Chapter 3

Nancy was done drying her long, golden hair and combing it to cascade behind her back. She walked out of her room and went downstairs to the living room for dinner with her parents.

She could feel her stomach growling loudly with hunger, so she held onto the iron railing for support as she descended the stairs, careful not to fall or miss her steps.

As Nancy reached the bottom of the staircase, she noticed some guests had arrived at her parents' home, which made her frown. She hated the layout of her father’s mansion; the living room was connected to the dining room, making it easy for guests to spy on her family's affairs. She prized her privacy and disliked being monitored.

Nancy saw a tall, handsome black man standing in their living room, exuding authority as he watched her. She felt uncomfortable under his intense gaze; the way his dark eyes kept staring at her made her feel as though he was undressing her with his eyes.

She quickly diverted her gaze from the man to her parents, who were standing nervously in the living room.

Nancy approached her mother and asked, "Mom, is dinner not ready yet?"

Mrs. Olivia Marlon was nervous; she hadn’t expected Charles to visit their home personally. "Nancy, my dear, come meet your groom," she responded, her voice tinged with anxiety.

"My what?" Nancy gasped in shock. She swiftly turned to face Charles, meeting his handsome, unwavering gaze. He stood in the living room, watching her intently.

Snapping out of her shock, Nancy asked her mother, "Mom, when did I get married to him?"

"You're not yet married to him, Nancy. This is Charles Alejandro, Mr. President Nolan Alejandro's only child, and your wedding with him is in two days," her father announced.

"What? Two days?!!" Nancy gasped, nearly fainting.

"Calm down, Nancy," Charles said.

Nancy shivered at his deep, masculine voice. She couldn't believe she was getting married to him, and the wedding was only two days away. Gathering her courage, she said to him, her lips trembling, "I cannot… marry you, sir."

"Nancy!!" Her father screamed, shocked by her defiance. "Be quiet!" Charles Alejandro was the most feared young man in the city.

Senator Logan continued, "Nancy! You have no right to object to this marriage! Charles Alejandro has seen many beautiful young women’s photos before he finally chose you. You should be grateful to become the country’s future first lady."

"No, Father! I cannot accept this marriage; I will not marry him!" Nancy pointed at Charles and immediately backed away, bolting up the stairs to her bedroom, her hips bouncing and swaying as she ascended.

She reached the top floor, entered her room, and shut the door, crying.

"Nancy! Come back here!" her father called, but Nancy refused to answer. She didn’t want to marry Charles. She locked her room door and collapsed onto her bed, sobbing.

"Hmm, let me go upstairs and call her back," Mrs. Olivia Marlon suggested, but her husband quickly stopped her, saying, "That won't be necessary."

Senator Logan turned to Charles and apologized, "We're truly sorry, Your Excellency. We haven't informed Nancy about the arranged marriage."

"Hmm..." Charles stood, speechless in the living room, staring up at the second floor. He had hoped his chosen bride would peek out and look down at him. The way her hips swayed so seductively had made him feel a strong desire to claim her. He doubted he could control himself if he were left alone with her. She looked even more beautiful than the photo he had seen. He finally turned back to her parents and met Mrs. Marlon's nervous gaze, which resembled Nancy’s.

Mrs. Olivia Marlon smiled nervously and said to Charles, "Don’t worry, Your Excellency; I will go upstairs now and speak to my daughter. The wedding will still hold."

"Hmm, that’s alright. I look forward to the wedding. I came here to welcome my bride on her return to the city. However, it’s clear she doesn’t want to see me. Please give these flowers to Nancy and let her know that I truly love her and desire to marry her," Charles said, handing over the bouquet of roses he was holding to Mrs. Olivia Marlon.

Mrs. Olivia Marlon smiled and accepted the flowers, stepping aside as her husband apologized again, "We are sincerely sorry, Your Excellency. Please forgive our daughter for her rudeness."

"That’s alright. I understand her fears; it’s not a problem. I came here to greet her on her return. Please send my greetings to her and let her know that I want her. I must be on my way now, Senator Logan. Goodbye," Charles replied with a smile as he turned to exit the mansion.

"Alright, Your Excellency. Goodbye, too," Senator Logan said nervously, escorting Charles outside.

The stationed security men opened and closed the car door as soon as Charles entered his Jeep. The three cars then drove away from Senator Logan Marlon’s residence.

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Nancy stood at her bedroom window upstairs, staring down at the garage. She saw Charles walk out of her family home and get into his car before the three vehicles drove off.

She could not believe that her parents really wanted her to marry Charles Alejandro, Mr. President Nolan Alejandro's son, by force. She had never met Charles before but had heard of him, particularly how netizens often ridiculed and insulted his family online for refusing to relinquish power.

Nancy had heard about Charles' affairs with many beautiful young women in their state. He was rumored to be a playboy, not the kind of man she wanted to marry.

The sound of her room door being pushed open jolted her back to reality, and she turned to see her parents angrily walking into her room.

"Nancy!! What was the meaning of that silly drama you just displayed in that meeting with Charles Alejandro? Don’t you know that plenty of young women would have jumped at the chance and accepted to marry Charles immediately?" her father questioned angrily, glaring at her as he stood beside the door while her mother remained silent, holding the bouquet of roses that Nancy had seen with Charles.

"Answer me, Nancy!" her father yelled.

"Dad, that’s not the kind of man I want. I don’t love him, and that’s the truth," Nancy said, breaking down into sobs. Charles Alejandro was not the man she wanted to marry.

She longed for a good man who would love only her, not a cheat like Charles who would not value her as his wife.

She was looking for the right words to help her parents understand that she could not marry a man like Charles.

"Love? What do you know about love, Nancy? You will learn to love Charles over time, just like your mother and I did. We got married, and we are still together to this day. What if you sit here waiting for the man you love, but he doesn’t love you back and you end up loving him alone?

"Well, I cannot reject the Alejandro family's proposal, even though I know you will object. They are the ones ruling the country, and rejecting their only son’s proposal would be a huge insult! He chose you, Nancy Marlon, among all the other pretty young women he could have selected. You will marry Charles Alejandro, whether you like him or not."

"No, Father! I cannot marry him!" Nancy screamed, bursting into tears and unable to believe that her father truly wanted her to marry Charles against her will.

Her father turned to leave her room but paused at the door to say to her mother, "Talk to Nancy and prepare her for everything she will need to become Charles' wife. This Saturday, she will be going to the presidential villa to live with Charles, whether she likes him or not."