38 Clarissa

The celebrations had begun in earnest in the house and people showed up dressed gorgeously for the engagement ceremony.

It was eight pm and I had less than two hours to make my decision whether to run away with Jalen or marry Ivan despite knowing that not only were we not mates, but he had another female in his life.

On the other hand, wasn't I a hypocrite because I was condemning him for the same offense I was committing?

The female was probably his mate and Ivan wanted us to get married for his selfish reasons. I didn't know what to do and I was so restless.

As I walked through the grand halls of my family's mansion, I felt suffocated by the luxury and magnificence of it all. Tapestries adorned the walls, the gleaming marble shone and the chandeliers sparkled like diamonds.

I watched from upstairs as guests arrived at my house with their faces etched with arrogant expressions as they made their way through the front door.

All of them were beautifully dressed in designer clothes