Chapter 1

Kiara’s pov 

           “You can’t just come to the conclusion that he likes you just because he smiled at you for two seconds longer today.” I said to Lisa who was literally vibrating with barely withheld excitement. 

I was helping her apply colorless paint on her nails, it was the only reason why she wasn’t physically bouncing around from how excited she was feeling right now. 

Lisa scoffed. “I know what I’m saying, the chemistry was so charged between us, my friends felt it in school too.” 

I breathed out a small laugh with a shake of my head. “Are you guys even supposed to be discussing boys in school? You guys are literally still babies.”

An offended look crossed Lisa’s face. “I’m eleven, almost a teenager. Frankly, I do feel like a teenager already.” 

I laughed at her response, fully seeing it coming. Despite Lisa’s age, she was so much matured for her age– it was the same way it had been for all my parent’s children. Starting from our bodies, all the way to how we think, one would think we were all way older than our initial ages.

After a few more minutes, I was done applying Lisa’s paint. As usual, she was also too impatient to sit still and wait for it to dry off. 

“Lisa, wait for it to dry off.” I admonished. She scowled at me instantly. “It's dried off already.”

“No, it isn’t–” I began to speak, but the loud sound of the sitting room door getting roughly shoved open, instantly made me slap my mouth shut.

The sound of my brother letting out pained gasps and grunts made me jump to my feet, just as my dad appeared at the doorway, a dark scowl plastered on his face. Right beside him, was my brother, whose ear was being twisted extremely harshly by my dad.

A horrified gasp left my lips as I took in how roughed up mt brother looked. His top was torn, and there were different spots of blood on it. His face was a complete different story, his nose seemed to be broken, his lips was bursted and one of his eyes was so damn swollen, I faintly wondered if that eyes wasn’t completely damaged.

Dad marched into the house angrily, pulling my brother along with him, and before anyone could speak, he was throwing Micah in the middle of the room. His back made a cracking sound as it made contact with the cold tiles and I instantly ran over to him, gently lifting his head and drawing it over my thighs.

Micah was never one to deal with emotions, he was just like me in that aspect, but right now, tears were sliding down the sides of his face, which made something stab painfully at my chest.

“What happened to you? Who did this to you?!” I cried out, throwing a glance at Dad, who was obviously still very furious. 

Dad pointed a finger at Micah. “Ask that stupid brother of yours, I knew he wasn’t all that wise, but I never knew he could be so dumb and stupid!”

I felt Lisa’s calves brushing against mine as she knelt beside me while regarding Micah as well.

Micah remained silent except for him letting out pained gasps every few seconds. Dad decided to tell the story himself after that, at this point, our mother had also made her way into the sitting room, staying at a good distance from our father.

“Micah, along with three of his extremely stupid friends, decided that it was a brilliant idea to attempt to steal from the mafia lord.” Dad thundered out and I flinched as his words settled over me, and I glanced down at Micah who refused to meet me eyes.

That was honestly the stupidest thing a person could ever think of doing.

And since when did Micah begin to steal?

“Thank God he was freed.” I breathed out in relief, while cradling Micah’s head softly. Knowing how ruthless the mafia lord usually was, everyone knew he’d kill anyone who attempt to steal from him, there was no two ways about it. It’s honestly still a shocker that my brother’s life was speared.

“He wasn’t freed.” Dad spoke up once again and I glanced up at him confusingly.

“He wasn’t?” Mother asked this time and I scoffed. Since when did she start to care?

“He wasn’t. I had to bargain for his life to be spared in exchange for something else.” 

“What’s that?” I inquired, just as Micah let out a garbled sound.

“You.” Dad responded, pointing at me. I blinked at him, not following what he was trying to say.

“His life was spared, because I offered you to the mafia lord for marriage.” Father said a moment later, and my mouth opened but nothing came out.

I glanced at Lisa who seemed like she was about to burst into tears, and then at Micah who was finally looking at me. 

“I’m sorry.” He said lowly.

I suddenly felt numb. Slowly, I moved Micah’s head off my thighs and stood up. My heart was thumping harshly against my ribs and I felt dizzy from shock.

“What?” Was the first thing I said, voice still surprisingly quiet.

“You heard me.” Dad scoffed out. “You’d be getting married to him in three days' time.”

“Why did you make that kind of bargain? What did I have to do with any of this?” I screamed out this time, panting hard.

“The mafia lord was going to kill him, he had literally killed Micah’s remaining friends, I had to plead persistently for him to accept the bargain – I couldn’t afford for him to be killed because in as much as he’s literally senseless, he’s still my only son and heir.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, it felt like this was a bad dream that I was going to wake up.

“I’m not getting married. I don’t know why you’d think I’d want to get married.” I folded my hands. “I wanna further my education instead, go to uni and graduate, and not be become a stupid housewife!”

“It’s not a choice, Kiara.” Dad reminded me coldly, the threat in those words didn’t go unnoticed.

And, that was where all hell broke lose. 

I lost it, going crazy with rage and going off until a slap from Dad made my ears ring loudly.

“You insolent child. You’re getting married and that’s final, you’re off no grate use to the family’s heritage other than to end up in a man’s house after all.”

I refused to cry, in as much as my chest felt heavy and my eyes were stinging, defiantly, I refused to break down, not in front of all of them right now.

The concern that I had previously been feeling for my younger brother has faded into anger at this point, and if he wasn’t already looking blue black, I’d have beaten him to a pulp.

Dad stormed out of the house after that, mother retreated to her bedroom without saying a word, and I shakily sat down and palmed my head, while silently trying to grasp all that had just happened.