3. I Accept

JADE

I stood with my toes pointed, arching my back and twirling momentarily as I faced my reflection in the vertical standing mirror that was placed in my room.

I practiced ballet and I was quite the dancer. It helped in relieving me of stress.

As I danced away to the soft classical musical that flowed from my phone, I could not help but fill my thoughts with the handsome but mysterious stranger I met yesterday.

I bet I will not see him again till maybe after seventy years and we stumbled upon each other in some sort of old people's retirement home.

I tittered at my silly thoughts and kept on dancing but suddenly the door to my room flew open bringing my dance to a halt.

Melinda scurried inside like someone that had seen a phantom.

"Why would you interrupt me like that? Couldn't you knock Linda?" I chided her with a hiss.

"Quit dancing goody two shoes. Your parents need you downstairs" Melinda informed me, catching her breath and laying on my bed.

"Why?" I asked pulling off my ballet shoes.

"Mr and Mrs..what are their names again....yes! Mr and Mrs Greco are here to see you. Infact they are literally making arrangements for your wedding downstairs and they request your presence"

What the fuck!

My hands fisted to a ball and my chest heaved with so much animosity.

This all has to be a very bad nightmare. A very terrible nightmare which I badly want to wake up from.

How many times do I have to scream it that I do not want to get married to that bloody nigga whoever he is?!

Will I have to kill myself before my parents and every one else understand that I do not want this missalliance!?

"Fuck! Gosh those people make me so mad!"

"Calm down Jade. Do not do anything stupid or irrational down there" Melinda advised.

"Hopefully" I snarled.

True to her words, these same people were back again today and they seemed to be more prepared than the first time we met.

Loads of gifts were arrayed before my parents on the table. I watched my parents discuss happily with them like they were not just about to sell off their only daughter in marriage.

"Oh Jade there are you. We have been waiting for you. Mr Luca and Mrs Gabriela are here once again and they brought these much gifts for you" my mother came over to me with an overly cheerful smile.

I knew she was probably tensed.

"Good afternoon Mr and Mrs Greco. I am honoured to receive these gifts but why so many gifts for me? You both barely know me and I barely even know you two" I spoke though clenched teeth, struggling to keep my anger undisclosed.

"Just accept the gift sweetheart" mother whispered to my ears, her breathing unsteady.

Mrs Gabriela stood with a charming smile and walked towards me. "These gifts are from my son Luciano. It is a token of his love for you" she took my fingers in hers.

These people are insane.

"He does not even know me! I have never met your so called son. I do not even know if he is physically fit or not. He could be a vegetable of a man that is why you all are bent on pushing me to marry him!" I yanked my fingers from hers and spat.

"Jade Lynn Peterson! How dare you speak such rude words to our guest and also concerning your future husband!" Father grew red like a bull.

"He is not my husband. Why are you all forcing me into this. I do not want it!" I was at the verge of crumbling into tears.

"Mrs Gabriela, you are woman like me and I presume you have daughters or sisters..."I instantly took hold of her hands and clasped mine over them.

"If someone forced your daughters or sisters to get married to total strangers, men whom they have never met in their lives, would you give your consent? Huh?" I was practically pleading with her to see things from my angle.

"Darling..." she smiled at me and cupped my cheeks in her hands. "My son Luciano is not a vegetable ok. Do not be worried about that. And he wants you. You have been bethroted to him and now he has to claim his bride. You will be happy with him trust me"

What is she saying!?

I could not believe my ears. It felt like my life had been predestined right from my birth.

"Get away from me!" I cried, pushing her away.

"Mr Andrea get your daughter under control!" Mr Luca spoke sternly at my father with his forefinger pointed at me.

"Take your gifts and get out of here! I do not want anything nor this bloody marraige!" I yelled curse words at them, throwing their gifts on the floor and creating a ruckus.

"Jade have you gone insane?!" My father rushed to my side and pulled me by the arm.

"Why are you doing this to me dad? I thought you and mum loved me" I sobbed and in that fleeting moment, I could see the look of the regret on my father's features.

"We shall take our leave now. Luciano will want feedback on what happened today and trust me he will not be happy. Do not make him take matters into his own hands else you all will not like the outcome" Mr Luca balefully threatened before exiting with Mrs Gabriela.

"Jade why did you have to do that!?" My mother was the first to reprimand me.

"I do not want to get married to him can you not see that?!" I sobbed with my eyes so red.

"You do not have a choice to accept or not. Do you know who your groom is?---"

"I do not know him and that is my point! Can't you all understand me?! How can I marry someone I do not know or was not even given the chance to know?" I interrupted my mother as the tension grew in the living room.

"And you should be thankful that you do not know his real identity because if you really knew who Luciano Greco was, then you would not have displayed this chaos today!" My father yelled, causing me to almost jump out of my skin.

"Who is Luciano Greco?" My voice came out as a wild whisper.

"I can not tell you much because I am prohibited to do so but look around you, this wealth of ours, how did you think we acquired it all? Were we this wealthy when we had you? We were not. We could barely even survive but look at us now.

All these wealth were only possible because of the Greco family.

They built us up and in return, they demand you" father explained, his voice cracking.

"So now you all want to sell me for money like I am a purchased commodity right?" I asked with a snide laugh.

"Listen here Jade" Mother gripped my shoulders so fiercely forcing me to stare directly at her. "If you do not marry Luciano then he will kill us all" she deadpanned.

"What?" I became horrified. "If this man is capable of killing us because I refuse to marry him then what will he do to me once we are married?"

"I wish I was bluffing Jade but I am not. That is the truth. The Greco family is a very powerful, wealthy and dangerous family. Luciano Greco is not a man you would want to go against Jade. Please for our safety and yours, accept this proposal.

Else he will kill your father and I, he will kill Melinda and also you. So you see why we want you to not reject this proposal? Our hands are tied princess" her breathing grew tremored and I could see the fear radiating in her eyes.

"It is your choice. Do you accept or you do not accept this marraige?" Mother sternly asked.

I was faced between the devil and the sea. But either ways, I would still end up dying.

* * * * *

LUCIANO

The yellings of my uncle Luca grew louder as I approached the living room.

I was anxiously waiting to hear how my beautiful Jade accepted the gifts I got her.

I took the advice of that strange, but hot tempered girl on being more romantic and the best thing I could think of was a gift. Nothing gladens a woman's heart like pearls and diamonds.

So I sent her loads of gifts and hoped she would love them but the yellings of my uncle got me with second thoughts.

Did she perharps reject them?

"Mother, Uncle Lucas? You both look so tensed. How did it go? Did she accept the gifts?" I asked.

"It went pretty uhm well..."mother was hesistant to answer.

"Why are you lying to him Gabriela? Tell the boy the truth! Jate Peterson is so rude and ill mannered. She threw the gifts at us and forced us out of their house"

"What!? Did she not like them?" The information seemed like a bizarre discovery to me.

"She hates the gifts and hates you. She hates us all! She is not even fit to be called a Greco" uncle Luca scowled.

"Bullshit! You all are not doing it the right way" I closed my eyes for a split second feeling my inner demon craving violence.

"Is she that stubborn? Well if she wants it the hard way then I can definitely do it the hard way" I tucked out my gun from my pants.

I swiftly pivoted, about heading for the door when the shrill voice of my mother stopped me.

"Luciano wait! There is news!" She exclaimed holding onto her phone, with her eyes feeding on the message that was sent just now.

"What is it?" I asked uninterested. The only thing on my mind was to go to the Petersons and fucking drag Jade here whether she consented or she did not.

"Mr Andrea just sent a message. Jade Peterson has accepted to get married to you. We have gotten our bride!"