CHAPTER 3

Jeremy Lightwood ★

Three years have elapsed since Clara's departure and despite not engaging with other women who come to my private to comfort me, last night was a different story as I couldn't stop thinking about it.

 The once promising relationship with Clara took a heartbreaking turn when she revealed her love for my elder brother,Jason, on the night I planned to propose, plunging me into a period of emotional turmoil and confusion,  Since then, I have seemingly sealed my heart off from the feminine persuasion until the unexpected encounter with the lady from last night.

After inheriting the LIGHTWOOD ENTERPRISE, a prominent nationwide investment company, from our father, Mr. Lightwood, I became his successor, sparking an enduring and contentious rivalry between two siblings.

Despite my father's insistence on involving me in extramarital affairs and arranging countless blind dates, I consistently choose not to attend any of them. 

Regardless of my father's perseverance in planning an arranged marriage for me, today marks the day of its anticipated fruition, though I hesitated to comply with his wishes. What I had in mind was to pay off the family my father wanted to engage me with, but not until I checked her profile.

"Jeremy Lightwood"I shook hands with the man I assumed to be Rosalind's father, but when I turned to greet the mother, I was met with Rosalind's wide-eyed gaze.

"Have you met befo..."Before her mother could finish, she quickly interjected, 'No, we've never met... I'm Rosalind Chris.' she extended her hand for a shake,I pulled her towards me and whispered "We meet again mi amor". She took a step back and gave me a fake smile.

"Would you mind waiting for dinner?" I diverted my gaze to Mrs Chris. I checked my wristwatch and recalled that I had yet to complete my schedule for the day.

"So sorry ma'am... but we'd love for you to join us for dinner this weekend," I declared.

I fixed my gaze back to Rosa,she was wistful and gloomy. My men retrieved her luggage from her mother before departing. She forced a smile towards her mother, the falseness evident in her eyes. As her parents enveloped her in a tight embrace, her father leaned in close, whispering words of comfort in her ear before gently kissing her hair.

She turned away without a backward glance. I made a move to leave, but her mother's hand on my arm stopped me in my tracks. With a heavy heart, she spoke softly, "She's all we have. We entrusted her to you because we knew she wouldn't be alive if it weren't for your help. Please, take good care of her." 

Wouldn't be alive if it weren't for my help? Those words perplexed me, and I could only nod in response, my emotions unspoken.

 "You don't seem okay," I ventured to ask, hoping to break the awkward silence in the car.

 "Getting married to someone I don't know? Yes, I'm perfectly fine," Rosa replied, her gaze returning to the scenery outside,her expression clearly conveyed that she was not prepared to engage in conversation.

As the car came to a stop, the chauffeur graciously opened the door for us, and she gracefully descended, her eyes widening in awe at the grandeur of the mansion before her.

Her elegant stride captivated me as she moved with the poise of a runway model.I mirrored her actions, observing her graceful exploration of the living room. Suddenly, my foster grandmother appeared, approaching me with a warm smile.

I reassured her that Granny Mels would take care of things in my absence, but she didn't respond. With a sigh, I headed back to the car and continued on my way to the company.

Despite my dad secretary's warning that dad wanted a nap without disturbance, I boldly entered the room to find father seated in his chair, a pipe between his lips, and his eyes closed in peaceful repose.

"Where did you come across that woman, Dad?" I inquired, prompting him to lower his pipe from his lips. 

"I simply offered hand to the  woman some years ago,and after locating her, I negotiated with her parents"Dad admitted.

"negotiated? You left them with no choice," I croaked, my voice barely audible.

"This is all about the company's reputation and your reputation," he yelled. 

My personal assistant entered and interrupted, "You have a meeting with the PR team right now, Mr. Lightwood". I groaned in frustration and stormed out of his office  as I remembered the important event we had the next evening.

✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

As the night grew late, exhaustion and dizziness weighed heavily on me. To my surprise, Gran Mels was wide awake, a rare occurrence for someone who usually retired early. Concerned, I inquired about her well-being and gently placed a hand on her forehead.

 In a hushed tone, she revealed, "Miss Rosa is delicate yet intriguing, but she seems perturbed at the mere mention of your name." Gran Mels went on to share that Miss Rosa had refused to join for dinner when she had been invited, hinting at a deeper turmoil within.

As I entered the room, I found her on a phone call, wearing bathrobe. "Don't worry, I'll be at work tomorrow,just sorting out a small issue at home," she reassured and dropped the call.

"Why haven't you had dinner?" I inquired. 

She questioned back, sitting on the bed with a look of anger, "why are you so corcerned".

"I heard you were not in support of the marriage"I conveyed. Before she could answer ,I  handed her a document. "What's this?" She opened the document and furrowed her brows.

I questioned, ''What do you think about the idea of marrying you for a year and then getting a divorce?"