Married by fate, Loved by fire

CHAPTER FOUR

I got back home and, as usual, no one cared enough to ask where I had been or why I didn’t come home the previous night. No one even looked up from what they were doing. It was almost as if I were a ghost slipping quietly through the hallways.

I went straight into my room, peeled off my clothes, and walked into the bathroom. The hot shower was the only comforting thing in the entire house—it was like a temporary shield between me and the world outside. I stood there until my skin wrinkled, then wrapped myself in a towel and collapsed on my bed. Sleep hit me hard.

By the time I woke again, it was already dinner time.

I dragged myself to the dining table, taking the only empty seat. The sound of cutlery clanking against the polished plates echoed loudly in the stiff silence. My mother suddenly broke the quiet with her sharp voice.

“Isabelle,” she began, not even looking at me directly. “Don’t think you can just do anything you want. Are you up to something illegal? Are you trying to taint our family name? Where were you last night?”

I glanced at my father, hope filling my eyes—hoping for once he would look at me and defend me. As expected, he looked away almost immediately, pretending his meal was far more important.

He set his cutlery aside and cleared his throat. “As long as you live under my roof, you live by my rules. You cannot stay out all night without informing anyone.”

I scoffed inwardly. As if they would’ve noticed I wasn’t home.

I finished my dinner in silence. As usual, I had to wait for everyone to finish eating before packing their dishes. My mother insisted I do it so I would “learn how to serve my husband’s family in the future.” According to her, chores and silence were the only virtues a daughter needed, it seems I’m the only one that needs them anyways.

I washed the dishes under the scrutinizing eyes of a few maids, wiped the table clean, and returned to my room. The washing machine hummed loudly down the hall, dragging the night out longer than it needed to be.

The next morning came just as quickly. I moved through my routine like a machine—jog, shower, dress, and head out for my shifts.

And that was when I met him again.

He was in a wheelchair again this time, sitting quietly by the window of the café, looking almost… expectant. The moment I walked in, his shoulders relaxed as if he had been holding his breath.

Was he waiting for me?

His assistant approached me with a polite smile and ushered me to the seat across from him. Lucian handed me the menu without a word. I ordered my usual matcha tea, and only then did he break the silence.

“Here.” He slid a card across the table. “A platinum card. It has about five million on it. Keep it as your pocket money. If you need more, contact me.”

My breath hitched. He then handed me a sleek business card.

Marr Enterprises.

My eyes widened involuntarily. He was the CEO of Marr Enterprises? The head of the Marr family? But he looked so young… too young.

He asked for my phone, but I hesitated—so instead, I recited my number. He dialed it, and my phone rang.

“That’s my personal number,” he said calmly. “If you need to reach me or come to the company, call directly.”

His assistant replaced my matcha tea with a fresh one, and we began talking about small, random things—weather, school, coffee preferences. It was strangely peaceful.

Until she appeared.

“Sister?” Victoria’s thin, chirpy voice cut through the air, grating against my ears. “How are you here? Don’t you work here? Isn’t flirting with customers against the ethics here?”

I sighed internally. Here she goes again.

“I’m going to meet with the CEO of Marr Enterprises soon,” she announced proudly, flipping her hair. “Shocking, right? Daddy will be so proud of me.”

I blinked slowly. Was she… serious? She didn’t even recognize the fact that she was looking at the man himself.

I decided to taunt her a little. “CEO of Marr Enterprises?” I scoffed softly. “Does he even know you?”

Her face twisted with annoyance. “Of course he does. Fallon arranged a meeting. He works at Marr Enterprises. You don’t understand connections—probably because all you do is keep crippled men company.”

Rage surged within me, immediate and hot. Before I could think twice, I picked up my tea and dumped it on her perfectly styled hair. The shock on her face was worth every drop.

“Ahh! You ruined my hair and dress! How can I meet Lucian now?!”

Before I could respond, the man across from me finally spoke—and his tone was cold enough to freeze the room.

“You won’t need to meet him,” he said. “Because I have no interest in meeting you.”

He turned to his assistant. “Carter, find out who leaked my schedule to this woman. Handle it.”

The nearby staff noticed the commotion, and alerted the manager because a few minutes later the manager ran out immediately, bowing deeply to Lucian.

Victoria froze. Doubt washed over her features. She looked from the manager to Lucian, realizing the truth.

She scrambled to save herself. “It—it was just a misunderstanding. She’s my sister and he’s her guest. I was only looking out for her.”

She even forced a smile at me, eyes brimming with false innocence.

But Lucian wasn’t fooled.

“She disrupted my meeting. Remove her and revoke her membership.”

No amount of her crying or pleading helped. The staff escorted her out while she wailed dramatically.

Dishes were served afterwards, and I ate to my fill. Honestly, I didn’t even feel guilty.

When I returned home, I found angry parents and a crying Victoria waiting at the door like a staged performance.

What was wrong with these people?

I was about to walk past them, but my mother suddenly slapped me hard across the face.

“You wretch! You ruined your sister’s chance to mingle with the top socialites! Are you a jinx or what?”

The loud commotion dragged my father out from his study. He listened to Victoria’s twisted, embellished version of the story and immediately became furious.

“That’s it,” he declared. “You will serve punishment so you learn responsibility. You’re grounded for three days. No food. No water.”

My mind went blank.

I picked myself up from the floor, half-dazed, and dragged my aching body to my room. I locked the door behind me before they could say anything else.

The coming week… was going to be a very long one.