Chapter 1

Alice's Point Of View.

Others said fathers are supposed to be your own superhero, they will protect you from the people who want to hurt you. They will be your own support system, your crying shoulder when everyone is not on your side. But now, while looking at my Dad who is looking at me with his angry eyes.

I realized that they're all wrong. My dad will not be a superhero for me and will never be.

"You tried to run away from the mansion again?! What do you really want to happen, Alice?!" he angrily shouted at me while frowning. They also said fathers shouldn't be shouting at their own daughter, but my Dad proved to me that they're wrong, again.

"What would my friends say if they found out what you did?! You don't really think at all!" Dad added and I looked away. "From now on, you will not leave your room until you are married!" 

My eyes widened when I heard the last thing he said, but before I could speak he quickly left my room and I heard him lock the door.

Is he serious about imprisoning me here?! But knowing Dad, he can force me to marry someone I don't know, so I think he is serious about locking me here.

I looked at the wounds on my legs, I got them because I tried to leave the mansion again because I didn't want to get married. The guards chased me for several hours until I couldn't run anymore, they caught me and brought me back here.

And of course, Dad found out about that so now he's very angry. Does he think that his decision to lock me in my own room will cause me to stop leaving this mansion?

He makes a mistake.

"I'll choose to die before I get married," I murmured angrily and quickly took the rope from my cabinet and went straight to my bedroom window. My room is on the second floor of the mansion, so if I jump out the window without using anything, I'm sure I'll die.

I first tied my long black hair and knotted the rope around my bookshelf to make sure I wouldn't fall. I quickly dropped the rope from the window and let out a loud breath before I went down as I held onto the rope tightly.

In the middle of my trying to escape from prison I heard a sound and saw that the rope was removed from the bookshelf and before I could react, I quickly fell from my window and my mind went black.

"Is she okay, Doc?"

"Yes, she just needs some rest."

"That's good to hear, thank you."

"You're welcome, Madame."

I kept my eyes closed as I listened to the end of their conversation. I heard someone closing the door but I kept my eyes closed.

"She's just making trouble, Mommy!" I heard my eldest sister, Alana shouted angrily. "Really? Use her window to escape? What fool would do that?! It's just her!" she added.

"She's been stressing me out for the past few months," I heard Mom reply. "If she wouldn't have been rude to your dad, she's like this. I don't know what to do to her anymore," she sighed loudly.

Damn it, do they think I like what I did? They are also the reason why I am like this today!

"If she's always like this, why not just take her to another country?" Alana said annoyed. "I can't even stand close to her!" she added and I heard the door open and close.

"You only cause trouble, I don't know what to do with you," Mom said seriously.

After a while I heard the opening and closing of the door. When I felt that there was no one around me, I slowly opened my eyes. I could feel the pain in my legs but I ignored it because I quickly removed the dextrose from my hand.

"Damn," I cursed while biting my lower lip because of the pain.

I slowly left the hospital bed I was lying on, I took a deep breath before slowly walking towards the door. I have to leave. I have a reason why I have to leave. Just as I was holding the doorknob, the door suddenly opened causing me to step back.

Dad and I quickly met our eyes, nervousness enveloped my heart.

"What are you trying to do now?!" he immediately yelled angrily at me when he saw that the dextrose was gone from my hand.

"D-dad," I uttered nervously, I felt my hands shaking because of fear.

"Are you trying to run away again, Alice?!" he added while frowning.

"I don't want to get married, Dad!" I shouted and cried. When I found out they were going to marry me to a man I didn't even know, I felt very scared, I'm used to them not treating me well, but to force me to marry to a man I've never even seen in person is a big joke!

"And who are you to make decisions for yourself?" Dad asked, I could see the anger in his eyes. "There's nothing you can do but to follow me, my decision is final! At the end of the day, you will still marry him! If you keep running away from us, I'll make sure your wedding will be held next week!" he added angrily and quickly left the room, I heard him lock the door.

I just sat in the hospital bed hopelessly, why do I have to get married? I know I'm at the right age but I can't afford to get married! In the past day, I felt a lot of fear. I have to returned to our mansion because Dad said it would be better for me to recover in the mansion because I might just run away again. I also always have a guard following me in and out of my room.

They're my family, but this is how they treat me. Alana said that I'm a black sheep of the family, all my life I've done nothing but follow what they say. But in the end, I still don't feel like they consider me as their part. 

We are three sisters, Alana is the eldest and I am the second child and Alyana is the youngest who is no longer in the mansion because she is already married, like me she was also a victim of arranged marriage. But we are still different because she knows the man she got married to and I know that they love each other.

But me? I don't know what kind of man I'll marry, one night. Dad suddenly spoke to me and said that I will marry a businessman who invested in his company. And no matter what I say to prevent them from marrying me to that man, they don't listen.

"Alice, don't do anything stupid in front of Mr. Fernsby, if he backs out on marrying you I'll just send you to another country," Dad threatens me before leaving my room. I was forced to nod in response. Mom said that today the man I will marry will go to our mansion and have a dinner with us.

She chose a dress for me to wear for this dinner and I tried to beg her to stop the wedding but she didn't even listen to me. She said I have to do this.

I could feel the weakness in my knees while walking down the stairs to go to the dining hall. When we arrived, I quickly saw a man with his back turned, wearing a black tuxedo, standing and talking to my Mom. I noticed his height and his masculine physique, he obviously goes to the gym often.

When Mom saw me, she quickly pointed her finger at me, the man turned to me and our eyes quickly met. His grey eyes met mine and I almost gaps when I saw his face card.

"Mr. Fernsby, this is my daughter. Alice Hermione Dawson," Dad introduced me.

The man smiled and held out his hand while still looking at me. "I'm Valerian Fernsby, it's such an honor to meet you, my Wife."