01

Sasha’s POV~

« I’m sorry, what ? » I wait for my father to repeat himself hoping in vain that he has suddenly had a stroke and doesn’t know what he is saying.

« I have arranged a marriage for you » he repeats. Nope, I definitely heard him right the first time. Yep, he said arranged marriage I stare at him for a moment longer frozen in my seat as my mind attempts to process the words that have sprung forth from his lips. I lose a breath and throw my head back, while my father sits straight in his chair staring at me with an irritated expression, he is clearly not impressed by my reaction. I mean, what did he expect that I would be jumping for joy and be thanking him for meddling with my life, trust me if I wanted a man… I could get one.

Why does everything in my life never go according to plan ? I wanted a nice holiday where I could let loose and enjoy finally finishing my degree in business management but no, that was never going to be the case.

An arranged marriage, I lean back in my seat and bring my head back forward to stare at my father in shock, my brain finally slowly beginning to process the words that are flowing out of his mouth. A.R.R.A.N.G.E.D M.A.R.R.I.A.G.E.D. I mean who the bloody hell would agree to those nowadays ?

Taking my silence as confirmation, which for the record is far from it he adds. « well MATHCO. Has finally gone bankrupt and this is the opportunity I have been waiting for. I finally will be able to gain control of that company and of the market » I block out his voice not being able to listen to his reasoning

« …and this is why I need your help, with the son ready to take over you would get half of what he owns, therefore, the company would be mine » I really want to say that it would technically be mine but that seems like a bad choice at this stage. A smug smile graced my father’s face as he sat back in his chair and looked at me with glee.

It is rare that my father is ever happy when it comes to me. To be fair I was even surprised that he wanted to see me today. I had been in Italy for the last two weeks and my father’s call forced me to cut my holiday short. So naturally I had fallen prisoner to my father’s bidding and like the good little daughter, I was rushed back in the middle of the night to be at his beck and call. In hindsight, I am now really wishing that I had chosen to finally once in my life ignored my father regardless of the consequences. Why does this always happen to me ? I think back to the last time my father had called me into his office, it was again in the middle of the night and he required me to fly all the way across the country.

Unfortunately, it was just to tell me that he had decided to get remarried, again. Ugh, I can remember that one clearly… number 3. She was an aspiring model from Texas. I’ve got to say, she was not one of his finest choices and that was made fairly clear when dad decided to divorce her not even a full year later. My father now on to escapade number 6 I worry he’s going to tell me to prepare for wedding number 5.

My dad married my mum when they were both 23, younger than I am now and I don’t understand how they could find each other and commit so easily. I mean, I can’t find a guy I’m content to stay in a relationship with for more than 6 months. There is always something I get bored with although I can’t say it’s the sex. Anyway, my parents got married young before my dad decided to start his business then they had me and at the same time his company really took off. All of a sudden, it was making millions and dad was never home leaving my mum to give up her career as a model and stop studying to be a lawyer to look after me alone. It really took a toll on their relationship. And then when I was 7, dad came home one day packed his things and left my mum. According to the tabloids, it was because he was having an affair with his assistant but I’ve been too angry to even consider asking either of them for the truth. I thought all of my childhood that it was my fault that my dad left and it wasn’t until I was older that I realised my dad was just a sleazebag. It definitely put a strain on our relationship. Now, my mum is happily married to a surgeon, while dad has had more girlfriends than I have hot dinners. Unfortunately, I clearly take after my dad in that field but I’m not particularly upset by it if I’m honest.

Honestly, I never considered myself one to get married and for most of my life had not planned on ever walking down the aisle. I think it is a way to never have to go through what every single one of my father’s wives have had to, crying to me about how broken their heart is and how much of an asshole my father is and trusts me, I know that. So, on that note, absolutely no marriage for me, but obviously not if my father has anything to do with it, no my father thinks it is right to use me as a way to steal other people’s businesses. Whooo bloody hooo ! He thinks that I will be OK with committing myself to a loveless marriage to probably some nerdy idiot all because he thinks it will get him more money. Or even worse he could be old, like twice my age… the only think that could be worse than an arranged marriage would be an arranged marriage to an old fat guy. How bloody fantastic !!

I sit in absolute silence, quietly processing every thought that is flying through my mind ignoring my father as he continues to yap on about how fantastic this would be for his company. Honestly, I can even pretend to be surprised that this has everything to do with his business. I mean the man either sleeps in his office chair or some other lose woman’s bed, hell probably even both. As you can clearly tell I think very highly of my father. Simply the mention of my father in my thoughts sends me crashing back down to earth. The onslaught of wild thoughts in my mind makes me feel nauseous.

An arranged marriage… and arranged marriage… a bloody marriage. What the hell is he thinking ? This is clearly all about the money for him, it always has been. I mean, it’s not as if we don’t have billions of it already. That is, in all my twenty-four years of living, the only reason I can come up with as to why my old, grumpy father would want to steal young women from their cradles, I mean half of them are only five years older than me. Don’t even get me started on the time he announced that he had been dating my slutty friend from high school. Eleven months that marriage lasted and she even requested that I call her mum. My father has a thing for younger women and I’m pretty sure that he can find some underaged heiress to woo. So why the bloody hell do I have to marry some strange guy, he is probably just like my father, ready to kidnap me from my bunk bed while I’m sleeping like some creep

Wait on… there’s going to be a man to this marriage right ? Holy shit I am going to have to marry a stranger. The thought itself jolts me back to the present.

What the hell has my father gotten me into… ?