* 2: Agreement with the groom's father.

**Chapter 2: Agreement with the Groom's Father**

Morgan walked to the balcony of his second-floor room, staring disdainfully at the number on his cell phone screen. He hesitated several times before making the call. He could barely stand to hear Hanna's voice, especially since he had witnessed firsthand what that family's illness could do to a person. Even though it wasn't contagious, it was unsettling to observe and deeply regrettable.

Hanna answered the phone immediately.

"Hello, Mr. Farrugia?" she asked anxiously. "I thought you were sending a car to pick me up. There's less than half an hour until the wedding! Why are you taking so long?"

Morgan swallowed hard, his gaze lost.

"Miss... Ortiz," he cleared his throat lightly before continuing. "Unfortunately, we'll have to postpone the wedding."

Hanna furrowed her brow, confused, as she stared at herself in the mirror, all dressed up. She could hardly believe it.

"I disagree! This wedding cannot be postponed! If so, then... how will it proceed?"

"We'll have to postpone it for at least two days."

Hanna looked at the dresser, where some papers were stacked, and sighed deeply.

"No! Either the wedding happens today, or it doesn't happen at all!"

"Today is not possible, your groom Davis is missing."

"Just find him today!" she asserted, irritated.

"That won't be possible!"

"Heavens..." Hanna raised her face in despair, trying to hold back tears as she remembered the numerous messages she had sent. She didn't have time for a delay. "If this wedding doesn't happen today, then forget it!" she declared angrily.

Morgan sighed heavily, containing his anger.

"You have no choice! The wedding must happen, no matter what. However, not today," Morgan replied tersely.

"Then there will be no wedding! It's today or forget it!" she shouted, hysterically, before ending the call.

Hanna collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling as tears welled up involuntarily.

"What am I going to do? I don't have that much time... those bastards want the wedding not to happen only to revoke the contract, I bet! But it won't be like that..." she murmured thoughtfully.

Suddenly, she remembered the agreement and had a brief idea.

Ever since she found out about the contract, Hanna had doubts about the clauses, as she had not had access to any details to understand what had been decided, just her mother's word. But Hanna was not naive. She had no choice but to make that wedding happen that day.

She thought for a few minutes while the phone rang incessantly. This was irrefutable proof that if the wedding did not happen, there would be some loss for the Farrugia family.

Hanna smirked maliciously as she considered some possibilities and answered the phone again.

"Have you found my groom yet?"

"You can't give up on the wedding!" Morgan asserted.

"I can, after all, I won't lose anything by giving up, right? If the wedding doesn't happen today, there's no more agreement!"

"Are you sure? Because as soon as you get married, you'll also have rights as a wife, even access to the inheritance, and you'll be able to live the best possible life."

"If it's not today, just erase my number!" she grumbled with trembling hands.

"You will get married, even if it's forced. I have enough influence for that. I can have men watching over you so you don't run away, and then bring you back even if you don't want to!"

"Fine!" she grumbled, going to the window of her room. The house was simple, just one story. "Since you're going to force me... I'll kill myself. The truth is..." she lamented, letting a few tears fall, hoping it would work out. "I have nothing left to lose. And if my life ends, you'll have to bear the guilt for it. So, I'll see you in another life, Mr. Morgan!"

"Wait!" he shouted, trying to stop her, unsure if it was true or a bluff. Still, he didn't want to risk it.

Hanna then realized that there might be something in the contract about her death. She had spent harsh months studying such contracts and what might be in them before feeling the need to call the Farrugias. She knew there would be demands from both sides to be met, and her mother might have demanded something beneficial for her and her brother even in case of her death, no matter the reason.

I said, I know you don't know me, but I'll just tell you I'm a person who doesn't care to be alive, or dead, I just let you carry that guilt.

"Okay, so I'll arrange a new groom for you, what do you think? My son Davi fled, so he won't be able to marry him." Hanna was silent for a few minutes as she stared at the phone with a twisted expression.

"And... With whom will I marry?" Asked with voice calm.

"Well... the contract doesn't specify who you should marry, and at the moment, there's no one available in the Farrugia family except me..." Morgan pressed his lips, feeling his stomach churn with anxiety and disgust, while she made a grimace of repulsion.

"Just what I needed, it was okay to marry Davis since he was young and supposedly handsome, but as far as I know... Davis is 26 years old, this man could be in his fifties, how depraved can he be to want to marry a 19-year-old girl?" she thought while trying to control the words that wanted to flame in Morgan's face.

"Look! You old grump, I'm only nineteen years old, how can you want to tie me to you?"

Morgan smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes and mentally cursed that insolent and apparently spoiled girl on the phone.

"Miss Ortiz..." he grunted her name, clenching his fists. "It will only be a temporary marriage until we find your groom, what do you think? We can give you my word, once Davis returns, you will be his bride."

"Marry you? Not in your dreams!" she exclaimed, holding back laughter while to Morgan she seemed furious. "Just accept it and we can fulfill this agreement."

"Do you want to fulfill this agreement so badly?"

"Don't you see?"

"I'll marry you... with one condition."

"What?"

"I want you to pay for it, so if you make a transfer to me today, then I'll marry the old man with you today," she announced provocatively while suppressing laughter. Morgan's gaze hardened as he realized she could also be greedy and self-interested, but for him, this could serve as a weapon to manipulate her.

"What amount?" he asked in a cold voice.

"I'll send you an email with the details..." She sent the information, and within two minutes, she had the amount in her bank account.

"But I also have a requirement, first of all, rest assured, I will never see you as a suitable woman for me."

Hanna scoffed mockingly.

"Fine," she confirmed.

"Secondly, no one in my family wants to see your face, unfortunately, we wanted a civil wedding without much fuss and each going to their homes, but the contract says it must be a wedding worthy of a church, with a wedding dress and everything a bride is entitled to. The estate lawyer will be there to make sure we're following everything in the contract, otherwise, he can... well... apply some penalties to you and the Farrugia family."

"Is that all, Mr. Morgan? Not see my face? I wouldn't want to see yours either, you old disgusting man, don't even think about laying a finger on me."

"It would be a pity if that happens, just obey that one order, they're already coming to get you!" he grumbled angrily, ending the call.

"Besides being disfigured, she's also an opportunist," Morgan muttered, his eyes flashing with anger, feeling his blood boil in his veins. The idea of marrying that marked woman repulsed him, but he had no choice. He needed to fulfill the agreement, even if it meant sacrificing his life, but the worst was yet to come: informing his mother-in-law.

A wide and uncontrollable smile spread across Hanna's face as she admired the exorbitant amount deposited into her bank account.

"Oh, this feels so good," exclaimed Hanna, planting a passionate and effusive kiss on her cell phone screen. "This month will be pure luxury! Hmm... This marriage will be very convenient. I'm so glad you didn't leave me helpless, Mom!" Then Hanna admired herself in the mirror, but soon realized that the veil didn't conceal her face as well as she needed it to, so that he didn't even contemplate a shadow of her appearance. Calling the staff who were available, she asked for help to apply a second layer of veil, further obscuring her face, although she could still see well around her.