Chapter Six

Deadly choice

My eyes caught Darren's and he stood up to leave. I followed him immediately.

I noticed he was walking into a quiet part of the compound, suddenly he stopped and turned at me, I moved closer to him with careful steps.

"What's going on?" I asked with a shaky voice.

"Your grandfather finally finds his corrupt way of avoiding judgment." Darren answered with gritted teeth, he looks like he is losing grip on his anger.

"What do you mean? I'm innocent of all the charges, why won't you believe me?" 

"Then why are you hiding behind their shadows, if you are so sure you are not guilty, why not face the investigations yourself, why hide behind your grandfather?" he pointed his fingers at me with frustration as he spoke.

"You know, I know you very well, as much as they do and I'm damn sure everyone in your family knows what you are capable of but they are just trying hard to cover you up, but this marriage scheme? That's going way too far, what exactly are you planning to achieve by locking me in a marriage?" I've not been aware of marriage talks or anything of sort, especially where Darren is involved.

"I don't know anything about the marriage or engagement, this is just news to me, I promise I don't know what's going on either." I responded with a shaky voice. It's frustrating, everything in my life is out of my control, I don't know what my family is plotting, I'm just in total darkness.

"You can pretend as much as you want Abby, but there's no way I'm believing a word that comes out of a murderer's mouth," Darren said to me, turning his back to leave.

"What do you want me to do to believe me?" I asked, trying hard to hold back the sob in me.

"Reject the marriage proposal, if you can do that much, I can plead the Taylors out of the investigation." He answered without a glimpse at me before leaving.

"Hi, honey." I heard my mom's voice as I dragged my weak body to my room.

"I know all this is hard for you sweetheart, but it's all in your best interest." my mom took a seat on the bed beside me as she dropped her hands on my knees.

"The marriage or the faked suicide? I don't understand Mom." I hate the idea it might be my family's doings, the thought of my grandpa getting someone killed to save me turns my stomach.

"Just the marriage sweetheart, I know what you are thinking but I promise you, we have nothing to do with that man's death." I don't understand why they think getting married to a man who hates me is in my best interest, I'm confused and don't know what.

Mom left some minutes later for me to gather my thoughts. I must have drifted to sleep, I woke up to the sound of someone entering my room. I looked up and noticed my mom at my door.

"I'm sorry for disturbing your sleep sweetheart, but your grandpa called for you in his office." I nod my head in response, even though facing the old man scares me a lot.

I followed her to his office, the house is just too big for me to master, different sections with different rooms, I'm sure I will be getting lost here if I try moving around alone.

We made a turn down a hallway, everything on this side looks different from the other parts of the house, the designs and architecture looks old and kind of ancient, it's almost like the building has existed for a very long time, maybe generations, but the work of art is quite unique and classical, I noticed pictures frames on the walls, just glimpse of them but I can tell they are dead members of the family.

Walking into Grandpa's office, he looks busy with some documents, he looks up as we enter.

"Abby, your old man has some little things to discuss with you,  have a seat over there darling," he said to me pointing to a chair in front of him.

"You can leave us to it, Olivia," Grandpa said to mom but I interjected before he could.

The

"No, I want her to stay, I might get lost on my way back." I said out nervously, not sure if he would allow that or not. He seems to be in deep thought for a while before nodding in approval.

A sign of relief slipped through me and he chuckled. Mom moved to the far end of the big room to give us privacy, which deep down I know I don't need but it was more for Grandpa.

"I know you've been curious about the marriage talk that was brought up earlier today, but it is something you have to do my dear, for the family's sake," Grandpa said to me as he stood up and brought out a picture album, I looked up at him in confusion.

"Our family, the Coopers, comes from a long history of wealth, Power, and influence. When it comes to marriages we have procedures and laws to follow, this way we maintain our wealth and ensure our children don't get tangled in dirt or bring dirt to the family's name." He pushed the picture album to me.

"Those are pictures of the previous marriages in the family," I opened the album and noticed the first picture was of Mom and Anthony.

