erase the scandal, but its effects won’t disappear so easily. Think about it. The moment Oindrila steps outside this mansion, people will mock her everywhere she goes."

I stared at him in horror as I realized he was trying to emotionally pressure Granny into agreeing. I immediately looked towards her and saw uncertainty flickering across her face.

No. Please don’t agree.

"Mr. King has been generous enough not to hold Oindrila responsible or take action against us," Uncle Matthew continued. "Instead, he offered us a business deal along with this marriage alliance. Even if you searched for years, you wouldn’t find a man like Mr. King for Oindrila. This marriage will secure her future."

"But I don’t want to marry him," I protested again desperately.

"You’re emotional right now," he replied calmly. "Take some time to think. Eventually, you’ll realize this is the best decision for you."

I shook my head.

"Oinny," Granny called softly. "I think you should give it some time. Honestly, I also believe this might be good for you."

"But Granny..."

"Shhh…" she soothed. "Even after thinking everything through, if you still don’t want to marry him, then no one will force you. I’ll stand by your side no matter what."

Her words calmed me a little. Across the room, Uncle Matthew and Aunt Pamela exchanged a brief look.

"Aunt, we still have a family photo to take. Let Ony rest for a while," Uncle Matthew said. "I also need to introduce you to Mr. King."

"Alright." Granny turned towards me again. "You’re exhausted, dear. Get some rest. I’ll be right outside."

"Okay," I whispered with a nod. Honestly, I needed a moment alone to breathe.

Uncle Matthew guided Granny out of the room while Aunt Pamela followed behind them. But just when I thought she was leaving as well, she suddenly shut the door and turned towards me.

I frowned instantly. "I want to be alone,"

"Of course." She scoffed in disgust. "As if I’d willingly spend time with you."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. What did she want now?

"Listen carefully, girl," she gritted her teeth. "I’m only going to say this once... Agree to this marriage without creating any drama."

"It will be my decision, Aunt. I..."

"Do you still think Brandon will come back to you?" she cut me off, and I froze.

"You bitch. He’s engaged to Nicole now. She is carrying his child, and his parents have always hated you. So stop dreaming that he’ll ever leave her for you."

My eyes widened in shock. "How…?"

"I’ve known about your relationship from the very beginning," she replied with a sneer.

Her words struck me hard, leaving me speechless. I stared at her as though I were seeing her for the very first time.

"And don’t even think about trying to seduce him again," she warned. "Marry Mr. King as soon as possible or.... I’ll make your and your precious Granny’s life.... a living hell." she said through gritted teeth.

With one final threatening glare, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.