The inherited vow

Chapter 12 : Alina

If everything went according to plan, there was absolutely no way they would still want this marriage.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

The next morning, I woke up to someone knocking on my door.

I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head.

“Alina.”

My brother's voice.

My eyes immediately opened.

That couldn't be good.

“Come downstairs.”

I stared at the door.

“Why?”

Silence.

“Now.”

And then his footsteps disappeared.

I sighed.

Of course.

I dragged myself out of bed, quickly fixed my hair, and changed into something decent before leaving my room.

As I walked downstairs, I could already feel that something was wrong.

The house was too quiet.

The kind of quiet that usually meant someone was about to ruin my day.

My father was sitting in the living room.

Lucian stood beside the window while my mother sat across from him, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

All three of them looked at me.

I stopped at the entrance.

“What happened?”

My father gestured toward the chair opposite him.

“Sit.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Why?”

“Alina.”

I sighed and walked over.

The moment I sat down, my father leaned back.

“We've finalized the arrangements.”

My heart skipped.

The arrangements?

This was it.

Maybe they'd heard.

Maybe the Arsenyevs had found out.

Maybe they were finally calling the whole thing off.

I tried my best not to smile.

“What arrangements?”

My father looked directly at me.

“The wedding will take place in one week.”

My smile disappeared.

“What?”

“Your wedding will take place in one week.”

I stared at him.

One week?

My brain refused to process the words.

“One week?”

“Yes.”

A nervous laugh escaped me.

I couldn't help it.

“You're joking.”

My father didn't even blink.

“No.”

I looked at my mother.

She couldn't meet my eyes.

Then I looked at Lucian.

There was something almost amusing about his expression.

“You can't be serious.”

My father's expression hardened.

“I am.”

I stood up.

“No.”

“Sit down.”

“No.”

“Alina.”

“You said there was still time.”

“There was.”

“Then why one week?”

“Because both families have agreed.”

My heart started pounding.

Both families?

“Wait.”

I shook my head.

“But... what about last night?”

The room went silent.

My father's eyes narrowed.

“What about it?”

I swallowed.

Nothing.

I couldn't exactly sit here and announce that I'd spent the night with a complete stranger because I'd wanted to destroy my own engagement.

Not when my mother was already looking like she wanted the floor to swallow her.

“I thought...” I stopped.

My father raised an eyebrow.

“You thought what?”

I looked away.

“I thought they might reconsider the marriage.”

For a moment, my father simply stared at me.

That made me immediately regret opening my mouth.

“They have no intention of reconsidering anything.”

My stomach dropped.

“What?”

“The Arsenyevs are aware of what happened.”

I froze.

Of course they knew.

That was the whole point.

I'd wanted them to find out.

I'd wanted them to be furious.

I'd wanted them to look at this entire arrangement and decide I wasn't worth the trouble.

So why were we still talking about a wedding?

Why weren't they calling everything off?

I frowned.

“And they're still going ahead with the marriage?”

“Yes.”

I slowly sank back into the chair.

That wasn't supposed to happen.

Not even a little.

I'd spent the entire night believing I'd finally found the one thing that could ruin this arrangement.

Apparently, I'd been wrong.

Very wrong.

“The Arsenyevs were generous enough to overlook it,” my father added.

I stared at him.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why would they overlook it?”

My father's expression didn't change.

“Because they don't consider it important enough to change the agreement.”

I blinked.

Not important?

I had practically thrown myself into a scandal for nothing.

I wanted to laugh.

Or scream.

Possibly both.

“So let me understand this,” I said slowly. “I could have done everything and it would have changed nothing.”

“Correct.”

“But instead, I made one terrible decision—”

“Several.”

I glared at him.

He didn't look even slightly sorry.

“Fine. Several terrible decisions,” I corrected. “And somehow, that still didn't change anything?”

“No.”

I leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

This was humiliating.

I'd spent all that time thinking I'd finally found a way to take control.

And apparently, my brilliant plan hadn't even made a dent.

My father continued as if he hadn't just crushed every bit of confidence I'd woken up with.

“The guests are being notified. The venue has been secured. And tonight, both families will meet for dinner.”

I looked at him.

“Tonight?”

“Yes.”

“For what?”

My father's gaze remained fixed on me.

“You'll be introduced to your future husband.”

My stomach twisted.

I almost laughed.

Of course.

Why stop at ruining my morning?

They were going to sit me across a dinner table from the man I'd spent the last few weeks trying to avoid.

A man I barely remembered.

A man whose name I'd only heard enough times to hate.

And apparently, tonight I was expected to smile and meet him properly.

“One week,” I whispered.

“One week,” my father confirmed.

The words echoed in my head.

One week until I was married.

One week until I became someone's wife.

One week until the future I'd been fighting against became unavoidable.

I looked at my father.

“And why so soon?”

“Because there is no reason to wait.”

I let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Of course there isn't.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Watch your tone.”

I crossed my arms.

“I think I've earned the right to have a tone.”

“Apparently, you haven't even earned the right to make decisions for yourself.”

That stung more than I wanted it to.

I looked away.

Then I remembered the stranger.

The note.

I had left it for him because I thought I'd never see him again.

At the time, I'd felt almost victorious.

I'd walked into that room believing I was finally doing something for myself.

Now?

I wasn't so sure.

Maybe I'd been too confident.

Maybe I'd mistaken recklessness for freedom.

Or maybe I was just really, really bad at planning.

I stood slowly.

“I need to go upstairs.”

My father nodded.

“Go.”

I turned around.

Then his voice stopped me.

“And, Alina?”

I looked back.

“Your wedding is in one week.”

His eyes held mine.

“Don't try anything stupid until then.”

I stared at him.

One week.

He said it so casually.

As if he hadn't just told me my entire life was changing in seven days.

I wanted to argue.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to tell him that I wasn't marrying anyone.

Instead, I stayed quiet.

Then I walked upstairs before I could change my mind.

The moment I entered my room, I closed the door and leaned against it.

One week.

And tonight, I was meeting my future husband.

I closed my eyes.

I'd wanted the Arsenyevs to call off this wedding.

Instead, they had given me one week to prepare for it.

And somehow, the worst part wasn't even the wedding.

It was knowing that the one reckless thing I'd done to escape it...

had changed absolutely nothing.