CHAPTER 2

AMARA

I barely slept that night. I spent most of the night lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, trying to understand how my father could make such an important decision without even asking me if I was willing to do it. Every time I tried to convince myself that he might change his mind in the morning, I remembered the way he had looked at me at the dinner table when he told me that I would take Selene's place.

By morning, I had no appetite. I stayed in my room with the curtains half-open, still wearing the loose shirt I had slept in. My laptop was on the desk, but I had not touched it. The design I had been working on yesterday was still open on the screen, and normally I would have already been working on it, but I could not bring myself to care about it that morning.

There was a knock on my door, and before I could answer, my father opened it and walked inside. He looked at me for a moment before coming closer to the bed.

“You're still in bed. I asked the maid to bring your breakfast here because she said you didn't come downstairs. You should at least eat something, Amara. I know you're upset about last night, but staying in your room and refusing to eat isn't going to change anything.”

I turned toward him and pulled the blanket closer to myself.

“I don't feel like eating, Dad. I just want to stay here for a while. I didn't sleep much, and I don't think I can sit at the breakfast table and pretend everything is normal when you just told me that I'm supposed to marry someone I barely know.”

My father sat on the edge of the bed and looked at me.

“I know this is sudden, and I know you weren't expecting it, but I want you to understand that I'm not asking you to do this because I don't care about you. I'm actually thinking about your future. Tristan is a good man, and his family is one of the most respected families we could possibly be connected to. You will have a stable life, and your position in the family will also be secure.”

I turned to him and stared at his face.

“Why do you keep talking about my position in the family as if I'm some employee who needs to be assigned somewhere? I'm your daughter. You could have asked me what I wanted before deciding that I should marry someone just because his family can help our business.”

“I'm not treating you like an employee.”

“It feels like you are.”

“Amara, you know that isn't what I mean. I'm trying to explain why I believe this is a good opportunity for you. You're already twenty-four, you have your own company, and you've been trying to build everything by yourself. I understand that you want independence, but there is nothing wrong with having a husband who can give you stability. Tristan isn't some irresponsible young man who doesn't know what he wants to do with his life.”

I sat up and looked at him more directly.

“But what if I don't want him? What if I don't want to get married right now? What if I want to continue working on my company and live my own life for a few more years before thinking about marriage? Did any of that matter when you made this decision?”

My father rubbed his hands together and took a breath before answering.

“I knew you were going to say that, but you also need to understand that this isn't only about what you want right now. Sometimes we have to make decisions based on what will be better for us in the long run.”

“That is exactly what you always say when you want me to do something I don't want to do.”

“I am your father.”

“And I'm still your daughter.”

He looked at me for a few seconds, and I could feel myself becoming more emotional.

“Dad, can I ask you something honestly? Since when did everything become about what is good for the family instead of what is good for me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I'm talking about Selene.”

His expression immediately changed.

“What does Selene have to do with this?”

“Everything.”

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand before continuing.

“Ever since you married Sarah, it feels like you always choose Selene first. Whenever she wants something, you find a way to give it to her. When she makes a mistake, you find an excuse for her. When I disagree with her, you tell me that I should be more understanding because she is part of the family. When I started my design company, you told me that I was wasting my time, but when Selene wanted to start something, you offered to help her immediately. Even yesterday, she was the one who suggested that I marry Tristan, and instead of telling her that she was being unreasonable, you actually agreed with her.”

“Amara, that's not fair. I have never treated you differently because of Selene.”

I looked at him and gave a small, disbelieving shake of my head.

“You really believe that?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then maybe you haven't noticed it because you're the one doing it.”

My father leaned back slightly.

“I have tried to give both of you the same opportunities.”

“You didn't give us the same opportunities, Dad. You gave Selene your attention, and you gave me responsibilities. There is a difference.”

“That is not true.”

“It is true. You can ask anyone in this house. You always look for Selene when something happens. You ask if she has eaten, if she's feeling well, if she needs anything, if she's happy with something. When was the last time you asked me any of those things?”

My father opened his mouth, but he did not answer immediately. I continued before he could change the subject.

“I know Selene isn't responsible for everything. I know she didn't ask you to stop caring about me, and I don't blame her for being your favorite because she didn't force you to choose her. But you cannot sit there and tell me that nothing changed after she and Sarah came into this house. It changed almost immediately.”

“You were still young when your mother died, and I was trying to keep this family together.”

