Chapter 5

"stop, he has learnt his lesson now," I said with a loud voice

my bouncers left the dude and I walked past him with great joy, I snapped my fingers and one of my bouncers came with a suitcase, I took out $3,000 in raw cash and dropped it on the dude's face

"When you are poor, you barely make trouble because there's no one to save you when it all turns to chaos," I said and spat on the dude's face

Bella Rhee's POV

I slowly drove in and switched off my engine, my mind hasn't been at rest ever since my mom requested a meeting, she didn't pick up my calls and I feel something is not right. It's not in her nature to purposely ignore my calls

"take a look at my beautiful sister, look at that shining skin" Mike called out to me

he is fond of teasing me all the time and I have grown used to it too

"how was your flight?" I asked

"It wasn't all rosy, there was a minor turbulence after we took off but God being God helped us scale through unhurt"

"that's something to be grateful for" I replied

we both went silent so quickly before he walked inside and I followed him, he seems like he has heard some details but he doesn't want to spill the beans. I walked into the mansion and saw my mom seated on the couch, her face looked so pale like someone who has been crying for hours, I sat beside her but she didn't even acknowledge my presence.

"good evening mother, how are you?" I asked

she looked at me and I was shocked to see that her eyes are red, has she been crying for so long?

"mom what's happening, someone should please talk to me" I yelled

no one said anything and this got me pissed, I stood up and went to the center with my arms folded

"if no one is going to tell me the truth then I might as well take my leave and switch off my phone to prevent any form of communication" I threatened

"be calm sister, you are the main reason for this meeting, please we need to reason well, like adults" Laura said

"then someone should tell me something I need to hear or something I don't know about, I can't be kept in suspense like this" I replied

"please, it's enough, I have cried enough for one day, I called this meeting so we can talk about this pressing issue at hand as one big family. I'm not ready for this noise" my mom said in a depressed tone

what is wrong with her?, why did she cry her eyes out?

"let's head to your room and properly talk this over, can't have any detail fall on the wrong ears," Mike said

I grew scared at this point because I don't know what to think anymore, we all walked to my mom's room and I shut the door

"Now that we are here, can we please say something and let's know the issue that's making mom shed tears?" I asked

my mom took a deep breath and layed back on the bed, she used her handkerchief to clean the tears gathering in her eyes

"Bella, I'm so sorry to have kept this away from you for so long, I thought we would be able to scale through," she said

her words are scaring me, what is she talking about?

"mom please stop making me curious and scared, I have had enough of this silent drama"

"Twenty years ago, your father's tech company was at the edge of crumbling, he was so depressed to the extent that he fell seriously ill. The company's stock fell badly and he went from being rich to being bankrupt in less than two months and finding a solution became nearly impossible until he met the Pendragons.

They offered to help your father with their oil money and after two years, the company's wealth came back twice as strong. The Pendragons wanted something in return for the large amount they gave to your father, and it wasn't money nor shares in the company, it was his daughter." she said and paused to catch her breath

I stared at her face, her lips precisely, thinking that what I just heard will turn out to be a joke because that's the only way I can take this bullshit story.

"your father signed a contract with the Pendragons that his eldest daughter will get married to their eldest son when she clocks twenty-four. At first, your father discussed the contract terms with me but he didn't wait for my reply before he signed it.

You were four years old when we did all these things but you have to understand it was the only option we had. The money they gave us was much and your father saw them as good people but unfortunately, your dad died shortly after signing the contract." she said and I watched as tears rolled down her cheeks

I have lived my life without having a father by my side and it was a painful experience that I had to endure for years.

"my father sold me in exchange for his company's success?, he sold his daughter's happiness. So are you indirectly saying I have to get married to a Pendragon?" I asked angrily

"Please calm down dear sister," Mike said

"tell me to calm down again and I will shove my shoe in your mouth" I spoke in anger

"Why did the Pendragons stay far away after my father's death, why are they coming now?" I asked

"They didn't stay away, I was the one who pushed them away, I didn't want to spoil your childhood and love life"

"you just did mother, and over my dead body will I get married to their son!" I yelled

I couldn't believe that my father sold me at such a young age, what had I done to deserve this modern-day slavery?

"I'm getting a lawyer mom, I'm not getting married to their rude son"

"that's a terrible idea you will spend the remaining days of your life regretting, the Pendragons are not people that can be messed with, it was a contract signed by dad and the head of the Pendragon," Mike said

"and so what, I'm backing off and there's no one who will dare to stop me!" I yelled

"the contract states that any of the parties who back out from the marriage will be jailed for ten years and must be disowned by the family. Your father had a strong relationship with the Pendragons and they wanted their friendship to form a great union and fearless family" my mom said

"so I am going to be disowned by you if I back out?" I asked as tears rolled down my cheeks

Mike couldn't stand the state of my face, he looked away as I cried painfully

"I never knew someone had already planned my life before his death, what do you expect me to do now?, I should break up with the love of my life for a wolf in sheep clothing right?. I should marry Alexander Pendragon or risk getting disowned and going to jail, I will never forgive dad for this!" I cursed painfully.