“Alice ran off to Italy immediately after she heard that,” Maya said, and they all laughed except Alice, who didn’t find it funny.
“It was not funny.”
“I love your tricky and smart move, though-marrying off your cousin instead of you,” Dani applauded.
“You should have just declined the offer,” Thalia suggested.
“I can’t. My father’s corporation needs every support and connection it can get right now for his project. That’s the main reason I’m attending this event. We’re about to get into some trouble.”
“Going broke?”
“Never,” she replied firmly. “I just need some hands to push the project forward.”
“You already have Victor,” Maya pointed out.
“Not enough.”
“Not enough?”
“The project is worth trillions. It’s international-construction, resorts, and planes. The budget is enormous, and we need investors.”
“Then you’ll need billionaires’ connections,” Thalia said.
“I know, right?”
“But would it be easy? The best way is to marry one of them. And right now, there are five invisible billionaires, the richest elites in the United States. How will you marry one of them when you’re secretly dating Ramses?” Thalia asked.
“I even forgot about him,” Maya said, recalling.
“Forget about him. He’s just a millionaire. I’ll deal with him later. So, tell me, who are the five invisible ones?”
“Okay, number one and two are older-enough to be your father, if not your grandfather…”
“Enough. Next,” Alice interrupted. She didn’t have time for stories. These were a no-go for her; she was too young and beautiful to marry someone who would soon die.
“Number five is married, and number four is engaged…”
Alice groaned, relaxing back in her chair. “And the third one?”
“You don’t want to know unless you’re willing to go for numbers six to ten.”
“I need the top five. Who is number three?”
“Number three is Christian Charles.”
“Christian Charles?” the three of them said in unison.
“Yes, Christian Charles, the one rumored to be an imbecile.”
“Ewww…” Alice’s face contorted in disgust. “Me? To that guy who drools everywhere? Over my dead body.”
“They’re just rumors,” Thalia tried to convince her.
“Rumors? Have you seen him before? He hardly ever attends public gatherings. And do you even see him here? His mother was once interviewed, and they asked her if the rumors were true. Do you know what her answer was? She said-and I quote-‘Aren’t disabled humans still humans?’”
Alice scoffed, rolling her eyes in disbelief. “She’s right though. Aren’t they humans?”
Thalia glared at Alice, already getting pissed.
“Never said they’re animals, but it’s not for me. Why isn’t he married then?” Alice said, crossing her legs.
“Honestly, I’m curious about who you’re going to end up with.”
Alice turned slowly toward Thalia, her eyes mocking her, letting her know she was nothing to her. “I’m going to end up with someone greater than your father.”
Dani and Maya could feel the tension in the air. They knew Alice and Thalia weren’t close, and Thalia didn’t particularly like her. Anytime they had an issue, it was better not to interfere.
“We’ll see,” Thalia smirked.
“Isn’t that your bride-to-be?” Klaus nudged a smiling Victor.
“Of course, isn’t she beautiful?”
“Of course, Alice is a very beautiful woman.”
Victor gave him a side-eye, causing Klaus to laugh.
“Calm down, dude, she’s not my type.”
“Of course, she’s too expensive for you.”
“Ouch! That’s rude.”
“That’s the truth.”
“Anyways,” Victor dismissed the comment, “why isn’t she coming to meet you?”
“Can’t you see?”
“That?”
“She’s shy,” Victor grinned as he said that.
“She’s shy?” Klaus laughed. “Man, look at the way you’re blushing. Are you sure she’s shy, or is she avoiding you?”
“Of course not. You should see the way we kept making eye contact.”
“I didn’t see that. She’s barely looking over here.”
“You know nothing about women.”
“That’s true, innocent me,” Klaus said, feeling proud of himself, while Victor eyed him.
“But wait, something comes to mind. What if she ends up not marrying you?”
“That’s not possible. Her family agreed to give me their daughter, and they only have one daughter, which is her, so…”
“But I still feel like you should have asked and confirmed.”
“You think too much, Klaus,” Victor said, finally turning to his best friend.
“There’s no ‘if’ about me marrying her. She can never get away from me. I’ll move mountains, hunt her down, stalk her, and kill anyone who lays a finger on her. She has to be mine, mine only. And in the next two days, she will be mine. Even heaven approves of it.” He grinned from ear to ear at the thought of marrying her and having her all to himself. The thought made him feel on top of the world, while his friend shook his head in pity at how obsessed his friend was with a woman.
It was finally the day. Clarisse quickly completed her chores so she could get ready for the wedding. She woke up as early as possible, and with the help of her colleagues, she was able to finish her tasks early. They also helped her pack the few belongings she had.
She was feeling so excited-finally breaking free from the prison called home and from Patricia’s claws. Happy and bright days seemed to be smiling at her. She closed her eyes as she felt the makeup brush dance on her face.
“Dad, Mum,” she called out in her mind. “I thought you had forsaken me. I’m sorry for thinking you hated me. I know you’re watching over me right now. Your daughter is about to get married. I’m finally leaving this dungeon. I don’t know what my future holds, but I believe I’m finally going to have a reason to smile, to sleep deeply, and to rest. And I hope my husband is handsome.” She giggled in her mind, causing herself to smile.
Patricia scoffed upon seeing her smile. “Can you hurry up with the makeup? Just put some balm on her and let’s go. It’s not like she’s some princess,” she hissed, walking away.
Clarisse heard what she said, but it didn’t affect her. It was nothing compared to the things Patricia said to her every day.
“You look beautiful,” the makeup artist said, trying to cheer her up and distract her from what the madam had said.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.