The Billionaire's Forced Bride

Chapter 001 The Engagement Party Amara’s POV Tonight was as planned, supposed to be my night, the very night my dreams would come true. Yet, standing like a statue in the middle of the Golden Crown Hotel’s grand ballroom, I won't be exaggerating that I felt nothing but like a guest at my own engagement party. The well lited room was busy, way too busy with chatter, laughter, and the occasional clink of expensive champagne glasses. The atmosphere was, to say the least, beyond friendly, a perfect moment just for the lavish celebration for the wealthy elites of Lakeshore City. My mother had, in her overly ambitious and overbearing manner, made sure every detail screamed perfection. “Amara, try for once to hold your head high. You have the look of someone about to faint any moment,” Mama hissed furiously as she passed me by, though her face was pinched in a perfect forced smile. “Yes, Mama,” I mumbled almost to myself, adjusting the expensive pearl necklace she insisted I wear. Victor stood handsomely across the room, dutifully and skillfully talking animatedly with a group of over serious business men. He looked overly perfect. I lack words to describe how tall, handsome, confident he looked. He's with no doubt, the very man every woman wanted. And yet, with me finally getting him, the very moment when his eyes finally met mine, I felt nothing, not even a rush of adrenaline, just a cold detachment. He smiled sweetly, but it wasn’t for me. “Victor,” I called softly as I made my way toward him slowly. “Amara,” he said, his tone steady and polite, but obviously distant. “You look... look nice.” Nice. That was it? Nothing more. Just nice? I swallowed my disappointment in a hurry and nodded to him. “Thank you.” The rest of the evening's event quickly passed in a blur. Guests came and went, offering hollow and empty congratulations. Mama, in her usual manner, hovered around, ensuring everyone knew this engagement was a match made in socialite heaven. And then, not forgetting someone important; there was the perfect daughter, Sisi. Sisi, overly gorgeous was dressed in her fiery red dress, was, as usual, the center of attention. She effortlessly flitted from group to group, her laugh loud, vibrantly echoing everywhere, and her smile, she ensured was brighter than the chandeliers. She was just in a likable way, the kind of woman who commanded attention without doing much. I for some reason, envied her for that somehow. But tonight, something if not everything felt totally off. I finally got what I was looking forward to; a moment of peace on the balcony, the cool night air soothing my tired nerves. The chaotic laughter and music from the engagement party felt distant, like I wasn’t the reason for the gathering, like I wasn't really part of it. “You don’t, in any way, look like someone who just got engaged to the love of her life.” I wasn't prepared for that, which made me jump out of my skin, turning to see Sisi standing behind me, a glass of expensive champagne in hand. Her lips curled harshly into a small smirk, but her eyes sparkled with something way darker. “Sisi,” I said, my voice wary. “What brought your gorgeous self here?” “Checking on you, ensuring you are okay, dear sister, of course. You seem... tensed,” she replied, leaning against the railing for comfort. “I’m very fine,” I lied through my teeth. “Fine,” she repeated, her tone mimicking and mocking me in a way. “Well, you should be, at least just for now. You have no reason to be sad because you're marrying Victor Graham, the golden boy of Lakeshore. Don't sleep on that. Every woman in this city would kill to be in your shoes this moment.” There was something in the way she narrated it, something that made my skin crawl out of its place. “Sisi, if you have something bottled up to say, just say it,” I snapped, tired of her boring games. Her smirk widened on hearing that. “You should know it's no more news that you don’t deserve, Amara. You’re too... plain for his kind of man. Too ordinary. Victor needs someone who can perfectly match his shine. And that should be someone like me.” I stared at her, stunned at her speech. “What exactly are you talking about now?” “You’ll see,” she said cryptically, brushing past, but not without pushing me in an angry manner. Her sinister laughter echoing mischievously as she disappeared back into the ballroom. As I finally returned to the unwelcoming party, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was definitely wrong. Sisi’s harsh words played repeatedly in my mind, but before I could make sense of them, Victor from nowhere grabbed my hand. “Perfect time to cut the engagement cake,” he said. The cake cutting ceremony somehow passed without any funny incident, but I felt like I was moving through a dangerous dream, or even a nightmare. By then, I searched through the room, and Sisi was nowhere to be seen, and unease settled in my chest like a stone. Hours later, completely exhausted and drained of the remaining strength in me, I told Mama I needed a few hours of rest. She barely acknowledged me or my needs as she was too busy entertaining her guests. I slipped away without warning, following the directions the hotel staff had given me to a reserved room I knew nothing of. But on entering the room, something felt... wrong, totally different. The lights were now dim, and the air was heavy and suffocating with the scent of alcohol. A man sat slouched on the bed, his shirt unbuttoned, and his head hanging somehow low. “Excuse me...” I began, but he lifted his head, and that very minute, the words died on my lips. His piercing, charming gray eyes locked onto mine, and my blood immediately ran cold. “I think you might have entered the wrong room,” I stammered, stepping back toward the door. “Wait,” he said, his voice deep and rough, but somehow sweet. He stood, swaying slightly, and I froze. Who exactly is this man? Why is he here? Before I could think and move out a bit, the door slammed shut behind me.