Chapter 3.

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

She felt her stomach growling loudly in hunger, so she held onto the iron railing to support herself as she went downstairs, ensuring she wouldn't fall or miss a step.

Nancy could see some guests had arrived at her parents' home, and that made her frown, as she hated the way her father's mansion was built. The living room was connected to the dining room, making it easy for guests to spy on her family affairs, which she disliked as she valued her privacy.

She saw the tall, handsome Black man who exuded authority, as he stood in their living room and watched her as she finally reached the bottom of the stairs. 

Nancy felt so uncomfortable under his watchful gaze, as the way his black eyes kept staring at her made her feel like he was already stripping her naked with that look of desire in his eyes.

She looked away from the Black man and looked at her parents, seeing them standing nervously in the living room.

Nancy walked up to her mother and asked, "Mom.. Is dinner not ready yet?"

Mrs. Olivia was nervous, as she hadn't expected Charles to personally visit their home. She nervously responded to Nancy, "Nancy dear, come meet your groom."

"My what?" Nancy gasped in shock, and she swiftly turned to face Charles. She met his handsome gaze, as his black eyes didn't avert from her for a minute as he stood in the living room watching her.

Nancy snapped out of her shock and 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 the wedding is in two days," her father hastily replied.

"Two days!!" Nancy gasped, almost fainting.

"Calm down, Nancy," Charles said, and Nancy shivered at his deep, masculine voice.

Nancy couldn't believe she was getting married to him, and their wedding was in two days. She gathered her courage and said to him with trembling lips, "I cannot.. marry you, sir."

"Nancy!!" Her father screamed at her, hushing her up, as Charles Alejandro was the most feared young man in the city.

Senator Logan warned, "Nancy! You have no right to object to this marriage. Charles Alejandro has seen many pretty young women's photos before he chose you. So you should be grateful to become the country's future First Lady."

"No, Father! I cannot accept this marriage; I cannot marry him!" Nancy immediately moved backward and quickly bolted up the stairs to her bedroom, her hips bouncing and swaying as she ran. She went to the top floor, got into her room, and shut the door closed.

"Nancy! Come back here!" Her father called, but Nancy refused to answer, as she did not want to marry Charles. She locked her room door and went to her bed, crying.

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

Senator Logan stared at Charles and apologized, "We're truly sorry, Your Excellency. We haven't informed Nancy about the arranged marriage with you, Sir."

"Hmm," Charles stood speechless in the living room, staring upstairs to the second floor. He was hoping his chosen bride would peek out her beautiful head and look down at him. With the way her hips had moved and swayed seductively, Charles had felt his muscles harden, wanting to claim her.

Charles doubted he would be able to restrain himself if left alone with Nancy, as she looked even more beautiful in person than in the photo he had. He looked back at her parents and met her mother's gaze.

Mrs. Olivia smiled nervously and said to Charles, "Do not worry, Your Excellency, I will go upstairs now and speak to my daughter. The wedding will still be held."

"Hmm, that's alright. I will be looking forward to the wedding, as I came here to welcome my bride on her return to the city. But it's obvious she doesn't want to see me. Please, give these flowers to Nancy and let her know that I truly love her and want to marry her," Charles said, handing the bouquet of rose petals to Mrs. Olivia.

Mrs. Olivia smiled, took the flowers, and stepped aside. Her husband apologized again, "We are sincerely sorry, Your Excellency. Please forgive our daughter's rude behavior towards you."

"That's alright. I understand her fears, but that's not a problem, as I came here to welcome her on her return to the city. Do send my greetings to Nancy and let her know that I want her. I must be on my way now. Goodbye, Senator Logan," Charles said, his voice gentle.

"Yes, goodbye, Your Excellency," Senator Logan replied and escorted Charles as he walked out of their living room and outside to his car.

The stationed security men pulled and shut the car door as soon as Charles entered his Jeep, and the three cars drove out of Senator Logan Marlon's residence.

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Nancy stood at her room window upstairs, staring down at the garage. She saw Charles walk out of her family home, get into his car, and the three cars drive away.

She couldn't believe her parents really wanted her to marry Charles Alejandro, the president's son, by force. She had never met Charles before, but she had heard about him, with the way netizens usually ridiculed and criticized his family online for refusing to exit the ruling seat.

Nancy had heard about Charles' affairs with many pretty young women in their state, as he was rumored to be a male prostitute - not the kind of man she wanted to marry.

The sound of her room door being pushed open jolted her back to reality. She turned away from the window and faced her parents, who angrily walked into her room.

"Nancy!! What was the meaning of that silly drama you just displayed in meeting Charles Alejandro today? Don't you know that plenty of young women would've jumped at the offer with joy and even accepted to marry Charles immediately?" Her father questioned her angrily, standing beside her room door and glaring at her. Her mother stood in silence, holding the bouquet of rose flowers she had seen with Charles.

Her father yelled at her, "Answer me, Nancy??"

"Dad, that's not the kind of man I want. I don't love him, and that's the truth," Nancy said, breaking out into sobs. Charles Alejandro wasn't the kind of man she wanted to marry. She wanted a good man who would love only her, not a cheat like Charles who wouldn't value her as his wife.

She was looking for the right excuse to make her parents understand that she couldn't marry a man like Charles or become his wife.

"Love?? What do you know about love, Nancy? You'll come to love Charles with time, after you both become husband and wife. That's how your mother and I got married, and up till now, we're still a couple. What if you sit here waiting for the man you'll love first, and he doesn't love you back? Well, I cannot reject the Alejandro family's proposal to us, even though I know you'll object to it. They're the ones ruling the country, and they'll feel extremely insulted if you reject their only son's proposal to you! He chose you, Nancy Marlon, among all the other pretty young women's photos he must have seen. So you will have to marry Charles whether you like him or not."

"No, Father! I cannot marry him!" Nancy screamed, bursting into tears, unable to believe her father really wanted her to marry Charles by force.

Her father turned to leave her room, pausing at the door and saying to her mother, "Talk to your daughter and get her prepared on all the things she'll 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."