Arranged marriage

Adele barged into her dad's office, standing right in front of him with broken voice

“What the hell were you saying on the phone Dad?” she shouted.

Mr Harris look up with his glasses, looking confused

“Don't look at me that way, the marriage shit you were saying on phone” 

“Oh dear, have your seat please” he said pointing to the chair in front of him. 

“You know the company has been going through tough times and investors are withdrawing so I know I have to do something and you know the case of the copied designs right?” he started as Adele took her seat in front of him looking at him intensely. 

“You know I would never copy other jeweler’s work or designs, I'm sure there's a spy in the company and I've been trying to fish them out but I can't” Mr Harris continues when his daughter didn't say anything but stared at him like she was studying him 

“Time is no longer on our side, we need help and Mr Kings is ready to help us. You know I won't do anything to hurt you, but it's for our well-being”

He finishes explaining as he holds her hands from across the desk trying to make her understand. 

“I can't dad, I have a boyfriend that I love and he loves me” Adele replied crying and shaking her head

“The one who has been missing for months and declared dead?” He asked and that increased Adele's tears.

“I can't, I'm sorry pops” she said running out of the study 

Mr Harris followed his daughter, he saw her pacing her room weeping profusely, she looked up to see her father. 

“You can't just marry me off like that, I'm not a thing, I'm not a kid, I'm an adult for crying out loud, I have plans, and I won't let you ruin them by choosing who I'll get married to okay?”

Mr Harris stood there, looking unbothered, With the look in his eyes, he won't bulge. 

“Adele,you know how important this marriage is, this isn't just for me, it's for our family, for your future, I'm sure your mom would agree with me if she was here” he said calmly

“No, she won't, mom would never do anything to hurt me like you're doing right now. I won't marry someone I don't love just because it's convenient for you” she screamed, her voice breaking

Mr Harris sighs heavily, “you're just too selfish Adele, this isn't just about you, it's about the entire family, our name, our identity, our fu…..” 

“What about mine?” Adele shouted cutting him off

“What about my happiness? You only care about your company and not me!”

Adele screamed, she was beyond reasoning. 

She has always been a dutiful daughter, but she was drawing lines this time. She wouldn't sacrifice her happiness for family duty or her father's happiness. 

“I won't do it, I won't be part of this crazy arranged marriage!.” she yelled at him, sobbing hard. 

Mr Harris stomped his feet and walked out slamming the door behind him. 

Adele laid on her bed crying her eyes out when her best friend Amanda called her. 

“Hey girl, I thought you were dead, why didn't you reply to my messages?” Amanda yelled from the other side. 

“I'm sorry, I didn't check my phone” Amanda heard the sadness in her voice. 

“Are you okay, you sound awful. Have you been crying again?” Amanda asked

“It's been Six months, Anda, I miss him, I don't even have a place to point to as his grave, I'm tired, I need to talk to Jacobs” She broke down in tears again

“I'm coming over, are you at home?” her friend asked immediately

Adele nodded before remembering that she can't see her through the phone then replied 

“Yes, I'm at home. I'll really appreciate it if you can come here. I need to tell you something, I think I might die from the pain my heart is feeling right now” She said as her voice kept breaking. 

“I'll be there in five minutes, don't do anything stupid, we promise to die together so don't try to unalive yourself without me asshole” 

Amanda yelled before hanging up which made Adele chuckle. 

“The number you dial is not reachable or out of coverage, pls leave a voicemail after this”

That's the same thing it's been saying for the past six months . The texts are not returned either. Even though he's declared dead, she still hopes that he might be alive somewhere. Maybe he's on an island and can't find his way home, maybe, just maybe he lost his memory somewhere far from LA. She just wishes she could see him just one more time, wish she could have told him how much she loves him before he left that day.

She stared at her mom's picture which was beside the picture frame of her and jacobs, then bursted into another round of tears. Her mom died when she was Ten, she still misses her especially on days like this, only a mother can understand her daughter's pain. And now the love of her life vanished off the face of the earth just like that, She misses him too.

Adele dozed off curled up in a blanket with her hugging both her mom's and Jacob's photo to her chest, the sound of the door woke her up. 

 She saw Amanda carrying food, her favorite with wine, and she started tearing up again. This time holding her friend tight and crying on her shoulder for some minutes before calming down. 

“Tell me, what happened?”

She explains everything to Amanda in detail and about how she stood up to her Dad. 

“What do you call his name again?”Amanda asked as she picked up her phone 

“Why? What do you need his name for?” Adele questioned giving her a weird look. 

“So we can check him up dummy” Amanda responded 

“He said Mr Kings, hmmm, yes, Killian Kings” she said as she suddenly remember the name her father mentioned earlier

“That name sounds familiar, but I can't…….. Oh wait, that is the owner of the Kings empire, he's a multi billionaire at 33, no pictures of him on the internet, but they did describe him as hot, sexy handsome and…....”

Amanda paused, making Adele nervous and more interested.. 

“And what? Is he married, a mafia or what?” she asked eagerly. But she got no response as Amanda kept staring at her phone. 

“They said he's a monster, like he's never had a girlfriend and he hates females, he has never been seen with one too and they assume he might be gay.” Amanda said with pity

“Wow, so why me? I mean he can continue living his empire and leave me alone. Humans are cruel, you know, why would you want to ruin someone's life before you help them” she reasoned with Amanda

“Wait, That explains it, what if he just wants someone like you because he wants to skip the dating process and just get married,” Amanda said, analyzing the possibility of him wanting her. 

“Or maybe he want to cover up him being gay” Adele said raising an eyebrow at Amanda

“Maybe, you can strike a deal with him if that's the case, then you can still date whoever you like, that reminds me, are you still sending messages to Jacob's number?” Amanda asked 

“This is the longest I've gone without him. I don't mind if it's just a piece of him I get to see again.” she said with pain laced in her voice

“what if someone else is using this number now?”  

“They can't do that, they can't just give his number to someone else” Adele starts crying again

“I know, come here” Amanda wrapped her arm around her and consoled her. Adele raised her head from Amanda's shoulder when she was calm.

“Girl, you look like you've been hit by a train, then you resurrected from the dead after that.” She said laughing, which made Adele join her too

“I guess we can eat now cause I'm starving”

Amanda said, grabbing the bag of food. 

  

They both had fun, and Adele cheered up a bit. When it was time for Amanda to leave, they said their goodbyes when they got to Adele's front door. 

Adele met her dad in her room when she got to her room. 

“I don't want to talk to you” she said sternly, not looking at him

“I'm sorry princess, but we both know I don't have a choice, why not meet him once and get to know him before refusing the arrangement” Mr Harris pleaded 

“I'm not meeting anyone” Adele said immediately, then she remembered her conversation with her friend. 

“I'll go, just this once. If I don't like him, that's the end” She said raising her hand up. 

My Harris look bothered but he agreed to her conditions

“Okay, I'll set up a date for you both, I need to ask him when he's free” he said trying to sound happy but failed. 

“Thank you princess,I'll send you the location tomorrow, Good night” he turns to leave after giving her a good night kiss. 

“Hmm Dad, can you pretend you're the one meeting him and not me, I heard he hate females so he might not want to meet with me” Adele said, hoping her father agrees to it

Mr Harris wasn't okay with the idea but his hands are tied

“If that's what you want, no problem” he left her room. 

Adele can't wait to see Mr Kings as she partially prays for him to be gay.