“You were only alone for a year, Dad.”

He looked at me.

I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks now, but I kept talking because I had held these things inside for years.

“Mom had only been gone for a year when you married Sarah. I was still trying to get used to waking up in a house where she wasn't there anymore, and then suddenly another woman was living here with her daughter. I didn't complain because I knew you were lonely, and I thought maybe having them here would make you happy. But I never expected that, after everything, I would be the one who would start feeling like a guest in my own home.”

“Amara, I never wanted you to feel that way.”

“But I did.”

“I didn't know.”

“You didn't ask.”

My father looked down at the floor.

“I should have.”

The answer surprised me because I had expected him to argue again. He turned back to me.

“I am sorry if I made you feel that way. I should have paid more attention to you. I know I wasn't always there after your mother died, and I know I spent too much time working because I didn't know how else to deal with everything. When Sarah and Selene came into our lives, I thought things were finally becoming normal again. I thought having a family around me would make things easier for everyone, and I didn't realize that you were feeling pushed aside.”

I looked away.

“It's been years, Dad.”

“I know.”

“And now you're asking me to marry Tristan because Selene doesn't want him.”

“That isn't how I see it.”

“But that's what happened.”

My father sighed.

“Selene refusing doesn't mean I'm throwing you into this because she doesn't want to do it. I believe Tristan is a good man, and I believe the marriage can work.”

“You don't know that.”

“I know his family. I know his reputation. I've met him several times, and I've worked with his father for years.”

“You've worked with his father. That doesn't mean you know what kind of husband Tristan will be.”

“That is something you will have to discover.”

I stared at him for a moment.

“You're really asking me to marry a stranger.”

“I am asking you to consider it.”

“You already told me last night that I would take her place.”

My father became quiet.

I pulled my knees closer to myself and looked down at the blanket.

“I don't even know if Tristan knows about this.”

“He doesn't.”

I slowly looked up.

“What?”

“Tristan doesn't know that Selene refused. He also doesn't know that we're considering you instead.”

I stared at him.

“So you're planning to tell him that I'm the woman he's supposed to marry?”

“Yes.”

“And what if he refuses?”

My father hesitated before answering.

“Then we will deal with that when it happens.”

I let out a quiet breath and looked down again.

“So I don't even know if the man I'm supposed to marry wants to marry me.”

“Amara, I know this isn't easy.”

“No, Dad. It isn't.”

He reached for my hand, but I hesitated before allowing him to hold it.

“You've always been a good daughter,” he said quietly. “You have never caused me serious problems, and you have always tried to understand me even when I made mistakes. I am asking you to trust me this time. I wouldn't ask you to do something if I truly believed it would ruin your life.”

I looked at him through my tears.

“You always say that I'm a good daughter when you need me to agree with you.”

He was silent for a moment.

“I know that probably sounds manipulative, and maybe I deserve to hear that from you, but I am telling you the truth. I am not trying to replace your mother, and I am not trying to replace you with Selene. I made mistakes, and I know that. But I am still your father, and I want what I believe is best for you.”

I lowered my head.

I knew I could keep arguing, but I also knew my father had already made up his mind. If I refused, the entire Bellrose-Westbrook agreement could collapse, and knowing my father, he would probably blame himself, the company, or even me for the consequences.

After several minutes, I finally asked the question I had been avoiding.

“When am I supposed to meet Tristan?”

My father looked relieved that I was at least willing to listen.

“Tonight.”

I closed my eyes for a moment.

“Tonight?”

“Yes. His family has already been informed that there has been a change in the arrangement. I will explain everything to Tristan's father, and you will meet Tristan at dinner.”

I nodded slowly, still looking down at our hands.

My father squeezed my hand gently.

“Thank you for listening to me.”

I did not answer immediately. I was still trying to understand how my life had changed overnight because another woman had simply said no to a marriage.

After a few seconds, I finally nodded.

“I'll meet him.”

My father stood up and adjusted his jacket.

“I knew you would understand.”

I watched him walk toward the door, and before he left, he turned back to me.

“Get some rest. You have a lot to think about today.”

When the door closed behind him, I remained sitting on my bed, staring at the same spot where he had been standing a moment ago. I still did not know what Tristan Westbrook would think when he learned that the woman he was supposed to marry was no longer Selene.

All I knew was that by that evening, I would finally meet the man whose life had suddenly become connected to mine.