Furiously in Love

Betrayal

Elena's POV

I stood up from the sofa and walked to the door, followed by the maids. They opened the door for me and bowed, wishing me a good evening. I thanked them and stepped out of the room, feeling nervous and excited. I walked down the corridor, admiring the paintings and portraits on the walls. I reached the staircase, where I saw a butler waiting for me. He smiled and greeted me, introducing himself as Scott and offered me his arm and escorted me to the ballroom, where the party was being held

Scott led me to the center of the room, where a group of women were standing. They were all wearing elegant gowns and hats, with pearls and diamonds around their necks and wrists. They looked like the epitome of high society, with their refined manners and sophisticated accents.

They turned their heads and saw me, and their expressions changed. Some looked curious, some looked surprised, some looked annoyed, and some looked hostile. I felt a pang of insecurity and anxiety, wondering what they thought of me..

The women nodded and smiled, but I could tell they were not sincere. They looked at me with disdain and contempt, judging me by my appearance and my background.

I tried to ignore their looks and act polite and friendly. I smiled and bowed, greeting them with a soft voice.

"Good evening, ladies. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for having me at this wonderful party."

The women responded with cold and curt words, barely hiding their displeasure and resentment.

"Good evening, Miss Clark. It's nice to meet you too. We hope you enjoy your stay in England."

Scott excused himself and left me alone with the women, who started to bombard me with questions and comments, trying to intimidate and humiliate me.

"So, Miss Clark, where are you from?" Lady Catherine asked, with a fake smile.

"I'm from New York, Lady Catherine. I'm a lawyer and a socialite there." I answered, with a confident tone.

"New York? How interesting. And how do you like England so far?" Lady Elizabeth asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"I like it very much, Lady Elizabeth. It's a beautiful and charming country. I'm very impressed by the culture and the history." I answered, with a sincere compliment.

"Really? And what do you think of the Duke and his family?" Lady Margaret asked, with a sneer.

"I think they are very kind and generous, Lady Margaret. They have welcomed me and my family with open arms. They have treated us with respect and hospitality." I answered, with a grateful expression.

"so what do you think of the party and of the Duke's son" she asked me another question

"I assume the party is to celebrate his growth of company I guess." I answered, with a naive guess.

"Is that what you think? Well, you are wrong, Miss Clark. He is here for another reason. A very important reason. A reason that concerns you." Lady Jane said, with a triumphant tone.

"What do you mean, Lady Jane?" I asked, with a confused and curious look.

"I mean that he is here to announce his engagement, Miss Clark. His engagement to you." Lady Jane said, with a dramatic pause.

I felt a shock and a horror, as I realized what she said. His engagement to me? How could that be? How could he be engaged to me? How could I be engaged to him?

I looked around the room, searching for a way out. I saw the Duke and my parents, standing on a podium, holding a microphone and a ring. They were smiling and waving, ready to make the announcement. They were the ones who arranged this.

I felt a despair and a sadness, as I realized what they did. They ruined my life. They took away my freedom.

I looked at the door, hoping for a miracle. I saw him, standing there, looking at me. He was the one who was supposed to marry me. But he gave me a look of distain like I belong below his feet

Third Person POV

William Sussex hated parties. He hated the pomp and the pretense, the gossip and the games, the boredom and the pressure. He hated being the Duke's son, the future Duke, the eligible bachelor.

He had tried to avoid his father's party, but he had no choice. He had to be there, to smile and nod, to mingle and chat, to act like he cared. He had to play his role, to please his father, to honor his family.

He had no idea that his father had a different role for him, a bigger one. He had no idea that his father had invited a woman for him, a woman he had never met, a woman he was supposed to marry.

He had no idea that his life was about to change.

"William, come here, son," his father called him from across the room. He was standing next to a tall and elegant man, who looked familiar to William.

William sighed and walked over to them, forcing a smile.

"Hello, father, what can I do for you?" he asked politely.

"William, I want you to meet an old friend of mine, James Clark. He's the CEO of Clark Industries, one of the largest and most successful companies in the world. He's also a compassionate philanthropist, who supports many worthy causes. He's here with his wife and daughter, who I'm sure you'll meet soon," his father said, introducing the man.

"Hello, Mr. Clark, it's a pleasure to meet you," William said, shaking his hand.

"Hello, William, the pleasure is mine. I've heard a lot about you from your father. You're a brilliant lawyer, I understand. You work for a human rights organization, right?" Mr. Clark said, smiling.

"Yes, that's right. I'm passionate about justice and equality, and I want to make a difference in the world," William said, feeling a bit more comfortable.

"That's very admirable, William. I share your passion and your vision. I'm also very proud of my daughter, Elena, who is a lawyer too. She works for a prestigious firm in New York, and she's a rising star. She's also very beautiful, smart, and independent. She's here with us, and I think you two would get along very well," Mr. Clark said, glancing at his father.

William felt a surge of panic. He realized what was going on. His father had set him up with this man's daughter, without his knowledge or consent. He had planned to announce their engagement at the party, as a surprise. He had betrayed him, and he had trapped him.

William looked at his father, who was smiling smugly. He felt a wave of anger and resentment. He wanted to scream,He wanted to tell his father that he didn't want to marry a stranger, that he didn't want to follow his plans, that he didn't want to be his puppet. He wanted to tell his father that he had a girlfriend,he loved, a girlfriend he had kept secret from him.

Maya was his girlfriend, his soulmate, his everything. She was a journalist, a traveler, a dreamer. She was adventurous, creative, and fun. She was also a rebel, like him. She had defied her parents, who wanted her to be a doctor, and followed her passion for writing and exploring. She had met William in India, where they had both volunteered for a charity. They had fallen in love, and traveled the world together. They had shared experiences, stories, and secrets. They had made plans, promises, and vows.

They had agreed to keep their relationship a secret, for now. They knew that their families would not approve, that their worlds would not understand, that their lives would not fit. They wanted to enjoy their freedom, their happiness, their love. They wanted to wait for the right time,the right moment.

They had planned to meet in Paris, after the party. They had booked a hotel, a flight, a reservation. They had bought a ring, a dress, a suit. They had written a letter, a poem, a song.

They had decided to elope.

William wished he could be with Maya, right now. He wished he could escape from this party, from this trap, from this nightmare. He wished he could tell his father the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.

But he couldn't.

He had to play along, for now. He had to pretend, to lie, to deceive. He had to act like he cared, like he was interested, like he was happy.

He had to meet Elena.

He turned his head, and saw her.

who was talking to a group of ladies. She was wearing a red dress, that hugged her curves and showed off her skin. She had long black hair, that cascaded down her shoulders and framed her face. She had dark brown eyes, that sparkled with intelligence and confidence. She had full lips, that curved into a smile and revealed her white teeth.

She was beautiful.

She was breathtaking.

William felt a jolt of shock, of awe, of attraction. He felt his heart skip a beat, his breath catch in his throat, his eyes widen in surprise. He felt his body tense, his blood rush, his skin tingle. He felt his mind blank, his thoughts scatter, his words fail.

He felt something he had never felt before, something he had never expected to feel, something he had never wanted to feel.

He felt a spark.

He felt a desire.

He felt a curiosity.

He felt a lot of things, in a matter of seconds.

He felt a lot of things, for a woman he was supposed to marry.

He felt a lot of things, for a woman who was not Maya.

He felt a lot of things, for Elena.

Suddenly she turned towards his direction which made him panic and he hated how his heart raced when her gaze landed on him, he didn't like the way she makes him feel. Suddenly he saw his father about to make an announcement presumably about the new alliance but what he didn't know was an engagement announcement.