Chapter 5

I watched his back as he looked straight towards the sea. After that stunt that he pulled in my university, he drove me all the way to the sea view, point and stood near the rail as he gazed towards the sea, the breeze of the sea hitting us and it grew awkward for me because of his silence and also for the fact, what to ask him about he did back there. I cleared my throat and walked up to him as I chose to stand right behind him giving him some space to turn around and talk to me.

"Are you not going to explain?" I asked and I watched as his back grew stiff before he turned around and got rid of his hoodie.

What's with him always wearing a hoodie at this time of the day?

"Explain what?" he asked and I squinted my eyes at him and all he did was remain staring down at me through his glasses.

"The fiancé stunt that you just pulled...a few minutes back....remember?" I trailed off in the end giving him some time to think even though it was not needed.

"Oh" was all he said and shoved his hands into his pant pockets.

"Oh?" I questioned.

"Is that it? All you say is an 'oh'?" I asked all of a sudden annoyed by him. What's the matter with him?

"Were you not the one who told me that you don't want this arranged relationship that our family has set us into and we are going to reject each other? What's with you agreeing to meet me again and what's with that stunt that you just pulled back in my university? My friends are certainly going to ask me about it and I certainly don't have an answer to why all of a sudden I have a fiancé...and your answer is an 'oh'?" by the time I finished, he looked down towards the ground as if at that moment the road looked more interesting to him than my talking and that enraged me even further.

"You a-"

"Relax!" he cut me off in the middle and I furrowed my eyebrows at him as I crossed my arms over my chest waiting for him to speak.

"Calm down a bit," he added with a mumble that was so hard to be heard but the fact that I was staring at his lips made me easy to lip-sync what he said in my mind and I understood whatever he was saying.

"First of all," he sighed as he looked into my eyes and then rubbed his chin using his hand before speaking up "I apologise for what I did," as he said that I pursed my lips and stood straight waiting for him to continue.

"And I can explain,"

"Go on!" I urged him to continue and he nodded before answering "See, my family has been after me wanting to get along with you because apparently my father and your father are friends and they want to be business partners. So, in another sense, they have this motive of security with each other and that is us. They want us to get along and marry and look after the company but the problem is..." he trailed off and I understood that he wanted to say he was not interested in this tied-up relationship and neither did I agree to this.

"I understand, so?" I asked and he continued "So, the thing is no matter how much we try and tell them that we didn't like each other or we do not get along, they are not going to listen. They have set their mind and they are after this motive, to get us together. In the sense, the longer we tried to get away the more they try and force us and even barge into our lives. So, to get over it. I have a plan," he said and I grew restless to hear it out because I knew whatever he just told me was true. Not only his family, but my father has been after me since he heard it from Ms. Leila Devlin wanting me to get along with her brother, Keith. Although, in the beginning, I thought my father's motive was just parental love wanting me to get along with someone but seeing him pressurize me and urging me to meet Keith again and again gave me an idea that it was something else and that was probably, money and power.

So, somehow I found myself interested to know about Keith's idea of getting out of the situation, and eagerly I stood there waiting for him to tell me the plan.

"Let's just pretend to get along and agree on this setup marriage for now," he finished and I was sure that my eyes were the size of a saucer as I gawked at him for his utterly stupid plan.

"Are you out of your mind? How could you even-"

"Listen to me. Let me finish. Please?" he asked and even though I was huffing out on him I chose to keep quiet and nodded at him as I gave him the chance to continue.

"I said let's just pretend. At least they will stop forcing us to get along or to meet. We can do whatever we wish to do and at the same time we can have enough time to think about something to get out of this situation," he finished and for the second time my mind filled up with anticipation thinking about it again and again. What he meant was to deceive our family. I could never deceive my father. I don't really care about what he does and what he has for me but still, I can never deceive him. And thinking about it, again and again, made me back off his plan. I could easily walk out of the situation and for that I do not need to deceive anyone.

"No," I mumbled and he looked at me as he tilted his head.

"Excuse me?" he questioned and with more confidence, I replied, "I said, NO! I can't!"

"May I know why not?" he asked.

"Because what you're asking me to deceive my father. Are you like serious? I don't know about you but I'm not going to do this. I will just straight up walk to my father and tell him that I am not doing this. It's as easy as that. And talking about forcing or pressurizing, I can deal with that. I know my father and he would definitely understand," I said and turned around to leave but was stopped when he called my name.

"Vienna,"

I stopped in my tracks and waited for him to continue.

"Are you sure you can handle your father?" he asked and that made me raise an eyebrow and even feel the anger burning up in me. I was ready to throw some shades at him when he continued "Are you not going to ask why I referred to myself as your fiancé before everyone?" and that made me turn around questionably "What do you mean?" I asked.

"It was because your father has set up a press conference to announce our engagement. Do you know when? Tomorrow," he finished and that made me straight up choke on my own spit disbelieving his words.

"Y-You are lying," I managed to speak and all he did was get rid of his glasses and rub them on the hem of his shirt before putting it back on, as he huffed out "And why would I?"

I stumbled a few steps back thinking about it again and again.

Press conference

Engagement

What's going on?

Why would dad do this to me?

"Why would he do this?" I voiced out my thoughts and he shrugged "Don't you understand? Whether you want it or not, our family has already taken up the decisions and they are going to do that. We just have no choice but to go along with them and if you play along with me, then I can assure you that I will get both of us out of this situation," he said and took some steps forwards towards me but I took some steps back wanting to stay away from him.

"Do you not understand? I said I am not doing this. If it's true then I am going to speak to my father right this instant and make him call off this engagement. I hope we don't have to do this and we don't have to meet again," I turned around and walked away as I quickly fished my phone out of my purse and called a cab. All the while, it felt as if my brain was going to burst open from the amount of pressure I put intentionally asking myself over and over why my father would do this to me and how could Keith think of something like that.

And if what he said was true, then I prepared myself for the rage that I could possibly be filled with in the future if my father didn't call the engagement off.