01. Bad News After Coma

ROSEANNE

“Roseanne, Grandpa will match you with an Alpha, and you two will be married in two weeks.”

The words hit me like a punch to the chest. I had just stepped into Grandpa's office after four months in a coma. Instead of the warm greeting I had expected, I received this announcement.

I stood frozen in front of his desk, my heart pounding. “Grandpa, what do you mean? You must have said something wrong, right?”

“Grandpa, you couldn’t possibly do something like that to me. I know that you love me very much, so something like this can’t happen.” My eyes trembled with worry, and as much as I could, I refused to believe him.

But his face showed no signs of guilt. Andreas Moonveil, the most powerful man in the country and my grandfather, just stared at me coldly, without hesitation or regret.

“There’s no mistake here, Roseanne. I’ve picked the perfect man for you,” he said with authority, leaving no room for argument.

“Grandpa!” I finally raised my voice, trying to get his attention. “If this is a joke, then it really isn’t funny. Stop it now, or I’ll get mad.”

He didn't answer, didn't even look at me at all. The pile of papers on his desk was more interesting than the look of disappointment clearly visible on my face.

Instead, his hand pointed to the brown folder on the table. “Open it, Anne,” he said shortly.

With trembling hands, I took the folder. It contained a biodata sheet. There was no photo, just a series of information that made me feel like I was reading a catalog of goods, not a person's data.

How can I recognize the man without a photo in the data?

“Damian Fenrison?” I mumbled, trying to dig into my memory. The name sounded familiar, but his face remained vague in my mind.

“He’s the owner of the Aeternum Group,” Grandpa said, his voice calm but full of authority. “You may find the name familiar. But since you just woke up from a coma, you should still read up on him.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Grandpa, you’re kidding, right?! Damian Fenrison? Aeternum Group? Hasn’t his company always been your’ main rival? That man has been trying to bring you down for years! But why did you decide to match me with him now? Isn’t that crazy?!”

“You don’t need to understand,” he said coldly. “I have decided, and you just need to carry it out.”

A wave of emotions hit me — disappointment, anger, and sadness all mixed together. It had only been a week since I woke up from my coma, and today, I came to Grandpa's room with a big smile because I missed him so much. But that smile has now disappeared because Grandpa has changed like this for some reason.

I thought Grandpa would be happy when he saw me awake, maybe I would also get the warm hug I had longed for. However, reality hit me mercilessly.

“Grandpa, you never let any Alpha approach me all this time. You always guard me, limiting my interactions with any Alpha. I thought you did that because you wanted me to find my own mate someday, but arranged marriage? Grandpa, this is so unreasonable!”

“I don’t want to marry that man. I refuse to be matched with Damian Fenrison,” my voice trembled as I spoke, tears beginning to well up in my eyes.

This time, Grandpa lifted his face and looked at me sharply. “You can’t refuse, Roseanne,” he said, his voice getting louder. “This isn’t a request, it’s an order.”

“But why me?!” I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth to hold back the tears starting to force their way out. “You can’t control my life like this, Grandpa! I will decide for myself who I will marry, and Damian is not the man I want!”

His sharp eyes stared at me without a trace of pity. “Who says I can’t? I raised you for dozens of years, Roseanne. After your parents died, I was the one who took care of you, protected you, and gave you a life of luxury. I loved you more than my other children or grandchildren. Now, it’s time for you to repay me.”

I laughed bitterly, and tears finally fell without me being able to stop them. I was already speechless after hearing all of Grandpa's words. "So that's your reason, Grandpa? I thought you really loved me. It turns out this was all just my illusion."

Where is Grandpa Andreas, who loved me so much and was always warm to me? Why has that man now changed into someone different and unrecognizable?

“You’ve always been nice to me so that you can sell me when I grow up? This is all about reciprocation, huh? Can this marriage bring you great benefits, Grandpa, that you will sell me to Damian?”

Him’s expression remained unchanged, cold as ice. “It’s good that you understand without me explaining further.”

I stood stiffly, my body shaking with anger and disappointment suffocating my chest. I really didn't know who this man in front of me was, he was really very different from the person I met before I fell into a coma.

I crumple the paper in my hand to vent all my emotions at the moment, tears still falling down my cheeks without me being able to stop them. It feels so suffocating to be in this room, the same room, but it feels different, not like a few months ago.

“Roseanne,” Grandpa’s voice broke the silence. "Don’t get too emotional. Damian is the perfect match for you. I agreed to this marriage for your own good. You will thank me one day.”

I laughed bitterly, I couldn't listen anymore. Grandpa's words felt like a knife stabbing my heart again and again. Without another word, I turned and left the room, leaving Grandpa with a pile of papers that were more important to him than my feelings.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks as I walked away. Every step felt heavy, not only because of the order I had just received but also because of the feeling of betrayal by the one person I thought was on my side unconditionally.

At a time when I should be celebrating my second life, I have to face the fact that my life is not mine.

“Miss Anne, are you okay?” It was the voice of Kiren — my personal Beta guard, who sounded worried when he saw my condition after coming out of Grandpa’s room.

I ignored him, leaning against the wall and taking a deep breath. I tried to calm myself down to think of another way out of this problem.

'If I can't break this arranged marriage through Grandpa, then I have to talk to Damian directly to resolve everything.'

I looked at Kiren seriously. “Kiren, I want to meet Damian. Please investigate some things about him and arrange a plan so I can meet him.”