Chapter Two

What choice did I have but to accept this decision? I had no one else in this world except my mother, who suddenly came back into my life and showed me something surprising. My father left me something, and it was enough to get me back to living my life. I was even able to continue my studies again and have a decent life. 

However, my mother’s presence and her current residence looked luxurious, but it made me uneasy. I carried my things to one of the wardrobes with many doors. When I opened the door, it was filled with all sorts of beautiful and expensive clothes. 

My belongings weren’t much, but they weren’t worth the stuff in this closet. The door to my room opened, and a maid entered. 

“Young lady, you are requested to get ready for the family dinner.” The maid looked at me with a formal smile that confused me; I just nodded.

“Everything you need is available in this room. You can call me if you need anything else.” The maid tried to be friendly, but I think she fulfilled her role well. I nodded again and thanked her in a half-whispered voice.

I took a shower and tried on the proper clothes that were available in this closet. I wore an elegant white backless jumpsuit. The red stilettos that caught my eye completed my look. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and it was completely unexpected. Those expensive clothes did their job well, giving me a new twist. 

I didn’t know that I had come to the dining table last, so all the pairs of eyes at the large dining table were staring at me when I arrived. I stopped just a few steps away from the table, looking at people’s reactions to me.

“Well, I think you’re quite ready to be part of this family. Come here, Amelia. Everyone is waiting.” A middle-aged man, with his stern face and domineering aura, made my back shrink for a few seconds. His gaze reflected that he was a man who could not always be compromised. 

I swallowed with a faint gesture and stepped into a chair near a man with a neat hairdo. His appearance was that of a classy gentleman who often appeared in fashion magazines in men’s suits.

“I didn’t know that you were coming today.” The man uttered a sentence that confused me. Did that mean that everyone already knew that I was coming? 

My other self shrugged and assumed the answer was probably. 

“You can ask that woman why I had to come here so early, because I don’t know why either.” I tried to create a conversation with this man so that I wouldn’t get too nervous. 

Dinner was casual, but I was still a stranger who had just arrived. The man who greeted me earlier was my mother’s new husband, Alessandro Romano, and the man sitting next to me was my stepbrother, Ashton Romano. 

A young woman younger than me is Ashton’s sister from his father’s marriage to his previous wives, mean while Ashton is adopted son. The girl’s name is Darla Romano.

“It seemed strange when your mother and father said that someday we would be united as a family.” Alessandro started talking after dinner at the dining table, and we moved to the living room for dessert. 

“I didn’t even have time to grieve for my father.” I looked down at my glass of orange juice, which still had half a glass left on the glass table. 

“Sorry for your loss, Sweetheart. But life has its own cycles. And now you’re entering the next phase.” Alessandro looked earnest, but I couldn’t believe it.

“It’s time to tell you what you’re here for, Amelia.” The man then got up from his chair and gave me the code to follow him, as did my mother, who immediately followed me.

We arrived in a room that I assumed was Alessandro’s study. 

“Is this about my father’s inheritance?” I started our conversation with a question. 

“You’re quite perceptive to the situation, darling. That’s right, since you are the heir to your father’s property then you must fulfill the agreement that was made between me, your father and your mother.” Alessandro looked very powerful as he sat in the chair behind his desk. 

“What’s the deal?” I stared at him unblinkingly, my guts sinking. I didn’t want anyone to influence me. 

“You and Ashton are getting married.” Alessandro’s words made my eyeballs want to jump out. 

No way! It is a crazy deal. 

“No! There has to be another way or another deal we can make to fulfill this agreement. Besides, I don’t know what debt my father owes that he has to pay you.” I ventured to get an explanation. 

“Amelia, mind your manners. You have no right to argue. If you want your father to rest in peace, accept this deal, and everything will go according to what your father and I want.” My mother refused my refusal, which made me even furrier.

No! That means I won’t have the chance to enjoy the life I want with my inheritance.

“Was I born for such a thing? It’s not fair. I have the right to enjoy my inheritance without fulfilling any agreements, I want my life without anyone’s control.” My body seemed to explode with anger and anxiety. 

“Unfortunately, your father already gave control of your life to me when he decided to owe me his life.” Alessandro’s words took me by surprise, like a hard lash on my back.

Had my father been hiding this secret all this time on purpose?

“What’s that supposed to mean? You must be making it up, my father never-“

“Enough, Amelia. There’s no point in us arguing about the past. Your father is gone, and you need to fulfill the promise he made to you a long time ago.” My mother interrupted my words, leaving me speechless. I felt betrayed by my father. 

So, is this a reason not to give up? Because I had to repay the debt he had made to Alessandro Romano? The man I thought was hiding something and dangerous?

“If you have any objections I’ll give you a choice. Your marriage to Ashton might give you the life you want if you accept it, but if not you’ll be stuck here and the life you want will most likely never materialize. I know what you want, Amelia.” Alessandro’s gaze seemed to cut through my pride. 

“Really? It is even our first meeting.” I smiled mockingly at the older man’s arrogance. However, Alessandro returned my smile with a sarcastic smile that defeated my ego.

“Of course, what you want is freedom, right?! “ That was an amazingly on-point guess, one more thing that made me hate and have to be wary of this man.