Billionaire's Arraigned Wife

Two

The man on the phone must have heard the loud and ugly yet demanding voice of her father because he looked up to her window and their eyes met. Only for a few seconds before her father charged again.

"Cassandra!"

She flew away from the window instantly, hurriedly shutting it and pulling down the blinds as soon as she could. She opened the door before her father could even knock or call her name again.

"I'll be out in a moment" she said, then locked the door right in his face, not giving him the opportunity to even speak. She was sure he understood that she was mad at him. They were never close to begin with, but no, this is the limit. Over the years, she thought they would have time to make amends and finally have a father-to-daughter relationship, but he only thought of a possible way to ruin that for her. Marrying her off to an unknown stranger all because of a will. Fortune, money.

She turned to the bed again and the dress, thinking that tonight, she would be meeting her future husband. Is she really ready to have a man? She'd wake up every day and await his return home every night while she prepared dinner? A man she'll give herself to? A man she all warm his bed and meet every of his demands. Will the man she's marrying even love her? Love? She laughed at the word.

She sighed again and picked up the dress. She changed into it unwillingly. The dress fits her perfectly, matching the color of her eyes. By the time she reached the foot of the stairs, everything was not as she expected. Her house has been redecorated. Well, she hasn't been down here in awhile but the people… she was expecting a few people, not a crowd.

"You should try to smile, My Hastings Princess", her father said, and reached for her as she entered the room with the cacophony of their conversation hitting her. She shifted under the weight of his words. For some other reason she hadn't heard that name in a while. It's always Cassandra.

An echo of laughter broke her from her thoughts and it was there she realised where she was and who was before her. The entirety of the Spenser family. She suddenly felt nauseous, as if he was being sold out in slavery or being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

"Be polite and smile" she heard her father mumble behind her. She flashed them a fake smile as her father began the introduction. That was it, she frowned when she ought to smile and wasn't polite when she ought to be. She was raised on lilies and the atmosphere of chasing butterflies in a garden, but she wasn't anything like that. She is strong and the opposite of whom her father wants her to be.

Her father entwined his hand in hers and raised it up to show everyone. "Ladies and gentlemen, meet my beloved and precious daughter, Cassandra Olivia Hastings. The heir to the entire Hastings Empire" he introduced.

Cassandra almost laughed in mockery. If she didn't know better she would have believed the love as he pictured it going to be as he introduced her, holding hands and watching her like a precious golden egg. In some ways, she is.

She searched the faces of the people before her, looking for the possibility of the ones who might be her future husband. That is what her father is putting her through. But the faces of the people before her are either too young to be married or too old. No other possibility. And the women, just two of them and she is sure both of them are married to one of the men sitting before her.

After the long and boring introduction, she finally was able to escape into the kitchen to grab a cup of water. Finally she had a moment to herself. But this was shortlived when she heard her father's voice again.

"Cassandra"

She gently placed the mug back on the kitchen island with a hall filled with water in it.

"Cassandra, come here" made a sound and she closed her eyes in defeat because she knew that voice is non-negotiable. She made her way to him. He was standing with a man with his back turned to her. Her hands became sweaty because she knew what was about to happen. When she reached her father's side, he reached her arm and gave her a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. It was one of those ones he has been giving her since tonight. The man beside him turned and she almost made a loud sound. He was the man from earlier, the angry one under her window. She saw the surprise in his face too, but it quickly vanished. The man before her is entirely different from earlier now that she's seeing him in the light. Instead of the black that she thought he'd put on earlier, he was wearing a navy blue tux. His face is perfectly sculptured like those men she sees In magazines.

"Cassandra, This is Sebastian Spenser, Sebastian, this is Cassandra". Her father introduces her.

She inhaled a deep breath of courage as she stepped close and from that angle she could make out the color of his eyes. The deep brown eyes, like the colour of whiskey on ice, coupled with thick and dark lashes. He's just a man, she reminded herself. One of the Spencers. Sebastian looks like he's in his early thirties. A warmth of recognition ran down her spine as she met his gaze. She felt the urge to avert her eyes and focus on his blue tie instead. The tone of her voice was as polite as she could make it sound.

"It's a pleasure to meet…."

She started to say but he cut her off.

"We have met already."

What? What is he playing at?

"When did you two meet?" Her father asked, curiously evident in his voice.

Something amused and playful danced on Sebastian's face and before Cassandra could make up a story, Sebastian already spoke.

"Earlier, while I was on call. Right Cassy?"

Cassandra could not believe her ears. First he's claiming to have met her when the only thing they did was to share a glance for the briefest moment. Secondly, he had given her a nickname already when they barely met for five minutes. What more is he up to? She sought to be furious but she wasn't. The way her name—nickname rolled off his tongue was more like he was familiar with it. She stared at him in disbelief while he smiled. A dangerous one.

Her father made a little laugh, breaking the tension that was starting to gather between the two.

"Well, that's good then. I'm glad you met her Sebastian", her father nodded at Sebastian, then back at Cassandra.

"I'll leave you two to talk. I'm sure he has questions for you, Cassandra". He patted her arm then moved closer to whisper in her ear.

"Act nice" and with that he left.

The kitchen door opened, Cassandra watched her mother come out with one of those ladies she had been introduced to earlier. Her father said a parting word then left them.