Chapter4
1605 Words
TAVIAN HAWTHORNE? NO WAY
Elara’s POV
I woke up to the blinding light streaming through the curtains.
My head throbbed like a hammer against my skull, and the pounding wouldn't stop.
Groaning, I tried to sit up, but the ache in my temples made me flop back onto the pillows.
I forced my eyes open and blinked at the familiar surroundings of my bedroom. I was home? How did I get here?
My mouth tasted of state alcohol,and the nausea from the hangover twisted my stomach as I rubbed my temples,trying to remember how I'd passed out.
The last thing I remembered was the bar, the drinks, that jerk who nearly ran me over ,and then…nothing.
I was still trying to pieced everything together when the door to my room burst open.
My father stormed in, looking furious,and for a moment, I wondered if I was still dreaming.
“What were you thinking?”he barked, his voice cutting through the air like a whip. “Do you have any idea what you've done? The Stone name nearly got dragged through the mud because of your foolishness!”
I blinked, trying to make sense of hid words. My father had never been one to let his temper go unchecked, but today, he seemed angrier than usual.
“What are you talking about?” I croaked, my voice hoarse, probably from the alcohol and the lack of sleep .
“Sin City, Elara!”he snapped, pacing furiously by the foot of my bed. “You went to that godforsaken Tosca Bar,in the middle of the night . Do you have any idea what kind of scandal you almost caused?”
Tosca. I remembered it now: the dim lights, the scent of alcohol , the pounding music.
And then that man– the one with the sharp jawline and cocky smirk. But how did it all end? I couldn't recall.
I shot my father a glance, my frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
“I would've gotten home just fine If you hadn't frozen my damn account!”
I snapped back, glaring at him through the pain still pounding in my head.
Hid expression darkened, “You think that justifies what you did? I froze your account for a reason, Elara.”
“Yeah, I know… because of your stupid marriage contract,” I sneered.
“And trust me, that is only the beginning of your punishments until you come to your senses..
“You can't keep doing this to me.” I sprang up, my legs wobbling lightly.
His eyes blades with fury, his fists clenching at his sides. “You are lucky, Elara”, he growled,”that your reckless actions didn't cost us the contract with the Hawthorns. Do you know who brought you home last night? Tavian.”
I started at my father in confusion.” Tavian?” I echoed, my brows farrowing as I struggled to piece together the information. “How did he–”
“Well , he's now your fiance,” my father spat ,as if the word itself tasted bitter in his mouth.
“He was kind enough to bring you home, despite the mess you made of yourself.”
“Fiance?” My blood ran cold. What the hell was he talking about ?
I wasn't engaged, nor had I agreed to marry anyone. But my father's Sterndale told me he was dead serious.
“You're engaged,Elara,” he said, the words falling from his lips like a declaration of war.
“Engaged?” I scoffed,my head still spinning. “What are you talking about? How can I be engaged without–”
“Stop!” His voice was so sharp it made me flinch . He pointed a finger at me, eyes blazing with the kind of anger that chilled me to my core.
“You don't get it, do you? This isn't just about you. It's about this family. Get ready; everyone is waiting downstairs for you for the official ceremony.”
My jade dropped. “Are you serious?”
My mind whirled, trying to make sense of what he was saying. I hadn't agreed to this.
“You can't just spring this on me! I didn't even-”
“You've given me no choice,” he said coldly. “After your unruly behaviour last night,I can't take any more risks.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. My heart pounced in my chest as the full weight of his words sank in.
This wasn't happening. This couldn't be real.
“You can't force me,” I said, my voice shaking. “You can't control my life forever.”
His eyes flashed with a dangerous gint. “Watch me.”
Before I could say another word,he turned to the servants waiting by the door. “Get her ready. She'll be downstairs in twenty minutes.”
The door slammed shut behind him, and I was left standing there, trembling with rage.
My head was still pounding, but now It was drowned out by the anger surging through my veins. How could he do this to me?
How could he just decode my future this way?
The servantd fluttered around me like moths,drawing a hot bath for me, dressing me ,pinning my hair, applying make up as if I were a doll.
My mind was racing the entire time, thoughts of escape, rebellion- anything to get out of this mess.
But I was trapped. There was no way out. When I finally looked at myself in the mirror, I barely recognized the woman staring back at me..
The soft red curls framing my face, the delicate dress hugging my figure , the make up carefully applied– it was all so perfect. But none of it felt real.
It felt like a mask, a facade for the world to see while I was breaking inside.
“Miss Elara,” one of the maids said softly, “you're ready.”
Ready ? I wasn't ready for any of this. This was a nightmare ,one that I had no choice in .
With a deep breath, I made my way downstairs, my heart thudding in my chest with every step as a guard followed me down.
The sound of voices filled the room as I approached, and when I entered the ground hall,I saw my family gathered along with a few guests.
But none of that mattered when my eyes landed on the person standing in the center of the room.
Ronan! He was standing there, his hands resting on Lena's waist as they smiled like a sweet couple .
My heart clenched tightly at the sight of them together. He must be so shameless to come here after everything he had done.
My throat tightened, but I forced myself to keep walking. The moment I entered the room, all eyes turned to me.
My father stood at the front, his smile wide as if nothing was wrong, as if my world wasn't crumbling around me, and then , taking my hands,led me to someone with his back to us .
He turned around , and my heart froze in my chest.
Him.
The same infuriatingly handsome man from last night. The same man who had nearly run me over and taunted me in the bar. The same jerk I wanted to punch in the face.
And now he was standing there , smirking like an i***t.
“Ah, Elara,” my father's voice rang out, pulling me back to reality.
“Meet your fiancé, Tavian Hawthorne. Prime Alpha of Sterlinwood Pack and King of the West Province Crescent Pack.”
Fiancé? My blood ran cold as I stared at him,my mind reeling.
This couldn't be happening. I had to be dreaming.
But no ,there he was, standing tall and smug,his stormy-grey eyes gleaming with amusement as he met my gaze.
He stepped forward, his smirk widening. “Well , well. We meet again.”
I wanted to slap that grin off his face. My heart hammered in my chest, but it wasn't from nerves-it was from pure, unfiltered rage.
“You've got to be kidding me,” I muttered under my breath.
“Believe me,” he said it, the mocking tone in his voice, made me despise him even more.
I opened my mouth to snap back, but before I could, his father,the older man standing next to him, clapped his hands together.
“The engagement will take place today,” he announced, his voice booming through the room. “ And the wedding….in two days.
The room erupted into a wild applause, vut I barely heard it. My world was spinning. How could this be happening?
Looking forward to our wedding,princess?he said,his voice dripping with sarcasm.
I wanted to slap him, to tell him to go to hell, but I bit my tongue and held back.
Instead , I forced a tight smile. “I'd rather jump off a bridge than marry you,” I muttered under my breath, but Tavian’s smirk only deepened.
“That can be arranged,” he said softly,his eyes gleaming with dark amusement.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I would not let him get the better of me. I couldn't believe I was getting married to this jerk in two days?
That's not happening.
At that moment I didn't care about the consequences. I didn't care about the family name .
One thing was crystal clear: I would never live the rest of my life married to a man I despise with everything in me .
Never!
- Writer
