CHAPTER ONE
“You can’t do this to me, dad! I can’t marry a man I don’t love!” Zarah choked out with tears, approaching the man seated frozen in the rolling chair that overlooked the floor to ceiling windows, his fingers drumming impatiently on the armrest of his chair as he briefly admired the outskirts of the city.
“Dad, please! I barely even know Alexander!” She groaned, her brows lowering in annoyance, as she bore imaginary holes into the back of his seat with a heated glare. Why was it always so hard for him to face her during times like these? What was the big deal? Taking a deep breath, she crossed her arms to drop a bombshell, “I talked with Jemila. She agreed to marry Alexander Kings in my place. She’s very willing to take my place, all she needs is your blessings. I’m pretty sure Alexander would like someone who’s willing to lift that burden off his shoulders so easily.”
If not for the dim lighting of the chandeliers, casting its shadows on the figure of the man in the seat, one would have thought that she was slowly losing it talking to herself in the middle of the study room. Mr. Manny, on the other hand, maintained a strict look on his face as he made no efforts to give in to his daughter’s pleas as he believed he’d already made himself clear with the announcement he declared in the meeting.
He had no intentions to go back on his words now, not after the multi-billion-dollar deal, he had made over her.
“Your elder sister doesn’t have a say in this,” Her father finally spoke, his voice restrained with anger and disbelief on the extent she had gone to rebel against him. “That’s not how it works, Zarah. And you’ll have the time in the world to know him when the marriage is sealed. Mr. Kings is a powerful man. This union will not only secure the legacy for our generations, but it will be a bridge for more powerful connections along the coasts of Europe. He’s bidding for a contract here in Brazil. Think of it as a…future investment.”
Zarah’s shoulders slumped backwards in defeat. “Future investment?” She gritted through her teeth, the words feeling like a blow to her face, and raised her finger to his face, flashing the diamond ring that sparkled under the lights above them. “I love Steven! We’ve been together for so long! I’m engaged!”
“I’ll advise that you forget about him.” Those words sliced through her chest, the dull pain that followed surged through her body, making her stumble backwards. She grabbed on to the chair in her front as she struggled to keep her emotions intact. Forget…her fiancé?
She should have gotten used to this already, but then again, she never actually did. She hated that her life was built on nothing but rules and legacies, an excuse that her life was just a pawn in the game of politics and power. Everything was always about the money the influence and fame that came with it, and never really what they wanted for themselves.
The disturbing silence that hung between them was finally interrupted by her father, Mr. Manny, who abruptly stopped with his tapping and slowly swung the chair towards her direction, his eyes glaring up at Zarah with a firm gaze, as he leaned back into his throne-like chair.
As Zarah glared back at him, the atmosphere around them shifted as it didn’t feel like the loving home she’d always known to be, it felt like a prison. A basement.
A cage.
And she was the prize locked up to the interests of those in power.
Mr. Manny leaned forward, his eyes narrowing down on the pitiful state of his daughter. “This is not up for debate, Zarah. You’re marrying Alexander Kings, and that’s final.”
~
As the sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon, Zarah took a deep breath and gave her Brazilian passport one last glance before tossing it into her suitcase, zipping it shut with one final swipe. She was hoping that it wouldn’t come to this, but now her father was going to leave her with no choice. Like she ever had a choice to be begin with.
The sound of quiet footsteps pierced through the quiet night as Zarah slipped out of the estate, her small suitcase tucked tightly under her arms as she quickly entered into the parked cab by the roadside.
“To the airport.” She informed the driver, her eyes meeting with his briefly through the rearview mirror. With no questions asked, he gave her a small nod and steered the car towards her destination as the soft hum of music played in the background.
Zarah exhaled deeply and placed her hands on her laps to stop them from shaking anxiously. Her heart raced as she averted her attention to her phone, her eyes gluing to the screen as she waited for a message for Steven. Almost immediately, her phone buzzed with a notification: I’m here, baby. Meet me at the entrance.
Overwhelmed with emotions, Zarah lowered her head to hide the unshed tears brimming at the corner of her eyes, her face losing its usual bright warm color as a deep frown etched on her lips. What did she ever do wrong? Where did she ever go wrong? Even as the 11th child of the family, she was considered the most beautiful and intelligent amongst her top three siblings. She’d made sure that she was perfect in ways that others couldn’t reach. So, why was she treated like that of an illegitimate heiress that had no saying to her life? And why couldn’t her father be just happy with the fact that she was getting married to her fiancé, Steven?
“We’re here, Ma’am.” The driver announced as he swerved into the parking lot, where Steven stood with his fingers running through his hair as he peered around the approaching cars.
Without hesitation, she climbed out the car and darted towards his direction with tears trailing down her cheeks. “Steven!”
Steven’s face lit up with relief as he turned to the familiar voice and opened his arms wide, pulling her into a warm hug. He kissed her forehead and rested his chin on her forehead in a comforting manner. “Shh, shh. It’s okay. You’re here now, that’s all that matters now.”
The driver pulled up her suitcase and dropped it besides them, nodding briefly as they wave him goodbyes. But just as he turned his back on them, he clenched his jaw and bit his lips as guilt surged through him. His eyes moved to the bundles of cash sticking out from the corner of his dashboard, flickering with greed, before he finally drove away from the parking lot.
Zarah and her fiancé unaware of what had happened, walked hand in hand into the crowded lobby, the wheels of her suitcase screeching under its weight as it rolled towards the woman behind a counter. As Zarah peered over her shoulders anxiously, Steven submitted their tickets for check-in, when the machine suddenly made a beeping sound with red lights, indicating that they were rejected.
Zarah frowned and gave the woman a confused look. “What? What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry ma’am.” The woman hung her head in apology. “I was given orders to cancel your flights to New York.”
Zarah’s eyes widened, her heart racing with the worst assumptions as Steven cursed under his breath and squeezed her hands. “What? By who? Tell me, now!”
“I believe that’ll be me.” A deep, smooth voice interrupted behind the couple, a smirk curling up the corner of the man’s lips as he savored the horrified looks on their faces.
“Alexander Kings.” Zarah breathed out as she turned slowly to meet the icy gaze from the tall, striking man behind her. He was just like her father had described. Tall, sexually appealing to the eyes, piercing blue eyes void of emotions, and dressed in designer suits that made his cold and ruthless personality stand out.
Alexander gave Steven a narrowed gaze then walked up to Zarah, his lips twitching with a scoff, “Miss De Costa.”
