HIS FORBIDDEN TEMPTATION

"I am not going to do what you did to my mom," I said, pointing my finger to my father's face as everyone's head shot in my direction. 

"I'm not your pawn that you'd throw in any direction, and it would obey your commands like a puppet you want me to be," I snapped at my father as he sat silently and listened to me. 

"Vanessa, please, I'll talk to dad," Asher came behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder, trying to usher me down.  

"What? What would you say? Would you be able to open your mouth in front of him and ask him to not make me marry that hog's younger son for his own good, huh?" I let go of the spoon as it fell on my plate with a clicking sound and pulled myself off of the chair standing up. I turned around and looked at him, waiting for him to say something, but as usual nothing came out of his mouth. He was always like that, shushing me down and doing whatever dad said because he can not go against him. Obedient son!

"I'm doing it for your own good, Vanessa Blackford. Enough with the senseless bickering, and be careful not to push me into actions we'll both regret," Dad's voice pitched higher as he warned me with those venomous words. 

"I lived my whole life earning this fortune for you all. I always try to benefit from any chance I get so that my children can live the life they deserve," I scoffed at his effort to emotionally trap me into accepting the ridiculous offer. He was doing it all for his own good. He was doing it to land a great deal with the latter, which will eventually benefit him by increasing the profit rate of Blackford traders. He was signing me off, basically selling me off in order to sign the contract with Rossi Investments. 

God, he can not help himself. Moving a hand down my face in frustration, I strolled outside of the dining hall, slamming the door behind me. I just wanted peace. I wanted to figure it all out. What happened in the last few minutes and what my dad said was totally insane. It didn't make sense at all. I wanted to move out of this house—this big ass mansion and I wanted to live in a cozy apartment instead where there would be just me and my baby plants. What I didn't expect was my father to announce my sudden marriage—contract marriage, to be precise.

I closed the door of my room and paced around, my hand sliding in the back of my nape in anxiousness . What if I leave the house tonight? I've enough money in my bank account to move to somewhere safe yet far away from here. But, I knew even the thought of it was ridiculous. My dad can dig the ground seven layers deep to get me out. 

A knock on my door pulled me out of my never-accomplishing plans. I looked at the door and stopped pacing as the knob turned and Asher walked inside. 

"Dad told me to get you ready, they are about to arrive in a few.”

He didn't tell you my brother, he ordered you.

"Don't tell me. I—I can not, Asher. I don't want to live our mom's life. I can't let that happen to me," I said in utter disappointment as the feeling of helplessness washed over me. I wanted him to help me out, but I knew he couldn't. No-one could go against dad's will, if they wanted to live peacefully. 

Asher walked forward covering the distance between us and took my hands in his.

"I convinced him, V. But, you know no-one can stop him from what he has already planned," His eyes glistened with pity while mine pleaded with hopelessness. 

"I told him, we can arrange any other deal, but he said that they wanted this. It will interest both of them.”

God! I tried to gather myself and exhaled slightly pushing my boundaries to say the words I had the only choice left for.

"I have a condition. Now that I am going to be thrown in this game, I want to play my own bet as well. Tell him, I'm not going to marry him until I prepare myself to do so. I can live at their place to sign off the deal that is much more dear to him rather than his own daughter," I said, adding, "But, as a bachelor, not as a wife.” 

There was no going back from this reality now that I have known it. I freed my hands from his and walked towards my closet taking out the first dress I got my hands on, indicating to him to leave the room. He did, though. He was as helpless as I was.