Chapter 2

The man on the phone must have heard the loud ugly yet demanding voice of her father because he looked up to her window and their eyes met. Only for a few seconds before her father charges again.

"Cassandra!"

She flew away from the window instantly, hurriedly shutting it and pulling down the blinds as soon as she could. She opened the door before her father could even knock or call her name again.

"I'll be out in a moment" she said then locked the door right in his face not giving him the opportunity to speak further. She is sure he understood that she is mad at him. They were never close to begin with but no, this is the limit. Over the years she thought they would have time to make amends and finally have the father to daughter relationship but he only thought of the possible way to ruin that for her. Marrying her off to an unknown stranger all because of a will. Fortune, money.

She turned to the bed again and the dress, thinking that tonight, she will be meeting her future husband. Is she really ready to have a man she'll wake up to everyday and await his return home every night while she prepares dinner? A man she'll give herself to?  A man she'll warm his bed and meet every of his demands. Will the man she's marrying even love her? Love? She laughed at the word.

She sighed again and picked up the dress. She changed into it unwillingly. The dress fits her perfectly, matching the color of her eyes. By the time she reached the foot of the stairs, everything was not as she expected. Her house has been redecorated. Well she hasn't been down here in awhile but the people… she was expecting a few people not a crowd.

"You should try to smile, My Hastings Princess" Her father said and reached for her as she entered the room with the cacophony of their conversation hitting her. She shifted under the weight of his words, for some other reason she hadn't heard that name in a while. It's always Cassandra.

An echo of laughter broke her from her thoughts and it was there she realised where she was and who was before her. The entirety of the Spencer family. She suddenly feel nauseous as if he was being sold out in slavery or being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

"Be polite and smile" she heard her father mumble behind her. She flashed them a fake smile as her father began the introduction. That was it, she frowned where she ought to smile and wasn't polite where she ought to be. She was raised in lilies and the atmosphere of chasing butterflies in a garden but she wasn't anything like that. She is strong and opposite of whom her father wants her for.

Her father entwined his hand in her and raised it up to show everyone. "Ladies and gentlemen, meet my beloved and precious daughter, Cassandra Olivia Hastings. The heir to the entire Hastings Empire" He introduced.

Cassandra almost laughed in mockery. If she didn't know better she would have believed the love as he pictured it to be as he introduced her by holding hands and watching her like a precious golden egg. In some ways, she is.

She searched the faces of the people before her looking for the possibility of the ones who might be her Future husband. That is what her father is putting her through. But the faces of the people before her are either too young to be who is marrying or too old. No other possibility. And the women, just two of them and she is sure either of them are married to one of the men sitting before her.

After the long and boring introduction she finally was able to escape into the kitchen to grab a cup of water. Finally she had a moment to herself. But this was short lived when she heard her father's voice again.

"Cassandra"

She gently placed the mug back on the kitchen island with a hall filled with water in it.

"Cassandra, come here" her stomach made a sound and she closed her eyes in defeat because she knew that voice is non-negotiable. She made her way to him. He was standing with a man with his back turned to her. Her hands became sweaty because she knew what was about to happen. When she reached her father's side, he reached her arm and gave her a smile but it didn't reach his eyes. It was one of those ones he has been giving her since tonight.

The man beside him turned and she almost made a loud sound. He was the man from earlier, the angry one under her window. She saw the surprise in his face too but it quickly vanished. The man before her is entirely different from earlier now that she's seeing him in the light. Instead of black that she thought he's putting on earlier, he's wearing a navy blue tux. His face is perfectly sculptured like those men she sees In magazines.

"Cassandra, This is Sebastian Spenser, Sebastian, this is Cassandra" Her father introduced.

She inhaled a deep breath of courage as she stepped close to that angle. She could make out the color of his eyes. A deep brown eyes, like the colour of whiskey on ice coupled with thick and dark lashes. He's just a man, she reminded herself. One of the Spencers. Sebastian looks like he's in his early thirties. A warm of recognition ran down her spine as she met his gaze. She felt the urge to avert my eyes and focus on his blue tie instead. The tone of her voice was as polite as she could make it sound.

"It's a pleasure to meet…."

She started to say but he cut her off.

"We met already"