The Unexpected Edict
1143 Words
Amanda's POV
The call came on a Tuesday, late in the afternoon. It was the kind of time I usually spent compiling the day’s executive reports, ensuring Scott’s evening summary was flawless before
I logged off to catch the last train home. The call was from my mother.
My parents rarely contacted me directly.
Most correspondence was handled through my father’s assistant, usually concerning Aurora’s tuition payments or ensuring I was available to pick up a specialized health supplement for her.
A direct call from my mother was unusual, and immediately, a cold knot of anxiety formed in my stomach. Something was wrong with Aurora.
I answered on the second ring, my voice tight. “Mother? Is everything alright with Aurora?”
There was a heavy pause on the other end, devoid of the soft, reassuring Omega scent that often followed my mother’s voice only when she was talking to Aurora in my presence
“Amanda,” she said, her tone formal and detached just like I was already used to. “We need you to come home. Now.”
"Is she hurt? Is she ill? I can call the hospital abroad…” I started, already reaching for my laptop to access the university’s emergency contacts.
"Stop,” my mother's blunt uninterested voice cut me off, the simple word carrying the sterile authority she reserved for dealing with me.
“It is not about Aurora. It is about you. You must leave the office immediately and come to the house.”
My mind raced. Had I done something wrong? Had I accidentally mishandled one of the family's minor investments? The only time they demanded my presence was to administer corrections or demand a service. Or when they needed me intellectually to handle something in the company.
"Is Father there?” I asked, my voice shrinking.
"Yes. We are waiting. And Amanda, do not waste time dressing. Come as you are. I don't have time to deal with any lateness”
I looked at the meticulously organized desk, the silent phone ready to relay messages, the closed door to Scott's office, the center of my universe. I was scheduled to cover an unexpected video conference for him in an hour.
"Mother, I have a professional obligation right now. Can this wait two hours?” I pleaded, trying to balance my filial duty against my professional necessity.
The exhale she gave was sharp with impatience. “You are prioritizing work over your family's decree? This is an order, Amanda. If you are not here within thirty minutes, you will regret it.” And just like that, the line went dead.
My hands trembled as I quickly typed an emergency note for Scott's actual assistant, Carter, detailing the necessary cover for the video conference.
I placed the day's binders in perfect order.
Even in a crisis, the habits of the Corporate Doormat were impossible to shake. I felt guilty for leaving his post unattended.
The drive to the large family estate, a place that felt less like a home and more like an official residence was a blur of dread. When I walked through the heavy front door, the scent in the air was instantly recognizable: my father’s powerful, grounding Alpha pheromones, mixed with my mother's soft Omega calm. They were both in the main living room.
My father, a large man whose presence commanded immediate respect, stood by the fireplace. My mother sat primly on the silk sofa, her face carefully expressionless. They did not move to greet me.
"You took forty-one minutes,” my father stated, his voice a low rumble of disappointment and edge in his voice.
I bowed my head. “I apologize, Father. I had to ensure Mr. Knight’s schedule was covered.”
I always called him father because I wasn't allowed to call him dad but Aurora had the privilege to call him that.
My mother sighed faintly but not in a way that she feels sorry for me
“Always Scott Knight. Always the Alpha. Can you not think of your family for once, Amanda?”
The accusation stung. I am thinking of them always, I wanted to scream. He is the only thing I have!
My father stepped away from the fireplace, his demeanor softening slightly, which was, in itself, terrifying. "Sit down, Amanda. We have made a decision regarding your future."
I sat on the very edge of the armchair, my heart pounding against my ribs. I waited for the inevitable criticism, perhaps I was fired, perhaps I had shamed the family name.
"With Aurora securely placed in her advanced studies abroad,”my mother began, speaking slowly, “and with our family's economic standing requiring certain strategic alliances, your father and I have decided it is time for you to marry."
My mind stalled. Marry? Betas were often married off for practical purposes, yes, but I had always assumed I would simply remain in service until I was too old to be useful.
"W-who is it?” I managed to stammer out. “Is it for a trade deal?”
My father's lips curled into something resembling a smug smile. “It is the largest alliance possible. And one we should have organized years ago, but the young Alpha was too focused on his career.” He paused, dragging out the reveal for maximum effect.
“Amanda, you are to marry Scott Knight.”
The shock was a physical force. It hit me so hard I felt the air leave my lungs. Scott? My Scott? The man I had followed for two years, the Alpha I had secretly served, the one who defined my entire existence?
I stared at them, convinced I had heard the name wrong. “Are you... are you certain?”
“Perfectly certain,” my mother said, now leaning forward with an unfamiliar glint in her eyes. “The negotiations were finalized this morning. He is a good match for our house, and your position as his secretary makes the transition seamless. The wedding will be in three weeks.”
A ridiculous, blinding euphoria swept through me, washing away seven years of pain, neglect, and self-doubt. It didn't matter how it happened. It only mattered that it did. He would be mine. The love I had given so freely and quietly was finally, officially, acknowledged.
They hadn't summoned me for punishment. They had summoned me to deliver a miracle.
In my blissful ignorance, I failed to notice the cold calculation in their eyes, the total lack of genuine parental warmth, or the missing mention of love.
I only heard the name Scott Knight.
I was finally chosen.
I was finally worthy.
- Writer