"Yes, your parent's were the last marriage we had considering she is my only daughter but unfortunately the marriage ended in shame for the family, your Mom had too much expectation from her husband which is bad for the business." Business? How can marriage be a business, I couldn't help but wonder.

"Why business?" Curiosity getting the best of me.

"Good question!!! To us, marriage is business, one that must be attended to carefully, things like emotions should not influence our decision-making in choosing a partner." My head was getting heavy as he talked.

Every daughter of the family has no right to choose whom they are getting married to, the men can still make a choice as long as the bride's family clicks all the requirements box. But for the daughters, the marriage is strictly to create more Ally.

The purpose is to ensure more mutual relationships are created between families for more power, business, and most importantly to turn enemies or rivals into friends but I don't understand which purpose my marriage is serving.

"Why do you want me to get married to Darren, why not someone else?" I asked, not so sure.

"You made a great choice in choosing your man, I must commend you for that but Darren has been on top of our list from the beginning." I'm not surprised considering he is from one of the most influential and wealthy families in the country.

"But he hates me now….' He cut me off before I could finish up my statement.

"Forget those childish notions little one, your judgments shouldn't and cannot be influenced by stupid emotions, it is time to make your responsibility to the family, that is the only way we can protect you." Marriage is a responsibility the family is putting on me, what happens if I don't want to?

"What if I decline?" Grandpa looks up at me with a smile like he was expecting the question.

"Then you will have to face the detectives and I can assure you no one can protect you, those people have more than enough evidence to bury you with, this family can protect you but only if you take your responsibility as one of us." 

I knew this man was scary but I never expected him to be this brutal. He is going to throw me to the detectives if I don't agree with his plans. 

The discussion was in my head all night long, I couldn't sleep from fears, I could either follow the marriage plan and stick with my grandfather or probably decline to suit Darren.

Everything was silent for some days as I was given time to make the decision,  a decision the whole Cooper family is waiting on, I learned there are more members to the family,  a whole lot I was told, uncles, aunts, cousins, niece, nephews but I've not met any as I was told they'd be around if I decided to get married.

I'm not looking forward to meeting families but I'm still confused why I've not been seeing Anthony and Alan around. 

The last time I saw Alan, he could barely look me in the eye and seemed to be avoiding me. He left before I could ask why.

I've been trying to talk to him for some time but I've not been seeing him around, but today I noticed him walking out towards the garden as I was coming in. I followed his steps but stopped when I noticed he was out with someone.

I hid in a corner to avoid being noticed.

"What exactly are you people getting at? An arranged marriage to someone that hates her that much, are you planning to get her kid or what?" Alan sounded so angry at whomever he was talking with. 

"I'm sorry, I'm not a Cooper and there is nothing much I can do when your family is involved." I finally heard the voice, Anthony.

"Our family? You are our father, you are her father, it is your responsibility to protect her, but you are not even doing anything." Alan's voice rises with every word, he is trying to hold back his anger but I can tell he is having a hard time doing that.

My heart breaks hearing his vulnerable voice.

"Not doing anything is my way of protecting you guys, you might not know it but your mother's family are deadlier than you can imagine, and as much as I hate to admit it Abby has more of their blood in her." This man thinks I'm deadly like the Coopers, I don't know what he meant but I know it's nothing good.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I saw Alan move closer to him as he asked.

"No one in the family believes she is not guilty, not even your Mom, as much as she might hate to agree, we all know what your sister is capable of, we've seen are at it as a kid, you might want to take any chance that comes in protecting her, we can keep the Taylors quiet with the marriage, nothing less." 

I felt myself shiver as I heard those words, no one in the family actually believed in me, not even my Mom or my so-called Dad, I was about to turn back when I heard Alan's voice.

"No, she is my sister, I practically raised her and I know her more than any of you. She is innocent and I'm going to do everything to prove that to you all." 

Alan shoved him to the side in anger and left, I was shaking and rivers of tears were rolling down my cheek, this is not fair.

I wiped my tears and left for the meeting room.

Everyone was seated and waiting for me, I noticed Darren on the seat also, avoiding his gaze I turned to everyone in the room.

"I will do it, I will get married to Darren Clay." I said to everyone's shock.