Chapter 2

William greets his mother with a kiss on her cheek. She walks off toward the kitchen and he follows her. He passes the study and notices that his father is not there.

“Where is Father?” he asks, sitting on one of the chairs around the island.

“Good afternoon.” William is startled by the deep voice from behind him. He turns to face his father. He bows his head to greet his father. His mother places a cup of coffee in front of him. He keeps his gaze on the steam from the coffee.

“What is going on? I had an important meeting that I had to cancel to be here.” William manages to keep his irritation at bay and he forces a neutral expression.

“What meeting?” His father demands as he sits down across from William.

“With Gerald and Patrick. We had a meeting about the annual reports.” His father’s head snaps to his mother with that look in his eyes.

“Why did you agree to meet them tonight if you knew he had such an important meeting?” He flinches internally at his father’s raised voice. His mother looks at him, searching for an answer. He recognizes the fear in her eyes.

“It is all good. They will not mind. It is not Mother’s fault.” William does not look back at his mother. His father stares at him, taking a sip from the coffee. His mother clasps her hands together.

“Your father has found someone willing to enter into an arrangement regarding marriage. We have invited them for dinner tonight. That is why we asked you to be here earlier for the guests. The girl, whom you might know, will also be here. You can catch up.” His mother smiles at him and he nods his head. His father hands him a document that looks like a contract.

“This is the contract you prepared regarding the arranged marriage. Check it to ensure everything is still in order and as you want it to be.” His father says, standing up and walking to his study. William remains seated as he watches his mother assign tasks to the maids. He takes the contract, slips out of the kitchen, and heads to his room.

His mind is all over the place, his thoughts scattered. He knew this day would come but did not expect it to be so soon. Well, he is 28 after all. Who is the girl? Someone he knows . . . Everyone he is familiar with is a greedy leech who wants his money. It has to be someone who has good connections. His parents, especially his mother, will not choose someone who might be bad for their image.

He enters his room and slides the door closed behind him. He sits down on his bed with the papers still in his hand. He loosens his tie as he turns the first page. He takes his time to read everything carefully.

After his first marriage, he learned a valuable lesson. He placed a few conditions in the contract to ensure the same thing does not happen. Even if it does happen, he would be protected. With a heavy sigh, he gets up and heads to his closet. He needs to get changed.

“Dad?” Lianna calls out as soon as she enters his house. “Dad? I am here. Where are you?” She runs to the living room, calling out. He is not in the living room or the kitchen. As she passes his bedroom, she catches something from the corner of her eye. She turns and notices a figure outside on the old wooden swing. She runs to the glass door and slides through the opening.

“Dad?” she calls and the figure turns around. The older man waves to her as he continues to swing. She finally reaches him and falls dramatically to the floor, out of breath.

“Woah, you okay there? I told you that you didn’t have to rush.” He slows the swing down and watches Lianna catch her breath. 

“You had me worried, Dad. Sheesh. Are you sick? Are you going to die?” She asks as she sits up. Her dad lets out a warm laugh and stops swinging. He gets off the swing and motions for her to stand up. She gets up and hugs her dad.

“No, kid. I’m fine. I also said that. I have something else to tell you. It is about your mother.” Lianna steps out of the embrace, her brows furrowed. Her dad takes her hand and leads her to the swing. She sits down on the swing and he stands in front of her.

“What about Mom?” Lianna uses her toe to slightly swing back and forth.

“Before you were born, she put some money into a trust fund.” Lianna’s frown deepens and her father chuckles. “She put the money into the fund for you. The terms of the fund are quite simple.”

“Wait, why are you only telling me now?” Her dad shakes his head.

“I am getting there. That is the terms. I was not allowed to tell you until you were 25. Since you turned 25 yesterday, I can officially tell you today.” Lianna cannot help the smile that forms on her face. She can use the money to put down a deposit on her project. She was going to ask non-profit organizations to collaborate with her, but if she has enough money to pay for a part of the project, they will be willing to work with her.

“But.” She groans and stops the swing. “There was another term.”

“What?”

“I don’t know how you will take this one, kid.” Her dad puts his hand on her shoulder.

“What?” Lianna purses her lips together. What could be that bad?

“I can only transfer the money once you are married.” Lianna tilts her head and leans closer to her father. She has to check if he is being serious. “It also states that if you aren't married at 25, I have to choose someone for you. Luckily for you, I found a suitable match.” Lianna opens her mouth, but snaps it close again. She gets off the swing and grabs her father’s arms.

“You’re not serious, are you? Please tell me you are joking.” He shakes his head. “Who?”

“William Rhodes.”