Chapter 1

THE CONTRACT

Lilian stood in front of her father as he presented her the contract and her step sister abandoned wedding dress. With tears streaming down her face , she yelled at him 

“ You can’t do this to me! You can’t  make me seriously put on a wedding dress and  walk down the aisle to a man waiting for Cindy!”. 

“ I can’t just throw two years of my life to a man I don’t know!. What do I tell Ben?. I already said yes to his proposal”. 

He father stood there , his expression dull and pitiful .He passively looked at his hysteric daughter with desperate eyes 

“ Lilian , please do this for me!. The guest are already here and I didn’t know Cindy would elope just like that!!. Please the contract is just for two years after that , you are free to go back to your life!. The business is already bankrupt , pulling out of the agreement would sink me deeper in debt”. 

Lilian had never seen her father so miserable and pitiful . He had always excluded a strong and confident demeanor whenever he was bothered enough with her. Despite it , she felt sad for him but was not ready to give in. 

“ Mr. Xavier specifically requested Cindy to be his bride , he knew of both I and Cindy but picked her to sign the contract . He would be furious once he sees I am not her.” Lilian mind was racing for excuses .

Her father sighed heavily “ Yes , he would be furious but to save face in front of the guests , he would go ahead with you. He just needs a bride for a business contract.” 

“ No!!. I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t sacrifice my own happiness for you when you have never done so in return” She screamed , her voice breaking. 

“ You are being selfish!! This is not about me;. If I back out of this agreement , I am ruined . The whole family is ruined!! The family name would be dragged through the mud and I would be thrown into prison for debt and fraud…… Is that what you want?!!. What would happen to your brother, Leon , when that happens?!. This is bigger than both you and me and our silly strife “. 

“ Xavier Knight is ready to invest in the company and make the fraud charges go away . All he asks for in return is a wife of convenient and a marriage contract of two years to secure a business deal”  

“ Why does he need a wife for a business deal?” Lilian was doing everything to stall.

“ The contractor is a married man and would not give him the deal if he is not happily married . He feels he needs family man for the deal. The deal is worth more than money for Xavier! He didn’t tell me why he wants the contract by all means” There’s no time to waste any longer Lilian! The ceremony is about to begin”  her father said shoving the contract to her. 

“ two years!! Just two years and I would be free. I am doing this for Leon! Not you , not your wife and definitely not for the family name!.” Her voice shook as her hands did the same while signing the contract. 

The relief that overtook her father was noticeable from a mile away . “Maria! Get the gown! She agreed” he screamed to his wife.

Lilian admired the beautiful long sequence wedding gown yet it wasn’t her style . It was tailored more to her step sister’s taste . She always envisioned herself walking down the isle in a flowing ball wedding gown . She would walk down the isle to the man of her dreams , one she was certain she loved with every fiber of her being . 

She finally found the man and had agreed to marry him yet here she was about to wed another . 

“ What does she tell Ben?!. She simply couldn’t tell him to wait for her. But she loved him too much to tell him to move on “ she thought to herself as she wore the wedding gown . 

“Are you certain about this Lilian? “ Nanny Rosa asked her . Nanny Rosa was the only one who took care of her after her mother’s death and her father remarried. 

“ No I’m not , but what do I do?. I have to think of Leon, he’s too young to go through the effect of my Father’s problems” Lilian was a good person through and through. 

“ You look beautiful. Your mother would be so proud of you” Nanny Lilian decided to drop the matter .

“ Do you think so?” Lilian asked 

“ I know so!. Look what you are about to do for your stepbrother; anyone would be proud of you. I know I am!.” Nanny Rosa answered with Conviction.

“Thank you Nanny Rosa “ 

The music for the bride’s entrance began and as her father walked her down the isle , she prayed and wished she was making the right choice. A choice she wouldn’t regret in the long run . 

The confusion that crossed Xavier face when he saw her was not as scary as the anger that replaced it . He couldn’t do much as a result of the guests and he wanted the marriage to look as real as possible but his eyes threatened an outcome later on. 

Lilian couldn’t deny the fact that Xavier Knight was an eye turner. He was the darkest eyes she had ever come across , he was as defined as the Greek sculptures . Handsome was too insignificant an adjective to describe him . He was simply breathtaking and he knew it.

He knew the effect he had on ladies and used it to his full advantage. He was no stranger to both billboard headlines as well as news headlines for the beautiful models that lined his arms on a daily basis.

Born into the Knight family , he was already well to do before he could say his first words. The knight family was one of the wealthiest and powerful family in the whole of London. 

"Mhhmm" she heard a clearing of a throat .

" Sorry.. what?" Lilian asked facing the priest with a red face as she had been caught day dreaming. She could see Xavier clench his Jaw in anger from the corner of her eyes. 

" Do you take Xavier Richard Knight as you lawfully wedded husband to cherish and love , in sickness and in health , for better and for worst until death do you apart!?" The priest asked again. 

"I..I..I" Lilian became scared as the guests turned to her and she could feel her heart plummeting in her chest.