Sianna's POV
"I'm not going to marry him, Dad."
I made it clear to my father that I will not marry that ruthless, arrogant, cold-hearted, self-centered, chauvinistic, egomaniacal, pompous narcissist.
"But, Sia, why?" With a broken heart, my father inquired.
"Because I hat...." "I mean, I don't like him, dad,"
"But the two of you used to be best friends, and you wanted to spend every minute, every second with each other. Remember how difficult it was to separate you two?" With a glimmer of hope in his eyes, he inquired.
"Yes, we were friends until I was 10 and he was 14, but everything changed the day he left the country to study abroad. We were kids who couldn't understand anything except games at the time, and now we're adults who are polar opposites."
When we were kids, we used to pretend to be couples and play house. He was very possessive of me back then, and he never allowed me to marry or date another boy. He acted as my bodyguard, shielding me from all threats and pushing away the boys who tried to befriend me. He kept me safe in his cocoon, away from the world's misfortunes.
But everything has changed now. He left the country when he was fourteen to further his education; after all, he was the son of the world's richest man, and now he is the sole owner of that fortune.
He is the wealthiest person on the planet, and his wealth has taken its toll on his mind. Even his name contains the word "Rich," and he enjoys it when people refer to him as "Lion," as his surname contains the word "lion."
Mr. Aldrich Lionel
This is what his name is!
When he returned after finishing his studies, he was no longer the same person who had been my friend, Richie.
He has become so cold and stone-hearted that he is unconcerned about anyone else's suffering. All emotions are absent from his heart. He is only concerned with himself, his money, and his name.
I started working for his father's company about a year ago. Previously, I worked as a librarian to help pay for my college tuition and my father's medical expenses. After finishing my education, I went to work for his father's company. I was walking down the street with a cup of hot coffee in my hand when I collided with a pillar, the coffee spilled all over my thighs, and my skin was burning like hell. I looked up to see Aldrich Lionel, the son of our company's CEO, standing there.
He looked at me as if it were all my fault, checked his most expensive suit for any coffee stains, and then walked away without apologizing or helping me in any way.
He has never attempted to contact me or communicate with me in any way. He appears to have completely forgotten about me. He acts as if I didn't exist in this world.
I began to despise him after that incident. He uses people with fewer resources as stepping stones to the pinnacle of prosperity, and when he's finished, he crushes them under his feet.
Only the fittest must survive, according to his theory, and the fittest is the one with money, name, and fame. The rest of humanity is simply designed to serve the fittest. This is the thing that makes me dislike him even more.
He despises poor people, and I despise rich people like him!
"Sia... Sia... are you even paying attention to me?"
My train of thought was broken when Dad shook my hand.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I was distracted."
When someone uses his name, his thoughts take over, rage cripples my veins, blood rushes to my brain, and I forget everything.
"So I was saying that I know you two are totally opposite, but remember that opposites attract," he smiled, trying to draw me into his words.
"No, dad, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to marry him no matter what. It is a matter of life and death. How can we possibly live together if we don't even like each other?"
"What's the big deal? Not every marriage is a love marriage!" He is clearly not ready to comprehend what I am saying "We barely knew each other when I was married to your mother. Ours was an arranged marriage, but love blossomed after we were married, and I loved your mother so much that after her death, my soul became restless, and my heart wrenched so badly that it now suffers from heart disease," he chuckled, "but I am happy that soon I will meet my love." "His eyes glistened with moisture.
"Dad..." tears welled up in my eyes. I dislike it when he brings up the subject of death.
"Sia, you must now accept the fact that your father will not live long. I only have six months "He revealed the truth to me.
I opened my mouth to ask him not to talk about it, but he cut me off, and I closed my mouth without saying anything.
"Ignoring this topic, Sia, will not change the reality; it is better for you to accept this truth as soon as possible. I'm on my deathbed, and every night I go to sleep thinking this is my last day of life."
He attempted to sit up and grab my hand, but I stopped him, made him lie back on the bed, and moved my hands forward, and he immediately wrapped his hands around the back of my palms.
