Chapter 02

"Where are you headed?" Amanda asked when Waren was making his way to the door. It made him stop and turned to his mother, a smile on his face. "You know we're expecting the Taylors today. You'll be meeting your bride."

Just hearing the word 'bride' left his features a dark touch. A week ago his parents talked to him about him not having a girl brought home and he, in all honesty, told them that he does a girlfriend. In what he thought would be fine, they immediately told him to dismiss the young lady because they arranged for him a bride.

Belonging to a powerful family was expected but not to this extent because who would think so when they are living in the new generation?

"Don't tell me you still haven't cut off your connection with that girl!" Amanda's tone raised, giving him those big eyes, full of disappointment. "You just have to meet the lovely young woman today. You might like her!"

There was no other woman he has in mind rather than Jezel. Once he is interested in one, he won't be interested in someone else. He hates to put her in this situation but they can't do anything plus doing this would help Jezel's family.

"I was just on my way to get some fresh air," he lies, trying to cover up his annoyance. "There's no lady like my girlfriend, mother. I'll just have to marry this woman and that's it. I'll never love her."

"You will learn to love her." A masculine voice butt in and the image of John came forth. "You cannot be dressed like that, young man."

"At least let me dress like this and not some suit and tie. Give me freedom for once."

Waren didn't wait for his parents' permission to dismiss him, he just walked away from them. If they wouldn't just cut him off from their family, he would have run away with Jezel but she has more problems than him. And he'll only be doing this for her.

Instead of heading towards the door, he went back to where he came from completely ignoring his parents' words.

In the second story, there's a wide terrace that overlooks their front lawn. Instead of his room, he decided to head there and wait for the guests.

Waren sat on one of the chairs there and brought out his phone to text his girlfriend that he would be late for the day. He doesn't like it when Jezel gets mad but what can he do? There's no escape route for him unless the visitors leave.

The Taylors will be here in around thirty minutes and the last thing he wants to do is find out that he's marrying a damn young woman who is sassy and thinks she's the prettiest in the world. He should've looked for the lady's whereabouts but he was so uninterested he didn't do it anymore.

It seems like Waren had forgotten about the time and he was asked by one of their butlers to meet the Taylors downstairs. Time sure does fly, he wasn't able to see the lady he's marrying come out of the car. 

"Guess I'll have to see her myself," he murmured as he descends the staircase.

Upon seeing him, his parents' eyes twinkled. Their smiles were wide enough for him to know that they were glad he didn't ditch them and decides to be a disappointment.

"Waren, these are the Taylors," his father started introducing him and he flashes a big smile, shaking their hands and doing the 'nice to meet yous' and 'how do you dos' along it. But what was missing was his supposed-to-be bride.

"May I ask where my bride-to-be is? Is she here yet?" Not that he was interested but it would reflect on the Taylors if their daughter wasn't there and he was.

"Oh, she was here, darling!" Amanda exclaimed. "It took you long to come down and the lovely lady wanted to use the comfort room."

"I see," he uttered.

Maybe the lady wanted to look too good that she wants to do some retouches, Waren thought, giving a distasteful look.

"Should we head to the sitting room? We should offer some tea," John stated and everyone agreed.

Waren was to go with them but his phone started ringing and everyone's attention shifted to him. His mother's brows raised.

"Uhm... I shall take this quickly and I'll join the family. Excuse me," he said and turned his back before they could even say something.

*

Shayne didn't go to the bathroom, instead, she is sneaking her way out of the mansion, looking side by side and tiptoeing. She was doing so well that she finally reaches the big doors and her face lit up. Finally, she can escape!

And just as she opened the door, the other one also opened, revealing a young man who has got a frown on his forehead. For some reason, their eyes locked at each other, staying on the same step they took.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped that made thin lines between her brows. What a rude boy! She thought.

"Your ugly face," she fires. He scoffed, his jaw tightened looking away for a second and back at her.

"Who the heck are you to say that? Don't you know who you're talking to?"

"Do I look like I want to know?" she lets the door go and folded her arms across her chest. She has completely forgotten that this wasn't her house.

Waren could be wrong but from the looks of it, he has not seen this woman before. She simply can't be one of their maids. But if she was his bride why the hell was she going outside for?

"By any chance... are you--"

"There you are!" A loud exclaim made them shift their gaze in another direction at the same time. It was Angeline Taylor, making her way gracefully to them. "Oh, I am glad you two met on your own."

"You?" Shayne asked with wide eyes.

It was more of a shout than a question to Waren and even though he wanted to roll his eyes, he could not for the presence of Angeline. He faked a chuckle, smiling at the woman and her daughter.

"We seemed to start in a bad way," he uttered and faced his bride to be one more. "I am Waren Troy Findley," he introduced himself, reaching a hand to her. She was hesitating to take it.

"Shayne," she nonchalantly said, finally taking his hand.

They shook hands and then suddenly he pulled her close whispering to her ear unprecedentedly, "Nice to finally meet you, my lovely bride-to-be."