1: THE MEETING

Ivanna had just graduated with her best friend, Ivy Simmons. Some of their friends decided to hang out and go clubbing to the famous club, The Ash Club in the USA. She was wildly dancing when her phone was ringing.

“Ugh, Ivy, who is it?” she asked. Ivy took out her phone.

 “It’s your mom!” she mouthed.

 “Oh shit!” she cursed.

She quickly grabbed her phone for her and ran out of the club. Her parents were so strict about her that they don't let her go out and go to a club with some sort of friends.

“Hello mom.” She spoke.

“Honey, we need you to come home as fast as you can.” Her mom from the other side said. She was shocked.

“Mom, my flight is still in the second week of the month.” She said, groaning.

“I know, but you need to come home immediately.” By that, her mom ended the call.

She was spectacularly hopeless. She went back inside to find out that her friends were all drunk and, as expected, Ivy was the only one who wasn’t.

“So, what did she say?” Ivy asked her, and she groaned.

 “I hate it, they’re telling me to go home.” She spoke.

“What? All of a sudden!” Ivy said.

 “Obviously, I don’t know, but she told me to go home as soon as possible.” She groaned.

Ivy was hopeless at helping her out, it was already her parents who were both talking. They had decided to go home already. Ivy Simmons is also the daughter of her parents' business partner. She has been with her since they were in college. Early in the morning, Ivanna and Ivy packed her things off and got on the very first flight going home to London. Ivy sent her off to the airport.

“So, this is it.” She hugged her.

“I’m going to miss you!” Ivy hugged her tightly.

“Going to miss you too!” she said back.

Ivy and Ivanna were waving goodbye to each other. It was hard for Ivanna to leave her, but her parents needed her. After a few hours, she just landed at the London airport. She messages her mother about it and that they had already sent their driver to fetch her up.

“Welcome home, Miss Ivanna!” the driver said.

“Thank you, uncle, Roman.” She said, smiling.

The driver put her baggage in the trunk, she quickly went inside to rest.

 “Ugh.” She sighed.

 “So, how’s going on with my parents?” she asked him.

 “Well, they were doing well,” he replied. Ivanna just nodded. They had just arrived at their gate.

 “It’s good to be finally home.” She spoke. She was shocked to see two cars outside their mansion. “Uncle Roman, who are here?” she asked. Uncle Roman went pale. That moment she realized something was strange. She quickly headed inside, and the maids greeted her.

 “Miss Ivanna, they are in the dining.” The maid said.

 “Thank you.” She smiled. She headed right straight to their dining hall, to see her parents talking to three unfamiliar people about her.

“Hi.” She blurted. All of them stared at her. She was nervous but she just managed to smile.

“Oh dear, nice timing.” Her mom and dad stood up to hug her.

“Alright, is she Ivanna already?” the adult man asks her parents.

 “Yes, she is definitely.” her dad proudly replied. She was staring at the three pairs of eyes, the two adults were smiling at her and the only guy who looked aged like her was just staring at her with no expression on his face, but he was handsome, she thought.

“Honey, sit down.” Her mom told her. She sits beside her mom and faces the guy who is just staring at her.

“Mom, who are they?” she asks her mother. Mr. Hendrix cleared his throat.

“Ivanna, this is Mr. Abraham Villareal, his wife Genevieve, and his son, Ashford. They’re here for some sort of important agreement with us.” Her dad said. She was awed.

“Ow, what agreement?” she asked them. Her parents went silent and pale.

“Mom, Dad?” she asked again. No one’s talking when Ashford spills the information on them.

“You’re going to marry me.” he said in a straight tone. Ivanna thought he was just making it up, but her parents agreed with what he said. She didn’t want to make a scene in front of their visitors, so she just acted like she agreed with it.

“So, you’re going to marry, the sooner the better.” Mrs. Villareal said. Ivanna was quiet during the entire dinner; she couldn’t focus to eating because of what she just knew. Ashford was also staring at her, and he knew that she was just acting not to embarrass her parents.

“So, Ivanna. You just graduated, right?” Mr. Villareal asks. She nodded.

“From Harvard right, OH our son also graduated there with the honor of being the cum laude.” Mrs. Villareal was proud.

 “Is that so? Our Ivanna also just graduated from cum laude!” her mom said. Ivanna just rolled her eyes; she was just playing at her food. She lost her appetite, knowing she was going to marry the man who was in front of her.

She was waiting for the dinner meeting to be finished. She was relieved when they left. Her parents were eager to leave her.

“Mom, Dad. What kind of surprise is this?” she asked them.

She’s not angry, but she’s just curious. She already knew that this was going to happen. They are rich, and arranged marriages do exist in their vocabulary.

“I’m sorry honey, we just need to cooperate.” her dad said.

Her parents explained their side and Ivanna wasn’t angry with them. She was staring at her ceiling, she was thinking what if she'd run away from her groom. She just sighed and prayed, telling God to guide and save her from distress at all times to be exact.