"Sia, you are my one and only child, my heart, soul, and the most important part of my life. How can I abandon you? You get sick so easily, and I know you'll become even more careless after I'm gone. I want you to settle down, get married, and start your life as soon as possible. I don't get to play with my grandchildren, but I want to see you happy before my eyes close for good "Tears welled up in his eyes as well, but he tried to hide them with a smile on his lips.
"But there's no guarantee I'll live happily ever after with him," I told him the truth.
"I am confident he will keep you happy."
"How?"
"Sia, he is the wealthiest person in the world and you are asking how? With that money, he can buy you the entire world's happiness. All of your difficulties will be resolved."
"Dad, you already know that I want to marry a man who loves and cherishes me. Aldrich's desire for money is so strong that he will never love me. In fact, he can never love anyone because he does not understand the true meaning of love. He has a heart of stone. The only thing he desires in life is money, money, and more money."
"This is not correct. You have failed to understand him. "He is a good man with everything, you just have to seep into his heart and you will know that," he paused and continued when I didn't respond "For you, I can never find a better suitor than him," his eyes welled up with tears "Will you not fulfill your father's last wish?" Do you not wish for your father's soul to rest in peace?"
"Da.... ad," I stumbled, my chin quivering.
In the family name, I only have him. My heart wrenches whenever he talks of leaving me forever.
"I can not leave you alone,who will take care of you after me?"
"You're forgetting Sia; I've been admitted to the hospital and will most likely die here. How much longer will you struggle in your life alone? You are welcome to come and meet me wherever you want after we marry "He cracked a grin.
"I... I can't," I said, looking down to hide my tears.
"This is my final wish. Aldrich, please marry me. I know your points of view, your way of life, and your thinking are diametrically opposed, but I have faith in you two to make it happen because you two are" he squeezed my hands a little tighter "MADE FOR EACH OTHER.""
"Dad, please..." I asked him once more.
"Please, Sia," he almost begged to persuade me.
Oh, my God! So, what should I do next?
Neither I want to marry that jerk nor I have enough courage to deny my father's last wish.
Sianna's POV "Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" I can't believe you're going to marry none other than the world's most eligible bachelor, Aldrich Lionel." Lily, my best friend, screamed. She has gone completely insane since I informed her of the news. "I am not marrying him willingly. My father is emotionally blackmailing me into doing this." I've been trying to tell her this for the past hour, but she's too excited to listen. "Sianna, you are the luckiest girl in the world because you will have the opportunity to not only see, but also touch, love, and fuck that irresistibly hot man," she said dreamily. "Shut up, Miss Lillian Simons, and pay attention to what I'm saying or I'll kick you out of this house right now," I sneered at her. "Oh! "I'm sorry," she said sheepishly, raising her hands in surrender, "I forgot everything in the excitement of your marriage with the hot..." One of my glares was enough to cause her
Sianna's POV The moment I received his message, I headed back towards my home and got ready for the meet-up. And with the help of the cab, I reached my destination on time. He asked me to meet him at 7:00 PM sharp but it is now half an hour past the decided time and there is no trace of him. I am waiting for him like an idiot, cutting my time by scrolling down the social media feed. My head moved up as the sound of the clicking of boots against the marble floor reached my ear and I found him walking towards me with his hands in his pants pocket. As he owns this restaurant so the staff greeted and welcomed him like he is a God. They were shivering like a leaf in front of him. And they are not wrong on their part because this man is so heartless that he doesn't think twice before spoiling the career of others. He was being followed by two bodyguards as if I am going to kill him. This is after years I have got the chance to see him from this clos
Sianna's POV "Sia, promise me you'll tell me every detail of your first night with that luscious hunk," Lily exclaimed as she handed me the earrings. "I'm telling you for the hundredth time that nothing will happen the way you're thinking!" While wearing those diamond earrings, I imparted. We wanted a simple wedding because it is nothing more than a compromise for us, but Aldrich's father insisted on us looking presentable because it is his only son's wedding. Aldrich has persuaded him not to invite anyone, so there will be a very small number of people. Mr. Edward Lionel, Aldrich's father, has given me the dress and jewelry as a gift for his daughter-in-law, and Lily is assisting me with the makeup. He has kept the wedding in his hotel, which is heavily guarded, so that no paparazzi can intrude on our privacy. "You mean to say that things are going to be beyond my imagination? Oh my goodness! I can't wait until tomorrow morning "She dreamily
