ONE LAST CHANCE

Chapter5

The Decision

Her thoughts kept repeating the words of her father, each one sharpening the brink of her uncertainty. You have taken the correct decision. the only option. But what precisely did that imply? What did right even mean today? The room's air seemed heavy, as though it had become something more physical, something she could feel pushing into her chest. She approved of the marriage. She had approved of the concept. Still, her thoughts kept returning to that man in the garden—the dark man who had cautioned her about the Ashfords. His comments still resonated in her ears, so unambiguous, so disturbing. The Ashfords are not your rescuers. You have them as your cage. Vivienne closed her eyes and shook her head, attempting to wipe the cloud that had crept upon her mind. What meant it? Was her sole choice really to be married to Magnus Ashford, or was she entering a trap she created? She inhaled deeply and reached for the glass of water on her desk, but her fingers remained wobbly. She shivered.

She lifted it to her lips and drank deeply; the cool drink had little effect to slow down the spinning inside her. She had decided beforehand; hadn't she? Not now could one go back. She looked at the wall clock as she laid down the glass. Tomorrow is. She would visit Magnus Ashford tomorrow. Her life would be permanently different tomorrow. But was this what she wanted? She hardly knew what she was getting herself into. Startled by the knock on the door, she broke off her whirl of ideas. She spun fast, her pulse skipping a beat at the abrupt stop. Vivienne?" Her father spoke, gently but forceful. She blinks, attempting to get control of her feeling. She had to confront this.

She had to contend with him. She responded, "Come in," her voice reflecting none of the terror she experienced. Her father entered the room, his big frame filling the doorway and his gaze weary but determined. He had never looked more like the guy she had once loved—the Marlowe family patriarch, a man who could demand respect with one glance. But tonight his eyes caught something else: an unsaid request. "You've decided?" he said softly, his voice full with expectancy. Though she pushed it away, Vivienne felt guilty. They both realised there was no alternative. Though her heart was far from peaceful, she answered, "Yes, Father," her voice firm. "I have decided." Her father exhaled long, relief flooding his features. He moved across the room in a few steps, his hand resting on her shoulder in a comfort she much needed but could not quite embrace. His touch seemed both exotic and pleasant, as though she were being held by a stranger. He said, "Thank you."

"I know you find this difficult, Vivienne. But you have done the correct thing. You have come to help us. Vivienne stared up at him, her lips dry. "I pray so." Though her father had a tight smile, he exuded pride. Vivienne, you have always been the strong one. Your birth was meant for this. To lead the tradition of Marlowe. This marks only another chapter in that narrative. You will witness that one day. The Ashfords will open doors we could not have gotten on our own. She nodded, but she was thinking elsewhere. She lacked vigour. She became hollow. Her heart was heavy with a weight she couldn't quite articulate—that of a commitment she had promised to herself and was now breaking.

Once more squeezing her shoulder, he turned away. "We shall be meeting Magnus tomorrow. I will hand you the plans. He will be the one you set the tone with. Though they are strong, Vivienne, the Ashfords depend on us just as much as they depend on each other. You have to demonstrate your capability to them. You are not merely some pawn in this marriage. We survive only because of you. The words of her father seemed like empty comfort. She wasn't clear whether they belonged for her or for him. She wanted to take trust him. She yearned to believe their marriage would be a means to an end, a way out of the anarchy that had engulfed them for so long. But the more she considered it, the more she came to see she would have no "end".

She was living this right now. Life limited to the Ashfords, to Magnus Ashford. "I'll do my best, Father," she said softly, her voice weighed with her surrender. With a gratified nod, "I knew you would. You have always done what required of you. Vivienne still standing by the window as he exited the room, her fists securely closed by her sides. She gazed down at the metropolis below, the lights glittering like far-off stars, and for a second she considered whether she might flee. Could she flee? Could she part from all that? She was aware, though, the solution already.

Running from this was not possible. Her destiny had been chosen and was entwined with a guy she had never known whose name tormented her thoughts and whose world was soon to become hers. She moved back to the desk, swallowing hard and once more fixed her attention on the marriage proposal. The words were merciless and the ink was still fresh. Maggie Ashford. She would run across him tomorrow. Whether or not she was ready, tomorrow she would start a new chapter.

Her fingers hung over the paper, her mind racing as she worked through what she was going to do. She wondered whether she could ever be ready for this. But right now there was no option. Her choice had been made. Tomorrow she would enter the Ashford world, and going back would not be possible. Her father's fading footsteps echoed down the corridor, leaving her by herself with her thoughts. Vivienne's mind wouldn't calm as the evening wore on. Her world had changed right away. Her life had been snatched from her the minute she signed the proposal. And tomorrow was waiting for the guy who would rule everything.