Sianna's POV After dinner, uncle Edward asked my father if he could take me to their house. My father agreed and blessed me with a happy married life, which I know is impossible when my husband is Mr. Aldrich Lionel. Still, I smiled to please my father. After saying our goodbyes to my father and Lily, we made our way outside, where the driver opened his car door and, to my surprise, Aldrich waited for me to enter first. I sat in the seat's corner, and Aldrich quickly followed me with his infamous neutral expressions and ice-cold yet dark eyes. The journey was silent, with neither of us saying anything. I took a deep breath and looked out the window as the cold wind hit my face, allowing my hair strands to move freely. For a split second, I thought Aldrich was staring at me, but when I tilted my head to his side, I discovered him busy with his phone. I looked straight after brushing the thought away. After a while, the car
Sianna's POV "You're right, it's our first night, and we should make the most of it..." His expression darkened and became completely indecipherable, terrifying me to the core. "...Or should we?" And the moment he took one intimidating step towards me, time stood still! I took one step back, holding my gown tightly to my chest, with equal speed and space. He took another step towards me, his gaze fixed on mine, forcing me to take another step back. This continues until my almost naked back hits the cold bathroom tiles. The unusually large bathroom suddenly appears to be very small and hot. His right hand lifted, and my gaze followed it until it came to rest at the side of my head; his left hand mirrored the action, and my gaze followed it as well until I was encased between his arms. As our eyes met, my chest heaved up and down, my breathing became uneven, and my heart began to drum in my chest as I became nervous due to
Sianna's POV My tongue moistened my lips as I became anxious all of a sudden, as if his eyes flickered down and stopped at my lips every time. "Stop doing this," he said, his gaze fixed on my lips. "Stop doing what?" My voice was so low that it barely reached my own ears when I inquired. Without responding to my question, he closed his eyes tightly and took a sharp, audible breath before leaping out of bed, creating a safe distance between us as if I were a deadly disease. What was he asking me to put a stop to? Because if I know, I'll do it frequently to irritate him even more. I relaxed as he approached the door, and my t-shirt hiked up due to pandiculation. I smelled exactly like him! It's time to start over! ———————————- I stepped down after getting ready because one of the maids came to summon me for breakfast. This is when my eyes were drawn to the beauty of the mansion, as they had been too focused
Sianna's POV "Lion," I heard a feminine voice say; she was the intruder who didn't even ask permission before barging in. "Hello, my Deliah Darling," Aldrich said as he approached her with open arms. "How are you?" By looking at the girl, his voice implied how happy he is. He was not speaking to her in a rude manner, as he does to me and other people. "Overwhelmed," she said. "What happened?" He was curious. "You're asking me what happened after you've done everything?" "Are you serious, Aldrich?" she folded her arms across her chest. She was still oblivious to my presence in the room because her mind was too preoccupied with Aldrich. "You're calling me Aldrich, which means the situation is very serious," he mumbled. "Have a seat, we can talk, you know," he offered her a seat. The way Aldrich treats her demonstrates that this girl means something to him; perhaps she is one of those people he admires.
Sianna's POV Shrugging my shoulders and allowing the couple their privacy, I turned on my heels, only to collide with a pillar and land on the floor once more. Why everything good is happening with me today! I rubbed my brow and nose and looked up to see a man instead of a pillar staring down at me. While I was trying to recognize his face, the man was staring at me from head to toe, examining something. He looks familiar, but I can't place him; he's somewhere in the back of my mind, but where? "Are you having trouble recognizing me?" He knelt to my level and extended his hand for assistance. He added, "Rapunzel." Oh! It finally clicked! "Pitter-patter" My face lit up, and I stood up with the help of his hand. "Thank God, I thought you'd forgotten about me," he mocked. "No, it's just that we're meeting after fourteen years and your appearance has completely changed, so... you know..." I told him wh